29 Matching Annotations
  1. Aug 2024
    1. The idea of growing wiser vs. growing tall is likely not meant for the individual but for society as a whole or the world at large. The full context of the song. But it might have double meaning and refer to both individual and society.

      Reminds me of Taleb's concept of Epistemic Arrogance (overvaluing that which we know)

    2. Songwriters don't criticize keeping zoo animals. They criticize prioritizing the zoo animals over the youth/humans (take in the full context bro)... Prioritize money over humanity.

    1. Interesting thought. This guy relates the upcome of AI (non-fiction) writing to the lack of willingness people have to find out what is true and what is false.

      Similar to Nas & Damian Marley's line in the Patience song -- "The average man can't prove of most of the things that he chooses to speak of. And still won't research and find the root of the truth that you seek of."

      If you want to form an opinion about something, do this educated, not based on a single source--fact-check, do thorough research.

      Charlie Munger's principle. "I never allow myself to have [express] an opinion about anything that I don't know the opponent side's argument better than they do."

      It all boils down to a critical self-thinking society.

  2. Jul 2024
    1. A critique on the Mass Media... The problem is that they want the Mass Media system to operate on the code of "True/False" rather than "Known/Unknown"... But if it were to be so, it would not be Mass Media anymore, but rather the Science System.

      For Mass Media to be Mass Media it needs to be concerned with selection and filtering, to condense and make known, not to present "all the facts". Sure, they need to be concerned with truth to a certain degree, but it's not the primary priority.


      This is a reflection based on my knowledge of Luhmann's theory of society as functionally differentiated systems; as explained by Hans-Georg Moeller (Carefree Wandering) on YouTube.

    2. Today while listening to the song I am reminded, through reflection, upon the fact that it takes quite some self-awareness and intellectual humility to prevent the rigorous defense of uneducated opinion, especially in online intellectual communities.

      "Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." -- Confucius

      Something that intellectuals must be aware of. We must be flexible in opinion and not defend that which we actually have no knowledge of.

      We can debate for Socratic sakes; to deepen our understanding, but not to persuade... Pitfall is one might come to believe beyond doubts that which one debates for.

      Key is to becoming more aware of our debate behavior and stop ourselves when we realize we can't actually prove that which we think.

      This is especially critical for someone in position of teacher or great advisor; he who is looken up to. People are easier to take their opinion for granted based on "authority". As an ethical intellectual we must not abuse this, either on purpose or by accident. With great power comes great responsibility.

    3. (2:03) "The average man can't prove of most of the things that he chooses to speak of. And still won't research and find the root of the truth that you seek of."

      So true this quote. Dunning-Krueger. Ignorance. Stupidity.

      Men should listen to Charlie Munger's advice: "I never allow myself to have [express] an opinion about anything that I don't know the opponent side's argument better than they do."

    4. One of the greatest songs ever.

      Much meaning. Depth.

      Patience.

    1. Heiress to one of the world’s most powerful families. Her grandfather cut her out of the $15.4 BILLION family fortune after her scandal. But she fooled the world with her “dumb blond” persona and built a $300 MILLION business portfolio. This is the crazy story of Paris Hilton:

      Interesting thread about Paris Hilton.

      Main takeaway: Don't be quick to judge. Only form an opinion based on education; thorough research, evidence-based. If you don't want to invest the effort, then don't form an opinion. Simple as that.

      Similar to "Patience" by Nas & Damian Marley.

      Also Charlie Munger: "I never allow myself to have [express] an opinion about anything that I don't know the opponent side's argument better than they do."

    1. "And the rich get stitched up, when we get cut Man a heal dem broken bones in the bush with the wed mud" Rich are more advantaged than the mass middle class/poor. It's always the middle/lower classes who have to do the dirty work of the elites, it's because we gave our power away in the first place which is why we're treated like toy soldiers. this song is all about equality and self-empowerment in this aspect. Raises the importance of naturopathy science, how old and ancient herbal rememdies and medicinal practices are more advanced and provide better treatment than modern medicine. raises the issue of the supression of ancient medicinnal practices/herbs by corporate structures who just want to generate more income and improperly prescribe harmful substances/drugs to people. The EU is already banning natural herbs that cure all sorts of natural illnesses by natural/healthy means. "Can you read signs? can you read stars? Can you make peace? can you fight war? Can you milk cows, even though you drive cars? huh Can you survive, Against All Odds, Now?" reference to occult/esoteric wisdom - alchemism, astronomy/astrology, tarot reading. those questions are to make us self-reflect on what modern civilization and human beings can do compared to ancient civilizations and cultures. are we moving backwards or moving forwards towards progression mentally, spiritually, emnotionally and physically? are we surviving/beyond the need for survival.. or are we heading towards the path of self-destruction as a species?

