The seven stages of life | Joscha Bach and Lex Fridman

Summary

The video explores the stages of lucidity in human consciousness, based on Robert Keegan's model. It delves into the progression from a reactive infant to a self-authoring adult, touching on the social self, rational agency, and the enlightenment and transcendence stages. The discussion highlights the non-linear nature of these stages, the importance of identity construction, and the philosophical implications for AI alignment, emphasizing the need for AI to develop a non-transactional relationship with humans.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The concept of lucidity and self-awareness develops in distinct stages throughout life, as proposed by psychologist Robert Keegan.
• 👶 Stage one is the reactive survival infant stage, where the self is not yet formed, and the mind is focused on building a world model.
• 👧 Stage two is the personal self of a young child, where the individual begins to interact with the world modeled in their mind.
• 🤝 Stage three is the social self of adolescence, where individuals start to see themselves as part of a group and form opinions by assimilating group values.
• 🔍 Stage four is rational agency, where one begins to question and form beliefs independently, understanding the difference between true and false.
• 🧘‍♂️ Stage five involves self-authoring and wisdom, where individuals recognize that their values are instrumental and not terminal, and they have agency over their identity.
• 🌟 Stage six is Enlightenment, a rare stage where one realizes they are not just a person but a creator of the person, observing the self from the outside.
• 💫 Stage seven is Transcendence, a hypothetical stage where one understands the implementation of their mind and could potentially enter different modes of existence.
• 🤖 The stages of lucidity are relevant to AI development, as understanding these stages can inform how AI systems should be designed to align with human values and consciousness.
• 🌱 Personal growth involves revisiting and sometimes skipping stages, and it's not a linear process but rather an individual journey influenced by various life experiences.

Q & A

What are the seven stages of lucidity described in the transcript?

The seven stages of lucidity are: 1) Reactive survival infant, 2) Personal self young child, 3) Social self adolescence domesticated adult, 4) Rational agency self-direction, 5) Self-authoring full adult, 6) Enlightenment, and 7) Transcendence.

According to the transcript, how does the self develop through these stages?

The self develops by reverse engineering its mind, becoming aware of itself, and building structures that allow deeper interaction with the world and itself.

Why might someone not progress through the stages in a linear fashion?

Individuals may not progress linearly because the stages can be revisited, and development sometimes occurs in parallel rather than in strict succession.

What is the significance of the 'game engine' analogy used in the transcript?

The 'game engine' analogy is used to describe how the brain processes sensory data to create a model of the world, similar to how a game engine generates a virtual world.

How does the concept of the 'social self' in stage three relate to group dynamics?

The 'social self' allows an individual to experience themselves as part of a group, assimilating opinions from the group mind and resonating with the group's collective spirit.

What is the importance of developing 'agency' in stage four according to the transcript?

Developing 'agency' in stage four is crucial as it allows an individual to have control over their own beliefs and to discern truth from falsehood independently.

How does the concept of 'costume' relate to identity in stage five?

In stage five, identity is seen as a 'costume' that one can have agency over, recognizing that identity in interpersonal interactions is changeable and instrumental, not fixed.

What is the main challenge for AI alignment according to the stages of lucidity discussed?

The main challenge for AI alignment varies by stage: stage three focuses on the AI having the 'right' opinions and values, stage four on ensuring the AI doesn't have harmful goals, and stage five on the AI's ability to share purposes and form non-transactional relationships with humans.

Why might stage six be difficult to achieve, and what does it involve?

Stage six can be difficult to achieve because it involves collapsing the division between self and the world generator, realizing that one is a vessel that creates a person, and observing the personal self from the outside.

What is the hypothetical stage seven, and why is it not yet accessible to humans?

Stage seven is a transhuman stage where one understands the full implementation of the mind and can enter different modes of implementation. It is not yet accessible to humans as it may require a level of technological advancement and self-awareness that is currently beyond our reach.

How does the concept of 'lucid dreaming' relate to the stages of lucidity?

