[ExI] addiction

[William Flynn Wallace]

I only asked one thing:  define willpower such that it is not a circular
concept.  Every science demands concepts that can be measured objectively
and so far, no one has offered a way to measure willpower that is objective
and scientific. That's all. I am not sure what you think I am wrong about.
I think I am being more scientific on this issue than any of you. Did you
notice that Henry did not respond to my invitation to define the term
noncircularly, to invent a word.  And he wrote a dissertation on it.  ???
What's up with that?  Maybe he realized that it WAS circular.

I simplified hunger starting and stopping for Adrian.  Did not attempt to
write a book on it.    bill w

On Fri, Apr 8, 2022 at 1:30 PM Will Steinberg via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> What an overly simplified view of the brain, as if parts of the brain
> don't send signals to other parts.
>
> Why is it so hard to admit you are wrong?  You are wrong.  The science is
> the opposite of what you say.  You are not a neuroscientist, are you?  An
> addiction researcher?  Is there any reason your intuition and personal
> single anecdote would possibly be something I would consider true over
> literal thousands of pieces of vetted scientific research?
>
> Blows my mind.  Not sure how you are usually into science but not for this
> one thing.
>
> On Thu, Apr 7, 2022, 4:12 PM William Flynn Wallace via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> Adrian, to get a bit technical about your idea, the problem is one of
>> inhibition.  The lateral hypothalamus starts the eating process and the
>> ventral stops it.  I very much doubt if overeating is brain damage to the
>> ventral hypothalamus though this is possible (very unlikely, as deep as it
>> is in the brain and as common as over eating is - I think the inhibition is
>> just overridden).  In fact you could look at all addictions as problems of
>> lacking inhibition.  Or overriding it.  Bill w
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 7, 2022 at 12:01 PM Adrian Tymes via extropy-chat <
>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, Apr 7, 2022 at 9:54 AM William Flynn Wallace via extropy-chat <
>>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am still waiting for those voluntary behaviors you say are lost.
>>>> bill w
>>>>
>>>
>>> Depends on the addiction.  In the case of overeating, "not eating" is a
>>> behavior that you might call voluntary but is no longer an option when
>>> hungry.
>>>
>>> Note that "eating" is far more complex than simply "move hand bearing
>>> food to mouth".  It also involves obtaining food, possibly cooking food,
>>> and so on.  So, trying to think of it as a simplistic single action that is
>>> performed without conscious intent, will confuse and mislead you because it
>>> isn't that.
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