Comments for Shane Lofgren http://shanelofgren.com Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:58:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Hunger, Thirst, and Sickness: Wellbeing Part 2 by Shane Lofgren » The Failure and Destruction of Macroeconomics: A New Course of Action Part 3 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=19&cpage=1#comment-1195 Shane Lofgren » The Failure and Destruction of Macroeconomics: A New Course of Action Part 3 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:29:10 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=19#comment-1195 [...] my first three blog posts (Ultimate Purpose, Wellbeing, and Valuable Action) I’ve laid out a rough set of fundamental principles that I then expand [...] [...] my first three blog posts (Ultimate Purpose, Wellbeing, and Valuable Action) I’ve laid out a rough set of fundamental principles that I then expand [...]

]]> Comment on Ultimate Purpose: A New Course of Action Part 1 by Shane http://shanelofgren.com/?p=6&cpage=1#comment-1177 Shane Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:04:24 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=6#comment-1177 This blog is definitely incomplete. I think that the concern with presenting polished posts has kept 90% of my thoughts unpublished. Wellbeing is a very complicated thing. There are simple and basic sources of wellbeing, which I talk about it my next post, like being satisfied and not being thirsty. However, there are other aspects that are very personal and very complicated, such as meaning. This is an incomplete thought, but basically any experiential state which is more preferable than another is one of higher wellbeing. For example, all else being equal, I'd much rather feel like my life had meaning than not. And indeed, it could be that feeling that life had no meaning would prevent all other wellbeing (I'm sure that the different sources of wellbeing interact with one another) and thus feeling that life has no meaning would be the state of the lowest possible wellbeing. If that's the case (and, indeed, I think that meaning is crucial to wellbeing), then we should strive to structure society in a way that enables people to best find meaning and recognize the damage that's done when we take that away. I could go on further with this, and perhaps that'll be the topic of my next blog post... So much to flesh out! This blog is definitely incomplete. I think that the concern with presenting polished posts has kept 90% of my thoughts unpublished.

Wellbeing is a very complicated thing. There are simple and basic sources of wellbeing, which I talk about it my next post, like being satisfied and not being thirsty. However, there are other aspects that are very personal and very complicated, such as meaning.

This is an incomplete thought, but basically any experiential state which is more preferable than another is one of higher wellbeing. For example, all else being equal, I’d much rather feel like my life had meaning than not. And indeed, it could be that feeling that life had no meaning would prevent all other wellbeing (I’m sure that the different sources of wellbeing interact with one another) and thus feeling that life has no meaning would be the state of the lowest possible wellbeing.

If that’s the case (and, indeed, I think that meaning is crucial to wellbeing), then we should strive to structure society in a way that enables people to best find meaning and recognize the damage that’s done when we take that away. I could go on further with this, and perhaps that’ll be the topic of my next blog post… So much to flesh out!

]]> Comment on The Failure and Destruction of Macroeconomics: A New Course of Action Part 3 by Jason http://shanelofgren.com/?p=24&cpage=1#comment-1167 Jason Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:18:06 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=24#comment-1167 Good job outlining the problem, what about the solution? Is it possible to live in a world where everyone's basic needs are met, and there is no system of money, debt, barter, or enslaving of one another (in more or less subtle ways)? I propose http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3932487043163636261 Good job outlining the problem, what about the solution? Is it possible to live in a world where everyone’s basic needs are met, and there is no system of money, debt, barter, or enslaving of one another (in more or less subtle ways)? I propose http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3932487043163636261

]]> Comment on Valuable Action: Energy (A New Course of Action Part 2) by Jason http://shanelofgren.com/?p=22&cpage=1#comment-1166 Jason Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:11:30 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=22#comment-1166 Check out geothermal energy Shane! From Wikipedia, "The MIT report estimated that there was enough energy in hard rocks 10 km below the United States to supply all the world's current needs for 30,000 years." Here's a link to that report. http://geothermal.inel.gov/publications/future_of_geothermal_energy.pdf Check out geothermal energy Shane! From Wikipedia, “The MIT report estimated that there was enough energy in hard rocks 10 km below the United States to supply all the world’s current needs for 30,000 years.” Here’s a link to that report.
http://geothermal.inel.gov/publications/future_of_geothermal_energy.pdf