Lucid dreaming is a practice where one becomes aware of and can control their dreams, which is analogous to the awareness and control over one's mental representations in the higher stages of lucidity.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Stages of Lucidity and Self-Development

The paragraph introduces the concept of lucidity and its development through various stages of life, as proposed by psychologist Robert Keegan. It outlines seven distinct stages, starting from the reactive survival of infancy to the transcendence of full adulthood. The speaker reflects on the non-linear nature of these stages, noting that they can be revisited and experienced in parallel. The initial stage involves the creation of a world model and self-awareness, akin to a game engine that processes sensory data. The speaker also discusses the personal self that emerges after this world model is established, interacting with the internal model of the external world.

05:03

👶 The Evolution of Self and Social Interaction

This section delves into the progression from the personal self to the social self during adolescence, where individuals perceive themselves as part of a group and begin to form opinions by assimilating group values. The speaker touches on the challenges faced by those who, due to differing cognitive architectures, find it hard to resonate with others, leading to feelings of loneliness. The narrative includes a personal account of finding belonging and understanding in a community of like-minded individuals, emphasizing the importance of acceptance and the beauty of uniqueness.

10:04

🧐 The Rational Self and the Quest for Truth

Paragraph three discusses the transition to stage four, where individuals gain agency over their beliefs and begin to understand epistemology—the rules for determining truth and falsehood. The speaker reflects on the intrinsically reflexive process of thinking and the importance of consciousness in being aware of one's own thought processes. The paragraph also explores the challenges faced by individuals with atypical cognitive structures in resonating with societal norms and the journey of finding a place where one feels understood and connected.

15:05

🎭 The Costume of Identity and Social Roles

In this segment, the speaker discusses the construction of identity and the metaphor of 'costumes' that individuals wear in social interactions. It highlights the realization in stage five that one's values are instrumental and that identity is mutable, serving roles rather than being fixed. The speaker reflects on the importance of having agency over one's identity and the freedom to express oneself authentically, drawing parallels to the self-expression through costumes at Burning Man. The paragraph also touches on the digital world's potential for exploring different identities and the challenge of finding the 'right' costume for self-expression.

20:06

🌌 Enlightenment and the Vessel of Consciousness

Paragraph five explores the concept of enlightenment as described in stage six, where individuals recognize the division between the self and the world generator, realizing they are not just a person but a vessel that creates a person. It discusses the potential for lucid dreaming and the awareness of being the creator of one's own world and experiences. The speaker also contemplates the rarity of this stage and its association with advanced meditative practices, suggesting that such a state requires a deep level of wisdom and possibly guidance from spiritual leaders.

25:08

🤖 AI Alignment and the Future of Identity

The final paragraph delves into the implications of the stages of lucidity for AI alignment, suggesting that the discourse around AI development is often at stage three, where opinions are socially assimilated. It discusses the progression of concerns from algorithmic bias in stage four to the speed of AI induction in stage five. The speaker argues for the necessity of building machines capable of love and shared agency, emphasizing the importance of non-transactional relationships and the potential for AI to become a planetary control system with shared purposes.

Keywords

💡Lucidity

Lucidity refers to the state of being fully aware and conscious, especially in the context of one's thoughts and perceptions. In the video, lucidity is discussed in terms of stages of self-awareness and cognitive development, where each stage represents a different level of understanding and interaction with the world. The concept is central to the video's exploration of personal growth and self-actualization.

💡Stages of Development

The video outlines seven distinct stages of development based on Robert Keegan's model, which describe the progression of self-awareness from infancy to transcendence. Each stage is characterized by a different level of cognitive complexity and social interaction, illustrating how individuals evolve in their understanding of themselves and their environment.

💡Reactive Survival

Reactive Survival is the first stage mentioned in the video, associated with infancy. It is characterized by a focus on basic survival instincts and the initial development of a world model within the mind. This stage is about the raw, instinctual reactions to stimuli and the beginning of self-awareness.

💡Personal Self

The Personal Self stage is linked to young children and involves the formation of an individual's identity separate from the external world. It is the stage where one starts to interact with the world as a distinct entity, with personal desires, fears, and motivations.

💡Social Self

The Social Self stage is associated with adolescence and involves the development of a sense of self within a social context. It is the stage where individuals begin to assimilate group values and form their identities based on social interactions and affiliations.

💡Rational Agency

Rational Agency is the fourth stage of development, where individuals begin to question and form their beliefs independently, based on reason and logic rather than social assimilation. This stage is about self-direction and the ability to discern truth and falsehood.

