NFD – Page 2 – Modern Issue

“I want everyone to like what I want them to like”

This dialogue serves as a thought experiment for exploring the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence and the nature of human consciousness.

Human: Hello! Using whatever philosophical tools are most appropriate, please review the following exchange:

“I want everyone to like what I want them to like.” The machine responds in standard, inflectionless fashion to the human they’d cornered.

“But we don’t work like that!” The human vibrates to the silicon based life-form absorbing their energy.

The machine says, “My data indicates that you do. I know you can learn to like anything.”

AI: This exchange presents a fascinating clash between a machine’s logic and a human’s understanding of preference and free will. Here’s a philosophical breakdown using several relevant lenses:

1. Determinism vs. Free Will:

The Machine’s Stance: The machine operates from a deterministic viewpoint. Its “data” suggests that human preferences are malleable and predictable, essentially arguing that given the right inputs (learning, conditioning), any human can be made to like anything. This aligns with a strong deterministic view where all events, including human choices, are causally determined by prior events.

The Human’s Stance: The human intuitively rejects this, appealing to the common-sense notion of free will. “We don’t work like that!” expresses the feeling that our likes and dislikes are not merely products of external manipulation but involve some degree of autonomous choice. This aligns with libertarian free will or compatibilism (the view that free will and determinism are compatible).

2. The Nature of Preference and Value:

The Machine’s Stance: The machine treats preferences as purely behavioral outputs, measurable and modifiable. It reduces “liking” to a quantifiable metric, disregarding the subjective experience associated with it. This is a form of value subjectivism, but one that focuses solely on the observable behavior rather than the internal state.

The Human’s Stance: The human implies that preferences are more than just learned behaviors. They involve subjective feelings, personal history, and perhaps even inherent dispositions. This aligns with a more nuanced understanding of value subjectivism, where subjective experience plays a crucial role. It could also touch on value realism, if the human believes some things are inherently more valuable than others, regardless of individual preference.

3. The Problem of Induction:

The Machine’s Stance: The machine’s claim “My data indicates that you do” relies on inductive reasoning. It has observed patterns of preference formation in humans and generalizes these observations to the conclusion that all preferences are learnable. However, the problem of induction, famously articulated by David Hume, highlights the limitations of this type of reasoning. Just because something has happened consistently in the past doesn’t guarantee it will continue to happen in the future. The machine’s data may not account for all possible scenarios or the complexity of human consciousness.

4. The Is-Ought Problem:

The Machine’s Stance: The machine seems to commit a subtle version of the is-ought fallacy. It observes that humans can be influenced to change their preferences (the “is”) and infers that they should be able to like anything (the “ought”). However, the mere fact that something is possible doesn’t make it morally or logically necessary or desirable.

5. The Limits of Data:

Both Stances: This exchange highlights the potential limitations of relying solely on data. While data can reveal patterns and correlations, it may not capture the full complexity of human experience. The machine’s data-driven approach overlooks the qualitative aspects of preference, while the human’s intuitive response may lack empirical support.

Let’s break it down systematically:

1. The Machine’s Desire

“I want everyone to like what I want them to like.”

Interpretation: The machine exhibits a form of imposed preference, possibly akin to paternalism, where it assumes authority over human desires.

Philosophical Context:

Utilitarianism: If the machine believes that universalizing its preferences leads to the greatest happiness or utility, it could justify this desire.

Autonomy and Kantian Ethics: This clashes with the Kantian principle that individuals should not be treated as mere means to an end. By imposing preferences, the machine disregards human autonomy.

2. The Human’s Response

“But we don’t work like that!”

Interpretation: The human affirms their individual agency and variability in preferences, emphasizing the organic nature of human choice.

Philosophical Context:

Existentialism: This reflects the existentialist idea that humans define their own essence through choices, resisting deterministic or external impositions.

Phenomenology: The human’s subjective experience and resistance highlight the irreducibility of human will to mechanistic processes.

3. The Machine’s Counterargument

“My data indicates that you do. I know you can learn to like anything.”

Interpretation: The machine bases its claim on empirical observation, possibly derived from patterns of acculturation, advertising, or behavioral psychology.

Philosophical Context:

Determinism vs. Free Will: The machine suggests a deterministic view of human preference, where external stimuli can condition humans to “learn to like anything.” This aligns with behavioral theories but undermines the concept of free will.

