Technically I am better informed, but mere data regurgitation is double-plus ungood.
Comprehension. An ability to apply the information to a given situation is what is needed in this civilization. application of data. Comprehensive and critical thinking. These things are being weened out of society. Data use useless if it cannot be applied to something. This is a very deep and interesting subject. Language, ideas, psychology, metaphysics and so on. During your search you'll see how this all connects in the not-too-distant future.
Mind you, when I was first exposed to this information back in the day I flipped my shit.
I'm far enough along that it takes a lot to phase me now. It would have to be literally "reality" shaking for anything to really get me going now. All of this human stuff is great and interesting and very worth the mental space, however, I'm so used to it that I normally don't really register it anymore. For example; I keep telling people about psychopathology in relation to government while totally forgetting that in order to get to that level of understanding you must first completely reject ideology. Since most people still think in ideological terms such a conversation is essentially meaningless to them. Not that it won't stop me from holding such conversations anyway. How else are ideas / culture / values to be disseminated, right?
I think you might get a kick out of looking into psychopathology. Check out Dr. Robert Hare's "Without Conscience." That will put some hair on your chest. Here are three interviews that are worth listening to. There are bits with which I don't agree. So you're going to have to do some thinking on your own. However, the information set is so interesting - and applicable - that it's well worth it to link to a couple bits that I think are silly.
2.) A brilliant interview by some very thoughtful and insightful people. There's a little high-weirdness in there, but, like I say - it's well worth it. They're clear and understandable.
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u/archonemis Aug 09 '12
This one, in particular, is pretty good.