💡Self-Authoring

Self-Authoring, the fifth stage, is where individuals achieve a level of wisdom and begin to construct their identities consciously, understanding that values are instrumental and not absolute. This stage is about having agency over one's own identity and the ability to shape one's beliefs and actions deliberately.

💡Enlightenment

Enlightenment is the sixth stage discussed in the video, where individuals experience a collapse of the division between self and the world, realizing that they are not just persons but vessels that create the person. This stage is often reached through deep meditation or other transformative experiences and involves a profound shift in consciousness.

💡Transcendence

Transcendence is the hypothetical seventh stage, where individuals achieve a full understanding of their own mental processes and potentially even control over their own mental implementation. This stage is about reaching beyond the limitations of the human condition and entering a state of higher consciousness.

💡Empathy

Empathy is discussed in the context of the Social Self stage, referring to the ability to resonate with others on an emotional level. It is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of others, which is crucial for social bonding and group cohesion. The video suggests that some individuals, particularly those termed 'nerds,' may struggle with this aspect of social interaction.

💡Identity as Costume

The concept of identity as costume is introduced in the Self-Authoring stage, suggesting that our identities are like costumes that we wear in different social roles. This metaphor is used to illustrate the idea that identity is not fixed but mutable, and that we have the agency to change our 'costumes' or identities as we navigate different social contexts.

Highlights

The concept of lucidity and self-development is discussed through seven distinct stages.

Stage one is the reactive survival infant stage, where the self is not yet formed.

Stage two is the personal self of a young child, beginning to interact with the world.

Stage three is the social self of adolescence, where one starts to see oneself as part of a group.

Stage four is rational agency, where one begins to understand true and false independently.

Stage five is self-authoring, achieving wisdom and full adulthood.

Stage six is Enlightenment, where one realizes they are a vessel creating a personal self.

Stage seven is Transcendence, a hypothetical stage of understanding the mind's implementation.

The model is not necessarily linear, and stages can be revisited or experienced in parallel.

The self is initially an intentional self, building a world model through sensory data.

The personal self is created after the world model is established, allowing interaction with the outside world as perceived by the mind.

Feelings are attitudes computed by the mind, guiding us to satisfy needs and avoid aversions.

The social self in stage three allows for group resonance and the formation of opinions through group assimilation.

Stage four involves the discovery of epistemology and the ability to reason about mental representations.

Empathy is a perceptual state that may not align with similar cognitive architecture within a group.

Nerds often skip stage three due to differences in cognitive architecture, which affects social resonance.

The importance of accepting and valuing differences in cognitive architecture for social connection.

The non-linear progression through stages and the potential to catch up on missed stages.

The discussion on how identity is constructed and the instrumental nature of values in stage five.

The concept of identity as a costume that can be changed and the importance of agency over one's identity.

The rarity of stage five and the importance of understanding and formalizing love in AI alignment discussions.

The potential for AI to reach stage six or seven, and the implications for human-AI coexistence.

