The Estranged Mind

Commonsense for Robots and Logic For Humans

What your father and mother should have told you

By idatarm

Preface

This book lays out commonsensical rules for robots. The book primarily is summary of one person’s objective experience. Every idea is presented as observed trends or norms. The book does not misuse statistics or abuse it to any a degree. As a matter of fact, this book tries not to use statistics, in validating any of its statements. This book is not your “live your life by these rules” book nor, is it scientific exposition of data.

Statistical idea of averages and correlations are scientific biases in objectively validating reality. Reality is complicated and simple statistical machinery does not provide enough reason, to mistrust powerful machinery like the human brain. Scientific community has accepted such tools, as part of their objectivity package. Validating physical law such as “F=ma”, using math and statistics is different from validating statements such as “women are dumb” or “dogs are good pets.”

Premise of statistics breaks down on statements, such as “women are dumb” or “dogs are good pets”. This book will attack scientific procedure, its axioms and its premise, in validating and understanding common sense. The truth is there is no sense in using a scientific procedure to validate such statements, such as “men are superior to women.”

It is statistically incorrect to prove or disprove statements such as “women are dumb”, or “life is complicated”, or “men are superior to women”. Every such statement is subjective and statistics is an incompetent tool in measuring such experience. Not only statements such as “women are dumb”, or “women are good bosses, not good leaders”, are not easy to test, testing such statements is unethical and improper. Social norms curb leading researchers from experimenting directly. It is uncomfortable for a researcher to validate such statements.

This book uses one standard bias: the rational mind of the author, subject to impulses. It does lingers on the insane, as the author is not sane either. The fact remains that it is impossible to objectively differentiate right from wrong, fact from fiction, truth from lies. Instead, bias promoted in this book, is biological. Biological impulses of moments of pain vs. happiness, lucidity vs. confusion, practicality vs. impracticality, peace vs. conflict are excellent validators of reality.

The book is biased by such impulses. Practical ideas carry better ramifications, when compared with impractical ideas. Putting effort into practical ideas is lucrative and rewarding. Such is common sense. In fact, practicality of an idea is measured by the socio-economical value it carries.

It is suggested in this book that promoting compromises over conflict is easier and thus is a commonsensical approach to bitter situations. For example, promoting the thought that “women are inferior to men” is a battle, with the modern American academic elites. It does not carry an immediate elite academic advantage. However, Voicing the opinion that “women are equal to men”, is easy and politically rewarding. Thus, it is the only commonsensical approach to that situation.

The book develops a system of logical approach to everyday intuition. The book is for the stubborn ones, ritualistic ones, orthodox ones, the racist ones and the insane ones. The ideas presented here are both conservative and liberal. The audience is assumed to come from various fractions of the general public. Although, this book is not scientific, it will open several subjects, like mathematics, physics, chemistry, psychology and the like.

Even taboo situations dealing with racism, gender discriminations are dealt directly in the book. Common sense approach to such situations is discussed. For example, take a situation involving a white racist employer having to choose a black prospective employee with higher credentials than a white prospective employee with lower credentials. The situation is twisted and complicated. This situation promotes conflict. It is logical to choose a candidate objectively based on credentials alone. However, the employer is racist. And he prefers whites to blacks. Given the situation, it is common sense for the black employee to find another employer, or for the white employer to let go of his racist principles. Both parties are better off, if they respect the other’s reason and step out. However, if they both step out, the situation no longer would exist and it would be meaningless to talk about it. There is one clear commonsense solution to the problem: both parties compromise. The black employee is hired, however he chooses to accept his boss as racist and takes initiative to work smarter and harder than an average white employee. The conflict is resolved and the situation is settled. It is not the question of what is right or what is wrong. It is a matter of practicality, where both parties gain an advantage, by compromising. The book broaches on such situations and offers clear-cut common sense solutions.

The Basics

Definitions and Axioms

Axioms are true by assumption. Assumptions have to be made, to reduce arbitrariness. Statements can be real by assumption. Goblins become real by assumptions. Spiderman can jump over several tall buildings by assumption.

Assumption can be made about anything. Women are equal to men, is an assumption. Not all assumptions are useful. Assuming that human beings can jump tall buildings is foolish. A person will be hurt, by believing those assumptions. For a person to functionally practically, assumptions have to be induced from reality.

There are many utopian assumptions. For example: Everyone is equal. Women are as objective as men. Important assumptions to learn are those of governments and their constitutions, especially the American government and its constitution.

Definitions

Definitions are true by meaning. A parrot is a bird, by definition. A spider is an eight-legged creature by definition. A bird is a living being, that has wings, by definition.

Conditions

Conditions restrict the context of a statement. Conditional arguments are true, only in a restrictive sense. For a conditional statement to be true, a criterion has to be met. For example: If I were female, I will give birth to babies.

