Category: Philosophical

person holding video camera

Are We Consuming Too Much Low-Effort Content?

Leave a comment

There was a time when video footage of hilarious mishaps was a rare and valuable commodity. It was 1987, and every week on German television, viewers tuned in to “Pleiten, Pech und Pannen” (“Disasters, Bad Luck and Breakdowns”) hosted by a not-so-funny, but charmingly coiffed Max Schautzer. This was a show dedicated to sharing amateur footage of people’s embarrassing moments and mishaps. The audience then voted on the “funniest video of the week” and the winner walked away with the coveted “Golden Raven” trophy and some cold hard cash.

Back then, capturing these moments on video was like striking gold. Camcorders were an expensive luxury item, and it was rare to catch these moments on camera. Having a compilation of the best camcorder clips in one place was something special. But now, things are different.

Thanks to smartphones and social media, we can watch videos of people slipping on banana peels all day long. There’s an endless stream of videos on TikTok and Instagram, and we can scroll through them for hours on end. We’ve gone from limited supply to a never-ending stream of content.

But why are we so obsessed with these videos? Some might argue that our desire for this type of content has grown to ridiculous proportions, especially since March 2020. When the pandemic hit, millions of people found themselves stuck at home, bored, and unhappy. They turned to low-effort, easily consumable content to pass the time. Even with billions of people posting videos online, only a few are actually good enough to satisfy our insatiable appetite for entertainment.

As someone born in 1973, I remember a time when real life was the primary source of entertainment. I watched the world around me, not just on TV, but in the flesh. I knew how people reacted to real situations because I lived through them, not just watched them. But today’s young people might not be so lucky.

With so much content being created and consumed, what happens when reality becomes a distant memory? When the majority of our experiences come from consuming cultural content, what does that do to our perception of reality? Will we eventually lose touch with what’s truly important in life?

I guess consuming low-effort content in moderation can be a harmless source of entertainment — and I do it, too. Consuming too much of it can have negative impacts on an individual’s productivity, creativity, attention span, mental health, and empathy. We need to find a balance and prioritize consuming content that is meaningful and enriching.

So, next time you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, take a moment to think about what you’re consuming. Is it a reflection of reality or just another manufactured form of entertainment?

high angle photo of robot

My Take on AI like ChatGPT (and the Real Threats)

Leave a comment

I fear slowing down the development and implementation of AI more than the everyday use of it.

AI is not inherently good or evil, it’s basically a tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, and it is up to humans to decide how to use it. Many of the concerns about AI are based on science fiction and exaggerations rather than real-world applications and limitations of current AI technology. The development of AI is still in its early stages, and while it has shown significant progress recently, it is still far from reaching a point where it can pose a threat to humanity.

AI like ChatGPT is useful and somewhat impressive (or not) but far from dangerous. It knows less than humanity actually does. It has no capacity for opinion, emotion or decision-making. And it is precisely these 3 things that get us into trouble as humans.

Artificial intelligence is only as “intelligent” as we feed such a system with data. So, it always depends on how intelligent the feeder is and how extensive and balanced the data is. I highly doubt very stupid people would have access to this feeding process or even understand how to feed.

That brings me to our real problem: ignorant or stupid people.

Now if you think I’m about to bash people with a lack of mental abilities, read on first.

The actions of unintelligent or ignorant people have a greater negative impact on society than those of intentionally malicious individuals, like say Donald Trump (who is both stupid and ignorant, the most dangerous combination). While both ignorance and intentional malice can and do certainly have negative consequences, it is also true that people who are uninformed or lack critical thinking skills inadvertently make poor decisions that harm others.

Some people can be a bit dim about certain things, and we often make fun of them in a light-hearted way. However, stupidity can be a serious problem. Stupid people can be even more dangerous than evil people because they are harder to identify and fight against. Unlike evil, which we can recognize and protest against, stupidity is much more difficult to combat because we are more tolerant of it and the stupid person is often not open to reason.

Stupidity often goes hand-in-hand with power, which can make it even more dangerous. When someone becomes part of the establishment or holds a position of authority, they often surrender their critical thinking and reflection, becoming more like an automaton. That’s a dangerous weapon because it can be easily guided, steered, and manipulated by evil people. Therefore, while we can laugh at moments of ignorance in our close company, we should be scared and angry when stupidity takes reign.

But there’s also a lot of danger in pure ignorance.