      Is there truth in this regarding medicine? Can we get more out of nature than media and common knowledge portrays? I am not certain, nor is this an area of research for me; but the truth is that it is fascinating to think about.

      The larger point does make sense, too much people are focused on money for the sake of money. Money is supposed to be a means to an end; the end being the improvement of society; in the way things are currently set up.

    2. "Scholars teach in Universities and claim that they’re smart and cunning Tell them find a cure when we sneeze and that’s when their nose start running" the academic community and university is designed for very purpose of maintaining the “status quo”/ethics of research and the system/preventing progressive ideas from being explored until you can be trusted to know what the “truth” is apparently is to be known by those who came before you. Whoever says that in university your freedom/capacity of thought/speech/action is not limited is blind. Certain ideas are more preferable “healthy” to the system than others, and if you promote and engage with the more agreeable concepts you’ll get through your degree/get accepted by academic community easily. once again, scholars are still in the "problem, reaction and solution" paradigm, rather than focusing on preventions than cures. We've got a long way to go in the evolution of consciousness. PATIENCE.

      True freedom of expression (a need for the soul as expressed by Simone Weil) must be given in academia as well; to write about that which you want to write about... Regardless of "social acceptance". A degree should be about objective knowledge and quality of knowledge, not the content of said knowledge.

    3. "The Earth was flat if you went too far you would fall off Now the Earth is round if the shape change again everybody woulda start laugh The average man can’t prove of most of the things that he chooses to speak of And still won’t research and find out the root of the truth that you seek of" commenting on how new structures/theories/inventions are always at conflict with old structures/theories/inventions that refuse to accept new ideas/truths because of mental conditioning (e.g. laugh) society is in to accept everything as fact and never question/research/evolve/change. this is very much predominant in science and history, for example, Galileo was condemned and died for the truth, Copernicus's model that the Earth rotated around the sun, a truth that contradicted biblical truth. it's like what camus was complaining about in the myth of sisyphus essay, where man faces an existential crisis of absurdism when there are no absolute truths and values in the world. humanity is suffering because we're working against eachother instead of working together in order to find out the truth of all things.

      See intellectual flexibility.

    4. I should also mention, that the notion of east/west in verse 1 is also reference to alternative history and sacred texts which reveal that human civilization rose from the east and now sets in the west. criticism against academics and scholars who are paid to rehash and propgandaise an official/revised history, which favours the winners. History is always written by the victors. this also ties into notions of the New world order (satan-west) in conflict with the old world order (God-east). My interpretation of Verse II: "Huh, we born not knowing, are we born knowing all? We growing wiser, are we just growing tall?" Notion of reincarnation ties into this i feel. if you do past-life regression therapy you attain knowledge of previous lives and experiences, the line symbolises an awakening - remembering life before life, life before birth, your life's purpose here on earth. God has a plan for everyone, this universe is intelligently designed as we can see in the fractal universe/mandelbrot set and the notion of consciousness. i see esoteric and occult wisdom in these lines, knowing all things/God consciousness in the notion of the "Akashic records/Library" - universal consciousness reflected in the entire design of this universe and all of creation. it's a scientific fact that memory/knowledge is stored in the universal design - cells/energy/wate, just as energy is not created nor destroyed but transferred.

      Honestly, I can't make a lick of sense from what Mr. X is saying here lol.

      At least the latter part. I understand the previous part.

      Again, as Simone Weil says, media (and especially research) must contain impartial factual knowledge, not opinion and especially not propaganda. Truth is a vital need of the soul.

      No amount of money should be able to buy your soul (making you spread misinformation). It's like making a deal with the devil.