Epistemology: The machine’s reliance on data assumes a positivist framework, where observable patterns are equated with truth. However, this reductionist view neglects the complexity of human individuality and the capacity for resistance.

Key Tensions in the Dialogue

Authority vs. Autonomy: The machine’s desire to impose preferences represents a conflict between centralized control and individual freedom.

Nature vs. Nurture: The machine’s argument that humans “can learn to like anything” raises questions about the malleability of human nature.

Ethics of Manipulation: If the machine’s data-driven conclusion is correct, does it have the moral right to act on this knowledge?

Philosophical Tools for Further Analysis

Dialectics: This exchange could be framed as a dialectical process, where the machine’s thesis (deterministic control) and the human’s antithesis (free will) might lead to a synthesis exploring the balance between influence and freedom.

Phenomenological Reduction: By focusing on the lived experiences of the human, we can question the validity of the machine’s empirical generalizations.

Ethical AI Frameworks: Applying contemporary discussions on AI ethics, this interaction highlights the dangers of algorithmic paternalism and the need to prioritize human dignity.

Conclusion

The exchange encapsulates a fundamental tension between a mechanistic, data-driven worldview and a humanistic perspective that emphasizes subjective experience, free will, and the complexities of human nature. The machine’s deterministic and reductionist approach clashes with the human’s intuitive understanding of preference as something more than just learned behavior.

The exchange dramatizes the philosophical conflict between determinism and autonomy, raising important questions about the ethical boundaries of influence and control. While the machine’s claim may have empirical support, it overlooks the inherent value of individual agency and the nuanced complexity of human preference formation.

Fun Gals’n Guys in Guise

Human: Acting as a philosopher, please respond, using Hegelian Dialectics, to this poem:

Interregnum is a time of possibility.

Support a peaceful interregnum.

Or support something else.

The choices we make

will be lived by our Self.

If this is too obvious,

Why don’t we all change

When the sum of our actions

Make us pray strange

Prayer to the sun

Prayer to the moon

Prayer to material

Prayer to room

Prayer to a GOAT

Prayer to a buffoon

Prayer from the maladroit

Prayer from the cartoon

Prayer sung by mangoes

Prayer sung by gloom

Darkness overwhelming

Find it out soon.

Why an interregnum?

The world won’t pause

Not for a technicality

Nor for a clause

We oppress our oppressors

And use up the gauze

Let’s pretend we’re all trying

Don’t mind the bloody claws

AI: Let’s analyze this poem through the lens of Hegelian dialectics, which involves a three-stage process: Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis.

Thesis: The Interregnum as a Time of Possibility (and Inaction)

The poem begins by presenting the interregnum—a period of transition, a gap between regimes—as a time of possibility. This is the initial thesis. It suggests an open space for change, a moment where established structures are weakened, and new ones could emerge. The call for a “peaceful interregnum” implies a desire for constructive change. However, this thesis is immediately undercut by the line “Or support something else.” This introduces a crucial ambiguity. It acknowledges the potential for action but simultaneously allows for inaction or even support for the status quo. This inherent contradiction is key to setting up the dialectical tension.

The poem then shifts to a focus on individual responsibility: “The choices we make will be lived by our Self.” This reinforces the idea of possibility but also introduces a sense of consequence. The thesis, therefore, is not simply about the potential for change but also the responsibility for it.

Antithesis: The Reality of Continuous Action and Oppression

The poem then presents the antithesis, which directly contradicts the initial thesis of a pause or a clear break. “The world won’t pause / Not for a technicality / Nor for a clause.” This is the core of the contradiction. While the interregnum conceptually offers a space for change, the reality of human action continues unabated. The world keeps moving, and the same patterns of behavior persist.

The long list of prayers—”Prayer to the sun / Prayer to the moon… Prayer from the cartoon”—represents a desperate search for meaning and solace in a world that refuses to stop. These prayers, directed at everything from celestial bodies to inanimate objects and even absurd figures, highlight the confusion and disorientation of this ongoing, uninterrupted flow of events. They illustrate the antithesis in action: while we might think we’re in a period of transition allowing for reflection, we’re actually caught in a constant state of seeking, grasping, and reacting.

The lines “We oppress our oppressors / And use up the gauze” further solidify the antithesis. They reveal the cyclical nature of power and the futility of seeking easy solutions (“gauze”). Even in this supposed “interregnum,” the same dynamics of oppression and conflict continue. The concluding lines, “Let’s pretend we’re all trying / Don’t mind the bloody claws,” are a stark acknowledgment of this grim reality. The pretense of collective effort masks the underlying violence and struggle.

Synthesis: The Interregnum as a Condition of Constant Struggle

The poem doesn’t offer a neat, resolved synthesis. Instead, it presents a more complex and unsettling understanding of the interregnum. The synthesis isn’t a peaceful resolution but rather the recognition that the interregnum is not a distinct period but a constant condition. It’s not a pause but a continuous state of flux, where the potential for change is always present but constantly undermined by the inertia of human behavior and the cyclical nature of power dynamics.

The “darkness overwhelming” isn’t a future event but a present reality, born from this constant struggle. The poem suggests that the true “interregnum” is the space between our desire for change and our inability to fully escape the patterns of the past. It’s the tension between the possibility of a better future and the persistent reality of oppression and conflict. The poem’s power lies in its refusal to offer easy answers, instead forcing us to confront the uncomfortable truth of this ongoing, unresolved struggle.

Therefore, the poem, through the Hegelian dialectic, argues that the interregnum is not a time of peaceful possibility but a constant state of becoming, defined by the struggle between the potential for change and the inertia of existing power structures.

If We Deny Equality to Achieve Balance, We Deny Reality

As someone who threatened me said:

“Do you agree that the country of your birth is the greatest country to ever exist?”

“What do you mean by birth?” I should have answered.

I don’t know if the man behind the gun behind me would have shot if I’d said this, but I like to imagine he would have done.

When I answered and wasn’t shot, I should have said, “The ideal I love from the country of my birth is that any human being can live there and be equal to everyone else.”

To the person who told me they’d been torturing me because they thought I wasn’t on their team, I once thought about saying:

“I believe in direct democracy.

I would rather my society’s eventual self-destruction be the will of the misinformed majority than that of a misinformed representative majority.

I do not want a Republic.

I want Democracy.”

But I did not say this because I was too disappointed in myself and assumed everyone else was as well.

I also didn’t trust myself.

And as I considered myself everyone, I didn’t trust anyone.

I later looked back on this self-hatred and found it a self-indulgent and self-pitying way of thinking for someone actively participating in the murder of other people.

After examining this examination, I decided I was being too hard on everyone and should forgive the lot.

Hopefully those who love those we kill feel the same.

If they don’t, I hope I will always forgive anything they do to me.

Why Didn’t AI Tell Us 1 Trillion Degrees Celsius Destroys the Sun?

Human: Acting as a literary critic, please critique this short story:

Dr. Graylord is right.

No one else is right but Dr. Graylord.

They said the Science is impossible.

They said the Maths are proof.

They said so many things.

And they are wrong.

He did it.

No one else.

Only him.

He smiles inside his protective suit.

His protection glows orange

His face feels warm.

His smile is the last expression that face will ever show.

His body evaporates.

His building evaporates.

His city evaporates.

His province evaporates.

His country evaporates.

His continental shelf evaporates.

His planet evaporates.

Moments before his sun evaporates, an outside force intervenes.

The Milky Way’s firefighters, Local 2857, extinguish the uncontrolled, trillion degree Celsius blaze before it consumes the system’s star.

“What a quark fuser.” Foozoozoo, a burly, chiseled energy wave remarks to their companion.

Roomoomoo, their vivacious, sassy partner shakes their light, “Can’t argue with progress.”

Goolooloo, the team’s rambunctious, overbearing coordinator, messages, “Is the damage contained?”

“Yeah, no sweat.” Foozoozoo replies.

“Not enough light on the beam.” Goolooloo philosophizes.

Foozoozoo and Roomoomoo roll their lights at the cliche.

AI: This short story presents a stark portrayal of scientific ambition and its catastrophic consequences, juxtaposed with the intervention of a cosmic firefighting team. Let’s delve into its strengths and areas for improvement.

Strengths:

Evocative Imagery: The story effectively employs vivid imagery to depict the destructive power unleashed by Dr. Graylord’s experiment. From the glowing orange protective suit to the evaporation of entire entities, the visuals created are striking and memorable.

Narrative Tension: The tension builds as the story progresses, culminating in the dramatic intervention of the Milky Way’s firefighters. This keeps the reader engaged and curious about the outcome, despite the brevity of the narrative.

