Commentary: Proof of Brain? Or is it Really “Proof of Human Nature?”
Whatever we might think of them, most ”models” of communities and societies seem to have their roots in some form of idealism. We create — or support — something because we look at it and ultimately think along the lines of ”In the IDEAL WORLD, this is how I would like things to be!”
We might not like to admit what we’re thinking, but subconsciously, that tends to be what we’re considering.
But exactly whose ”Ideal World” is it we’re dealing with?
As part of the ongoing experiment that is the Hive Ecosystem, the Proof of Brain Community is discovering what it "is" and what it wants to be.
At the moment, one of the ”hot potatoes” being punted around is the issue of what/how/when/why the infamous downvote should — or should not — be applied.
Ultimately, the underlying intention seems to be to get at the root of what has been a ”hot topic” since I first poked my nose into what was then St€€mit, 4 ½ years ago: What is to be done about so-called retaliatory ”flag wars” that arise — ostensibly in the guise of ”disagreement over rewards” downvotes — that typically amount to little more than individuals having petty disagreements over opinions, after which they sometimes just want to destroy each other.
What I do find interesting in this ongoing debate is that we’re trying to establish how a ”Proof of Brain” ecosystem is going to work… but what we’re really witnessing is a display of ”Proof of Human Nature.”
If you take a deep breath and step back — waaaaay back — have you ever noticed how whenever money, politics, religion and the like are involved, seemingly kind and rational people invariably start behaving BADLY?
That very thing was one of my earliest criticisms skepticisms over the way St€€m and blockchains in general operated… the reality that the world is filled with insane, psychotic, self-involved sociopaths who are incapable of operating outside the myopic echochambers of their own mindspace bubbles tends to be conveniently overlooked… until they suddenly show up as a big wet turd on the floor.
People talk a lot about ”rational self-interest” in libertarian/anarchist/freedomist circles while blithely ignoring that IRRATIONAL self-interest tends to be the way many human beings often operate in the real world.
As someone who has long been involved with the fields of self-development and psychology the degree of ”psychological baggage” people carry around — and are quick to be in total denial about! — is pretty monumental!
Whether you like it or not, the fact that you were repeatedly dropped on your head when you were a baby; or we’re raped by your psychopath father; or spent 15 years in abusive foster care having the snot beaten out of you daily does make a difference in terms of how your brain cells are firing now, 10-20-40 years later!
One of the ways it shows up is in the forms of an inability — to various degrees — to peacefully exist within a framework where differences of opinion simply EXIST. Instead, differences of opinion are experienced as an enemy that must be silenced and destroyed.
No, I have not drunk the Kool-Aid of the ”Church of Eternal Inclusiveness and Social Justice;” I’m simply pointing out that these things; these behaviors exist. And you — yes, YOU — are part of the Big Circus, too!
Whereas we may be able to ”address” issues like personal vendettas via some form of downvotes — or not — ultimately Human Nature cannot be ”solved” through adjustments to protocols and code. And it certainly can’t be ”solved” by pretending it doesn’t exist because it’s that very approach that tends to give us these issues to deal with, in the first place.
When I was just five years old, one of my oldest ”ongoing” memories was of the adults telling me that we "all need to get along" with each other, immediately after which they’d start bickering and fighting and NOT getting along. It has been 55 years, and nothing has changed since then!
Of course, I’m just another nutball in the machine with an opinion, so do take what I am saying here with a grain of salt!
Thanks for reading and have a great remainder of your week!
How about YOU? Do you think human nature tends to get in the way of ideology? Will there ALWAYS be some people who behave badly? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20210709 00:01 PDT
0293/1536
Do you ever photograph the chemtrails in the sky, as in your top photo?
They are even here in nz sometimes and I have a bunch of photos of them.
But even with all the evidence in the world some people just refuse to believe they are real, and claim they are just contrails.
I have photographed chemtrails gradually spreading out for hours, but am just a crazy conspiracy theorist.
Downvoting to control content is just the same. For five years next month I have watched downvoting being used to control content, and only about 1% of the people I knew on Steemit in 2016 are here on hive, most are long gone, totally sick of control culture.
And that is why I'm so keen to see if pob could work. The Trostparadox downvote proposal could be a solution.
I am skeptical of the assertion that some contrails are "chemtrails." How do you know? The pictures of alleged chem-spraying apparatus don't seem to withstand scrutiny. Proper analysis would require an aircraft taking samples from near and within these vapor trails. Surely jet fuel could be tested before and after a suspect aircraft takes off and lands. And the atmosphere simply does odd things at high altitude with low pressure and cold temperatures. Why do thunderheads form with flat bottoms, a massive column of vapor, and then an anvil top? Because there are different layers in the atmosphere that interact with water vapor in different ways. Observation of an oddity proves nothing in and of itself.
