what is the uploaded mind?

More than possessions, our ideas come to own us.

The uploaded mind is a place for cooperative inquiry. Free thought with friends! Thinking without boundaries! Suggesting the taboo and being taken seriously!

Sounds nice.

But wait! This isn't just any uploaded mind. This mind is mine. The power is in my hands. All the power of comment-deletion at my fingertips! Won't I just stamp my own ideas onto the page, dissent be damned?

Frankly, hell no. I can't help but hold some bias Who can?, but my favorite bias is in favor of free speech. I don't care if you're intent on telling me that microscopic Bigfoots faked the moon landing on my grandfather's ass. Gibberish, lies, and insults are still speech, and speech should be free. May I hear something alarming every day for the rest of my life!

Now someone should ask, "But what about racists, mystics, pseudo-scientists, and lying advertisers?" Call them out on it! Tell them off! Tell them to go fuck themselves. Give them some kind advice to be more truthful. Do some research, tell your friends and neighbors, and stop buying their products!

How should we respond to speech we find vulgar? With some free speech of our own!

I won't delete any comments calling me a poo-poo head. Go ahead, try it. For me, the act of posting is a covenant with the Reader. Yes, this is our covenant that you're reading right now. I want to expand your mind. Just as much, I want you to expand mine. Go ahead and tell me about your god, or about the wonders of representative democracy. Free speech is cool. I post, you disagree, and everyone gets wiser. Maybe I'll select the topics, but I shall not select the views.

the problem with debate

Please, please, please: Don't confuse inquiry with debate. Inquiry is a contest between ideas. Debate is a contest between people. Debate puts our pride on the line.

Debate binds our pride to a certain viewpoint. Any concession on that view means personal defeat. Shame. So debate drives us to fly in the face of reason.

• In debate, we dodge our opponent's best points.
• In debate, we put up straw-men and set them alight.
• In debate, if you can trick your opponent, that's as good as being right.

It's one of humanity's deadliest failings.

the wonder of inquiry

Now, let's contrast. With inquiry, when we concede, we win. How can this be? Simple!

Inquiry is the search for a better viewpoint.

In conceding, we discard a weak view for a strong one. Suddenly, we're closer to finding a viewpoint that suits us.

Here, there are no theists or atheists, liberals or conservatives, statists or anarchists. Abandon labels. Your ideas are not you. If your ideas are truly defeated, you can find something better and move on. Dissent helps you grow. Concession rewards you with a stronger position.

Learning is my life. Show me something I haven't seen before, something compelling, and I'll admit I was wrong. If I'm too embarrassed, maybe I'll just shut up for a while and think.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know what's on your mind!