How do we know?

Of course my default point of view is anthropocentric. I am a human being. As such, I have a super-power called the Theory of Mind: In my mind, I understand (the theory goes) that there are other minds completely separate from mine. Imagining the contents of those (theorized) other minds is the foundation of empathy. That’s a pillar supporting all civilization.

But a growing number of studies show that our anthropocentric view is sometimes unjustified. The adaptations that allow bacteria, fungi and other pathogens to cause us harm can easily evolve outside the context of human disease. They are part of a microbial narrative that affects us, and can even kill us, but that isn’t about us. This concept is known as the coincidental evolution hypothesis or, as the Emory University microbiologist Bruce Levin described it in 2008, the ‘shit happens’ hypothesis.

~ Ed Yong, from Coincidental killers

Not everything has a mind, and that is really easy to see in many cases. For example, I’m confident that the curb I just tripped over does not have a mind. But what about dogs or cats? They sure seem to have some sort of mind. And what about cephalopods, or that Large Language Model (LLM) I’ve been chatting with? Have you tried asking that LLM if it thinks you have a mind?

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

~ Shakespeare‘s Hamlet

Philosophers have debated the theory of mind and the moral status of different sorts of living things for all of known human history. That LLM is absolutely not a human mind (because I am certain it is computer based.) I cannot believe how lucky I am that—in the multi-billion year lifetime of our little yellow star—I just happen to be alive for what might be first-contact with a non-human mind.

It might feel like wind, but it’s caused by us and can be influenced by us.

~ Seth Godin, from The prevailing conditions

Which brings me back to anthropomorphism. When I talk to the LLM (at least, the model which I talked to) it will straight up tell me that it does not have a mind. Which can lead you to complex layers of suspicion if you think, “maybe it has a mind and is lying!” Instead, I’m choosing to simply treat it as if it had a mind; A wonderful, particular sort of mind, and I wonder what we might accomplish together. That’s a very human-centered way to look at it.

Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind, and spirit. The man who preserves his selfhood ever calm and unshaken by the storms of existence—not a leaf, as it were, astir on the tree; Not a ripple upon the surface of shining pool—his, in the mind of the unlettered sage, is the ideal attitude and conduct of life.

~ Charles Eastman

I’m always awed by such visions of serenity as Eastman’s. I do sometimes discover myself in such clearings.

Nothing replaces this. (He gestures at the two of us talking.) This is nontransferable. We’re not only speaking through words. We communicate with gestures, with our skin. Direct communication is irreplaceable.

We are not so robotic. We learned to think, but first we are emotional beings. We believe we decide with our heads. Many times the head finds the arguments to justify the decisions made by the gut. We’re not as aware as we seem.

~ Pepe Mujica, from How to Be Truly Free

I’m looking to stumble into clearings, but Mujica seems to have made his own clearing, and then moved there permanently.

All know the way.
Few actually walk it.

~ Bodhidharma

Often, when stuck, I manage to recall that wisdom. It takes all my effort to figure out why my feet aren’t actually moving. The weirdest part is that once I do get moving, I’m sucked along by an over-inflated sense of urgency. Why can’t I simply be—whether stationary or moving since either is truly fine.

Discouragement is a property of caring and having hope.

~ Leo Babauta, from A Short Guide to Dealing with Discouragement

It’s discouraging to end up at discouragement. Every week I feel like all of this writing for 7 for Sunday is almost… not quite… any moment now… going to lead me to… something. Of course, if Babauta is right (he usually is) I should just write another 77 issues and then check again how the wind is blowing.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

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