I realized that I cannot possibly talk about my view of life unless I talk about human nature first. This post as an introduction of sorts to the rest of my blog. Most of my observations will be about human nature and how if manifests and affects our modern society.
I am a firm believer in the THEORY of evolution. No, this does not mean that I am not religious or that I do not believe in religion. No, this also does not mean that I AM religious. I'd rather not talk about my religious affiliation (or lack of) as it may create biases in any possible readers. Please see me as nothing more than a member of the human race, sharing my observations of the human condition. Ok, now back to the topic at hand - evolution. Note that evolution can exist side-by-side with religion. Even if a higher power designed all the life forms in this world, evolution still takes place after the creation, shaping our thoughts, actions, and behaviours. Many of my religious friends, be it Christian, Muslim, or other, have agreed that evolution can exist side-by-side with creationism. In fact, it was they who pointed this out to me. But one cannot deny the PROCESS of evolution, for its effects are clearly visible in our world, even in the short term - bacteria becoming resistant to drugs, flu viruses mutating to infect more species, and so on. So even if you do believe in creationism, you can still see how the process can shape our behaviour even in the span of a few thousand years.
What does evolution have to do with society? Well, society is also a product of evolution. Everything is based on the basic genetic wants that all lifeforms are predisposed to. We are programmed with a desire to reproduce and have our offspring reproduce and so on. Our actions are all geared toward that singular goal. We eat because we know that if we do not, we will not be alive to reproduce later. We want money because we know that resources can bring us food, shelter, and health, among other basic needs for us, our mates, and our offspring. We want to be right and to be better than others because we want to know that we will keep reproducing after others fail. We want friends because we want to know that when we are in trouble, others will come to our aid so that we can carry out our jobs as reproducers. Isn't it marvellous? DNA, a molecular structure that can replicate itself, or at least portions of itself by manipulating unimaginably complicated vehicles in the form of life. Now, of course, I am simplifying things. But as all scientists know, the best way to analyze a problem is to create the most simple model possible, then deal with exceptions by adding perturbations to this model. I will explain the exceptions later on. But for now, as disagreeable and blasphemous as this model sounds, it is the best first-order approximation to the problem of human nature. Really, the model isn't so bad after adding the perturbations, but you'll just have to trust I will talk about these later.
So, what does this tell us about humans, and most organisms in general (remember - look at the general case for now, we'll talk about the exceptions later on)? Well, we see that most direct conclusion we can make is that everyone acts in their own self-interest as we are all vying to propagate our own DNA by protecting ourselves, hoarding resources, and defending our offspring. How can society and cooperation ever develop in these situations? Well, we can draw other conclusions from this model. Funny, this reminds me of physics, where we can create very, very complex results from a set of a few basic assumptions (Maxwell's Equations, anyone?). The fact of the matter is, self-protection also implies that we are likely to create alliances with others because mutual protection results in a higher success rate than a completely individualistic way of life. At the same time, our DNA are all very similar, so that we are nearly all the same. In this way, we can explain acts of altruism because in a way, we are still defending our common DNA, our species as a whole. Here, try a mental experiment. Imagine yourself dying. Pretty horrible isn't it? Now imagine the entire human race being wiped out. Much worse. Now, imagine all life on this planet being wiped out. Even worse. So we see that these observations do coincide with our first-order model, unless you are one of those exceptions. We value ourselves first, then our species as a whole, then the rest of life in the world because there are common DNA sequences throughout all organisms. Other immediate conclusions that follow from this assumption is the rarity of cannibalism, and that extinction of even other species is generally undesirable to an individual. Of course, there are many more conclusions we can draw out of this model, but we will talk about these later.
Well, that was a summary of the first-order approximation of my mental model for the human race and life in general. As you will see later in my writings, it answers many aspects of life, and can be used to predict human behaviour with surprising accuracy. Of course, as I have said before this is only an extremely simplified version of real life. There are many things that this model does not explain, so I am in no way a crazy deviant detached from reality, as I recognize that this model can only explain a small portion of life. I cannot stress this point enough: This is only a very simplified model based on observations. A model is a model. Models never express reality, it only hints at the underlying properties of a system. There is a difference. But even though a model does not indicate anything about reality, a well constructed model can be used to predict effects and be used in suggesting new courses of action. For example, in physics, many of the quantities (pressure, energy, even location) are statistical values that reveal very little about the true nature of the particles or individual items they are describing. But using these models, we can predict and design new ways of manipulating the system to do new things. Any invention, be it air planes, the transistor, rocket engines, or anything else is based on using a basic model to make complex predictions about how to do something in a newer, better way. Similarly, we can use this simple model of humans, and life in general, to suggest new courses of action in order to make a better society for all. So our model of evolution is just that. It is a tool that we can use to understand and improve our lives, but says nothing about the true reality of life.