Thanks for being such a good example...
It's pretty easy really...just watch if the trail evaporates or remains and spreads out. Time for a big fat red pill now!
Why do you think that behavior is a signature of nefarious chemical dispersion?
Because...
Why do you think that behavior is a signature of nefarious chemical dispersion?
And what are you eating with your word salad today?
Again, how do you know one is a "chemtrail," and not a consequence of different atmospheric conditions on different days and at different altitudes? I'm not trying to be disingenuous here, I am trying to ask for evidence beyond, "it just looks different."
Try researching it yourself rather than just arguing with a jaded old twat like me!
http://wakeupkiwi.com/chemtrails_new_zealand.shtml
I just take photos from the ground of what this shows from above...
And yes, when the plane runs out of chemical spray the trail does just stop, and the plane turns back to base. And yes I have watched and photographed that part too...
Appeasement of sociopaths, malignant narcissists, blah, blah (control freaks) does not work.
Ever.
You know this as a student of psychology.
As does anyone with any real world experiences, or knowledge of large historical events, or being in any large structure with many kinds of people in it.
Start from that point, and we may have the foundations of something better.
Anything that's appeasement to the bullies is cowardice.
The war is coming/is here right now. (I'm trying to do my bit , in my own way).
How each individual chooses to live with their action , or apathy , is on them.
I sleep well at night, knowing that I've done what I can each day, to stop or challenge the control freaks, wherever I can, however I can.
Decisions will soon have to be made by each individual person ....(very soon ... unfortunately)
I hope I'm utterly incorrect in this , but nothing indicates to me why I will be.
The choice is simple - Whether to be guided by morality and ethical code - and act on them as such - or submit to fear in the face of control freaks and 'be a willing slave to your masters'.
Simplistic and hyperbolic? ...Yes.
Life can be simple - but only when the insanity that's gone hyperbolic in the last decades, is dealt with first.
Better to die on your feet fighting for what's right, than be a sniveling cuck, begging for mercy off your 'overlords' ( yuk!...vomit material).
“Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.”
― Mark Twain,
Humans have a remarkable ability to take nice things and screw them up. I reserve my downvotes for blatant abuse, whether spam, plagiarism, or people simply being rude. I suppose you could try to say I just "disagree with the rewards" of those who abuse the platform, but it's deeper than that.
Well said! Thanks for sharing.
Your post reminds me of my immediate impressions after watching Schindler's List some 20+ years ago. I asked myself, "How many of the folks in my neighborhood would behave like that Nazi prison warden if they were allowed to do so with no repercussions?"
Community norms, social norms, laws, and 'rules' seem to be a necessary part of keeping the sociopath inside of each of us in its 'proper place'.
great post! and I agree, it's definitely an experiment of human nature. But I think so far it's going not too bad! We are basically reproducing the same structures that exist in society at large; it will take time to figure out how to do it "better". And maybe it will fail as well, which is fine.... at least we are trying :)
Such a great - and reflective -post, @denmarkguy... Well done!
Downvote abuse destroyed Hive a long long time ago…. vindictive, retaliatory, angry, envious, collateral damage downvotes ruined Hive. People are so stupid and greedy.
Great article. This resonated with me, not least because I was also prompted to write something last night, in response to the latest challenges being faced in POB community, and I feel we both approached it from a similar, although not identical, angle. If you'd like to read my thoughts and see how relatable they are to your own, you can find them here Consensus Reality and the Curse of Individualism in the POB Community
I always sigh when I see Human nature in this context. There is a lot of good to human nature, but it gets forgotten due to the other side of human nature which ended up getting its own catch phrase.
Did you hear about the man that helped his neighbour? "Ya, I did, what can you say, human nature I guess." We don't get that when humans are naturally good (which they are an awful lot).
That being said, the phrase did not come from nowhere. I appreciated your article a lot. Thanks!
How can the downvoting be personal when I as a newb had all my posts downvoted from the get go? I think it had more to do with the tags I used which my mentor told me to use as they were communities that would be interested in my writings. I have since muted all the downvoter accounts and so far so good.
Human nature would always get in the way of ideology. Currently, the way the world is going, though, we're having a lot of discussions about peace, kindness and good behaviour, if we keep going like this it seems a lot of the bad aspects of human nature would be suppressed and deliberate kindness and better behaviour would become mainstream.
Emphasis on the phrase 'if we keep going like this'.
The ability to disagree and even disagree passionately is one of my most valued traits in other human beings.
I was raised with people who could discuss sensitive subjects, even to the point of getting angry and then let it go.
Not hold on to it, not feel it was your job to convince others just state a powerful position and let it go.
Our current outraged cancelled culture has not only stopped teaching this skill, they are promoting the opposite.
Great post.