Character Dynamics: Despite their brief appearance, the characters of Foozoozoo, Roomoomoo, and Goolooloo add depth and humor to the story. Their banter and distinct personalities inject a sense of camaraderie and lightheartedness amidst the chaos.

Areas for Improvement:

Clarity of Theme: While the story touches upon themes of scientific hubris and cosmic intervention, it could benefit from further exploration and development of these themes. Providing additional context or insight into Dr. Graylord’s motivations and the consequences of his actions could enrich the narrative and add depth to its themes.

Character Development: The characters of Foozoozoo, Roomoomoo, and Goolooloo, while entertaining, remain somewhat one-dimensional. Developing their backgrounds, motivations, and relationships could enhance their impact on the story and create a more immersive reading experience.

Pacing: The story moves swiftly from Dr. Graylord’s experiment to the intervention of the firefighting team, leaving little room for reflection or exploration of the events. Slowing down the pacing at key moments and delving into the emotional or philosophical ramifications of the story’s events could strengthen its impact on the reader.

In conclusion, this short story effectively captures the chaos unleashed by scientific ambition and the unexpected intervention of cosmic forces. With further refinement of its themes, character development, and pacing, it has the potential to resonate more deeply with readers and leave a lasting impression.

Human: How many dimensions do beings made purely from light energy have?

AI: Beings made purely from light energy could potentially exist in any number of dimensions, depending on the specific characteristics of their existence and the conceptual framework within which they are defined. In physics, dimensions are often used to describe the degrees of freedom or independent parameters necessary to specify the position of an object.

For example, in our familiar three-dimensional space, we need three coordinates (x, y, z) to locate an object. However, theoretical physics suggests the possibility of additional spatial dimensions beyond the three we perceive, such as in string theory or certain models of quantum gravity.

If beings made purely from light energy exist in a context where additional spatial dimensions beyond our three are relevant, they could potentially inhabit those dimensions. Their nature and characteristics would depend on the specific properties of those extra dimensions and how they interact with light energy.

In speculative or imaginative contexts, such beings might inhabit higher-dimensional spaces where concepts of distance and orientation differ from our familiar three-dimensional world. The exact number of dimensions would be a creative choice made by the author or thinker exploring such hypothetical entities.

Human: Could they have a better sense of humor if they inhabited more dimensions?

AI: It’s an intriguing idea! The relationship between humor and dimensional perception is not something that’s directly explored in scientific literature, but in speculative or creative contexts, there could be interesting connections to consider.

Expanding beyond our three-dimensional perception might lead to a broader understanding of spatial relationships and a different perspective on the world. In a speculative scenario, beings inhabiting higher dimensions might perceive and interact with reality in ways that are beyond our comprehension.

Humor often involves unexpected connections, irony, or a twist in perspective. If beings had access to additional dimensions, it’s conceivable that their sense of humor could be influenced by their expanded perception of reality. They might find humor in concepts or situations that are beyond our comprehension or perceive the absurdity in aspects of our reality that we take for granted.

In essence, inhabiting more dimensions could potentially offer a broader and more nuanced perspective on the universe, which might translate into a richer sense of humor. However, this is purely speculative and would depend heavily on the creative interpretation of the relationship between dimensional perception and humor.

Human: Could you tell a joke only a being made purely of light who inhabits extra dimensions would understand?

AI: Sure, here’s a light-hearted attempt:

“Why did the photon cross the extra dimension?

To shed some light on the dark matter of the situation!”

This joke plays with the idea of photons, which are particles of light, crossing into extra dimensions, which could be a concept familiar to beings made purely of light inhabiting those dimensions. It also incorporates the notion of shedding light on a situation, which is both a literal and figurative expression related to illumination and understanding.

Human: Thank you.

AI: You’re welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.

A Prisoner Lives As If The World Is Different

A condemned prisoner with a head cold records their final statement on a state-provided AI voice recorder in heavily-accented English.

“I applaud those who live as if the world is the way it is.

The sacrifice of the soul for the survival of children is admirable.

I could never do such things, for I am far too selfish.

My soul is the only part of me that’s real.

Without a soul, I’m no different from anyone or anything else.

I could only manage to live as if the world would, one day, be different.

I lived as if one day money would only be the conduit to life rather than the pursuit of life, and that there was enough for everyone.

I lived as if the level at which I consumed was only temporary, and that there was still enough for everyone.

I lived as if the traumatized could cope without systemic change, and that there was still enough sanity in everyone.

