... experience is probably just a technicality...

[alexr_rwx]

I don't think it's derisive, but sometimes people 'round these parts chuckle when they hear I'm into Nietzsche.

But I don't think it's that strange, in the realm of things, wanting to make up your own goodness metric for evaluating situations in the giant pomdp that seems to be life. I mean, you sort of have to do something, right? Just sitting around is pretty unsatisfying. ... of course, the things I've been doing recently have been a bit on the unsatisfying side, too... hrm...

But how can anything aside from "helping things that can feel happy feel happy" be good?

You might say (as some of you have, in the past), that happiness is overrated. Yet you haven't suggested some alternative. And I rather prefer happiness, personally -- though I realize that this is circular.

The way out is arbitration -- I choose to use this particular value function, and that's that. Or failing that, I'm using this particular evaluation function (defined by "the world works out in such a way that I like these things to this extent"), whether you want to talk about choice or not.

Martin samarin, you may now point out that I have trouble knowing that there's a "me" or experiences or such a thing as a function.

Comments

[oniugnip.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, I felt quite frantic while writing this. It was like a "holy fsck, the center cannot hold" sort of mood.

I don't think that came through, somehow.

klausboy is now not the only one who comments on his own entries, o-ho!

[reality-calls.livejournal.com]

Just keep in mind that some people are only made happy by death, destruction, mayhem, and general carnage.  Others merely require drugs.  Don't forget about them in your quest to provide happiness!

      "Live from the People's Republic"