Context

Validity of statement relies on context. A context presupposes assumptions to validate a statement. Meaning of statements is deduced from context. For example, take statement “There is no man on mars.” It hold true, at this moment, in the year 2005. It may not hold true in the year 2015.

Fact

A fact is a truth that holds most of the time. Understanding the commonsense, non-literal meaning of fact is very important. Most arguments and debates linger unnecessarily when facts are stated as truths that hold, all the time. Such arguments can be resolved, given that debating parties accept the statistical meaning of fact. A statement is said as fact, given that it holds true most of the time.

There are several types of facts

a) Observation: An observation is a fact gathered from the universe. For example: Women give birth to babies. Earth revolves around the sun.

b) Deductions: A conclusion from observation. For example: Women are liars.

There are several statements of facts:

a) Statements of Impossibility. Impossibility only implies improbability. Take an example statement: There is no man on mars.

b) Statement of Definitude. Definitude is in every way, same as likelihood. Take an example statement: In Seattle, it rains.

Grammar

Grammar sets the rules of a language. Eloquent exposition demands correct use of grammar. A language has certain grammar, by usage. Grammar of a language, such as English, developed over the years. There are no organizations that control the grammar of English. However, they are committees that draft the official grammar of English, based on trends and usage.

Grammatical rules can be broken, when speaking colloquially. Singing, Speaking and Writing are supposed to be grammatically correct. Not everything said or written is grammatically correct. The meaning and purpose of what is being said or written, is more important than its grammar.

It is immature to fuss over a person’s improper use of grammar. In a debate, it is silly to fight over the grammar of the argument. Finding flaws with the grammar of the argument will not make a person look bright. Such attitude will annoy people, especially those who do not speak English fluently. When a person’s grammar is attacked, that person must stop arguing further. That person must conclude that the argument is over and that it is not worth arguing, any more.

It is common for people to attack the grammar of the speaker, to have an advantage. It is not worth arguing to those people. It is easier to assume that such people are dimwitted and that they do not have what it takes to argue.

It is ok for a person’s friends to correct each other’s grammar. A person is not offending his friend by doing so. A person must not correct his friend’s grammar directly. A person must be suggestive, when correcting his friend. If the friend allows it, a person can authoritatively correct the other’s grammar.

Among friends, circumstances of conflict where friends are correcting each other’s grammar must be avoided. Such situations are common, in younger ages. The situation can be rewarding, if any of the parties willingly want their grammar to be corrected.

A person must never correct the grammar of strangers. Such behavior is rude and troublesome. Correcting the grammar of individuals bigger than oneself will get a person in physical trouble.

Public Speaking

Public speaking requires skill. It takes practice to be a public speaker. Not everyone is a capable public speaker. It requires talent, both innate and learnt. A public speaker must be cautious of their grammar during speech. Public speaking is common in leadership position. There are many levels of public speaking. Family gatherings, project meetings, project presentations and township council meetings, are common instances, where one has to speak publicly.

The public judges the speaker by his correctness of grammar and logic. Emotionally the closer the speaker and its audience, the audience is less quick to come to conclusions about the speaker’s intelligence and his state of mind.

A public speaker is expected to be clear with his ideas. He is also expected to justify his ideas. Theoretical ideas are not usually welcome in public speeches. To have the attention of the audience, ideas have to sound practical, and accomplishable. Advanced organization and preparation alleviates public speaking.

Ideas if theoretical, must sound consistent for the people to believe them. Public are interested in ideas that help then and now.

The common psychological problems, when facing public are nervousness and shyness. Both of them take time to over come. Nervousness is a product of unrealistic fears. These fears include fear of saying the wrong thing, fear of farting in public, or fear of being booed.

Music

There are 2 kinds of people: those who make music and those who listen to music. People who make music, listen to music. People who listen to music do not necessarily make music.

There are several genres of music. Popular genre of music is pop, rap, rock, hip-hop and classical.

Lyrics are not required to be grammatically correct. Lyrics of current popular music genres like Rap and Hip-Hop violate grammatically rules.

Delusions

A person who believes his own lies is delusional. Believing non common sense assumptions is delusional.

American Government

America is as democracy. Of many forms of government, democracy is an arbitrary form of government. The American constitution lays the rules and framework for that government. The constitution is designed with an idealistic society in mind. Laws are passed, based on the understanding of this document.

An American has to respect the constitution, to function as its citizen. The system works well, if every citizen respects the rules. When citizens break the rules, the law punishes them. The police, the military, the FBI, the CIA and the senate exist to check the citizens, the government and world for threats to the system.

People are not perfect. They break rules. The system no matter, how complicated cannot always make people respect the rules. A person must accept that rules will be broken; police’s egos are involved, and that the law does not always lend a welcoming hand to the person with a higher cause or righter purpose.