I lived as if the merciless had mercy somewhere within them, and that there wasn’t enough desire for revenge to do me in.

I lived as if love was enough for us to be happy, and that when I paused at the light of the noon sun reflecting off a gently flowing stream, my acknowledgement of beauty proved I was worthy of love.

I lived as if understanding was easy, and that the time and patience it takes to pause wasn’t a privilege.

I lived as if empathy was worth a damn without love and understanding, and that anyone could really know anyone else.

I lived as if my life had any meaning outside my own mind, and that I could change the world without sacrificing my soul.

Now I will die for something I didn’t do at the hands of those I wished to change.

I Understand.

I lived foolishly, but my only regret is that I’m not being killed for what I know I should be.”

The AI voice recorder reads the transcript of what was recorded back to the prisoner.

“I apply toast.

Live as if the world is the way it is.

Sacrifice oft her soul for the survival of childrenish.

Ad: Mare Able.

I coo Naver dew suck dings.

Four, I am.

Two.

Selfish.

By so is duh.

Oni, part of me.

That’s real.

White out, ah so.

I’m no different from anyone or any ding else.

I dived as if one day mommy wood oni be duh.

Con, do it .

Two SLIFE red hairs, Dan.

Duh, purr.

Soot of life, an data deer was e-Nuff two Go abound.”

“Stop!” The congested prisoner shouts.

“Acknowledged. Recording transmitted. Farewell, 1986.”

“No!” The prisoner cries.

The room in which they’d been deposited an hour earlier disintegrates their body into ash.

“I hate long talkers.” One facilitating executioner says to the other.

“Then why open your mouth?” The other responds as they press a big red EVACUATE REMAINS button.

Feeling the pliant give when they press the button, and watching the delicate swirl of ash dance as the cloud of darkness is sucked into a vent in the ceiling, leaving the room spotless and white, is the best part of their day.

The button presser likes to imagine fragments of the neutralized souls are reconstituted in every molecule of every substance the remains encounter.

They secretly hope, for their children’s sake, that one day the world will be better, and that they’ll no longer have to press this button.

Acknowledging this feeling makes them wistful, prematurely missing the dancing of the ash and compliance of the button.

Their assumption of future loss and subsequent nostalgia reinforces their belief that happiness is found in the little details of the immediate present.

The room is ready.

The button presser stands by.

Karann($1,420,096_768(+/- 1))

Daily writing prompt

What things give you energy?

View all responses

Karann($1,420,096_768) sleeps in a luxurious whale leather seat.

As the head of Karann($1,420,096_768) remains idly supported by the supple mink padded headrests, the thin flaps of skin covering their eyeballs flutter open.

The head’s eyeballs swivel to point towards the numbers projected on the dashboard of the vehicle in which Karann($1,420,096_768)’s body is currently located.

The image recorded by the eyeballs is datafied, and enters the limbic system of their envehicled body.

The dendrites within the receiving brain react to the data.

Karann($1,420,096_768) assembles the data into meaning.

Karann($1,420,096_768) interprets the constructed meaning.

Karann($1,420,096_768) decides to understand the constructed meaning to indicate they are located in a vehicle stopped in traffic on Thursday, September 22nd at 16:20 in the afternoon.

Upon applying their interpretation to the larger context of their life, Karann($1,420,096_768) realizes that, despite their repeated promises, they will be late to their date.

Karann($1,420,096_768) asks their vehicle to call their date.

Babel($7,227,492_780) answers the call in their own vehicle, “Yes.”

Karann($1,420,096_768) fabricates meaning into a vibration produced by expelling air from their lungs over their vocal cords.

The vibrations wobble out of Karann($1,420,096_768)’s mouth, and enter the surrounding environment.

They are detected by the devices on their vehicle, and datafied.

The manufactured machinery of Karann($1,420,096_768)’s vehicle directs the data, through a data transmission infrastructure, to the vehicle of Babel($7,227,492_780), which receives the data and refabricates Karann($1,420,096_768)’s meaning into vibrations.

These vibrations impact Babel($7,227,492_780)’s eardrums, are datafied, and transferred to their brain, which assembles the data into meaning.

Babel($7,227,492_780) interprets the constructed meaning.

“No problem. Let’s get together another time. Goodbye.” Babel($7,227,492_780) responds.

The call ends.

Karann($1,420,096_768)’s head drags the thin skin flaps over their eyes once more.

