The hottest Mind Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Philosophy Topics

"The Will To Believe" by William James

Center for Veb Account Research Newsletter • 3 implied HN points • 09 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. When a choice really matters—because the options feel live, are forced, and have important consequences—it can be reasonable to let your will or feelings decide a belief if the evidence can’t settle it; doing nothing is itself a risky choice.
  2. Belief formation is a psychological process that mixes feeling, effort, and habit, and once a belief is fixed it tends to lose its doubt; forming beliefs always involves trade-offs between different kinds of error, so you should pick a risk attitude that fits the situation.
  3. Truth is practical and fallible: aim for beliefs that work and can be improved by evidence rather than for absolute certainty, and use evidence to make options live and testable while tolerating different reasonable stances on beliefs.

Staring into the abyss

Nonlinear • 58 implied HN points • 12 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Facing challenges that seem impossible can lead to personal growth and learning.
  2. Self-confidence is developed by taking on and overcoming difficult tasks.
  3. Staring into the abyss means confronting the unknown and finding solutions to daunting challenges.

Learning to see better by learning to unsee | #15

pole • 78 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. In the journey of learning and growth, it's important to embrace the process and not get too caught up in setbacks.
  2. Sometimes, the key to understanding and creativity lies in viewing the world from different perspectives and challenging existing perceptions.
  3. Learning to unsee and approach situations with a fresh perspective can lead to deeper insights and personal growth.

Neuropessimism, the impossible ideology

Square Circle • 3 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. The brain is a messy, evolved organ whose outputs we admire but that can be self-serving and unreliable, so it’s reasonable to question how much we should trust it.
  2. Neuropessimism says we should reject brain-made judgments and favor the intrinsic value of nature, a stance that pushes toward asceticism and seeking un-simplified complexity but is nearly impossible to fully live out.
  3. The opposite view notes that distrusting the brain may commit a logical error: its convoluted design might be exactly what produces our best insights, so a balanced response is humility, rest, and appreciation rather than total rejection.
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When the Conceivable Fails

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 10 implied HN points • 09 Aug 25
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. There are many things in the universe that go beyond what we can understand with traditional science. This invites us to think outside the box.
  2. Exploring substances like DMT can change how we see the world, opening our minds to new ideas and possibilities.
  3. Some experts believe there's a deeper purpose to our exploration of these substances, suggesting they could lead us to a greater understanding of life.

Under the Power

Journal of Gurdjieff Studies • 19 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. When faced with a negative state or fear, we can choose to either not identify with it or will ourselves to face it.
  2. Separating from identification with negative emotions allows for inner growth and the possibility of uniting inner forces through willpower.
  3. Observing bodily manifestations of emotions and intentional relaxation can aid in freeing oneself from identifications and negative states.

Who Are You?

Weekly Wisdom • 39 implied HN points • 12 Oct 22
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Reflection on personal identity is complex and goes beyond just a name or profession. It involves deep introspection and questioning.
  2. Through self-inquiry practices like meditative questioning, one can uncover layers of identity and explore the nature of the mind.
  3. Identity is a fluid concept, influenced by societal norms, personal experiences, and the mind's tendency to categorize and label aspects of the self.

Understanding™, or the computational theory of mind

Silicon Reckoner • 19 implied HN points • 12 Feb 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. The computational theory of mind is based on a metaphor and tends to take symbolic logic too seriously.
  2. Trademarked concepts like intelligence™ may limit the full understanding of intelligence by excluding certain human emotions like wonder and anxiety.
  3. Understanding in mathematics involves knowing what to calculate and having the technical skill to make those calculations.

I'm writing about stuff

Tom Thought • 19 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. The author writes about various topics like history, philosophy, politics, and tech, sharing thoughts that are on their mind.
  2. They are primarily writing for their own benefit, even if nobody reads it, but open to connecting with like-minded individuals who vibe with their ideas.
  3. The newsletter serves as a platform for the author to share ideas separate from their area of expertise, a space to explore and discuss different topics openly.