Ignorance is often simply a refusal to use one’s opportunities to do good or right for reasons of convenience, fear, or disinterest. It is the choice to not seek out or engage with information. Ignorance is mainly a decision, and it’s a bad one.

Stupidity, on the other hand, is a lack of intelligence or cognitive ability. It can be permanent or the result of a cognitive disability or developmental disorder. Stupidity is not a choice, and those who are affected by it may not be able to overcome it through education or learning.

In any case, I think the solution is access to education, diversity and experience. People who see a lot and experience a lot become smarter, that’s a fact. I myself also went through the world with prejudices and false misconceptions until I experienced it up close as it really is. That allowed me to learn and correct myself.

It is of secondary importance which cognitive abilities a person has. A mentally handicapped person tends to make better decisions than a person of high intellectual ability who is uneducated.

As such, I’ve always had more problems with intellectually capable people who refuse education, diversity, and experience — such as some religious people, without naming names — than with those who try their best.

The ignorant ones definitely worry me more. AI doesn’t worry me at all. Hopefully, when people are finally relieved of stupid work by artificial intelligence, they will learn to have time for what really matters.

Update 20 February 2023

Check this article: www.vice.com/en/article/k7bdmv/judge-used-chatgpt-to-make-court-…

Interview With Myself (And Then You)

Leave a comment

I did this many years ago, and here is a very recent (2023) version.

The template for this comes from here:

33 Questions For An Interview With Yourself

Feel free to pick this up and do it yourself. Link back to this post, so I can see it.

1. What Do You Do for a Living?

Well, the fact that you ended up here means you already know at least part of the answer. I’m a music producer, composer and sound engineer, mainly. I work for myself, so I make my own music, and I work for others whose music I either write and produce or edit.

I also have a “day job” that feeds me reliably and pays the bills, because I could no longer make a living from music alone. That used to be different, but unfortunately, that’s the way it is today. But I really like my second job. I work with great people, and I can do my work in a relatively free and creative way. I am a marketing manager and board member in the textile industry. There is no good reason to complain.

2. Who Do You Love?

Okay, then I’ll be completely honest. You asked for it.

I love my friends, some of whom I’ve had for a very long time, and my partner and our dogs. To put it succinctly to the point.

Of course, the issue is more complicated.

I have a big and fucked up family history that could be described as broken. In this respect, love is not dripping from every crack. I love certain people in this family in a certain way, but that’s more through blood ties and shared history than through actual actions in life. No one in my family covered themselves in glory.

And I’m not good at forgiveness, one of my many flaws.

3. Do You Have Enough Money?

Yes and no. The question is: what for? Money doesn’t make you happy, but not having money can make you unhappy.

I have more than enough to survive and spend some money on things that are fun and only money can buy. The best things don’t cost anything.

But I don’t have enough to finance certain things that I would like to do. On the other hand, I don’t want to get any investors on board either. Been there, done that. Didn’t work out so well.

But it doesn’t matter. I’m fine, and my energy for certain activities, which I have in mind, is not as great as it was 10 years ago.

4. Are You Healthy?

I think I’m a medical miracle. My father died when he was 48. At the moment I’m 50 years old and miraculously never really seriously ill, quite fit, and with a lifestyle that hasn’t necessarily always been very healthy.

I gave up smoking years ago and now only drink very moderately. I exercise regularly, make sure I get enough sleep and eat very well.

I have no physical health problem. I am very thankful for that. But I’ve struggled with depression my whole life. This varies widely, from years of nothing to sudden, complete darkness.

It cannot be controlled without medication. It is what it is, I can’t change anything about it. Being open about it — like right now — always helps.

5. Do You Think You Are a Good Person?

A good old friend once said, “You are who you make yourself out to be”. In every human being is the potential to be everything, good, bad and everything in between. The question is: What is good and what is evil? By what standards?

I think if we look at the general norms of society, I’m probably a pretty okay guy.

“I am not a ‘wise man,’ nor … shall I ever be. And so, require not from me that I should be equal to the best, but that I should be better than the wicked. It is enough for me if every day I reduce the number of my vices and blame my mistakes.”

Roman Stoic, Seneca

6. How Old Are You?

50, right now. It’s 2023. I don’t care about age, it means nothing.

My eyesight is the same as it was 35 years ago, but my hearing is worse. After changing my diet and a few other things in my life, I no longer have joint pain and feel great.

