The hottest Reality Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Philosophy Topics

We've Lost the Ability to See Reality

Webworm with David Farrier • 11301 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Social media Reality Perception Misinformation
  1. With the rise of AI-generated content and misinformation, we are losing the ability to distinguish reality from fiction on social media.
  2. Our online experiences are increasingly filled with unrealistic and manipulated images and stories that shape our perceptions.
  3. There is a growing concern that the blurred lines between reality and non-reality online are impacting important real-world decisions and behaviors.

It's all meaningless, isn't it?

antoniomelonio • 122 implied HN points • 13 Feb 25
📖 Philosophy Existentialism Absurdism Meaning Reality Human condition
  1. In the grand scheme of things, it feels like nothing really matters. We worry about politics, work, and daily stress, but eventually, everything fades away into nothing.
  2. Life has its importance even if it seems meaningless. Our experiences, connections with people, and finding purpose give our brief existence value.
  3. We often ignore the truth about life's futility, but accepting it can lead to better choices about what truly matters to us. Living in the moment and seeking real experiences can be more fulfilling.

Rwanda: Nothing makes sense

Striking 13 • 2256 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Policy Legislation Reality Asylum Corruption
  1. Rwanda's political landscape is characterized by logical inconsistency and contradictions, leading to illogical decisions and actions.
  2. The backlog in asylum cases in the UK is primarily due to policy issues like lack of processing, rather than the number of asylum seekers arriving.
  3. The legislation regarding Rwanda in the UK defies reality and tries to legislate people's perceptions, representing a departure from empirical reality toward a denial of it.
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Downward Is Heavenward

Kneeling Bus • 254 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Art Internet Media Politics Social Dynamics Reality
  1. Putting down your phone and going outside is a way to escape from the overwhelming digital world, but even nature can have its own issues. We need to realize that our sense of reality is always changing and influenced by what we see online.
  2. The idea of escaping into filter bubbles has become irrelevant because now our entire experience is made up of different realities. We are so intertwined with digital life that leaving a social media platform feels like moving away in real life.
  3. People today are finding connection in shared interests, like movies or trending topics, despite the chaos online. This new culture may seem bland compared to the past but helps pull us together when real meaning feels scarce.

Deus Ex Machina

imetatronink • 1611 implied HN points • 09 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Existence Ethics Reality Morality Perception
  1. The world is described as a place filled with engineered plagues and masks as symbols of love.
  2. There is a critique on society where the rich thrive and the poor are content with their circumstances.
  3. The text raises the idea that intelligence is now manufactured to serve human needs.

Reality Eats Culture For Breakfast: AI, Existential Risk and Ethical Tech

rebelwisdom • 2849 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Consciousness Quality Reality Values
  1. Calls for ethical technology are missing a crucial element that involves a radical revisioning of our ideas about reality.
  2. The metacrisis we face involves technology outpacing our cognitive, moral, and spiritual capacities, intertwined with a lack of coherent cultural or scientific story to explain consciousness.
  3. Appealing for value-driven technology is ineffective without a deeper understanding of the metaphysical foundations that shape our culture and values, such as the concept of consciousness as fundamental to reality.

Non-Ordinary Sensemaking: How to Navigate a New Reality

rebelwisdom • 1552 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness Reality Spirituality Morality Metaphysics
  1. The more time we spend online, the more we risk being influenced by different states of consciousness.
  2. To effectively navigate different states of consciousness, we need 'state competence' and should learn to translate between them.
  3. Understanding cognition as embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended can help us adapt to different environments and perspectives.

The Most Dangerous Idea

Secretum Secretorum • 1161 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Reality Consciousness Spirituality Human experience
  1. Traumatic transcendence challenges the concept that extreme states of consciousness can manipulate physics, prompting a need for deeper understanding through experiments induced by profound suffering.
  2. Evidence and reasoning suggest that consciousness may transcend normal physics, as seen in tales from folklore and religious history, trauma-related phenomenon, and philosophical arguments against materialism.
  3. Love plays an integral role in traumatic transcendence and mystical experiences, emphasizing a connection between profound experiences and emotion, challenging traditional metaphysical paradigms.

