On AI: at an embarrassing age I learned that almost everyone hates reading.

[deedo@mastodon.nl]

@bert_hubert so many people just have so much belief in their first upcoming thought. Thinking deeper seems to hurt their ego. Challenging your thoughts? Why would you?

So yeah it looks like the kind of mindless confidence that AI appeals to.

[drferrous@hachyderm.io]

@bert_hubert I’m a scientist, so thinking is akin to breathing for me… practically an involuntary reflex. I cannot understand why outsourcing mental effort is enjoyable for some? It’s baffling.

[paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org]

@bert_hubert

I suspect you are onto something.

I also suspect the two are correlated: reading, especially challenging texts, is something that helps you think later.

Being confronted with someone else's point of view, being offered a different perspective and experience is also something that enriches you and your mental processes.

[atarifrosch@fedifreu.de]

@bert_hubert More and more people are struggling with a lot of more existential stuff, like food, rent, mobility, etc. I'm sure a lot of people would like to read more. They just don't have the time anymore.

[elizayer@mastodon.social]

@bert_hubert I believe this has been explored as the "Need for Cognition"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_cognition is a good jumping-off point!

[bert_hubert@eupolicy.social]

@elizayer will read, thanks!

[astridpoot@mastodon.social]

@bert_hubert I think about this a lot too! Could a problem be that sharing of the thinking is a bit of a risk? As in will people believe me, will I look stupid, etc. (imposter syndrome) And as discussion (social interaction) drives thinking, the thinking diminishes because of lack of practice, because we prefer to be liked (social success) over being really good thinkers?

[astridpoot@mastodon.social]

@bert_hubert Having said that: I know a lot of really fun people who love to think and share and discuss their thoughts. But they seem to be huddled together in one little corner.

[ethergear@infosec.exchange]

@bert_hubert I started thinking about fascism in terms of accessibility when I read that among those arrested for the 1/6 insurrection, 68% have a history of trauma or serious mental illness versus 19% in the general population

Many QAnon followers report mental health diagnoses - UPI.com

QAnon is often viewed as a group associated with conspiracy, terrorism and radical action, such as the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. But radical extremism and terror may not be the real concern from this group.

UPI (www.upi.com)

[berkes@mastodon.nl]

@bert_hubert I think you are spot on.

Because I recognize both in myself. My love for reading, thinking, questioning or reasoning, fluctuates strongly over time. Part of it a trait of my ADHD.

Sometimes I can't be bothered to reason through some problem or to read more than two sentences. Sometimes I can't help but spend hours, days, deepdiving that same thing.

I therefore can relate to both state of minds. And can understand how many people are in one of my "extremes" most of their lives (rather than oscillating between them like me).

[bert_hubert@eupolicy.social]

@atarifrosch note that at no point did I blame people for not wanting to read things. In fact, I urge to accommodate them.

[atarifrosch@fedifreu.de]

@bert_hubert I didn't read that as blaming, but I saw that as pointing into the wrong direction.

[sarajw@front-end.social]

@bert_hubert I am reminded of this:

https://youtu.be/orQKfIXMiA8

It's quite a confronting video! But I do think people don't know how to stop entertaining themselves, and let their brains just think. I include myself in this.

People are also scared of getting things wrong. If they live in a fire-at-will place in the USA for example, AI use may make them feel more secure in their jobs. If something big and sad has happened to a friend, they might turn to AI to help them not say the wrong thing.

[duarte@hachyderm.io]

@bert_hubert We’re biased towards conservation of energy, so we’ll outsource whatever we can. Not everyone goes to the gym or otherwise exercises, not everyone reads, thinks, or does something kind of intellectual activity.

[bartjan@mastodon.nl]

@bert_hubert tl;dr

[bert_hubert@eupolicy.social]

@duarte the problem with this theory is that it appears thinking does not use more calories. I'd be thin by now otherwise also! The brain uses a depressingly constant 25W of power. There are some anecdotes about chess grandmasters burning through more energy, but it appears this happens through fretting and not through the brain.

[szescstopni@circumstances.run]

@bert_hubert Thinking is hard. I often outsource thinking about details – I ask people I know, when I know that they probably will have the answer in their head and this won't be an effort for them. But I do a lot of thinking before asking and it's fun

[mindaugas@mastodon.0011.lt]

@bert_hubert people think in vastly different ways (complex combinations). Some of it is described in this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descriptive_Experience_Sampling There is a lot of content on this in general for further investigation.

[dancast@wandering.shop]

@bert_hubert Gollum fell into Mount Doom with the ring, saving Middle Earth. The End.

So much faster!

[leonoverweel@mastodon.social]

@bert_hubert this is why populists gain power, right? Don’t bother with critical thinking, nuance, data or research; just listen to the strong man who will tell you which evil people you should hate because they’re secretly plotting to burn down everything you love — but luckily the strong man is onto them and will protect you!