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The prevailing explanation is immoral because it views people as mindless machines executing commands based on their brain chemistry or reward and punishment. That’s dehumanizing. It’s what animals do, but not people.

#737·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #736·CriticismCriticized1

The prevailing explanation is immoral because it views people as mindless machines executing commands based on their brain chemistry. That’s dehumanizing. It’s what animals do, but not people.

#736·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·CriticismCriticized1

My conjecture

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

Picture a smoker who wants to give up smoking but also really enjoys smoking. Those preferences conflict.

If the conflict is entrenched, then both preferences get to live on indefinitely. The entrenchment will not let the smoker give up smoking. He becomes a chain smoker.

#735·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #730

Prevailing theories

The prevailing theories around addiction (physical and mental) are phrased in terms of physical things. Consider these quotes from a medically reviewed article by the Cleveland Clinic:

[A]ddiction is a disease — it’s a chronic condition. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as a chronic brain disorder. Addiction doesn’t happen from having a lack of willpower or as a result of making bad decisions. Your brain chemistry changes with addiction.

And:

Behavioral addictions can occur with any activity that’s capable of stimulating your brain’s reward system.

And:

A significant part of how addiction develops is through changes in your brain chemistry.

Substances and certain activities affect your brain, especially the reward center of your brain.

Humans are biologically motivated to seek rewards. […] When you spend time with a loved one or eat a delicious meal, your body releases a chemical called dopamine, which makes you feel pleasure. It becomes a cycle: You seek out these experiences because they reward you with good feelings.

And:

Over time, the substances or activities change your brain chemistry, and you become desensitized to their effects. You then need more to produce the same effect.

In other words, the core of this ‘explanation’ is desensitization: your brain gets used to certain chemicals that feel good, so then you do more of whatever gets your brain those chemicals. A higher dose is required for the same effect.

#734·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticized2

How is this theory new?

#733·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·CriticismCriticized4

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

Picture a smoker who wants to give up smoking but also really enjoys smoking. Those preferences conflict.

If the conflict is entrenched, then both preferences get to live on indefinitely. The entrenchment will not let the smoker give up smoking. He becomes a chain smoker.

#732·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #730

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

Picture a chain smoker who wants to give up smoking but also really enjoys smoking. Those preferences conflict.

If the conflict is entrenched, then both preferences get to live on indefinitely.

#731·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #730

Conjecture: addiction is the result of the entrenchment of a conflict between two or more preferences in a mind.

#730·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago

I see. It’s the hyphen being followed by a space that threw me off. Did you get that from Dutch? I know German has it, too, but I don’t think English does. ‘Zu series’ might work.

#729·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago

Providing the source doesn’t fix the (potential) copyright violation, if that’s what you’re suggesting.

#728·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

‘Honduran Supreme Court declares zones for employment and economic development (ZEDEs) unconstitutional’

#727·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago

We will update you on news, events, and do longer form write-ups […]

‘longer-form’

[…] on the projects discussed in the talks, […]

You mentioned the talks in the previous sentence. Remove “discussed in the talks” and instead say ‘discussed projects’ or ‘projects that were discussed’.

[…] as we now have many more news sources we didn’t yet know about.

Don’t explain yourself to your readers. Remove this part.

#714·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #711·Criticism

Not a lawyer but reproducing the entire letter from Próspera ZEDE is presumably a violation of their copyright.

#712·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #699·Criticism

We will update you on news, events, and do longer form write-ups […]

‘longer-form’

[…] on the projects discussed in the talks, […]

You mentioned the talks in the previous sentence. Remove “discussed in the talks” and instead say ‘discussed projects’ or ‘projects that were discussed’.

as we now have many more news sources we didn’t yet know about.

Don’t explain yourself to your readers. Remove this part.

#711·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·CriticismCriticized1

In the coming period, expect us to pick up on many of the talks’ subject matter.

False possessive

#710·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

Zu- series of popup projects

That hyphen looks out of place.

#709·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

The Honduran Supreme Court still needs to publish an explanatory addendum on the passed law to explain how (existing) ZEDEs will be dealt with after this ruling.

Passive voice hides accountability. Who will deal with ZEDEs? Use active voice accordingly.

#708·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

Prospects for Próspera and other ZEDEs look dire and in a recent post […]

The alliteration threw me off a bit here. And if they’re dire they’re not really prospects. ‘Outlook’ might work better here.

#707·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

lighter taxes and regulations

‘lower taxes and lighter regulations’ (I don’t think taxes can be ‘light’)

#706·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

achieved via allowing

‘by allowing’

#705·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

made […] legally possible

Just say ‘legalized’

#703·Dennis HackethalOP revised over 1 year ago·Original #702·Criticism

legally possible

#702·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticized1

Related to #700:

ZEDEs are SEZs in Honduras.

What are SEZs?

#701·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·Criticism

I now see that the newsletter links to an explanation further down:

ZEDEs are SEZs in Honduras.

But that’s too late. May have already lost readers at that point.

#700·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago

Not a lawyer but reproducing the entire letter from Próspera Zede is presumably a violation of their copyright.

#699·Dennis HackethalOP, over 1 year ago·CriticismCriticized1