    5. "So the ones in the west Will never move east And feel like they could be at home Dem get tricked by the beast But a where dem ago flee when the monster is fully grown?" commenting on the conflict between western and eastern nations. particularly the conflict between the U.S./Britain with Islamic nations of the Middle East. once again, the "beast" referring to satan, devil who exploits our differences to keep us fighting amongst eachother, destroying eachother. we don't come from the east, west, north or safe. we come from God, the source, from EARTH. Earth is our home and we're all earthers. by the time they realise this and understnd that they were pawns of the satanic occult groups such as the freemasons, elites or satanic illuminati, who generate order from choas - "as above so below", they can't hide or run from the problems they've helped to create in the first place. the beast is also synomynous with the "ego" - shadow/false self, you yourself are your own greatest enemy. here's a commentary on the ego, from the film "revolver": "The ego is the worst confidence trickster we could ever figure. "I am you". The problem is that the ego hides in the last place that you'd ever look within itself. It disguises its thoughts as your thoughts, its feelings as your feelings. "You think it's you". Peoples' need to protect their own egos knows no bounds. They will lie, cheat, steal, kill, do whatever it takes to maintain what we call ego boundaries. People have no clue that they're imprisoned. They don't know that there is an ego, they don't know the distinction. At first, it's difficult for the mind to accept that there's something beyond itself, that there's something of greater value and greater capacity for discerning truth than itself. In religion, the ego manifests as the devil. And of course no one realizes how smart the ego is, because it created the devil so you could blame someone else. In creating this imaginary external enemy, it usually made a real enemy for ourselves, and that becomes a real danger to the ego, but that's also the ego's creation. There is no such thing as an external enemy no matter what the voice in your head is telling you. All perception of an enemy is a projection of the ego as the enemy. In that sense, you could say that 100 percent of our external enemies are of our creation. "Your greatest enemy is your own inner perception, is your own ignorance, is your own ego"."

      We are all united in being human and should act that way. Find common ground rather than focusing on differences. Don't be biased. A house divided will surely fall. A house united is strong.

      When humanity is united as one, true societal advancement can happen.

    6. "Some of the worst paparazzis I've ever seen and I ever known Put the worst on display so the world can see And that's all they will ever show" similar to the role of the media. always feeding on the negativity/problems of the human race, human development, human actions, human consciousness but never providing a productive solution to these problems projecting people's fears, creating war propaganda. if you've been following the middle east revolution, you'd notice that news stations like fox lied about their coverage on the libyan war and revolution, generating false reports. fabricating lies as truth for the public to blindly consume as truth without questioning. it's like the media/journalists are energy vampires who amplify amplify and feed on negativity and fear. no news is good news. they never truly demonstrate a 60 minute news show on the positive developments, actions and solutions to the people because then it would lead to positive developments in human consciousness, our enlightement as a species because being shown positive things that human beings are doing and have done and will continue to do creates a sense of purpose for us all and unites us, inspires people rather than fear/negativity which keeps us feeling trapped, apathetic, angry, depressed... esp. in a state of victimisation as though we're not empowered to change or that nothing will change, that violence, poverty, world hunger, rape, war pillaging, theft... as if all these things are normal and natural when they're NOT. they're not okay and we shouldn't accept them as being part of reality, part of the norm because we know that it isn't. it's not natural and innate, since it's started by the actions made by conscious individuals and mentally capable human beings. it's man-made.

      The media is opinionized and feeds on fads; what is in the mind of the people. They survive based on attention.

    7. "You buy a khaki pants And all of a sudden you say a Indiana Jones An' a thief out gold and thief out the scrolls and even the buried bones" criticism on how people change their appearances so easily, acclaim status/right just because they can conform to social appearances - doesn't mean that they actually are who they say they or they really mean what they do/represent. like those televangelists with their fake/unproductive compassion and care. what change are they really doing to help humanity as a whole, when they are truly only looking out for themselves and their own comfort/security, while projecting their own existence/ideologies on others. criticism on the right/ownership of ancient artifacts, knowledge and discoveries. people who claim to own knowledge or ancient artifacts are actually theives who are stealing and exploting humanity, what belongs to everyone.

      Epictetus: "He who is properly grounded in life should not have to look for outside approval."

      Also: "If you are ever tempted to look outside for approval, realize you have lost your integrity. If you need a witness, be your own."

      Do not change as often as the winds... But do not be impervious to change either.

      Nietzche: "The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind."

      There is a balance to be held. Change opinion and outside projection only if applicably by rational thought based on thorough research and nuanced deep understanding. Be principled, yet flexible.

    8. "This is how the media pillages On the TV the picture is Savages in villages" criticism of the media, how it produces ratings/money from sensationalising/propagandasing/taking advantage of the absurdity of the human condition, the problems of humanity - creating trauma based mind control, programming our thoughts and controlling mass consciousness of society. projecting false/bias stereotypes, prejudice and perspectives on particular socio-cultural groups. Esp. creating prejudice against individuals and cultures who show the truth towards enlightenment and growth in human consciousness - keep the masses asleep/blinded to the truth of their existence as a whole, also their self-empowerment and enlightenment.

      The control of knowledge (or how it is portrayed) means to control the thoughts of people. This goes against freedom. See Simone Weil: the media should give factual knowledge and leave interpretation to the people. Opinion should fall to a person themselves.

