The hottest Reality Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
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.

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.
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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 Matrix That Eats People

Tessa Fights Robots • 69 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Spirituality Existence Identity Reality Consciousness
  1. Our society is depicted as a man-eating machine, preying on people's energy and diverting focus to artificial spirits.
  2. Young people's energy often gets consumed by societal norms and expectations, leading them away from meaningful pursuits.
  3. We are interconnected beings existing in multiple dimensions, influenced by various energy fields around us, guiding us to reflect on our true selves and purpose in a complex world.

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.

To see clearly with universal indifference

Meaningful Particulars • 65 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Self Reality Love Justice Morality
  1. The ego, while well-meaning, often leads to negative emotions like fear, anxiety, and criticism by exaggerating threats that no longer exist.
  2. Eastern traditions suggest silencing the ego by giving up worldly desires, while Western traditions propose 'unselfing' to gain a clearer understanding of reality.
  3. Artists, unlike the Buddhist advice to detach, become deeply involved in their work, showing that greater participation and attachment to reality can lead to a clearer perspective beyond the self.

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.

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.

How to build a newthing

The Ideaspace • 25 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Creation Existence Reality Life Mortality
  1. Building a new thing involves meditating on creation and seeing it as an organic machine with a mystical element. It requires a delicate balance of control and allowing the new thing to reveal itself.
  2. Starting a new project should stem from emotions towards an idea and allowing it to unfold naturally without pushing or completely ignoring it.
  3. Maintaining the authenticity and purpose of a new thing is crucial to its survival. Recognizing that all new things will eventually change or die helps in staying true to its essence.

Upheaval Interview: Matthew B. Crawford

The Upheaval • 617 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Reality Authority Ethics
  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

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.

Ontological Intervention

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Ontology Reality Beliefs Civilization
  1. The main reason for the underperformance of Leftist movements is a lack of funding compared to the Right, who use their resources to shape public opinion through think tanks and covert operations.
  2. To bring about systemic change, a shift in paradigm at the individual level is crucial, as demonstrated by the power of psychedelics in sparking a cultural reconsideration and leading to a psychedelic renaissance.
  3. A new ontology emphasizing monistic or analytic idealism offers the potential to redefine society's underlying paradigm, providing a pathway for transforming civilization and addressing pressing global challenges.

Feeding the Tiger

Daniel Pinchbeck’s Newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Consciousness Reality Myth Extinction
  1. Consciousness, not matter, is the underlying reality according to monistic idealism, suggesting a shift in perspective on the world.
  2. Jean Gebser's concept of the 'integral-aperspectival' consciousness structure introduces the idea of a new way of thinking beyond the current mental-rational dominant mindset.
  3. As humanity faces potential civilizational and biological collapse, exploring and anchoring new paradigm shifts, such as monistic idealism, could be crucial for transformation.

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.