[ExI] far future

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2013-12-31 03:18, Nuala Thomson wrote:
> What of the people who convince themselves of a particular thought that
> is not normal for the collective?

This is a general problem for societies with editable minds and 
individual freedom. How do you even tell if somebody has made themselves 
crazy?

The fact that something is maladaptive for a normal life (a good 
everyday definition of sick) doesn't necessarily apply. Somebody can 
edit out a big chunk of things we normally think are essential (say, 
love, language or pleasure), and make themselves think that this is a 
great state - and it might indeed give them some weird reward outsiders 
cannot even fathom. Just consider people spending years in anguish for 
something they consider to be holy: the Dark Night of the Soul is likely 
a fairly well-defined very unpleasant neuropsychological state, yet the 
people pursuing spirituality often persist through it because they think 
they are doing the Right Thing.

One approach is of course to let people turn themselves into strange 
things. There is a poignant and disturbing past plot thread in John C. 
Wright's "The Golden Age" about a person going under thanks to unwise 
and self-reinforcing self-editing.

Another approach I have used in some of my fictional settings is that 
authorities are allowed to audit minds. Occasionally the mind police 
come by, reset your mind to a somewhat standard neutral state, and allow 
you to consider whether you want to continue to be what you were for the 
past months. If you still do, you can get back to it. Otherwise you now 
have a chance to change.




-- 
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford University