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Quote by Steven Pinker

“The philosophers Liam Clegg and Daniel Dennett have argued that human behavior is inherently unpredictable not just because of random neural noise in the brain but as an adaptation that makes it harder for our rivals to outguess us.”

Quote by Steven Pinker

Book:Rationality
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Rationality

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Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker is a renowned cognitive psychologist, linguist, and author. His research focuses on language, cognition, and human behavior, particularly the relationship between language and thought. Pinker is known for his in-depth research on the evolution of language and his contributions to the field of cognitive science. more

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“Consider this - what makes me, ME? I was given that name, I went through certain experiences, I grew up in a certain country, certain era, I have a certain sex, certain mode of thinking. Now assume someone else with the EXACT same life experiences, (Not just similar, but exactly the same moment to moment life experiences from literally the same point of view as I experienced them!), genetic configurations and circumstances as me lives life the same way, would they have a different identity? NO! Because they have seen the exact same configuration and pattern of life that I have! Now, let's assume in addition to the exact same life experiences and genetics, the name given to the "other me" was ALSO the same. Well, there is NO DIFFERENCE left at all now. We are the same person. This is basically what is playing out in the world. We all feel different because of our different life experiences, genetics, eras we have lived in and names given to us. But shatter all of that and there is NO difference between the sense of I in me and the sense of I in You. We become like a Gadget in its factory settings; they are all literally the same. BUT, by sheer probability, no two people, at least in our known reality, will ever have identical life experiences, mental attributes, or physical configurations. This creates the illusion of uniqueness and separateness. But if these differences were nullified, the need for an individual “self” to explain subjective experience would vanish. In short, our sense of SEPARATE Identities is effectively an interpretive illusion: it arises only because each of us experiences life through a distinct set of genetic and experiential filters. Remove those filters, and the illusion of a separate self disappears. There’s no deeper mystery to consciousness—. The “hardest problem” isn’t consciousness itself; it’s shedding the preconceived notions that keep us clinging to the idea of a fixed, mysterious “self.” There is NO SELF.”

PhilosophyMetaphysicsNeuroscienceTheory Of Mind
Book:Nothing/Everything: The Mindbending Philosophical Theory of Everything
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