The way I see things
as of november 14 eleven seventeen AM twenty twenty five
[day 25/30 - slop post, have work to do. just explaining my worldview as of November 14 2025. Obviously incomplete because duh. Most things here I have believed for quite a long time. Epistemic status: my worldview, so I mean I sure hope every descriptive statement here is true]
ethics
Ethics tell me what I should do (by definition). Unless you are a nihilist this is indisputable. Therefore get good ethics. Embrace that good ethics require good epistemics. Work part-time job of getting good epistemics. Conclude this means eliminating as many cognitive biases as possible.
Treat ethics as an actual way to live not merely as an intellectual exercise.
Remain uncertain about ābeing correct about ethicsā. Therefore act probabilisticly. Am very convinced by utilitarian arguments and very unconvinced about the rest. Therefore act the way Singer would tell me too, but check in with the others from time to time.
Incomprehensible suffering occurs around me. I must not be paralyzed by this, I must act and do the most good I can do.
I must meet people who think the same way to avoid value drift.
Meta-ethics is kind of lame, unclear if Iām just bad at it or that it doesnāt matter too much. The way I see it humans evolved in a certain way to accept some beliefs and viscerally reject others. You can disregard this as what they are: mere heuristics built up by society/religion/intuition over years. By definition, people like being happy and people dislike being unhappy. Every other state of being/preference can be reduced down to delta of the area under happiness/sadness curve. Seems self-evident that I should optimize for this in a way which no other things feel self-evident. Realize this is a bit vibes-y but donāt stress it because inevitable. Never stress the inevitable. Canāt win against mr Hume.
Consistent systems of ethics matter: if system has contradictions, can prove anything and system is useless. Realize contradictions will pop up anyway. Donāt know how to resolve this.
I only live once, I seem to get sad if I canāt do interesting and novel things. It would be a shame not to optimize for this. This is incompatible with some goals, embrace this contradiction and try to optimize for both at the same time.
Secretly think most people are cowards for not living like this. Realize this is partly attribution error. Recognize it is not the attribution error when they refuse to watch dominion. Express this only when optimal and it would lead to people taking better actions.
career
The main way I can actually do the most good I can do, for my set of brain and education is likely earn as much money as possible and donate as much money as I can to highly effective charities.
Work sucks almost ontologically because hedonic treadmill and human cognition not liking repetition. Work will be a huge part of my life. Try to make it suck less.
Research says it may suck less if I get really good at it. This would also allow me to earn more money and then do more good. The past tells me that trying to get really good at something is quite compatible with my competitive nature. Therefore I should probably channel this at career growth and try to get really good.
It is still unclear what this career exactly will be except that it will be in tech. This is OK, Iām still a student. First internships/jobs will decide this.
needs
physical affection (Agape)
food
close friendships/relationships with people ālike meā (Philia)
water
puzzles that pick my brain
ways to express myself
new insights
good sleep
Realize that before I do any amount of good I will first need all of the above. Realize the unexpected efficiency of a group house with friends
desire
Desire is the root of all evil. Hard to limit mental desires. Internalize that material desire is really stupid. Idealize life of small apartment with bed, desk, soylent, friends and laptop. (I will own nothing and I will be happy)
There is a demon inside me that really really just does not want to be alone. It attempts to find a solution for this in committing really hard to a relationship. I should resist this urge because historically I kind of stop caring about everything else and that would be bad (ethics).
See 1 person as the primitive of a relationship, not 2 people (like I have in the past). Unclear if poly or merely poly-adjacent or just mono.
Other strong desire I have seems to be the desire of strong perceived intelligence. Knowledge for knowledgeās sake. Canāt stamp this one out. Try to feed it in university/job later.
pleasures
Donāt do drugs1. They are bad for society. Be glad I have tried a lot of drugs in the past (interesting)
Disregard previous sentence, make exception for psychedelics with best friends at most once a year.
Hedonistic pleasures are a waste of time unless they fill a meaningful niche in my life. (ie: bonding with people, meaningful art that will stay with me and bring new insights, etc etc).
Accept hedonistic time-wasting will worm its way into my life always. Accept eternal war.
nuance
Things are generally very complicated. Sometimes 100 good arguments can be made for and against. Try to remain permanently intellectually humble. Attempt to strike a balance as to not to annoy others in this humility.
including alcohol and cigarettes