I’m still as forgetful as I was in first grade, and I still have exactly the same difficulty concentrating because I’m still easily distracted. The only difference to young Ingo is that today I don’t get spanked for it anymore.

7. Who’s Your Best Friend?

I don’t have one single best friend; I wouldn’t like such a ranking of people in my life. I have a handful of very close friends who are like brothers to me, all of whom are very different and mostly don’t know each other. But they all have one thing in common: They suit me extraordinarily well and are all a little or even more crazy.

8. What’s Your Childhood Dream?

I wanted to be a rock star. I missed that a little bit.

9. How Often Do You Laugh?

I don’t know how many times a day or week, but I laugh quite a bit.

I don’t take myself and life too seriously. Everything begins and ends at some point, and then it probably starts all over again. And we can only do our best, fail and succeed.

Laughter is always a tried and tested means for me to deal with this life and its turmoil. When all else fails, humor works.

10. What Makes You Smile?

I take things that I cannot change with a smile.

If someone teases me or threatens me, I answer that with a weary smile.

I can be very sarcastic and then smile.

I smile warmly at people when I like them.

Good music with good sound makes me smile. All over the face.

11. Who’s Your Most Dangerous Enemy?

I have only one enemy, and that is myself. Anyone else who might consider themselves my enemy has no idea how dangerous the one I really have is.

12. Where Do You Live?

In a house with a garden and a pond in a small tranquil settlement in a small village near the highest mountains in Europe.

I can’t stand the heat; I love the coolness and the high quality of life here.

13. Do You Think You’re Strong?

I can be incredibly strong, and very weak. But in general, I’m pretty strong.

14. What Was the Most Important Thing You’ve Done So Far?

I honestly don’t know. Not even when I think about it for a long time.

Maybe I didn’t do anything important.

15. What Was the Most Stupid Thing You’ve Done So Far?

I shouldn’t have had certain relationships. Some big mistakes. I was young and looking for questionable things.

16. Do You Love Yourself?

Let me put it this way: Love, even for yourself, is hard to accept if you don’t feel worthy. At this point I have a deep-seated problem. But I am working on it.

17. What Do You Fear the Most?

I no longer fear much and the little that triggers something in me, not particularly badly either. Whatever life or the universe throws at me, I don’t give a fuck.

18. What Is Your Favorite Word?

Fuck.

19. When Was the Last Time You Cried?

I cry regularly. It’s good and important. I don’t cry for every shit, but there are things that really touch me and then I just cry.

20. What Is the Best Thing That Could Happen to You Right Now?

That I would be completely financially independent and finally only have time for the things I really want to do. And if it’s nothing.

21. What Is the Worst Thing That Could Happen to You Right Now?

Illness that would make me very dependent on others. That would be nothing for me.

22. Picture Yourself In 5 Years from Now

I have no fucking clue. Honestly.

23. Do You Regret Anything?

I regret a huge truck full of things. A whole convoy.

24. What’s The First Thing You Do in the Morning?

Pee, get on the scale, shower, brush my teeth, then my daily life begins. I never eat breakfast; I only have coffee.

25. What Are You Thinking Just Before Going to Bed?

This is totally variable and always something different. It depends on what happened or what lies ahead.

26. What Was the Highest Point You’ve Ever Been To?

Something around 3,000 meters.

27. If There’s One Thing in Your Life You Want to Change Right Now, What Is It?

I’m on a diet that’s going really well, but I’d like to get where I want to be faster.

28. What Are You Proud Of?

I am very proud of some of my musical works.

29. Sum Up Your Life in One Sentence

A wild, adventurous, fun and painful ride. For everyone involved.

30. Name The Thing That Annoys You the Most

I hate it when people whistle or smack their lips in public.

I don’t like unannounced visits or phone calls at all.

Overly affected friendliness gets on my nerves. I know … some people are just like that and they mean well, but I don’t like anything over the top.

31. What Is Your No 1 Question to God?

Why are you such a sadistic fuck?

32. Do You Have Secrets?

Of course. Like everyone else.

33. What Makes You Laugh?

My own clumsiness. I laugh best at myself, not at all at the misfortunes of others. I find it very indelicate to laugh at others.

34. Are You Happy?

I am content but not happy. I find life, this form of existence, too difficult and limited to be happy. I benevolently envy people who feel that kind of happiness, but I lack that ability. My partner is such a person, she has this lightness that I lack. Fortunately.

Again, feel free to pick this up and do it yourself. Link back to this post, so I can see it.