The Movie The Matrix was really 2 Matrices the Characters were in.

Yeah, I think so.

Except forget the part about AI for a moment, and consider it a metaphor for something inherent to human socieites.

All groups of humans have a few sociopaths, for many reasons we can't avoid. Phsical brain damage (like amygdala or limbic), genetic mutation, infections, tumors, traumatic abuse, even just feeling rejected by everyone can lead to sociopathic behavior. All sorts of things we hardly understand can prevent someone from feeling "bad" when doing things that hurt others, for selfish gain or otherwise.

Not all sociopaths are evil, some are just damaged and need tolerance and compassion. A sense of purpose that doesn't require caring about others.

The problem is when these individuals become malevolent and persuasive manipulators. When they can mask their extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior, and their lack of conscience.

The bigger problem is when they become really intelligent and thrive in committed loyal groups, creating control systems allowing them to trick/force large populations into advancing selfish goals and wipe out anyone in their way.

I think humans work best in small, intimately connected groups of 70-100 or so keeping each other accountable, all with a deep sense of purpose living in a sustainable way, taking care of the land. It would provide a little more resilience to secret manipulaiton. You don't see this in cities. You can't take advantage of a group like that and convince them to build you a pyramid so you can survive the next flood covered in gold.

The advancement of techology was our downfall. With superior weapons and access to mass communication, sociopaths had a field day.

Technology means destructive weapons, mass brainwashing, easier networking between sociopaths. Their toolbet is exponentially expanding.

They got us eating peasant crops so they could have a big workforce, posioned to control the insects/bacteria/fungus and treat water. Most of us aren't thriving, we're sick and depressed, trading our labor for paper money so we can escape the "hard life" in nature, with a "comfrotable life" being a slave to sociopaths.

It's ironic that in such large populations, humans are less connected than ever. We live isolated in single family homes, kick our kids out at 18 and put our grandparents in nursing homes. We're following religions that enforce monogamy so the average mediocre peasent can still mate to grow the workforce.

/r/C_S_T Thread Parent