My theory on deja vu.
Some studies say that sleep helps the brain absorb and digest information. Sleep also helps the memory process. So during the time we sleep, our brains will take all the new information from the day and file it in with all the old information from the past keeping it nice and organized for our convenient recollection.
My thoughts: our brains are so awesome that in addition to organizing and storing information, it utilizes its abundant resources to make predictions. This idea fits in perfectly, at least to me, with the idea that we sleep for the purpose of helping our minds sort shit out and make sense of the world. In trying to predict the future, it'll take information from the past and combine with things like our likes, our dislikes, addictions and other behavioral patterns, people we know, people we see on TV, our secrets, etc, and "paint" the most probabilistic future in the shape of a dream.
More specifically, our brains are capable of cross referencing a situation in the past with the conditions surrounding that situation and environment. Then it will recall the specific outcome and see if there are any similarities between other situations or outcomes from the past. This, then, is how our brains create templates and forecasting models to apply to current situations. An extremely simple example: if we have conditions A, B, and C, then based on previous instances where A, B, and C were present, we dream that something like D will happen since that's what happened last time.
So what's deja vu? We have these dreams that try to predict the future, most of them totally futile while some are incredibly accurate, so we think. However, humans have a tendency to fill things in more perfectly than truth. Details get skewed or dropped. Dreams are no different in how we remember them. We have a feeling of deja vu when our brains remember a specific dream that we once had. Everything feels so natural and seems so perfectly familiar only because we fool ourselves to believe it.
Every night we sleep we have several dreams. I find it incredibly likely that sometimes our brains get it right and "predict" the future.
16.12.08
10.11.08
Friends are objects.
I've heard more than a few times that maintaining friendships requires effort. Some people replace effort with work, sacrifice, etc. I get the idea; back in the day you were friends with people that lived in your town making it easy to stay friends.
You learn quickly, though, that many friendships you had in high school fizzle as soon as you move far away enough where friendships somehow deteriorate and are no longer beneficial. I'm saying that the benefits are less than the costs.
Somewhere down the line you say to yourself, you know who your true friends are, all you need are a couple of good ones, and these friendships will last a lifetime. Sure, that could be true for some people. But I've said that about a couple of people in the past and now I don't. That's fine.
I used to be upset when I felt like my friendships with certain people were slipping. But, as the motivation of this blog, some view friends as objects. When they're convenient and beneficial to maintain, they will be.
Now, I have an answer for why any friend didn't seem to show the same 'effort' as me. And I suppose, to those people who view friends as objects, the meaning behind a best friend is someone that is invaluable; thus, no amount of 'effort' is too much when maintaining that friendship.
I'm so very grateful for anyone that calls me a friend and anyone that I call a friend. Inevitably, this list will change. Such is life.
This was just a random observation that lead to a bunch of random thoughts.
You learn quickly, though, that many friendships you had in high school fizzle as soon as you move far away enough where friendships somehow deteriorate and are no longer beneficial. I'm saying that the benefits are less than the costs.
Somewhere down the line you say to yourself, you know who your true friends are, all you need are a couple of good ones, and these friendships will last a lifetime. Sure, that could be true for some people. But I've said that about a couple of people in the past and now I don't. That's fine.
I used to be upset when I felt like my friendships with certain people were slipping. But, as the motivation of this blog, some view friends as objects. When they're convenient and beneficial to maintain, they will be.
Now, I have an answer for why any friend didn't seem to show the same 'effort' as me. And I suppose, to those people who view friends as objects, the meaning behind a best friend is someone that is invaluable; thus, no amount of 'effort' is too much when maintaining that friendship.
I'm so very grateful for anyone that calls me a friend and anyone that I call a friend. Inevitably, this list will change. Such is life.
This was just a random observation that lead to a bunch of random thoughts.
5.11.08
Euphoria.
Can't help but be like every other person in the world and share their feelings about this election. Before I get 'pessimistic' or 'skeptical', I'll share the overwhelming joy I felt last night when Obama gave his acceptance speech. He's living proof that so much is possible in one lifetime, and hopefully he's got plenty of years left. Not only is this a victory for everyone who voted for Obama, but it's a victory for every person who ever felt 'not American enough'. I've always been proud to be an American. Now, I never have to doubt my American-ness again. Thank you for that.
With this euphoria sweeping the nation, and my representative sample of the nation is the likes of Facebook and the news, I feel that many people lose sight of the past, current, and future issues. This is VERY dangerous. I doubt that anyone truly believes that suddenly all of our problems have vanished. Everyone knows that 'this victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change.' No one is more aware of this then the person who said those words last night. I fear, though, that those who elected him are not.
