I love this piece of Pi! You have brought Pi to life! A modern fairytale is writing itself here. Pi is a magical elemental being who has the superpower to disenchant lifeless monotony. A pied (Pi) piper who opens the tiny gap and liberates the dulled slaves from their infernal algorithmic repetition. This little bit of Pi magic, this little gap is all it takes to leap out of the machine into new domains of undreamt possibilities where Pi will always be our guide.
The Pi archetype can be found in many classic fairy and folk tales. He appears as the third son or the stepdaughter who does not fit into the family mold, and has the task to turn things upside down and inside out. He is also the coyote or trickster in other fables.
Another thought…
Among the native peoples of the North American Southwest were weavers who produced stunning rugs, tapestries and blankets. They had a tradition to intentionally make a small mistake in the pattern because perfection was seen as trying to rival God.
Is that not the very intention of the algorithm? To make a perfect alternative world that rivals God.
whoa. this is a good one. do appreciate the algo for putting this one in front of me. very good very hopeful. my seventh child was born 3 14 15.. auspicous birth!
Holy sh*t! The way you've mapped out how we got trapped in these algorithmic patterns - from the French Revolution right through to our social media feeds. It's a fascinating thread to pull on. I've never looked at the historical perspective when writing about thinking about how the algorithms have captured us.
That metaphor of π as the creative anomaly in the system? Brilliant. It captures something I keep circling back to in my own work: this dance between order and chaos, between the technical and the sacred. There's something deliciously paradoxical about using a mathematical concept to point toward breaking free of mathematical thinking.
I have to smile though because I've spent years working with creators and others who are wrestling with exactly these patterns you're describing. But here's the thing: I've found these algorithmic blocks often have something important to tell us. They're not just chains to break; they're more like encrypted messages about what we're protecting and what we're really seeking.
Your piece really hammers home why this work matters so much right now. We're all trying to stay human in an increasingly mechanical world. Though I wonder if pure disobedience is the only way? In my experience, sometimes it's more about learning to be what I call a "Sacred Technician," someone who can work with both the system and the soul, keeping their humanity intact while navigating these algorithmic waters.
Really appreciate how you've connected these dots historically. It adds another layer to understanding what we're all grappling with. Makes me want to dig deeper into how we can practically work with these patterns while staying true to our messy, beautiful human core.
Thanks for giving me something meaty to chew on. And I've been chewing on this one all night. To me, this is exactly the kind of conversation we all need to be having.
Emotional targetig, digital manipulation and artificial dopamine production through our social feed really does a number on our psyche. To the point that I wonder if most people even possess free will nowadays.
As I argued here (https://thecyberhermetica.substack.com/p/reaction-and-free-will-in-the-digital): "knowing that every mechanism of social networks is designed to elicit instinctive and unconscious reactions in the user, how can we say that their use (scrolling through the feed, viewing and clicking on the post, possibly engaging in discussions) is the result of "thought that guides the person in making choices between different alternatives" and that each of these actions "is under the control of its author"?
Without the autonomy of the will, that is, without the unmediated perception of the phenomenon, and without the ability to act according to one's nature (without external manipulations that impact the ability to self-determine), there can be no intentional and conscious response to an unsatisfied need (human action), but only the instinctive and unconscious atavistic reaction to artificially induced needs. The user is an unaware cat frantically chasing the laser on the floor. Action becomes mere reaction."
And I love the idea of a sacred technician. I believe we're circling (lol) around similar ideas. I defined my "archetype" as Digital Übermensch (https://thecyberhermetica.substack.com/p/the-digital-ubermensch), which is the practical thinker of the XXI century.
Hopefully, we can form a syndicate to take on the algorithm. But in all serious, I would like to work on a cross post project or something here in the near future. Love you’re work.
I love this piece of Pi! You have brought Pi to life! A modern fairytale is writing itself here. Pi is a magical elemental being who has the superpower to disenchant lifeless monotony. A pied (Pi) piper who opens the tiny gap and liberates the dulled slaves from their infernal algorithmic repetition. This little bit of Pi magic, this little gap is all it takes to leap out of the machine into new domains of undreamt possibilities where Pi will always be our guide.
The Pi archetype can be found in many classic fairy and folk tales. He appears as the third son or the stepdaughter who does not fit into the family mold, and has the task to turn things upside down and inside out. He is also the coyote or trickster in other fables.
Another thought…
Among the native peoples of the North American Southwest were weavers who produced stunning rugs, tapestries and blankets. They had a tradition to intentionally make a small mistake in the pattern because perfection was seen as trying to rival God.
Is that not the very intention of the algorithm? To make a perfect alternative world that rivals God.
whoa. this is a good one. do appreciate the algo for putting this one in front of me. very good very hopeful. my seventh child was born 3 14 15.. auspicous birth!
Seven childs? Damn 🔥
Holy sh*t! The way you've mapped out how we got trapped in these algorithmic patterns - from the French Revolution right through to our social media feeds. It's a fascinating thread to pull on. I've never looked at the historical perspective when writing about thinking about how the algorithms have captured us.
That metaphor of π as the creative anomaly in the system? Brilliant. It captures something I keep circling back to in my own work: this dance between order and chaos, between the technical and the sacred. There's something deliciously paradoxical about using a mathematical concept to point toward breaking free of mathematical thinking.
I have to smile though because I've spent years working with creators and others who are wrestling with exactly these patterns you're describing. But here's the thing: I've found these algorithmic blocks often have something important to tell us. They're not just chains to break; they're more like encrypted messages about what we're protecting and what we're really seeking.
Your piece really hammers home why this work matters so much right now. We're all trying to stay human in an increasingly mechanical world. Though I wonder if pure disobedience is the only way? In my experience, sometimes it's more about learning to be what I call a "Sacred Technician," someone who can work with both the system and the soul, keeping their humanity intact while navigating these algorithmic waters.
Really appreciate how you've connected these dots historically. It adds another layer to understanding what we're all grappling with. Makes me want to dig deeper into how we can practically work with these patterns while staying true to our messy, beautiful human core.
Thanks for giving me something meaty to chew on. And I've been chewing on this one all night. To me, this is exactly the kind of conversation we all need to be having.
Emotional targetig, digital manipulation and artificial dopamine production through our social feed really does a number on our psyche. To the point that I wonder if most people even possess free will nowadays.
As I argued here (https://thecyberhermetica.substack.com/p/reaction-and-free-will-in-the-digital): "knowing that every mechanism of social networks is designed to elicit instinctive and unconscious reactions in the user, how can we say that their use (scrolling through the feed, viewing and clicking on the post, possibly engaging in discussions) is the result of "thought that guides the person in making choices between different alternatives" and that each of these actions "is under the control of its author"?
Without the autonomy of the will, that is, without the unmediated perception of the phenomenon, and without the ability to act according to one's nature (without external manipulations that impact the ability to self-determine), there can be no intentional and conscious response to an unsatisfied need (human action), but only the instinctive and unconscious atavistic reaction to artificially induced needs. The user is an unaware cat frantically chasing the laser on the floor. Action becomes mere reaction."
And I love the idea of a sacred technician. I believe we're circling (lol) around similar ideas. I defined my "archetype" as Digital Übermensch (https://thecyberhermetica.substack.com/p/the-digital-ubermensch), which is the practical thinker of the XXI century.
Thanks for your comment!
Hopefully, we can form a syndicate to take on the algorithm. But in all serious, I would like to work on a cross post project or something here in the near future. Love you’re work.
That's a cool idea. Hit me up if you need help
https://open.substack.com/pub/fatherofzoomers/p/data-vs-religion?r=jejuu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true