Robot Philosophy

Egg Report • 569 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Reality Intelligence Time Logic
  1. In the realm of computation, complex statements can be broken down into simple ones, reflecting a mono-causal, universalist view of reality.
  2. Projects like AI and VR are attempts to recreate intelligence and reality, each carrying metaphysical claims about the simplicity and illusory nature of complexity.
  3. Engaging with computers and writing code trains individuals to think in a certain way, guiding them towards a robotic mindset and reinforcing metaphysical assumptions.

Schrödinger's Gender

ajkay • 982 implied HN points • 07 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Identity Ethics Reality Society Fantasy
  1. Failing to validate the preferred gender of trans-identifying people can impact their existence.
  2. Material reality is measurable and observable, different from what exists solely in one's imagination.
  3. Refusing to validate trans-identifying individuals is an ethical choice, even if it amounts to denying their existence.

The Conversational Nature of Reality

The Joyous Struggle • 592 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Reality Identity Dialogue Theory
  1. The Antidebate project aimed to create a space for more meaningful public conversations, bridging the gap between debate and dialogue in addressing modern challenges.
  2. The concept of 'the conversational nature of reality' by David Whyte emphasizes the importance of the interaction between self and the world in shaping our existence and relationships.
  3. The evolution of the Antidebate project showcases the struggle of translating theory into practice, highlighting the complexities and uncertainties of introducing new social practices.

Making Sense of a New Reality: NonOrdinary and The Edge of Novelty

rebelwisdom • 727 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Spirituality Consciousness Reality Metaphysical
  1. There are complicated systems (like a clock) and complex systems (like a beehive) present in our world.
  2. Sensemaking is about understanding intricate systems interacting and developing the skills for it.
  3. Nonordinary Sensemaking offers skills to move beyond the ordinary, exploring new realities and consciousness.

The Reality Algorithm & Predictable Magic of Alignment with Mark Krassner

Consciousness ∞ The Doorway to Human Evolution • 373 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Alignment Consciousness Spirituality Reality Success
  1. Success involves more than just making good decisions and working hard - it's about alignment.
  2. Recognizing and embracing alignment can lead to genuine success and fulfillment.
  3. There is a deeper layer of reality that operates based on alignment rather than control.

Mindwoven Reality

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 16 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Epistemology Idealism Spirit Consciousness Reality
  1. Reality is seen as a unified whole, shaped by our thoughts and consciousness. Our thinking isn't just a reflection, but a force that actively creates our experiences.
  2. Thinking connects us to a shared reality, allowing us to transcend personal feelings. While feelings can divide us, our thoughts unite us in understanding.
  3. Reality is dynamic and evolves with our engagement and consciousness. We don't uncover fixed laws but interact with a living reality that's always changing.

The Spreading Cracks in the Facade of Reality

Charles Eisenstein • 11 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
📖 Philosophy Consciousness Reality Narrative Perception Metaphysics
  1. Reality is shaped by narratives and stories. How we view the world and share those views can change what's possible.
  2. Many conspiracy theories are messy and can't all be true, leading to confusion. Understanding the truth will take time as these ideas mix and clash.
  3. Our choices and feelings shape the future. Positive actions and emotions can lead to a better outcome, while negative ones can bring harm.

Can We Break the Spell?

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 36 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Psychedelics Human nature Society Consciousness Reality
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Introducing The McGilchrist Manoeuvre

The Joyous Struggle • 474 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
📖 Philosophy Reality Perspective Metaphysics Perception
  1. The McGilchrist Manoeuvre highlights the importance of acknowledging the different but equally valuable perspectives of the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
  2. It emphasizes the relative trustworthiness of the right hemisphere's viewpoint in guiding us on understanding reality and making progress in philosophy.
  3. The maneuver involves transcending contradictions and recognizing the generative nature of coinciding opposites, ultimately enriching our perception and understanding of complex aspects of life.

