Max Ungar > Recent Status Updates

~89% on audiobook. Listened in parts over a long span of time. Feels bloated, meandering, unmemorable, doesn't work great as a story. Some interesting sociological insight.

Some moderately technical reading (at least from a layperson's perspective), and haven't been able to follow every argument. As a potently antimemetic person, it has been useful to reflect why certain kinds of things succeed.

4% on audiobook. Listened on a lark post-BNW. Huxley's religious beliefs are insane, in a very particular way. I have made a point to try focusing on reading which I think is useful, rather than hate-consuming, but Huxley is extremely culturally important-- probably worth the attention in this case.

~20% on audiobook. It was included with Audible sub, I think, so I nicked it. Archaic mode of speech makes it difficult to comprehend, but is interesting. Taking note of ~"your working definition of the thing you are criticizing is a profound mischaracterization" (coffeezilla describing utilitarianism as the mcdonalds of morality stands out in my mind)

13% on audiobook. Another P
ostman hit. History/doom/repeat [need to develop thoughts on the premise]. The conversations it feels like no one is having, and that you couldn't have if you wanted to. Smartphones mill brothel medieval Europe.

72% complete on audiobook. Saturated with technical detail, such that I often feel like I'm only absorbing part of the surface. A personal highlight so far has been chunking and stereotyping; these mechanisms are hugely consequential to the course of my life, and I would like to further research them.

72% complete. Saturated with technical detail, such that I often feel like I'm only absorbing part of the surface. A personal highlight so far has been chunking and stereotyping; these mechanisms are hugely consequential to the course of my life, and I would like to further research them.

20% on audiobook. Initially was a bit turned off-- I have a lot of personal baggage with the composer career path. But the deep commitment of the musicians to granular attention, reflection, and analysis is really compelling and admirable, sort of the stuff that I live for. The voice actor performances are top notch, despite my usual aversion to "performed" aesthetic. Reich's stand-in sounds a lot like Sam Harris.

This book is a must-read that I can't believe I hadn't heard about before. First several chapters were really challenging. Stagnated with progress because of cosmic forces which make me not read as much as I wish I did.

I paid full price for kindle version, rather than the usual deals. Made me feel enthusiastic about goal renewal, and systematic approaches to my goals. Has stagnated with repetition. Might skip around to get to the good parts. I don't like character limits in these updates; makes it harder to think about what I want to say.

Reads like 'bend people to your will' self help, prose has cadence of social media advertising. I expect that it will not articulate 1) strategic saturation/all have same weapon 2) user's vulnerability to others' manipulation 3) negative externalities 4) tragedies of the commons. And more. (cursed goodreads update word count.) Might be wrong, but it seems like GrifterLit, probably won't continue.

Goodreads censors and inconveniences use of swearwords. Anyway, where has this book been all my life? Has any therapist or psychiatrist ever read a single book in their professional lives? Gives me a strong feeling like it's all coming together: epistemology, paradigm, cybernetics, social tiers, and more-- concepts I get ridiculed and ignored for thinking and talking about. Thank you Winek!