#101 – Joscha Bach: Artificial Consciousness and the Nature of Reality
Lex Fridman Podcast
The little mermaid, romantic love, and the importance of happiness
The little mermaid story portrays a happy ending as the Western, American way. However, the speaker's perspective, influenced by reading Oscar Wilde, focuses on the sacrifice of one's life for romantic love. Following one's heart is seen as superior to following societal and economic incentives. Suffering is attributed to caring about things that cannot be changed, and eliminating such attachments can lead to a lack of suffering and the ability to experience happiness. Happiness is compared to a cookie, initially seen as important in childhood but eventually recognized as a tool to facilitate the consumption of healthier options. Happiness is described as a state that the brain creates through its appraisal of the environment, rather than being influenced by the environment itself. The ability to change one's appraisal of the environment allows for the creation of arbitrary states of happiness. However, some individuals who focus solely on pursuing personal happiness eventually encounter a crisis of meaning and seek a more sustainable and meaningful existence.
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