Expectations are incredibly dangerous, especially at this euphoric level. The task was large for either candidate so forget about who was more qualified for a second. There is a ridiculous amount of work to do be done here in the USA. Obama himself realizes that things might not be done in one term. So then, what happens if the natural course of this country is to fall into a recession? Do we blame the next President? But how could a person whom so much is expected fail?
What if America suddenly rebounds and jumps right back into expansionary mode? Has there ever been a four year span where everything went perfectly? Or is it more realistic that one monumental problem simply gets replaced by another? The very nature of expectations sets us up for failure. And these incredibly high levels of expectations can only be negative for our future.
Did we elect the best possible candidate? Honestly, we'll never know simply because we cannot compare them both as Presidents with identical situations to handle. The future is very tricky like that. And we can all say what could have happened based on the past, but c'mon, that's a little ridiculous. Unfortunately, we will never be able to justifiably say that Obama handled this situation better than McCain would have. Therefore, all we can say, in absolute terms, is Obama handled this well/poorly.
The problem with that is some things are simply out of his control. He has '8 years of problems' to fix. How long are we going to give him before we label him as a bad President? How patient are we? How long does hope last? Just as there are negatives out of his control, there can be positives out of his control. And I hope for his sake, and more importantly our country's sake, the positives outweigh the negatives. For some strange reason, I always find it harder to see the positive side of things.
So after this lofty blog, I'll make my points. Obama wins. This is exciting. Hope. Chance for change. There was a chance for change with either candidate. There are issues that one person cannot address in one term, maybe one lifetime. Our expectations are dangerous. Be realistic about our future and plan accordingly. Hope.
--
read more at http://timsalterego.blogspot.com/
With this euphoria sweeping the nation, and my representative sample of the nation is the likes of Facebook and the news, I feel that many people lose sight of the past, current, and future issues. This is VERY dangerous. I doubt that anyone truly believes that suddenly all of our problems have vanished. Everyone knows that 'this victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change.' No one is more aware of this then the person who said those words last night. I fear, though, that those who elected him are not.
Expectations are incredibly dangerous, especially at this euphoric level. The task was large for either candidate so forget about who was more qualified for a second. There is a ridiculous amount of work to do be done here in the USA. Obama himself realizes that things might not be done in one term. So then, what happens if the natural course of this country is to fall into a recession? Do we blame the next President? But how could a person whom so much is expected fail?
What if America suddenly rebounds and jumps right back into expansionary mode? Has there ever been a four year span where everything went perfectly? Or is it more realistic that one monumental problem simply gets replaced by another? The very nature of expectations sets us up for failure. And these incredibly high levels of expectations can only be negative for our future.
Did we elect the best possible candidate? Honestly, we'll never know simply because we cannot compare them both as Presidents with identical situations to handle. The future is very tricky like that. And we can all say what could have happened based on the past, but c'mon, that's a little ridiculous. Unfortunately, we will never be able to justifiably say that Obama handled this situation better than McCain would have. Therefore, all we can say, in absolute terms, is Obama handled this well/poorly.
The problem with that is some things are simply out of his control. He has '8 years of problems' to fix. How long are we going to give him before we label him as a bad President? How patient are we? How long does hope last? Just as there are negatives out of his control, there can be positives out of his control. And I hope for his sake, and more importantly our country's sake, the positives outweigh the negatives. For some strange reason, I always find it harder to see the positive side of things.
So after this lofty blog, I'll make my points. Obama wins. This is exciting. Hope. Chance for change. There was a chance for change with either candidate. There are issues that one person cannot address in one term, maybe one lifetime. Our expectations are dangerous. Be realistic about our future and plan accordingly. Hope.
--
read more at http://timsalterego.blogspot.com/
9.9.08
Tasers, et cetera.
what a great weekend. what started off with wet willies ended nothing short of an amazing time with good peoples. i wish i could remember all the details and all the great quotes, of which i'll try to list at the bottom. and i'd post my own pictures if i had any but i trusted that the other 9 asians i traveled with would bring their own cameras and capture every last moment of our trip. i was right. facebook feeds will prove my point soon enough.
11 travelers, 2 birthdays, 1 normal room, 1 happiest suite ever, 3 of the best shower heads ever, 4 days, 3 nights, 2 guests, 57 mosquito bites, 2 tongue rings, 1 industrial, 1 tattoo, 38 pizzas (of which many i packed ever so neatly in effort to rush out of the pizzeria, i still dont know why), 10 of the biggest drinks ever, 11043 smaller drinks + shots, 2 tasers, 4 arrests, 1 missing birthday girl, 1 stolen bottle of vodka, 1 irish pub, 62 wrist bands (of which 13 of them we handed out ourselves), 1 horrible attempt at being athletic, i.e., a volleyball game, 1 "hey boo, where you from? -here...", and 1 hurricane hanna later, we're back to reality. except my new reality involves a lotta new memories. thanks.