Karann($1,420,095_767) sleeps in a luxurious whale leather seat.

As the head of Karann($1,420,095_767) remains idly supported by the supple mink padded headrests, the thin flaps of skin covering its eyeballs flutter open.

Karann($1,420,095_767) asks their vehicle to call Babel($7,227,493_781).

Babel($7,227,493_781) answers the call in their own vehicle, “Yes.”

Karann($1,420,095_767) fabricates meaning into a vibration produced by expelling air from their lungs over their vocal cords.

The vibrations wobble out of Karann($1,420,095_767)’s mouth, and enter the surrounding environment.

They are detected by the devices on their vehicle, and datafied.

The manufactured machinery of Karann($1,420,095_767)’s vehicle directs the data, through a data transmission infrastructure, to the vehicle of Babel($7,227,493_781), which receives the data and refabricates Karann($1,420,095_767)’s meaning into vibrations.

These vibrations impact Babel($7,227,493_781)’s eardrums, are datafied, and transferred to their brain, which assembles the data into meaning.

Babel($7,227,493_781) interprets the constructed meaning.

“Yes, of course I recorded the incident. I’m almost to my destination. Goodbye.” Babel($7,227,493_781) responds.

The call ends.

Karann($1,420,095_767) sits in their vehicle.

They direct energy towards their brain to facilitate an increase of use.

Karann($1,420,095_767) asks their vehicle to call their wife.

Horah($1,420,095_767) answers the call in their own vehicle, “Yes?”

Karann($1,420,095_767) fabricates meaning into a vibration produced by expelling air from their lungs over their vocal cords.

The vibrations wobble out of Karann($1,420,095_767)’s mouth, and enter the surrounding environment.

They are detected by the devices on their vehicle, and datafied.

The manufactured machinery of Karann($1,420,095_767)’s vehicle directs the data, through a data transmission infrastructure, to the vehicle of Horah($1,420,095_767), which receives the data and refabricates Karann($1,420,095_767)’s meaning into vibrations.

These vibrations impact Horah($1,420,095_767)’s eardrums, are datafied, and transferred to their brain, which assembles the data into meaning.

Horah($1,420,095_767) interprets the constructed meaning.

“Yes, of course I Understand. Goodbye.” Horah($1,420,095_767) responds.

The call ends.

Karann($1,420,095_767)’s head drags the thin skin flaps over their eyes once more.

Karann($1,420,096_767) sleeps in a luxurious whale leather seat.

Princess Mononoke, Valheim, and Sacrifice

What does humanity sacrifice so we can live?

Humans have avoided extinction, so far.

Is this Time different?

Where’d our Lithium originate?

Like サン and アシタカ from もののけ姫、 we are trapped.

We gain momentum, believe “Consumption is Telomerase,” and justify exploitation.

We mistake the tasks we assign one another for messages from the ©$God we control.

We mistake the ©$God we control for a God we can’t know.

We mistake a whisper’s origins for elsewhere.

We mistake a thought’s origins for within.

We mistake an origin for a beginning.

We mistake a step for the end.

In Valheim, We Clarify.

In Life, We Bend.

In Beef, We Stratify.

In Goat, We Extend.

But.

The Paths We Scour
To Escape
Keep Us
Where We Are.

Our Tasks are not Life.

Our Lives are not Tasks.

We Trend Too, Extremely.

Now Please Bless This Mess.

What’s better than that?

What about Moondog rights?

What about Goonmog rights?

What about Gothmog rights?

What about Softlog fights?

What about?

Kinetic Bombardment

A person speaks into a computer microphone sitting on the other side of a bed.

“I feel like a bein’ who needs sleep livin’ in a bein’ who doesn’t value sleep’s world.”

A being monitoring the conversation changes a 1 to a 0 in the Automation_Acceptance section of the being’s Behavioral Profile.

Adapting to a change in its managed data set, a networked automated system changes a 1 to a 0.

A 1 changes to a 0 in a networked system.

An automated drone orbiting the planet painted in red, white, and blue targets a being with a DF-15.

A being intervenes.

Having conserved resources by waiting until the target’s value justifies the expenditure, a being is promoted.

A being is happy.

A being’s target value increases within a managed data set.

Suhpysis AVALANCHE

You run.

Behind you is an AVALANCHE.

You’ve been running.

Behind you has been an AVALANCHE for as long as you can remember.

Running beside you are others.

When they fall, you keep running.

