On Consciousness

Published on Jun 9, 2016 (updated Feb 5, 2024), filed under philosophy. (Share this post, e.g., on Mastodon.)

Nothing that I currently reflect on but a possible condition to understanding consciousness (and to advancing artificial intelligence):

It is this dilemma, between identity’s constant attempts to maintain stability and action’s inherent drive for change, that results in the imbalance, the exquisite creative by-product that is consciousness of self. For consciousness and existence do not result from delicate balances so much as they are made possible by lack of balances, so richly creative that there would be no reality were balance ever maintained.

A fascinating dilemma, here quoted from Jane Roberts’ The Seth Material and coming with the reminder that we may want technology that is loving.

Update (May 20, 2019)

On reviewing this unusually brief entry I wonder why I didn’t even mention Hegel back then; but more important to me now is to note the interesting connection to the “Divine Dichotomy” brought up in Conversations with God. There is something here.

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m an engineering lead, guerrilla philosopher, and indie publisher. I’ve worked as a technical lead and engineering manager at various companies (e.g., Google); I’m an active web and tool developer (code optimization, digital defense), a contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and a book author (O’Reilly, Frontend Dogma).

I love trying things—in web development and engineering management, but also in politics and philosophy, where I hold to one idea in particular: that we can only be well if we take good care of everyone. Here on meiert.com I talk about some of my perspectives and experiences. (Please share feedback: Interpret charitably, keep it friendly, but do be critical.)