From Propriety to Extremism

Doc Hammer's Anvil • 216 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
📖 Philosophy Morality Behavior Reality Mental Illness Social norms
  1. Mental illness isn't necessary for spiraling into extremism, but it can play a role in exacerbating the process.
  2. Human judgment of behavior is based on societal norms and personal perceptions of propriety, praise-worthiness, blame-worthiness, reward-worthiness, and punishment-worthiness.
  3. Low costs and high benefits can lead to purity spirals, where society's expectations become more demanding, driving behavior towards extremism.

Uneasy Riders: Part One

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 27 implied HN points • 24 Nov 24
📖 Philosophy Psychedelics Consciousness Reality Society
  1. Psychedelics might mix up our minds and reality, making it harder to understand what's really happening in the world. This confusion could lead to more personal and societal issues.
  2. While many people benefit from psychedelics at first, there's a worry about how widespread use can have negative effects over time. It may increase feelings of isolation and paranoia.
  3. The current state of the world and the psychedelic movement seem linked, and there needs to be more awareness about the potential downsides of this movement on society as a whole.

Universes Aren't Real

Outlandish Claims • 59 implied HN points • 30 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Metaphysics Reality Existence Simulation
  1. The concept of universes being 'real' or 'unreal' is not a straightforward matter and cannot be definitively determined.
  2. The framework discussed in the text helps dissolve the age-old metaphysical question of 'Why is there something instead of nothing?'
  3. Existence is viewed as an intersection of infinite universes, each potentially different, which leads to the idea of living in a reality governed by physical laws rather than a simulation.

Shadows & Traps

Philoinvestor • 216 implied HN points • 25 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Investing Reality
  1. Investors are often chained to shadows - like obsessions with market factors, analyst targets, and narratives.
  2. True investors break free from ideological chains, focusing on long-term business value over short-term noise.
  3. Great investing is like alchemy - balancing analytical skills with understanding the shadows that influence prices.

What are the Limits to Growth?

Erik Torenberg's Thoughts • 416 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Nature Technology Reality Existence
  1. The debate of growth limits involves prophets advocating for living within our means and wizards innovating to overcome limits.
  2. The sustainability question divides opinions - from Cowen's optimism to concerns about exponential growth and hitting future limits.
  3. The distinction between Progress Studies and Transhumanism showcases a shift from wizards versus prophets to wizards versus transhumanists, creating new fault lines in technological advancements.

When Your Map Doesn't Match Reality

Good Reason • 227 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
📖 Philosophy Reality Logic Hypocrisy Maps Bias
  1. Regardless of how well you know a situation, remember your knowledge is just a map and not reality itself.
  2. Be cautious of projecting your biases onto situations to force them to fit your preconceived notions.
  3. Acknowledging and being aware of your own potential biases can help prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

Upheaval Interview: Matthew B. Crawford

The Upheaval • 617 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Reality Self-governance Authority Ethics Technocracy
  1. The work of Matthew B. Crawford focuses on understanding the world and suggesting concrete ways to live in it.
  2. Crawford's book 'The World Beyond Your Head' delves into themes like attention, distraction, tradition, and reclaiming the real
  3. Crawford's analysis highlights a shift towards an inward-focused liberal self, leading to conflict aversion, reliance on experts, and potential risks to self-governance and democracy

Interpreting Yonder

Orbis Tertius • 172 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
📚 Literature Philosophy Reality Interpretation Existentialism
  1. Julio Cortázar's novel Hopscotch has an unconventional structure with different reading options
  2. The novel explores the limits of explanation for understanding reality and life, touching on perspectivism and subjective interpretation
  3. Science and quantum mechanics highlight the subjective nature of interpretation and the limitations of objective reality