2 - THEORY OF MIND OVERVIEW
We are immersed in an ocean of knowledge, of ideas. And like an ocean,
these ideas are in constant motion -- ideas mixing with each other to create
new ideas, old ideas falling to pieces, and other ideas intertwined in a dance.
As we "swim" through this ocean, we constantly make choices and decide which
ideas are "sound" or good and which ones are bad or useless, which ideas we like
and use, and which ones we find distasteful and cast aside. The ideas we like
and seem "good", we use over and over. We trust them and call them "reliable",
we call them "good ideas", we call them "truth".
The next chapter of this theory, 3 Truth, is devoted to defining
truth as well as how to test for it. I suggest the Feynman-Hocking criteria
of truth, Negative Pragmatism, as the most formidable criteria we can use, but
ultimately, you must judge for yourself how to decide "what is truth, and what
is not".
With a discussion of truth behind us, the theory begins with the
fourth chapter, 4 Balance. Everything we recognize exists for moments
or longer -- months, years, lifetimes, even eons. Because it exists for some
measure of time, it must be based in some repeating interaction -- it must
be systematic. To maintain this systematic existence, the forces inside of
it as well as around it must remain in some sort of "balance". It is our
own internal systemic "balance" which leads to our personal sense of well-being
and happiness. This balance is also critical to our survival.
The most pervasive danger to retaining our internal balance is "entropy",
the topic of the fifth chapter, 5 Entropy. It is because of this constant
danger, in all of its forms, that we need to manage our resources -- our time,
our energy ("sweat"), and our valuables (money, for instance).
Our need to retain internal balance, while evading or compensating for
any and all factors which disrupt such balance, leads to two fundamental behaviors:
seek and avoid. The 6 Seek/Avoid chapters delves into this aspect so
closely tied to our decision-making and our emotions.
Because resources are limited, a powerful factor in our behaviors of "seek"
and "avoid" is conserving our energy and not wasting our precious resources (time,
sweat, & money). Thus, embedded deeply in our behaviors is a need to be
efficient in whatever we do -- hence, the next chapter, 7 Efficiency.
Born of this need to be efficient, to conserve energy while seeking balance
and avoiding dangers, our emotions have grown into an essential part of our makeup.
These natural mechanisms tell us when we are doing things which are personally
beneficial and when we are not. The 8 Emoions chapter covers this
in more detail.
With all of the above structure in place, the role of consciousness can now
be addressed. Fundamentally, consciousness is the "captain of the ship" deciding
where you are going and what you should do next. Consciousness is the "great
planner", planning for the next step, the next hour, the next day, week, month, year,
and the rest of your life. The next chapter, 9 Consciousness, explains the
underpinnings of consciousness and decision-making.
Using the Feynman-Hocking criteria of truth, all human knowledge can only be
considered "theoretical" at best. As the future unfolds, surprises will certainly
be instore for us. And God may exist despite our present and most cherished ideas
to the contrary. As Blaise Pascal once said, "You may not believe in God, but what
if you are wrong?" 10 Spirituality considers a variety of possibilities
which the scientific method cannot touch, possibilities where God may serenely
exist. In one scenario, our consciousness is a form of virtual reality. As such,
we may be the offspring of advanced beings and are merely attending their
"training school" during this lifetime.
11 Theories provides sketches of various theories included in the
main theoretical work.
12 Bibliography notes my resources behind the ideas herein.
