The biggest confusion of the century

I would like to start off this blog with what I found to be the epitome of simplified insight, that I could find at the age of 42; the neatest simplified summary of the human condition. Which opened a whole new world of thought to me.

The picture I have in my mind is that of a monkey in front of a super computer. No disrespect to monkeys, that are in some respects smarter and more communal and consensual than us... and it might not be the best archetype, but it's one that works for me. Maybe there's a more universal one, but for now this will have to do.

It seems that dissecting things in terms of dualities helps us to gain new perspectives - and insight - and to me, that is an interaction between two parts: a viciously no-nonsense, self-protective, self-interested self - which is in intimately and intricately tied to a communal, do-gooding, well-wishing, curious and explorative self. A "monkey" and a "super computer".

I think we're both. The monkey controls the super computer, and the super computer controls the monkey. Occasionally the one dominates - but the interaction is constant. The super computer processes many things from our senses, and tells us how things are - even when they're not - the monkey at first takes these for granted, as the gospel truth - for example, how big is that thing in the distance vs. how far is it - it's easy to fool the computer, because humans have no distance-sensing sense - it's all made up from "anecdotal evidence" by our super computer - without it telling us so - the kind of things that MC Escher - and any optical illusion, exploits. We can not physically sense size - we can only perceive it based on how our super computer has been programmed. 

On the other hand, the monkey is our physical body - it needs oxygen, exercise, love, food... and it's good at using the super computer to obtain those... but not always. Sometimes the super computer takes charge... but usually when it's too late and the super computer has numbed or deprived the monkey for too long, the monkey takes charge, usually with spectacularly disturbing results - to a supercomputer. Eg. when the monkey is addicted to sugar, and hasn't been fed sugar in too long... "Hangry" is the term for being angry because you're "hungry". 

Emotions are generally linked to the monkey... while intellect and reason is usually linked to the supercomputer. 

In future posts perhaps I can unpack how this even plays into other dualities, from things like "capitalism" and "communism", to "CPU's" and "GPU's", or perhaps even the archetypes of "Male" and "Female". 

 For now let me tackle what I think is the biggest confusion of our century - and my favorite part of the "Monkey and Supercomputer" metaphor: how it sheds light the mystery or illusion - the magic - of "consciousness". 

The monkey see its face reflected in the screen of the supercomputer... but few monkeys are aware of the duality, and as such think it magical - a sense of self within a sense of self, that cannot be explained. But when the magic trick is revealed, to some, at first, denial. No way! Childish! Too simple! Too much of our societal mental tapestry unravels in this light... unto a sense of loss: We're not special?!

When we come to accept this view, however, it opens a whole new paradigm of understanding. We may come to realize that this is exactly what makes us special: we are limited, but can commune with something that seems unlimited. We can't know everything, so we have to be very selective with what we choose to pursue and understand and know... it elevates our philosophy: if we could know everything, would the idea of choice even still make sense? 

This view also fits elegantly, in my opinion, with the gradual evolution of intelligence. It seems to explain why mammals form packs, with an alpha - in a sense outsourcing intelligence to the strongest monkey. Why we choose leaders - to make decisions for us - often unwillingly: the monkey in us see what it interprets as privilege and power... but our supercomputer has not yet downloaded the whole program - and many of us opt out when we do read the source code, and are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices or give up the freedoms, or take on the responsibilities, that come with leadership.

Some monkeys are pushed into leadership positions by necessity - because there is nobody else, and they feel that the leader speaks for them. In this sense every leader is a symptom of their community... but can a leader change their community? Leadership is a whole kettle of fish of its own. 

Are these the words of my monkey? Typed into my super computer? Or is it the views of my super computer, being digested by my inner monkey? 

Whatever it is, see it as a slice through the interaction. A glimpse into my brain... shaped by the supercomputer of interaction with the organism of the society I inhabit. Part of me wants to share more. Part of me only really gains insight, when it shares. Which is which? Does it matter?