Ginsberg's Theorem and Freeman's Commentary

Ginsberg's Theorem (colloquially based on the laws of thermodynamics):

1. You can't win.
2. You can't break even.
3. You can't even quit the game.

Freeman's Commentary on Ginsberg's theorem:

Every major philosophy that attempts to make life seem
meaningful is based on the negation of one part of Ginsberg's
Theorem. To wit:

1. Capitalism is based on the assumption that you can win.
2. Socialism is based on the assumption that you can break even.
3. Mysticism is based on the assumption that you can quit the game.

Comments

[The Elusive Badgerpony]

Deep stuff,

[at least I amuse myself]

Ah, but you can behave approximately optimally* until the heat death of the universe. And maybe in those billions of years you can learn something about the world that gets you past even that hurdle.

Of course, us puny humans firing cludges of error-prone ad-hoc squishy neuron patterns at 100Hz don't have much of a chance. Especially when we stick blindly to something like capitalism or socialism or whatever.

* I say approximately because we haven't figured out a way to do precise general optimization that can be calculated in a finite amount of time.

[blank check]

Actually, I think that third one should have suicide in place of mysticism.

[Cola_Bubble_Gum]

2546818

Mysticism is the thing that says suicide isn't "quitting the game".

[blank check]

2546833

???

[Cola_Bubble_Gum]

2548379

As in, if there's nothing beyond physical reality, then suicide would be "quitting the game", but since mysticism posits that there's a larger game than physical reality, you can't "quit".

[blank check]

2548413

Okay, then how does mysticism say that you can quit the game?

[Cola_Bubble_Gum]

2548838

Hi. I'm easily confused and (probably goes without saying) more than a little stupid.

1. I got turned around trying to defend suicide. (I have a lot of other problems. Let's not go there.)
2. I believe what was meant by the original commentator was that mysticism says you can "get out and win" or "get out and lose", when physical reality suggests that the game is everything. 'Quitting' a game suggests you can go do something else. Suicide, if mysticism is correct, lets you 'quit'. If it's wrong, then the game, for you, ends along with everything else. One could take suicide as a lose condition for Monopoly, but most people will just walk away and start playing Skyrim or something, I guess, is what I'm trying to say.
3. Did I mention I get confused easily?
4. I probably don't need more of these, huh?
5. I should stop here. Yeah, I'll stop with this one. My head hurts.

Ignore that other thing I said. Actually, ignore all the other things I've ever said. Most of it's horseshit.

[blank check]

2549714

*hugs Cola*

[Cola_Bubble_Gum]

2550499

*hugs back*