Some Things I Believe

Inspired by: Nat Friedman’s “Some things I believe”.

In no particular order:

1. The world is real but we have no way of proving it.
2. A little is better than nothing.
3. A self-driving car is really just a train and cities should be designed for walkability and public transit.
4. There are times when killing and/or eating animals is acceptable, but factory farming must come to an end.
5. There are times when death is the best option, but systematizing suicide to be handled by the state is a bad idea that shouldn’t be done.
6. There is no free will, but that fact shouldn’t change how we live.
7. Capitalism cannot be rehabilitated to be fair enough.
8. Technology addiction does exist, but in most cases it is just bad habits.
9. There is no objective morality (“moral fact”) but there are ways to maximize certain desired consequences from action.
10. Beliefs are not voluntary and you cannot hold contradictory beliefs.
11. Organized religion has outgrown its usefulness.
12. We should fight to reduce suffering in the short term while fighting for long-term change at the same time.
13. Imagination does not entail possibility.
    1. Faster than light travel, time travel, and instantaneous teleportation are impossible.
14. A teleporter doesn’t kill you in any meaningful way.
15. Not everyone should be parents or pet owners.
16. Manifestation is just the result of cognitive biases.
    1. Self affirmations have some effect per se but also results are partly from cognitive biases.
17. Philosophical discussion is necessary for the sharpening of ideas but it is not needed for learning or developing your own opinions.