]]> Comment on Hunger, Thirst, and Sickness: Wellbeing Part 2 by Jason http://shanelofgren.com/?p=19&cpage=1#comment-1165 Jason Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:02:24 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=19#comment-1165 There is indeed a high probability that certainty doesn't exist, not just in perception, but in all that is and all that will be. But, I wonder if probability doesn't suggest cause and effect, and having fallen in love with the emergence theory, where cause and effect have no place, I have to wonder how relevant probability thus becomes? There is indeed a high probability that certainty doesn’t exist, not just in perception, but in all that is and all that will be. But, I wonder if probability doesn’t suggest cause and effect, and having fallen in love with the emergence theory, where cause and effect have no place, I have to wonder how relevant probability thus becomes?

]]> Comment on Ultimate Purpose: A New Course of Action Part 1 by Jason http://shanelofgren.com/?p=6&cpage=1#comment-1164 Jason Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:46:08 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=6#comment-1164 I have to wonder about meaning. If for example, you found yourself in a position where wellbeing were no longer a possibility, such as in a concentration camp, how would you make it to the next day? Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor wrote a book called Man's Search For Meaning, where he proposed an idea called "Logotherapy". Basically, it is a lack of meaning that makes people sick, and caused people to give up on life. He suggested that one can find meaning in one's work, in love for another, and in suffering. According to him, wellbeing comes after one finds meaning, not necessarily before. For me, I tend to agree. Wellbeing is worth little if I find myself without meaning. To have wellbeing without meaning seems a little too like Sisyphus. I have to wonder about meaning. If for example, you found yourself in a position where wellbeing were no longer a possibility, such as in a concentration camp, how would you make it to the next day? Viktor Frankl, a concentration camp survivor wrote a book called Man’s Search For Meaning, where he proposed an idea called “Logotherapy”. Basically, it is a lack of meaning that makes people sick, and caused people to give up on life. He suggested that one can find meaning in one’s work, in love for another, and in suffering. According to him, wellbeing comes after one finds meaning, not necessarily before. For me, I tend to agree. Wellbeing is worth little if I find myself without meaning. To have wellbeing without meaning seems a little too like Sisyphus.

]]> Comment on A New Way of Communicating by Allison http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-1105 Allison Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:50:22 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28#comment-1105 I think at least the second part of your argument could solve a lot of miscommunication issues. Haven you ever been involved in a discussion with someone that feels like it is going in circles to suddenly realize that you were both arguing the same point the entire time, but the confusion stemmed from different understandings of the same word? If we were more willing to spend time laying out basic premises and defining terms we could avoid all sorts of miscommunication. I think at least the second part of your argument could solve a lot of miscommunication issues. Haven you ever been involved in a discussion with someone that feels like it is going in circles to suddenly realize that you were both arguing the same point the entire time, but the confusion stemmed from different understandings of the same word? If we were more willing to spend time laying out basic premises and defining terms we could avoid all sorts of miscommunication.

]]> Comment on A New Way of Communicating by Alex http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-1051 Alex Mon, 16 Mar 2009 08:26:56 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28#comment-1051 That's why policy debate is 1:30. Most things are easily resolvable in 1:30 minutes. Especially those concerning economic theory. That’s why policy debate is 1:30. Most things are easily resolvable in 1:30 minutes. Especially those concerning economic theory.

]]> Comment on A New Way of Communicating by Shane http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-1045 Shane Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:41:07 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28#comment-1045 What's the methodology of an Oxford-style debate exactly? What’s the methodology of an Oxford-style debate exactly?

]]> Comment on A New Way of Communicating by Daniel http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28&cpage=1#comment-1042 Daniel Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:16:09 +0000 http://shanelofgren.com/?p=28#comment-1042 True that. I also think it would be cool if more crowds rolled with the <a href="http://edn.schoolnet.org.za/cd-19dec01/webr/Content/webr.cont.debating.htm" rel="nofollow">Oxford-style debate</a>. True that. I also think it would be cool if more crowds rolled with the Oxford-style debate.

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