If you read the rest of my posts with this model in mind, you will be able to understand much more fully the point that I am getting at.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Introduction - PLEASE READ ALL
NOTE: PLEASE READ ALL (ESPECIALLY THE LAST PARAGRAPH)! I know it is long, and I'm sorry to request something requiring so much of your time, but it is very important if you plan on reading any of my future posts! Thanks! =)
Hmm.... I noticed many of my friends had Blog-type things. I have always had a disdain for Blogs since I thought it was a fad and it was immature to think that others will read about your thoughts. But it seems to have caught on, and seeing that I have always wanted to share my experiences with the world, I have to concede that avoiding having a blog is becoming harder to justify (although I still feel the tinge of embarrassment when I admit to myself I have a blog now).
I would like to share with you some of my daily thoughts about this wonderful world of ours that people seem to take for granted and abuse. Having lived through many very varied conditions, I have noticed, and I hope I'm not being ignorant by suggesting it, that I seem to have an ability to judge a situation from all sides and to realize why people act the way they do. Sometimes when I see someone acting in a disrespectful or dismissive manner, it angers me that people do not try to learn from each other and always seem to be imposing their own will and beliefs onto others. This is one of the main reasons for starting this blog. I am not going to try to impose my opinions on to you. I will only describe my personal experience of the world. I encourage everyone to comment and add their thoughts as well. I would like this to be a constructive forum of ideas. After all, that is my personal philosophy, that every interaction is an opportunity for mutual learning, exploration, and understanding. Everyone should leave an interaction with others having learned something new and seeing just a tiny piece of the world that one was not able to see before. It is only in this way that people can construct an accurate idea of what the world is. Although no one will every get even close to understanding the world, if we all make an attempt to, the world will be a much better place for all.
But you may be asking, who is this crazy person writing something that sounds so strange as the last paragraph. Well, here's a short introduction about me. I was born in Beijing in 1985. After the 1989 Tiananmen incident, my parents decided to move to Canada permanently as my dad was already studying there. (By the way, my parents indicated to me that if they had any idea back then of the progress that China has made in the past two decades, it is likely that we would have stayed in China). Because my dad was a graduate student and my mom, who used to be a doctor in China, didn't speak a word of English, we lived under the poverty line. We lived in a two bedroom apartment filled with roaches that we shared with another Chinese graduate student, and furnished the apartment with furniture gathered from the streets when people where throwing them away, or from friends who didn't want it anymore. I still remember the first new toy that my parents ever bought me in Canada: a $3 fishing game from the now-defunct discount chain Biway. I remember my parents felt so proud that they were able to afford a new toy for me, and I felt so guilty for having my parents buy me something so wonderful. We also always bought food from the discount/last day of sale cart in the supermarkets, and never bought juice as it was too expensive for us.
As my dad graduated, he found progressively better and better jobs, boosting our economic status ever higher. At the time I am writing this, he is the head of the Research and Development Department at a hundred-million dollar firm. My mom, however, never got back into the medical field as we were too poor to send her to medical school for her to learn English to get certified. By the time we had the money, she felt that it was too late in her life to start over as a doctor. As for me, I was thrown into kindergarten when I didn't speak a word of English. I eventually learned by motioning and interacting with my teachers and students, although after many extremely embarrassing situations and incidents, one involving the fact that I did not know the word "washroom."
Because of all of this, we kept moving around. Even now, after 21 years of life, I still have not lived in a single location for more than 5 years. This helped me become very adaptable and gave me the ability to feel at home anywhere, although I often feel that everything is temporary and you cannot hold on to anything. Due to the different socio-economic situations that I lived through, I have many friends with many different backgrounds and learned what life was like in the different classes. And because we moved to Canada, I also have many friends of different cultural backgrounds. I am very thankful to Canada for this, and the motto taught in schools that, summed up, was "cultural tolerance is unacceptable, cultural celebration is what everyone should be involved in." In fact, I had thought racism was extinct in the real world... until I started attending University in the United States. I have even recently noticed disturbing discriminatory feelings bubbling up inside of me after being exposed to, compared to Canada, the harsh racist, xenophobic, and elitist American culture (or at least the American Northeast, Upstate New York, Ivy League culture - Harrumph!, which is only a small segment of American culture). Of course, the US has also taught me a lot of good things - how to stand up for myself, how to be a leader, and how to discriminate between fact and propaganda. As of now, I am finishing my last semester at Cornell University as a double major in Engineering Physics (the program is ranked #1 in the States!) and Computer Science. I have accepted a job at Electronic Arts in San Francisco for next year (My friends all tell me that California is probably the most suitable place for me to live in the US in terms of culture), and am actively trying to look for teaching and volunteering positions abroad for this summer. Due to my background, I cannot stand it anymore if I am not exploring a new culture or a new way of life. I am the kind of guy that will always choose a new experience (food, activity, etc.) over one that I am familiar with.
