Hi Justin, I hear you on disapproval being a part of that which might help to socialise and give us a healthy sense of right and wrong, however, too many people live under the weight of societal expectations and potential judgement and disapproval — as a somatic coach I see this over and over again, the internalised voice of 'not good enough' and a sense of shame, no matter what they have achieved. Their external persona and inner authentic self are at odds.
What might be more helpful is being able to be attuned to yourself and your needs as well as to those of those around you, this often means transforming your relationship with yourself, and that might mean breaking away from standards and behavioural norms that no longer align with your value system—this can also often mean being willing to be disliked and to disappoint, to both mete out and endure and eventually become resistant (on some level) to disapproval. I believe my parents called it 'developing a thick skin.'
I hear you on AI as well. A friend told me recently that while being with people might be messy and inconvenient, it is worth the discomfort.
While I can agree with that, and firmly believe that human relationships are worth the effort, AI has been able to help propel me forward in ways I don't think a regular human relationship could.
AI is levelling the playing field in many sectors because it can really decrease the knowledge gap between those trained in law and lay people. As a lawyer, you may be skeptical of the ability of these LLMs, but many who previously have had no access to knowledge now have it at their fingertips. Technology is the great leveller.
I have long pondered about the role of AI in our world and what it will eventually mean when they take an embodied form and become indistinguishable from humans. This eventuality is something many have already envisioned. In a bid explore this, I watched 'After Yang' a movie recommended to me by Perplexity. After watching it, it made me reflect more deeply on some key and inescapable themes all humans struggle with, but it was beautiful to see how machines could bring us into a deeper journey therein.
Deborah, thank you for the astute observations. Yes, I recognize disappointment has destructive power. Perhaps it would have been wise for me to clarify that I was speaking aspirationally - because the most constructive relationships cannot exist without disappointment, typically a collective disappointment felt by both persons because it is indisputable that an opportunity to do better was lost.
Whether to cheat on a spouse, for example, is something which, to me, cannot be resolved by “breaking away from standards and behavioural norms that no longer align with your value system”. But I reject postmodernism and materialism and believe in objective reality, so that may be a philosophical difference that explains our contrasting viewpoints.
FWIW, I actually deal with AI a lot in my work — I am not technically trained, but my involvement is deep enough that I do have a pending patent in the field of AI, concerning LLMs specifically.
I do also hear you on knowledge. My postgraduate work included developing ideas on how law can promote or hinder digital equality, so I have been a lifelong advocate of technology as a leveler of playing fields.
Yet, in spite of all the above, I still hold the views I hold, having considered the issues at some length.
Justin, to your point, I think people feeling collectively disappointed could pave the way to meaningful transformation. It is in the depths discomfort that we can find the impetus to advocate for change.
Feeling something, anything, is better than just being completely apathetic. Apathy is the opposite of love — the force for life, change and growth.
To the contrary, I am a firm believer of objectivism, which is a comprehensive philosophy that incorporates objective reality—interestingly, I'm not an atheist. Where my views diverge from that that of objectivism is that grace is essential. I don't subscribe to postmodernism and materialism — neither seem logical to me and both appear really shallow to me.
Good to know that you are deeply involved in AI. That's amazing. Looking forward to connecting. I'm a big fan of AI.
Hi Justin, I hear you on disapproval being a part of that which might help to socialise and give us a healthy sense of right and wrong, however, too many people live under the weight of societal expectations and potential judgement and disapproval — as a somatic coach I see this over and over again, the internalised voice of 'not good enough' and a sense of shame, no matter what they have achieved. Their external persona and inner authentic self are at odds.
What might be more helpful is being able to be attuned to yourself and your needs as well as to those of those around you, this often means transforming your relationship with yourself, and that might mean breaking away from standards and behavioural norms that no longer align with your value system—this can also often mean being willing to be disliked and to disappoint, to both mete out and endure and eventually become resistant (on some level) to disapproval. I believe my parents called it 'developing a thick skin.'
I hear you on AI as well. A friend told me recently that while being with people might be messy and inconvenient, it is worth the discomfort.
While I can agree with that, and firmly believe that human relationships are worth the effort, AI has been able to help propel me forward in ways I don't think a regular human relationship could.
AI is levelling the playing field in many sectors because it can really decrease the knowledge gap between those trained in law and lay people. As a lawyer, you may be skeptical of the ability of these LLMs, but many who previously have had no access to knowledge now have it at their fingertips. Technology is the great leveller.
I have long pondered about the role of AI in our world and what it will eventually mean when they take an embodied form and become indistinguishable from humans. This eventuality is something many have already envisioned. In a bid explore this, I watched 'After Yang' a movie recommended to me by Perplexity. After watching it, it made me reflect more deeply on some key and inescapable themes all humans struggle with, but it was beautiful to see how machines could bring us into a deeper journey therein.
https://medium.com/@Creaturae7/memory-love-loss-and-longing-in-after-yang-8f217b5f37a2
Deborah, thank you for the astute observations. Yes, I recognize disappointment has destructive power. Perhaps it would have been wise for me to clarify that I was speaking aspirationally - because the most constructive relationships cannot exist without disappointment, typically a collective disappointment felt by both persons because it is indisputable that an opportunity to do better was lost.
Whether to cheat on a spouse, for example, is something which, to me, cannot be resolved by “breaking away from standards and behavioural norms that no longer align with your value system”. But I reject postmodernism and materialism and believe in objective reality, so that may be a philosophical difference that explains our contrasting viewpoints.
FWIW, I actually deal with AI a lot in my work — I am not technically trained, but my involvement is deep enough that I do have a pending patent in the field of AI, concerning LLMs specifically.
I do also hear you on knowledge. My postgraduate work included developing ideas on how law can promote or hinder digital equality, so I have been a lifelong advocate of technology as a leveler of playing fields.
Yet, in spite of all the above, I still hold the views I hold, having considered the issues at some length.
Justin, to your point, I think people feeling collectively disappointed could pave the way to meaningful transformation. It is in the depths discomfort that we can find the impetus to advocate for change.
Feeling something, anything, is better than just being completely apathetic. Apathy is the opposite of love — the force for life, change and growth.
To the contrary, I am a firm believer of objectivism, which is a comprehensive philosophy that incorporates objective reality—interestingly, I'm not an atheist. Where my views diverge from that that of objectivism is that grace is essential. I don't subscribe to postmodernism and materialism — neither seem logical to me and both appear really shallow to me.
Good to know that you are deeply involved in AI. That's amazing. Looking forward to connecting. I'm a big fan of AI.