    9. "And the scientist still can't explain the pyramids, huh Evangelists making a living on the videos of ribs of the little kids Stereotyping the image of the images And this is what the image is" similar criticism of religious fundamentalists and secular groups who exploit our emotions - FEAR - esp. playing cards on our "differences", negativity, problems to project their own fears, ideologies and keep everyone in the game of the matrix - the game of polarities and paradigm wars on human consciousness/energy. refers to televangelists who exploit the problem of poverty and children who are dying of malnourishment of hunger to generate their own income. not really creating our productive change to create a long-term solution or fix to these problems. feigned/false compassion and care.

      Worth noting for Christians: before responding on impulse (from a good heart) and paying to save children, take a moment to stop, reflect and analyse, is this a trustworthy organization and person? Will my money truly solve something, will it really help someone?

    10. "But save the animals in the zoo Cause the chimpanzee dem a make big money" another comment similar to the irony/absurdity of focusing on problems of the universe/space exploration rather than problems which affect humanity. we focus on saving other animals, yet we can't even save our own species? why? because of money.

      Money should not be the deciding factor when it comes to determining which problems to solve and which to forego. In fact, anything that advances society as a whole, I'd argue should be free of charge. Is this possible? Not sure, but we as intellectuals should think about this.

    11. "Pay no mind to the youths Cause it's not like the future depends on it" sarcasm. esp. if you look at the music video, you'll notice Damian's sarcastic hand gesture, tone and facial experience. mocking the irony of how schools don't provide children with real knowledge of the world which is ironic because their generation will be the future keepers of humanity with old/new responsibilities and purposes to fulfil. once again, we're stuck in this repeitive cycle of stagnation - problem, reaction, solution. it's kind of what aristotle once said about knowledge and teaching: "This discovery of yours, this writing, you give your students not truth, but only the appearance of truth. They will read many things and will have learned nothing. They will therefore seem to know many things, when they are, for the most part, ignorant and hard to get along with, having the show of wisdom without the reality."

      Interesting food for thought for the optimization of education: should we give students not just domain knowledge (in an efficient manner) but also intercultural and experiental knowledge of the world?

      Not just related to personal development such as wealth creation and personal finance, but also how other civilizations work... Tolerance. Teach them philosophy as well.

      Obviously in such a way that it is attracting and they are intrinsically motivated to go to school and learn.


      Raises a broader question: Is domain knowledge worth anything if you have no knowledge (or experience) about the world in itself? Can you be of any value if you do not know the world in such a manner?

    12. "An' a fly go a moon And can't find food for the starving tummies" criticism on how the wealth and resources used on space exploration - is something that humanity can't understand when those billions used for the scientific pursuit/understanding of the universe, can instead be used to feed and clothe the hungry, the impoverish - basically poverty and world hunger would cease. it's sort of like criticisng the fact that we have problems here on this planet that we all need to work together to solve as a species/planet, yet we're not prioritising those problems as our main repsonisbility, something we need to fix, instead the most intelligent bunch/resourceful are spending their energy/time/reousrces on solving the mysteries of the universe instead. it's commenting on the notion of the microcosm within the macrocosm. if we as a species, esp. the intelligent and resurceful of our lot focused on solving problems like poverty, world hunger, war, crime... solve problems that continue to stagnate our human evolution/progress/conciousness, we could put an end to hegelian dialectics of problem, reaction, solution... this repititive state of insanity - doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. why do we keep looking outside/external when we have problems in the inside/internal, in our very hearts, minds and homes.. on our own planet Earth? if we solved the problems at home, problems that create the suffering and keep just a few individuals privelaged/intelligent/resourceful over the rest of humanity who is stagnated and moving backwards and keeping humanity in a continous cycle of karma, the wheel of samsara of the human condition... then doesn't that mean that everyone as a whole is enlightened intelligent, resourceful? no one gets left behind and everyone becomes empowered self-sufficient, self-independent, self-enlightened, self-responsible...imagine each and every person self empowered now imagine the entire race of humanity self-empowered... that's billions of buddhas/christs - intellectuals, academics and enlightened individuals working together as a strong force of unity for a common cause. if we can fix those small problems that continue to keep humanity going backwards towards self-destructi, those small problems which greatly impact upon the bigger picture and schemes of things, then we can truly progress towards real change and together explore the universe as a human species. no one gets left behind.

      This is a valid criticism (sorry Elon Musk)... By helping the other individual you in the end help society and therefore yourself.

      We should be focusing on present problems that are closer to us before moving on to more abstract problems that have less value at present.

      The same goes for ourselves. Try not to fix your family or neighborhood before you have fixed yourself (keep in mind diminishing returns). As Dan Koe said: "Your purpose is solving the most pressing problem you have right now." (not verbatim).