I am also extremely grateful to my parents, who are very liberal and always let me make decisions for myself from a young age. My parents would never force me to do anything, but always offer very helpful advice, and always support my decision no matter what it is. Although sometimes I wish that they could make the difficult decisions for me, I feel that letting me take responsibility for my own actions has taught me a lot. They are always there for me when I start doubting myself or my decisions. So with my parents, I feel free to explore the world, while having someone to turn to when I get into trouble or feel generally down on life.
Well, sorry about this long rant about myself. I know it seems arrogant of me to talk about myself, but I promise I will refrain from taking about myself unless it is necessary (or amusing) in the future. I only rambled on about myself in this post because I believe that in order to understand one's writings, ideas, and thoughts, one must first know the person behind them, and that person's life experiences. Knowing someone will help immeasurably towards understanding what that person is trying to say.
I look forwards to maintaining this Blog and sharing my daily revelations and thoughts about this world. Although I am still embarrassed about starting a blog :) I feel worse when thinking about all of the thoughts that I have had that had been lost. Although I do hope someone will read this Blog and hopefully learn something about the world and themselves, I will be more than happy just having this blog serve as a personal notebook of sorts for me so that I do not lose any more important revelations about the state of the world.
Please note that some posts in this blog will be very blunt, will challenge current society and may convey some ideas that many people do not agree with. But I ask you that instead of dismissing or reacting to the post in a knee-jerk manner, please pause to think of all of the reasons and points of view involved. And please, please post your own points of view, if you agree or disagree. Again, this is meant to be a forum of ideas. That way, we can all learn from each other rather than believing that problems will go away if we ignore it, or that you can't make a difference in the world. Every voice counts! I promise to read all comments, and you should also try your best to read as many as possible. I always re-judge a situation when I learn about a new point of view, so it is possible I will even completely reverse my position if you point out something that I haven't thought about before! Only a stubborn fool will not admit his or her mistakes and stand firm on an opinion or decision when new, dissenting information emerges. As you can tell, this blog has radically different goals than most. It is meant to be an open forum where everyone can make observations and suggest ideas to make society around us a little bit better for all! Even if this blog effects one person positively even by just a little, then it is all worth it. And please, if you have something new you want to talk about, post it by all means, or contact me and suggest that I talk about it. Let us all cooperate, share our thoughts, be open to, and learn from each other!
Hmm.... I noticed many of my friends had Blog-type things. I have always had a disdain for Blogs since I thought it was a fad and it was immature to think that others will read about your thoughts. But it seems to have caught on, and seeing that I have always wanted to share my experiences with the world, I have to concede that avoiding having a blog is becoming harder to justify (although I still feel the tinge of embarrassment when I admit to myself I have a blog now).
I would like to share with you some of my daily thoughts about this wonderful world of ours that people seem to take for granted and abuse. Having lived through many very varied conditions, I have noticed, and I hope I'm not being ignorant by suggesting it, that I seem to have an ability to judge a situation from all sides and to realize why people act the way they do. Sometimes when I see someone acting in a disrespectful or dismissive manner, it angers me that people do not try to learn from each other and always seem to be imposing their own will and beliefs onto others. This is one of the main reasons for starting this blog. I am not going to try to impose my opinions on to you. I will only describe my personal experience of the world. I encourage everyone to comment and add their thoughts as well. I would like this to be a constructive forum of ideas. After all, that is my personal philosophy, that every interaction is an opportunity for mutual learning, exploration, and understanding. Everyone should leave an interaction with others having learned something new and seeing just a tiny piece of the world that one was not able to see before. It is only in this way that people can construct an accurate idea of what the world is. Although no one will every get even close to understanding the world, if we all make an attempt to, the world will be a much better place for all.
But you may be asking, who is this crazy person writing something that sounds so strange as the last paragraph. Well, here's a short introduction about me. I was born in Beijing in 1985. After the 1989 Tiananmen incident, my parents decided to move to Canada permanently as my dad was already studying there. (By the way, my parents indicated to me that if they had any idea back then of the progress that China has made in the past two decades, it is likely that we would have stayed in China). Because my dad was a graduate student and my mom, who used to be a doctor in China, didn't speak a word of English, we lived under the poverty line. We lived in a two bedroom apartment filled with roaches that we shared with another Chinese graduate student, and furnished the apartment with furniture gathered from the streets when people where throwing them away, or from friends who didn't want it anymore. I still remember the first new toy that my parents ever bought me in Canada: a $3 fishing game from the now-defunct discount chain Biway. I remember my parents felt so proud that they were able to afford a new toy for me, and I felt so guilty for having my parents buy me something so wonderful. We also always bought food from the discount/last day of sale cart in the supermarkets, and never bought juice as it was too expensive for us.