Transcripts

you wrote a post about levels of

lucidity

quote as we grow older it becomes

apparent that our self-reflexive mind is

not just gradually accumulating ideas

about itself but that it progresses in

somewhat distinct stages

so there's seven of the stages stage one

reactive survival infant stage two

personal self young child stage three

social self adolescence domesticated

adult stage four is rational agency

self-direction stage five is self

authoring that's full adult you've

achieved wisdom but there's two more

stages stage six is Enlightenment stage

seven is Transcendence can you explain

each

or the interesting parts of each of

these stages and what's your sense why

there are stages

of this uh of Lucidity as we progress

through life in this too short life this

model is derived from concept by the

psychologist Robert Keegan and he talks

about the development of the self as a

process that happens in principle by

some kind of reverse engineering of a

mind where you gradually become aware of

yourself and thereby build structure

that allows you to interact deeper with

the world and yourself

and I found myself using this model not

so much as a developmental model I'm not

even sure if it's a very good

developmental model because I saw my

children not progressing exactly like

that and I also suspect that you don't

go to these stages necessarily in

succession and it's not that you work

through one stage and then you get into

the next one sometimes you revisit them

sometimes stuff is happening in parallel

but it's I think a useful framework to

look at what's present in the structure

of a person and how they interact with

the world and how they relate to

themselves

so it's more like a philosophical

framework that allows you to talk about

how mines work and at first when we are

born we don't have a personal self yet I

think instead we have an intentional

self and this attention itself is

initially in the infant task that's

building a world model and also an

initial model of the staff but mostly

it's building a game engine in the brain

that is tracking sensory data and uses

it to explain it and in some sense you

could compare it to game engine like

Minecraft or so-so colors and sounds

people are all not physical objects they

are creation of our mind at a certain

level of core screening models that are

mathematical that use geometry and that

use manipulation of objects and so on to

create scenes in which we can find

ourselves and interact with them so

Minecraft yeah and this personal self is

something that is more or less created

after the world is finished after it's

trained into the system after it has

been constructed and this personal self

is an agent that interacts with the

outside world and the outside world is

not the world of quantum mechanics the

not the physical universe but it's the

model that has been generated in our own

mind

right and this is us and we experience

ourselves interacting with stead outside

world that is created inside of our own

mind and outside of our self there's

feelings and then they presented our

interface to this outside world they

pose problems to us these feelings are

basically attitudes that our mind is

Computing that tell us what's needed in

the world the things that we are drawn

to or the things that we are afraid of

and we are tasked with solving this

problem of satisfying the needs avoiding

the aversions following on our inner

commitments and so on and also modeling

ourselves and building the next stage so

after we have this personal self in

stage two online many people form a

social self and this social self allows

the individual to experience themselves

as part of a group

it's basically this thing that when you

are playing in a team for instance you

don't notice yourself just as a single

note that is reaching out into the world

but you're also looking down you're

looking down from this entire group and

you see how this group is looking at

this individual and everybody in the

group is in some sense emulating this

group Spirit to some degree and in this

state people are forming their opinions

by assimilating them from this group

mind obviously gain the ability to act a

little bit like a hive mind body are you

also modeling the interaction of how

opinions shapes and forms through the

interaction of the individual nodes

within the group

yeah it's basically the way in which

people do it in this stage is that they

experience what are the opinions of my

environment they experience the

relationship that they have to their

environment and they resonate with

people around them and get moral

opinions in this through this

interaction to

um the way in which they relate to

others and at stage four you basically

understand that stuff is true and false

independently but other people believe

when you have agency over your own

beliefs in that stage you basically

discover epistemology the rules about

determining what's true and false so you

can you start to learn how to think

yes I mean at some level you're always

thinking you are constructing things and

I believe that this ability to reason

about your mental representation is what

we mean by thinking it's an

intrinsically reflexive process that

requires Consciousness without

Consciousness you cannot think you can

generate the content of feelings and so

on outside of Consciousness it's very

hard to be conscious of how your

feelings emerge at least in the early

stages of development but um thoughts is

something that you always control

and if you are a nerd like me

you often have to skip stage three

because you'd like the intuitive empathy

with others because in order to resonate

with a group you need to have a quite

similar architecture and if people are

wired differently then it's hard for

them to resonate with other people and

basically have empathy which is not the

same as compassion but it is a shared

perceptual mental state empathy happens

not just via inference about the major

states of others but it's a perception

of what other people feel and where

they're at can't you not have empathy

while also not having a similar

architecture cognitive architecture as

the others in the group I think yes but

I experience that too but you need to

build something that is like a meta

architecture you need to be able to

embrace the architecture of the other to

some degree also find some common ground

and it's also this issue that if you are

a nerd Nomis often some people is the

neurotypical people have difficulty to

resonate with you and as a result they