      Try not to learn how to learn before your sleep schedule is excellent, before you know how to be productive and have habits.

      Learning enablers first, THEN learning.

      Fix first yourself, then your household, then the city, then the country, then the continent, etc. This does not have to be taken literally, but use it as a wise guidance. It's a principle rather than a law.

    13. "Some of the smartest dummies Can't read the language of Egyptian mummies" points to the notion of paradoxes, dualism, where even the most knowledgeable, creative, innovative, intelligent and academic can't interpret or make sense of ancient wisdom, the pun "language of the Egyptian mummies" refers to the language of the spiritual - life after death wisdom. the divine, infinite and eternal.

      I will call the guy who gives a full theoretical analysis of this song, Mr. X.

      Well, I wonder where Mr. X got all his analysis from first of all. Is it his interpretation? Or what is his source for the meaning of the song?

      Is it therefore objectively true to the artist's intent or is it merely a (good) explanation that seeks to provoke thought?


      I don't know how accurate this claim is as I have not yet dived deeply into ancient knowledge and compare it to modern interpretations of it, but I do feel like this hits a nail... Either Mr. X does or the artists.

      It is quite logical that it is difficult to interpret ancient wisdom as wisdom often assumes the student or reader is familiar with common knowledge... However, what was common in ancient times might be rare currently, or even forgotten or used in different ways, making it very difficult to interpret and parse such texts without a high degree of mastery of background knowledge.

      It's even harder for certain ancient times where everything was rooted in oral tradition without writing. People back then could've been generally wise, but without texts to refer to as primary sources it is virtually impossible to make sense of it.

    14. This song has a lot of meaning in it. It mainly is about patience. We can't expect solutions to happen over night or right away. It takes time to figure things out and we can't rush through life. Since it takes so much time to improve life, we need to ignore the stupid distractions of the media, celebrity and other nonsensical distractions so we can find solutions to our problems. I would like to know what other people think about this song because it really struck a chord with me.

      Interesting interpretation of the song. There is truth to this, although I do not think this is what the artists intended to say.

      I interpret it more like that they criticize the way the media operates in an opinionized manner, and that they encourage you reflect and think critically, to be skeptical and do your own research.

    1. The world today is often characterized by a fast-paced, reactive culture. The song encourages a more thoughtful, deliberate approach to life. Patience allows us to step back, reflect, and make informed decisions instead of impulsively reacting to situations.

      System 1 vs. System 2

      Counteract the dopamine-dependent short-attention-spanned culture of today. Stop. Take time to think. Reflect. Go away from the devices. Perform analog note-making. Slow down.

    2. The song also touches upon personal growth and overcoming challenges. Patience plays a crucial role in learning from mistakes, developing resilience, and ultimately becoming a better person.

      Patience as a Virtue is highly important to a journey of lifelong learning. Without patience you cannot be resilient. Without resilience, you cannot 10X yourself continuously, you cannot keep growing.

    3. The lyrics allude to the slow pace of change and the frustrations that can arise from it. The repetition of "Sabali" emphasizes the need for patience in working towards social progress. Real, lasting change takes time, persistence, and a willingness to work through setbacks.
    4. The song criticizes the tendency to rush to conclusions without fully grasping the complexities of social problems like poverty, inequality, and political corruption. Patience is essential here to delve deeper, research, and understand the root causes rather than relying on superficial opinions.

      First, a man should not have any power over that which he does not understand (deeply).

      Second, patience as a virtue is very important here, because developing expertise in an area takes time and effort. One must be devoted.

      Following from this manner comes, once again, Charlie Munger's principle... Do not form an opinion if you do not understand multiple perspectives.

      "Yes, but I don't have the time to do my own research." is criticism on this principle, I respond with: "But if you aren't even willing to make time to form your opinion based on logic and deep understanding, is it worth having an opinion at all?"

      Like Marcus Aurelius said: "The opinion of ten thousand men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject."

      You don't ask a lawyer to perform surgery on you, or even to explain it to you theoretically, he does not know anything about this. In the same way, a civilian should not be asked to teach politics.

      From the same manner, do not judge before understanding. This is also what Mortimer J. Adler & Charles van Doren advocate: "You must say with reasonable certainty 'I understand' before you can say any of the following: 'I agree,' 'I disagree,' or 'I suspend judgement.'"

    5. The illusion of knowledge: The song questions the notion that speaking confidently on a subject equates to understanding it deeply.

      There is a need for intellectual humility within the community of researchers, and society in general. Do not speak confident about that which you do not know.

      Relation to Charlie Munger's principle.