11 travelers, 2 birthdays, 1 normal room, 1 happiest suite ever, 3 of the best shower heads ever, 4 days, 3 nights, 2 guests, 57 mosquito bites, 2 tongue rings, 1 industrial, 1 tattoo, 38 pizzas (of which many i packed ever so neatly in effort to rush out of the pizzeria, i still dont know why), 10 of the biggest drinks ever, 11043 smaller drinks + shots, 2 tasers, 4 arrests, 1 missing birthday girl, 1 stolen bottle of vodka, 1 irish pub, 62 wrist bands (of which 13 of them we handed out ourselves), 1 horrible attempt at being athletic, i.e., a volleyball game, 1 "hey boo, where you from? -here...", and 1 hurricane hanna later, we're back to reality. except my new reality involves a lotta new memories. thanks.
29.8.08
the fallacies of expectation
expectation - a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future - as defined by my little widget on my mac.
before i go off on a super tangent i'll try to at least begin my rant with some sort of foundation. what is greater in emotional magnitude, losing $100 or gaining $100? getting a new car, or totaling your new car b/c of your own fault and not getting a penny from insurance? i believe that the negatives in life are more powerful than the positives.
if we can quantify emotions, let us pretend that we agree that when you lose $100, your emotional point system will decrease by 3 points; however, when you gain $100, you only gain 2 emotional points. thus, if the events have equal chances, u're expected to be left off less happy, or emotionally negative. you will be emotionally negative if u were to add up ur emotional points from an equal but opposite action/result such as the ones mentioned above.
the very idea of an expectation means that you think that it is more likely something will happen versus it not happening. so when it does happen, u're not at all surprised. u're satisfied, ur expectations have been met as anticipated. however, when ur expectations are not met, you are dissatisfied, unhappy, disappointed, etc. much like above, you're emotionally negative. yet, as stated above, if we were to quantify both end results, the positive side of meeting your expectations are less than the effect of the negative side of disappointment. thus, having expectations is a losing way to life. we can generalize expectations to hope, faith, beliefs, etc.
my point is, it's better to not expect anything at all simply b/c disappointment cannot be offset by another expectation being met. it's better to not expect, not hope, not believe anything and take life as it comes. this way, all the good in life is a pleasant surprise. and well, expecting the worse and then the worse happening, it's nothing surprising.
expectations, hopes, promises, beliefs, etc, their true power is only realized when they're not met, violated, broken... it's only then we understand how foolish we were, through the stupidity and naivety of it all. so again, better off taking life as it comes. the less u expect, the less disappointment, the more positive surprises.
furthermore, some people will feel safer with their expectations when a certain outcome becomes more consistent and more reliable e.g. every time you turn the key to your car it starts. the more it happens the more confident you become that it will start. you now have the expectation that your car will start tomorrow. that is a total fallacy. it doesn't take a math major to understand the idea of regression to the mean. with any event, there is an average amount of times something is supposed to happen or some sort of probability attributed to it. therefore, the more something happens, provided each event is not completely independent, the more likely the event will not occur.
so to tie the two parts of this blog together i'll say again that two equal but opposite effects have a net negative emotional impact on your well-being. having expectations will make it even worse, since expectations automatically begin you on the positive emotional scale. b/c expectations exhibit their true power when not met, your emotional well-being is far worse off by having expectations.
no expectations, no disappointment.
--
read more at http://timsalterego.blogspot.com/
before i go off on a super tangent i'll try to at least begin my rant with some sort of foundation. what is greater in emotional magnitude, losing $100 or gaining $100? getting a new car, or totaling your new car b/c of your own fault and not getting a penny from insurance? i believe that the negatives in life are more powerful than the positives.
if we can quantify emotions, let us pretend that we agree that when you lose $100, your emotional point system will decrease by 3 points; however, when you gain $100, you only gain 2 emotional points. thus, if the events have equal chances, u're expected to be left off less happy, or emotionally negative. you will be emotionally negative if u were to add up ur emotional points from an equal but opposite action/result such as the ones mentioned above.
the very idea of an expectation means that you think that it is more likely something will happen versus it not happening. so when it does happen, u're not at all surprised. u're satisfied, ur expectations have been met as anticipated. however, when ur expectations are not met, you are dissatisfied, unhappy, disappointed, etc. much like above, you're emotionally negative. yet, as stated above, if we were to quantify both end results, the positive side of meeting your expectations are less than the effect of the negative side of disappointment. thus, having expectations is a losing way to life. we can generalize expectations to hope, faith, beliefs, etc.