As my dad graduated, he found progressively better and better jobs, boosting our economic status ever higher. At the time I am writing this, he is the head of the Research and Development Department at a hundred-million dollar firm. My mom, however, never got back into the medical field as we were too poor to send her to medical school for her to learn English to get certified. By the time we had the money, she felt that it was too late in her life to start over as a doctor. As for me, I was thrown into kindergarten when I didn't speak a word of English. I eventually learned by motioning and interacting with my teachers and students, although after many extremely embarrassing situations and incidents, one involving the fact that I did not know the word "washroom."
Because of all of this, we kept moving around. Even now, after 21 years of life, I still have not lived in a single location for more than 5 years. This helped me become very adaptable and gave me the ability to feel at home anywhere, although I often feel that everything is temporary and you cannot hold on to anything. Due to the different socio-economic situations that I lived through, I have many friends with many different backgrounds and learned what life was like in the different classes. And because we moved to Canada, I also have many friends of different cultural backgrounds. I am very thankful to Canada for this, and the motto taught in schools that, summed up, was "cultural tolerance is unacceptable, cultural celebration is what everyone should be involved in." In fact, I had thought racism was extinct in the real world... until I started attending University in the United States. I have even recently noticed disturbing discriminatory feelings bubbling up inside of me after being exposed to, compared to Canada, the harsh racist, xenophobic, and elitist American culture (or at least the American Northeast, Upstate New York, Ivy League culture - Harrumph!, which is only a small segment of American culture). Of course, the US has also taught me a lot of good things - how to stand up for myself, how to be a leader, and how to discriminate between fact and propaganda. As of now, I am finishing my last semester at Cornell University as a double major in Engineering Physics (the program is ranked #1 in the States!) and Computer Science. I have accepted a job at Electronic Arts in San Francisco for next year (My friends all tell me that California is probably the most suitable place for me to live in the US in terms of culture), and am actively trying to look for teaching and volunteering positions abroad for this summer. Due to my background, I cannot stand it anymore if I am not exploring a new culture or a new way of life. I am the kind of guy that will always choose a new experience (food, activity, etc.) over one that I am familiar with.
I am also extremely grateful to my parents, who are very liberal and always let me make decisions for myself from a young age. My parents would never force me to do anything, but always offer very helpful advice, and always support my decision no matter what it is. Although sometimes I wish that they could make the difficult decisions for me, I feel that letting me take responsibility for my own actions has taught me a lot. They are always there for me when I start doubting myself or my decisions. So with my parents, I feel free to explore the world, while having someone to turn to when I get into trouble or feel generally down on life.
Well, sorry about this long rant about myself. I know it seems arrogant of me to talk about myself, but I promise I will refrain from taking about myself unless it is necessary (or amusing) in the future. I only rambled on about myself in this post because I believe that in order to understand one's writings, ideas, and thoughts, one must first know the person behind them, and that person's life experiences. Knowing someone will help immeasurably towards understanding what that person is trying to say.
I look forwards to maintaining this Blog and sharing my daily revelations and thoughts about this world. Although I am still embarrassed about starting a blog :) I feel worse when thinking about all of the thoughts that I have had that had been lost. Although I do hope someone will read this Blog and hopefully learn something about the world and themselves, I will be more than happy just having this blog serve as a personal notebook of sorts for me so that I do not lose any more important revelations about the state of the world.
Please note that some posts in this blog will be very blunt, will challenge current society and may convey some ideas that many people do not agree with. But I ask you that instead of dismissing or reacting to the post in a knee-jerk manner, please pause to think of all of the reasons and points of view involved. And please, please post your own points of view, if you agree or disagree. Again, this is meant to be a forum of ideas. That way, we can all learn from each other rather than believing that problems will go away if we ignore it, or that you can't make a difference in the world. Every voice counts! I promise to read all comments, and you should also try your best to read as many as possible. I always re-judge a situation when I learn about a new point of view, so it is possible I will even completely reverse my position if you point out something that I haven't thought about before! Only a stubborn fool will not admit his or her mistakes and stand firm on an opinion or decision when new, dissenting information emerges. As you can tell, this blog has radically different goals than most. It is meant to be an open forum where everyone can make observations and suggest ideas to make society around us a little bit better for all! Even if this blog effects one person positively even by just a little, then it is all worth it. And please, if you have something new you want to talk about, post it by all means, or contact me and suggest that I talk about it. Let us all cooperate, share our thoughts, be open to, and learn from each other!
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