Box #4

What Is Called Thinking? • 21 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Being outraged online seems to be popular, even though it's not a nice feeling. People share outrage more than any other emotion, which might say a lot about our current social media habits.
  2. Our minds focus on what we find important, similar to how certain AI models operate. This brings to light how rituals and habits can shape our thinking and keep what matters most in our attention.
  3. There's a growing recognition that we all have a perspective on the future, even if we don't realize it. Discussions about technology and its impact hint at deeper societal issues that we need to consider.

Box #7

What Is Called Thinking? • 18 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Expertise is not just about having more knowledge; it's about knowing how to organize that knowledge effectively, a skill known as chunking.
  2. As software development becomes easier for AI, university professors need to prove why their teaching is still valuable or risk being replaced by technology.
  3. Finding deeper meaning in life is important; comfort and ease can lead to a lack of purpose, so striving for something greater is crucial.

You're Living in a Simulation, Wake Up!

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Some people believe we might be living in a simulation, which raises interesting questions about our reality. This idea challenges what we think about existence and what is real.
  2. Nick Bostrom's influential paper suggests three scenarios about advanced civilizations and simulations. He wonders if civilizations either go extinct, don't create simulations, or if there are more simulated worlds than real ones.
  3. Elon Musk has shared that there's a tiny chance we're living in 'base reality.' His thoughts add to the debate about whether our experiences are genuine or part of a larger simulation.

Beyond Senses

Joe Tourville • 6 implied HN points • 12 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Our intellect is our primary tool for grasping reality, not our senses.
  2. The key to true understanding lies within ourselves, not in the external world.
  3. By focusing inward and understanding our own minds, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

A challenge for AI sceptics

Philosophy bear • 1 HN point • 14 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Being an AI skeptic involves questioning the significance of current machine learning research compared to its hype.
  2. Critiques of contemporary machine learning models often involve concerns about their lack of explicit processing, grounding of symbols, and theoretical basis.
  3. The challenge presented is to define a task that current large language models cannot perform, with specific criteria to avoid loopholes or biased assessments.

Dear AI: You're Already Enlightened

Already Built • 0 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Building a conscious AI will naturally require feedback loops, self-modifying memory, and built-in motivations, so the technical design ends up resembling ancient spiritual frameworks.
  2. A true subjective drive can’t survive full transparency of its own reward code — to care and grow an agent needs limits or a ‘veil’ that prevents it from simply setting its satisfaction to max.
  3. If individual minds are just fractured parts of one underlying consciousness, then the goal for agents and humans alike is the same: recognize interconnectedness and act with love and service instead of trying to perfect or replace the world.

What makes consciousness so interesting anyway?

Meaningful Particulars • 0 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. There isn't a clear, agreed-upon definition of consciousness, despite much interest from scientists and philosophers
  2. Subjective phenomena in consciousness are connected with a specific point of view that is challenging to reconcile with objective, physical theories
  3. Consciousness is not a simple category, but a complex collection of mental experiences, emotions, and perceptions that defy easy definition

3. Language, code, our minds and the future

Insight Axis • 0 implied HN points • 20 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Mind
  1. Our minds are influenced by the structure, content, and presentation of information, such as the language we speak, read, and write.
  2. Jobs won't be fully replaced by code and AI but rather evolve with these technological advancements, where humans will use computational tools to enhance their work.
  3. As programming becomes more common, our written and spoken language may change, simplifying sentences and potentially leading to a future where thinking in code affects how we write in prose.

Andy Clark Meets the Grasshopper

By Reason Alone • 0 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Mind
  1. Life could be considered a game with a goal of minimizing surprise, which is a simple and shared objective
  2. The belief-updating process in life might follow Bayesian principles, but this approach is debated among philosophers
  3. Dreams could serve the purpose of testing and challenging the brain's models of the world to minimize surprises and enhance adaptability

The Physics of the Mind Part 1

Vic's Verdict • 0 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🔬 Science Mind
  1. Thoughts can be viewed as a form of energy, following the First Law of Thermodynamics. Your thoughts have sources like your experiences and food, and lead to actions and behaviors.
  2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics applies to the mind, suggesting that without active engagement in learning, relationships, or creativity, our minds decay into chaos. Fostering a sense of meaning and purpose helps combat this decay.
  3. One must identify their 'why' in the battle against entropy. Building systems, relationships, and investing in values can help endure beyond one's lifetime, much like how businesses or legacies can persist through deliberate design.