my point is, it's better to not expect anything at all simply b/c disappointment cannot be offset by another expectation being met. it's better to not expect, not hope, not believe anything and take life as it comes. this way, all the good in life is a pleasant surprise. and well, expecting the worse and then the worse happening, it's nothing surprising.
expectations, hopes, promises, beliefs, etc, their true power is only realized when they're not met, violated, broken... it's only then we understand how foolish we were, through the stupidity and naivety of it all. so again, better off taking life as it comes. the less u expect, the less disappointment, the more positive surprises.
furthermore, some people will feel safer with their expectations when a certain outcome becomes more consistent and more reliable e.g. every time you turn the key to your car it starts. the more it happens the more confident you become that it will start. you now have the expectation that your car will start tomorrow. that is a total fallacy. it doesn't take a math major to understand the idea of regression to the mean. with any event, there is an average amount of times something is supposed to happen or some sort of probability attributed to it. therefore, the more something happens, provided each event is not completely independent, the more likely the event will not occur.
so to tie the two parts of this blog together i'll say again that two equal but opposite effects have a net negative emotional impact on your well-being. having expectations will make it even worse, since expectations automatically begin you on the positive emotional scale. b/c expectations exhibit their true power when not met, your emotional well-being is far worse off by having expectations.
no expectations, no disappointment.
--
read more at http://timsalterego.blogspot.com/
28.8.08
on ignorance
overslept today so here i am sitting at home and not working. what better thing to kill time than to write useless information that is pertinent only to me but perhaps entertaining to the 3 people that mite read this? lovely. now that i have that straight, lets continue to what's on my mind.
a little while ago i was writing a letter to a friend on ignorance. is ignorance really bliss? my answer has definitely changed in the past few days after finishing Fooled by Randomness by N. N. Taleb. commentary on this book deserves another post. anyways, some people argue that ignorance is not bliss, and it's more of a 'fooling yourself' mentality by allowing yourself to be ignorant. i beg to differ.
if instead of being ignorant to some things, you spend your time being consumed by trying to understand this or that, trying to find the truth or the minutiae of whatever situation, then how could you possibly live a fulfilling life? questioning things simply b/c you will not allow some ignorance in your life seems too much of a hassle.
rather, why not accept this: no one is perfect. no one is infallible. it is our human nature to be selfish and to do otherwise is probably from social pressures rather than survival methods. that said, can u then be surprised that things aren't always what they seem? look, i'm not saying that everyone is a deceitful asshole and don't trust anyone. i'm saying, why care so much if in the end the details don't really matter?
if you can subscribe to the idea that nobody is perfect, then ignorance is bliss. i suppose, though, until u spend ur time trying to find the minutiae of it all, u cannot figure out that ignorance is bliss.
however, you cannot be ignorant to the fact that nobody is perfect. you might as well do drugs all the time and never return to reality.
but why is it okay to be ignorant? sure, nobody is perfect. that doesn't mean there can't be people perfect for you. that doesn't mean that you can't have great friends. ignorance is sort of like a filtration system. all that nonsense that crosses your path is nothing more than nonsense. all those high strung fools that make nothing into something and something in to everything, well, they'll just implode one day.
cheers.
a little while ago i was writing a letter to a friend on ignorance. is ignorance really bliss? my answer has definitely changed in the past few days after finishing Fooled by Randomness by N. N. Taleb. commentary on this book deserves another post. anyways, some people argue that ignorance is not bliss, and it's more of a 'fooling yourself' mentality by allowing yourself to be ignorant. i beg to differ.
if instead of being ignorant to some things, you spend your time being consumed by trying to understand this or that, trying to find the truth or the minutiae of whatever situation, then how could you possibly live a fulfilling life? questioning things simply b/c you will not allow some ignorance in your life seems too much of a hassle.
rather, why not accept this: no one is perfect. no one is infallible. it is our human nature to be selfish and to do otherwise is probably from social pressures rather than survival methods. that said, can u then be surprised that things aren't always what they seem? look, i'm not saying that everyone is a deceitful asshole and don't trust anyone. i'm saying, why care so much if in the end the details don't really matter?
if you can subscribe to the idea that nobody is perfect, then ignorance is bliss. i suppose, though, until u spend ur time trying to find the minutiae of it all, u cannot figure out that ignorance is bliss.
however, you cannot be ignorant to the fact that nobody is perfect. you might as well do drugs all the time and never return to reality.
but why is it okay to be ignorant? sure, nobody is perfect. that doesn't mean there can't be people perfect for you. that doesn't mean that you can't have great friends. ignorance is sort of like a filtration system. all that nonsense that crosses your path is nothing more than nonsense. all those high strung fools that make nothing into something and something in to everything, well, they'll just implode one day.
cheers.
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