Common sense is needed, when tackling police, or situations when family or friends break laws. People do not always abide by rules. People follow rules, as they fit.

Laws are harsh as to intimidate people, from not breaking the rules.

Police

Police exist to protect the citizen from crime. Court systems exist to punish criminals irrespective of their stature, power or influence. Police are chosen from everyday people. They have egos, fear, wants and needs, like rest of the population. Police violate laws as much as regular people do. It is ideal for the citizen to expect the police to lead by example. Not all police officers are leaders. Police are prone to errors as much as regular people.

The course of action, adopted by the accused person, when tackling police officers include:

1) Not giving police a belligerent attitude, unless the accused has higher authority, power or influence.

2) Keeping their distance. The accused accepts that police are out to help them, not be their guardian angels.

3) Cooperating on small crimes. The accused understand that police officers have a life, as much as they do and that the police will do their best, to let them lose, if the accused cooperate.

4) Contacting a lawyer as necessary. For example: when the accused is taken into custody for murder, it is right of them, to remain silent and let the court decide their guilt.

Crimes such as rape and murder are rare. There is no need to worry about them. Traffic violations are the most common instances involving police.
Scientific Bias: The Experiment

There are infinite rules in reality. Reality may be objective. However measurement of reality is subjective. There are premises to validate reality. One such premise is a scientific experiment. The scientific experiment is claimed to be an unbiased indicator of truth of statements. A statement is deemed scientific if it has experimental confirmation. Not every statement is scientifically testable. For a statement to be a successful candidate for a scientific hypothesis, it must have certain attributes.

The most basic of scientific hypotheses are

a) Invariant of location: Theories tested on one part of the globe must be reproducible, in other parts of the globe

b) Invariant of time: Theories tested in one era, should remain valid in another era

c) Constructible: Parts of the equipment needed to prove a hypothesis must fit through the door of lab. The equipment must fit inside the lab room

d) Feasible: Currently technology must be able to build the equipment. It must fit into the budget allocated.

e) Reproducible: Any unbiased experimenter, with the proper tools must reproduce those results.

f) Conditional: It is assumed that the experiment is conducted in laboratory setting, where instruments are sealed from disturbances.

g) Measurable: elements of a hypothesis must be measurable. Ideas like force, velocity and temperature have definitions and ways to induct them from reality.

A perfect scientific hypothesis has all the above qualities. Such hypotheses are usually mathematical like “E=mc²” or “F=ma”.

Social Hypothesis Testing

Take social hypothesis like “Women are dumb”, It does not meet criteria of testability and therefore, is not testable. The social statement meets the test criteria given the following. The statement is given a context. It has to be assumed that “women” refers to the ideal woman, instead of all women. And “dumb” refers to lack of intelligence. Intelligence is a board category. Ideas of intelligence change from one location to another. Intelligence encompasses several attributes. Solving the mathematical equation requires intelligence. Solving a Rubix cube requires intelligence. There is no definite category of intelligence. An IQ test is chosen as a validator of such statement.

The hypothesis is only tested narrowly. The statement “Women are dumb” is changed to “Women score lesser on IQ tests than men do.” The ideal woman is made to take that test. It is impossible to construct an ideal woman. Unlike inanimate objects, women are human beings, things that move at their own free will. Women are not rocks, paper or scissors. They cannot be manipulated at will. Instead, a statistical notion of ideal woman is constructed. The problem is reduced to “groups of men” and “groups of woman.” The hypothesis is changed to “Statistically, women score lesser on IQ tests than men do.”

Lying

Lying is necessary. A person who lies is a liar. Lying is a bad habit. Liars risk loss of credibility. A person has to lie for many reasons. People lie to keep secrets, to keep sensitive information confidential or to have an advantage. Lies can be told or written.

Lying to keep a secret or to keep sensitive information confidential is good. Lying to have an advantage is wrong. Lies create mistrust between the person telling the lies and the person taking the lie.

A person who lies constantly is a pathological liar. Pathological liars have no credibility. People do not trust pathological liars. Information gained from a pathological liar is unreliable and faulty. Decisions must not be made from that information.

There are good lies and there are bad lies. There are simple lies and there are complicated lies. A person is required to lie to survive. Lies are short cuts. The most common lies are white lies.

White Lies

White lies are the non serious of lies. White lies are told for a good reason. These lies carry little ramification. Ordinarily, White lies do not reduce credibility. However, white lies when told often reduce credibility.

Political Correctness

Political correctness is necessary for social survival. Society expects its constituents, to sound ethical and nonjudgmental. People who make public statements such as “Women are irrational compared with men,” are at a disadvantage than those who do not make such statements.

Voicing against political norms is unadvisable. Non-politically correct statements will get a person in trouble. One has to lie at times, to sound politically correct. Certain opinions must be circulated only among family and friends.