Degraded State
A concept that involves conscious rejection of the basic responsibilities for managing tensions expected of humans in a society. The Degraded State is most clearly exemplified in Internet culture, and particularly Internet gamer culture, where LARPing, trolling, take downs, gotchas, impersonation, doxxing, harassment for sport and lulz, and a thirst for personal and reputational destruction of others are common behaviors aided by asymmetric anonymity and pseudonymity. Those who accept and embrace the Degraded State share the view that life is simply a game that lacks any deep, ultimate meaning.
Iâm going to start talking publicly more about a concept I formulated a few years ago just for my own internal use: âThe Degraded Stateâ.
Itâs hard to define. But it involves conscious rejection of the basic responsibilities for managing tensions expected of humans in a society.
For those who know me as slow to anger, that remains true. But, stalking, physical threats, impersonating my business to spread anti-semitism/misogyny, doxxing & taking my wifeâs work w/o attribution puts you in a different category. Especially if you work at my email provider.
The Internet or gamer culture is not an excused absence from being a human being. You donât get to harass or terrorize families in real life just because you have an ISP.
This isnât a scientific dispute. Itâs about being a human and using that life to harass for sport & lulz.
This isnât a relationship between two people. itâs harassment of a family by a jealous server of many people that thinks actively causing fear and loss is funny.
Iâll show you. Youâll wonder why I didnât say more earlier. Wish me luck. More to come.
Love to all. And thanks. đ
You hear talk about âcancel cultureâ. About âhit piecesâ. About âbad faithâ âjournalistsâ & trolls who, out of sheer malice, destroy others to gain status by smearing targets out of little more reason than envy.
But of course thatâs always bullshit and sour grapes. Right? #Lulz
âMy phone is in there.â
This is how I see internet culture & our degraded current version of life as a game.
Jan 6th felt the same: âYou donât get memes bro: a Viking is epic!â
All becomes LARPing. A man lies lifeless beside his own hijacked car: âMy phone...â
On what planet?
My issue has been âHow can the richest man worried that we have to preserve human consciousness focus on Rockets(?)&Mars, when he has a physics background & the ability to personally lead an attack on getting beyond Einsteinâs limits?â
Thinking: âSo, survival isnât real either?â
Makes sense. I guess. Sorta. Itâs just super disappointing that we arenât focused on actually saving ourselves.
And slightly bewildering. If not @elonmusk who?? Jim Simons? Yuri Milner? Anyone?
There is no one with both the vision & money to organize this.
Oh well. Onward... I mean obviously our government and science establishment should be the ones leading this...but that currently makes no sense in their degraded states.
The universities could do it. But they are too degraded.
Perhaps China is the only capable player left in the game. Sad if so.
