Lately I notice I I have this thing where there's a "core personality trait" that I'm holding onto, out of fear, feeling like it really is important, and also a huge opening that starts to come, even if only briefly, when I abandon it, even just temporarily. I feel like I'm "stuck between a rock and a hard place" between holding onto this trait because of what I feel it "does for me," even if it really just seems to be comparing myself to other things and suffering, and the opening and depth of experiential prodding, "seeing what's out there" when I drop it. Could that be considered a mental "barrier?" That "resistance" to change, the impulse to maintain the familiar, or the general lack of openness? And, would you say this is a common aspect of the work, pushing past these barriers, wanting to know what is "beyond" the current level of understanding? I just wanna know

I'm noticing that I can talk myself into taking pretty much any position. With enough creativity and insistence I can justify whatever set of actions I want to justify. Take sleeping, for example: - Going to sleep on time: It's good for my body's natural rhythm and I will have more energy tomorrow - Staying up late: If I don't sleep while others are sleeping, I will be less distracted and can do more deep work Silly example, but it's interesting how far this can be taken. The same dynamic seems to be applicable to pretty much anything from unhealthy snacks to wars and genocide. It's just a matter of how rhetorically skilled I am... Below is a video of a guy arguing against breathing.

📚 Interested to hear which one got you started. Why did you read this book and what did you love or hate about it? (Choose the first one you picked up, even if you're still reading it)

Today I was talking with AI about a new type of AI that was just released - which basically acts as a better judge of truth compared to what rules you give it. This made me look a few levels higher and I realised the main function of a person would be to experience principles or things in real life and then give it to another 'unmade' type of algorithm which could translate 'zen like' signposts to basically machine language of sorts. But for that it would need to know what a principle is. So im contemplating what is the nature of a principle today. What about you guys?

I noticed in my contempaltions that there is an almost constant pull towards trying to go "elsewhere" in my mind while contemplating. It goes something like - well, the truth of whatever I'm contemplating is not currently in my experience, therefore I should be looking somewhere else. Knowing that the target of my contemplation is already right here, already in my experience (or not even assuming that) is a much more powerful way to go about it.