@garybasin @QiaochuYuan More generally, discussion of "want" is aided enormously by a general understanding of Perceptual Control Theory: that people are moving around closing various gaps between some reference level & some perceived level of something: Too cold → put on sweater. Lonely → tinder.
Perceptual control theory, wanting, and internal conflict
10 tweets · May 2019 · 42 likes · 6 retweets · read on Twitter
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan There's a whole hierarchical network of these control systems (think thermostats). Tinder mightn't solve your loneliness, but as long as it feels like it might and you don't feel safe experimenting with something else, you'll do it. Fail long enough, reorganization occurs.
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan Reorganization means trying a different strategy, on some level of abstraction. Abandoning some lower-level goal and trying something else in service of the same higher level goal. Or maybe the goal in question is abandoned: "maybe I'm just doomed to be lonely"
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan Although we all have a few core thermostats that are very hard to reset or abandon indefinitely: food, thirst, pain, connection, meaning. So eventually the person who has resigned themselves to loneliness usually tries something new, and can't help it even though fearing hope.
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan PCT clearly clearly answers the question of "why are some things easier to do than not do?" ...that @fortelabs asked for examples of awhile ago:
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan @fortelabs What uses negative effort is doing whatever seems like it will achieve all of your goals (in PCT terms "close all the errors between your reference levels & perceptions"). However, most ppl are traumatized bundles of conflicting goals & strategies. So there exists no such path.
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan @fortelabs Therefore all of life becomes strenuous, even fun things. ("I should be studying/writing/working/exercising/sleeping!") Speaking of tensions between fun, studying/writing, and sleeping... I wrote an article describing an impossible bind of those: malcolmocean.com/2014/09/viciou…
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan @fortelabs I think that when people think they're pursuing happiness, what they actually mean is "I WANT OUT" from the endless internal conflict where nothing they do satisfies all of their strategies. twitter.com/RealtimeAI/sta…
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan @fortelabs And @dthorson has described MAPLE's awakening training as being able to produce "sustainable happiness, regardless of circumstances" (from memory) The idea that this is impossible comes from confusing happiness with success:
@garybasin @QiaochuYuan @fortelabs @dthorson Although I think that the actual desired state isn't best called success NOR happiness but something more like "flow" or "wu wei": = acting in each moment in a way that makes deep sense to an integrated whole of one's desires and big-picture purpose.