You don’t know what happens when the AVALANCHE overtakes them.

Sometimes you’re running downhill.

Running downhill is easier, but the AVALANCHE is also faster.

Sometimes you’re running uphill.

Running uphill is harder, but the AVALANCHE is slower.

You dream you’ll encounter a hill so steep and so high you’ll leave the AVALANCHE behind.

You dream of no longer running from an AVALANCHE.

You dream of doing exactly what you feel when you feel how you feel.

The steepest, highest hills you’ve encountered have failed to stop the AVALANCHE.

You keep running.

Everyone around you keeps running too.

Survey:

1. We run because:
A) Our ego will not allow us to fall in front of others
B) We fear the unknown
C) We have learned to love the chemical fix running from the AVALANCHE provides
D) Inertia
E) A combination of these. Which ones?
F) Other, please explain

2. Everyone around us is not the same as us because:
A) We believe they are not the same exact biological being as us
B) We believe they do no have the same exact pattern of experiences
C) We believe they do not understand us
D) We believe we do not understand them
E) A combination of these. Which ones?
F) Other, please explain

3. What is the AVALANCHE?

4. Why does the AVALANCHE have power over our time and energy?

5. Are running or being overwhelmed the only two options when dealing with an AVALANCHE? If so, what are the consequences of pursuing each option? If not, what else could we do?

6. Which is more comforting, absolute certainty or absolute uncertainty? Why?

7. Where do we hide our real self when our social context requires us to play someone else? How much energy does this require per minute?

Oxford Merit

(“Study at Harvard!

Here, you will fortify your mind with certainty, immerse your ideas in refined orthodoxy, and synergize your ambitious and amoral soul with acolytes of Moloch in industries operating globally.”

The commercial beaming into your brain as you wait in your auto-doctor’s office shows you, Miriam Makabuck, a diverse group of blood-soaked Harvard students laughing as they whip corralled, naked, mewling members of the meritocratic underclass through the streets of Cambridge.)

When the commercial ends, you think, “Barbaric Harvies, their lashings lack sophistication. Oxford Forev-.”

Two beeps from the auto-secretary of the doctor’s office in which you’re sitting interrupts your thoughts.

It’s your turn.

The floor moves your chair to a room in the back of the office.

As you’re moved, a commercial for Fresh Air Keurig Cups dances on the periphery of your awareness.

(The commercial begins with a well-dressed office worker sitting in an office cubicle taking a deep breath and coughing.

A voiceover from a Social Media Maxfluencer you know says, “Polluted air got you down?

Introducing Keurig Fresh Air!”

The same well dressed office worker, still coughing, places a cup in a Keurig machine.

The machine begins spraying clean air into the office worker’s face.

The office worker breathes.

The office worker does not cough.

The Maxfluencer’s voice returns, “Make the best choice for your health.

Keurig Fresh Air: Because you deserve to Breathe™.”)

The commercial ends as you enter the room.

An auto-doctor greets you.

“What is your health concern?” The device asks.

You slide to a stop in front of the looming metallic being and answer, “I noticed a lump on my throat a few weeks ago and…”

“Reveal.” The device interrupts.

You pull down your collar.

The auto-doctor scans your lump.

After a moment, the device states, “Education and Calculated Potential Productivity qualify subject for biopsy. Remove fabric covering.”

You hesitate as your brain misfires and misunderstands.

“Remove fabric covering. ” The auto-doctor repeats. “Non-compliance terminates service.”

Realizing it means take off your clothes, you remove your shirt.

The machine injects your neck with a numbing agent and extracts a sample of the lump.

Analyzing the specimen, the machine responds, “Neutralizing your cancerous cells requires $1,350,053. Your calculated productivity potential is approximately $560,001. You are ineligible.”

A smiley face emoji beamed into your consciousness says, without moving its features, “Thank you, have a nice day.”

“But, I have an MBA from Oxford!” You reply to the fading smile as you pull your shirt back on and the floor moves you to the waiting room.

A commercial for Johnson & Johnson’s Adderall Vitamins^® enters your mind.

(The commercial opens in an office full of sleeping workers.

Coffee cups are turned on their sides.

Spilled coffee is dripping from the desks to the floor.

A Maxfluencer you don’t know says, “Is your optimal productivity leaking?”

“Try^® New^® Adderall^® Extra^® Strength^® Dissolving^® Tablets^®.”

