Inyash Brodsky

And this is one of the reasons we don't want to torture animals.

We hate factory farming and all that.

But I really don't think animals can suffer in the same way that humans suffer.

Because they don't exist in time.

They don't exist separately.

They can feel pain and be hurt by it.

But it feels like you need a special... You need a soul to really have...

Yeah.

Do you think do you think we're better off?

Not in terms of reproducing and taking over the planet, because obviously, in terms of survival, we're better off.

But do you think like on a personal individual well-being point of view, are we better off or would it be better to be never sober if that was possible?

No.

We just had Brandon Hendrickson on the podcast a few episodes ago who argued that this was in large part due to the diffusion of literacy, especially among the thinking classes, and the ability to write down all the thoughts and then look back on them once they're written down as a more coherent whole, allowing...

recursion upon ideas using the tool of literacy.

Steven, did you have any, I'm pretty curious also what you think, would it be better to be not sober and not conscious?

Because it seemed like you definitely are on the pro-consciousness wagon here.

In terms of like well-being though, like you've been really high on acid before, do you think?

If you could just be like that all the time and not know that there is a sober self, that would be almost preferable.

I'm not exactly settled on that, but I feel pretty strongly about it.

No, like the highs of seeing your plans come to fruition and feelings that satisfaction are definitely worth the consciousness in the long run.