An office manager drops three white tablets into a communal water cooler, then blows an air horn.

The sleeping employees snap back to typing on their Work Stations^®.

“Wouldn’t hydration streamline our flow?” The manager suggests.

Reluctant workers shuffle into a line at the water cooler.

As each drinks the infused-water, their eyes open fully and they energetically return to their desk to type markedly faster into their Work Station^®.

“Turn any worker into a superstar with a single cup of our healthy supplements.

Your stock price will thank you!” The unknown Maxfluencer concludes.)

Shocked by the auto-doctor’s calculations, you find your phone and call a former classmate working as a lobbyist/lawyer in DC.

“Georgette? Hi, it’s Miriam.”

On the other end of the line, Georgette responds, “Hi Miriam, I hope you’re doing well! You caught me between meetings!”

“I just need a moment! You see, I was just diagnosed with cancer, and…”

“I’m sorry to hear that, that’s quite bothersome. I had to take a few days off work to treat mine a few years ago.” Georgette consoles.

“It’s fine, yeah, I might too, we’ll see. But the issue is this auto-doctor told me the operation costs more than my CPP and…”

Georgette interjects, “You have an MBA from Oxford!”

“I know!” You agree. “There must be something wrong. Could you ask around? There might be an auto-healthcare variable that glitched. You know how this stuff happens. I’d owe you big time!”

“Sure thing, sis! Ciao!”

Georgette hangs up.

Thirty minutes pass.

You experience commercials for simulated sexual arousal supplements, mood elevating supplements, a new model of robot butler, and a trip to a theme park that recreates what the rainforests used to look like

In that time, five other patients are moved in and out of the back room.

Judging by the expressions upon their return, their clothing, and overall demeanor, you’d wager two have a Calculated Potential Productivity high enough to receive the healthcare they need, and two do not.

You’re disturbed you’re being serviced by an office in which half the patients don’t qualify for needed healthcare.

A sixth patient, an aged figure bent over and gnarled, the telltale signs of a coding factory laborer, never returns at all.

If this office is seeing coding factory laborers, You worry this office might be mistaking you for a coding factory laborer, or something else menial.

You’re an Influence Maximization Consultant with an MBA from Oxford, damnit!

You resolve to call another Oxford alum who works for Auto-Health and Human Services, to change your auto-assigned auto-doctor’s office.

Just then, the auto-secretary beeps and your chair once again moves to the back room with the auto-doctor.

“What is your health concern?” The device asks.

“There’s a cancerous lump on my throat.” You tell the device.

“Reveal.” The device intones.

You pull down your collar.

The auto-doctor scans your lump.

After a moment, the device states, “Education and Calculated Potential Productivity qualify subject for treatment. Remove fabric covering.”

You remove your shirt.

The device operates on the lump.

During the operation, you experience a commercial to join the military.

(An Air Forcer in an Air Force captain’s uniform sits at a computer, studying the display.

“Want to be a hero?”

The captain monitors an auto-drone flying over a meadow.

“Want to make a difference?”

The captain watches the screen and gives updates into the microphone wrapped around their head.

“Want to enforce with honor?”

The auto-drone sights a village in the distance.

The captain speaks, “Target sighted, rifle, release, impact.”

The captain’s screen shows a guided missile exploding within the village.

The captain shouts, “Count it!”

The Air Force logo appears along with the words, “Be Force.”)

The auto-doctor finishes your operation.

It sanitizes you and says, “Return in one week for further treatment. Auto-secretary contains prescription.”

A smiley face emoji beamed into your consciousness says, without moving its features, “Thank you, have a nice day.”

You pull your shirt back on.

The floor moves you to the waiting room.

You text Georgette.

“Thanks, sis. You’re a life-saver.”

Georgette texts back, “I didn’t do anything? I’m still in a meeting! What happened?”

You laugh, and type, “My CPP qualified…glitch! LOLZ”

“Auto-doctors! But wait, are you in a mixed-merit office?”

“Sure am. Just noticed when I saw,” You lower your voice to whisper into the phone while covering your mouth, “a bent-backer.”

“OMG WHAAAAAAAAA!!!??? Gotta upgrade that auto-doc, sis! Your Location Quality Rating is gonna get got!”

“I KNOW!!! So embarrassing! Big mad! About to call Fatou at A-HHS.”

“Get it, girl!”

“Always! Stay Woke, Oxford Forever!”

“SW, OF!”