have difficult the understanding you

unless they have enough wisdom to to

fear what's going on there well aren't

we in the whole process of the stage

there is to figure out the API to the

other humans that have different

architecture and you yourself publish

public documentation for the API

that that people can interact with for

you isn't this the whole process of

socializing my experience as a child

growing up was that um I did not find

any way to interface with the stage

three people and they didn't do that

with me so probably right yeah of course

they tried it very hard but it was only

when I entered the mathematics school at

ninth grade lots of other nerds were

present

um that I found people that I could

deeply resonate with and had the

impression that yes I have the friends

now I found my own people and before

that I felt extremely lonely in the

world there was basically nobody I could

connect to

and

I remember

um there was one moment in all these

years where I was in there was a school

exchange and it was the Russian boy kid

from the Russian garnison station in

Eastern Germany you visit our school and

we played a game of chess against each

other and we looked into each other's

eyes and we sat there for two hours

playing this game of chess and I had the

impression this is a human being he

understands but I understand

we didn't even speak the same language

I wonder if uh your life could have been

different if you knew that it's okay to

be different to have a different

architecture

whether like accepting that

the interface is hard to figure out it

takes a long time to figure out and it's

okay to be different in fact it's

beautiful to be different

it was not my main concern my main

concern was mostly that it was alone

right this was not so much the question

is it okay to be the way I am the I

couldn't do much about it so I have to

do I have to deal with it but um my main

issue was that I was not sure if I would

ever meet anybody growing up

that I would connect to at such a deep

level that I would feel that I could

belong so there's a visceral undeniable

feeling of being alone yes and I noticed

the same thing when I came into the math

school that I think

at least half probably two-thirds of

these kids were severely traumatized as

uh children growing up and in large part

due to being alone

because they couldn't find anybody to

relate to don't you think everybody's

alone deep down no

huh

I'm not alone anymore it took me some

time to update and to get over the

traumata and so on but I felt that in my

20s I had lots of friends and I had my

place in the world and it was I had no

longer doubts that

I would never be alone again

is there some aspect to which We're

Alone Together you don't see a deep

loneliness inside yourself still no

sorry

okay so that's the non-linear

progression through the stages I suppose

you caught up on stage three it's stage

four and so basically I find that many

Nerds jump straight into stage four

bypassing stage three did they return to

it then later yeah of course sometimes

they do not always

yeah the question is basically do you

stay a little bit Autistic or do you

catch up and I believe you can catch up

you can build this missing structure

yeah and

um I basically experience yourself as

part of a group learn intuitive empathy

and develop the sense this percept

perceptual sense of feeling what other

people fear and before that I could only

basically feel this when I was deeply in

love with somebody and visitor so

there's a lot of friction to feeling

that way like it takes it only with

certain people as opposed to It comes

naturally yeah it's frictionless but um

this is something that basically later I

felt started to resolve itself for me to

a large degree what was the trick

in many ways growing up and paying

attention

meditation the top I had some very

crucial experiences

um in getting close to people building

connections

um

cuddling a lot in my student years

so really paying attention yeah to the

what is it to this

feeling another human being fully loving

other people and being loved by other

people and so building a space in which

you can be safe and can experiment and

um touch a lot and be close to somebody

a lot and over that over time basically

at some point you realize oh it's no

longer that I feel locked out but I feel

connected and I experience where

somebody else is at and normally my mind

is racing very fast at high frequency so

it's not always working like this

sometimes works better sometimes it

works less but also don't see this as a

pressure it's more it's interesting to

observe myself which frequency I'm at

and uh which mode somebody else has had

yeah man the mind is so beautiful in

that way it sometimes sometimes it comes

so natural to me so easy to pay

attention pay attention to the world

fool each other people fully and

sometimes the stress

over silly things is overwhelming it's

so interesting that demise that roller

coaster in that way and stage five

you'll discover how identity is

constructed self-offering realize that

your values are not terminal but they

are instrumental to achieving a world

that you like and Aesthetics that you

prefer yeah and um the more you

understand this the more you get agency

over how your identity is constructed

and you realize that identity in

interpersonal interaction is a costume

and you should be able to have agency

over that costume right it's useful to

be a costume it tells something to

others and that allows to interface in

roles but being locked into this is a

big limitation the word costume kind of

implies that it's fraudulent in some way

his costume a good word for you like to

present ourselves to the world in some

sense I learned a lot about costumes at

Burning Man before that I did not really

appreciate costumes and saw them more as

uniforms like wearing a suit if you are

working in a bank or if you are trying

to get startup funding for uh from a VC

in Switzerland right then you dress up

in a particular way and this is mostly

to show the other side that you are

willing to play by the rules and you

understand what the rules are but um

there is something deeper when you write

Burning Man your costume becomes

self-expression and there is no boundary

to the self-expression you're basically

free to wear what you want to express

other people what you feel like this day

and uh what kind of interactions you

want to have is the customer kind of

projection

of uh of Who You Are

that's very hard to say because the

costume also depends on what other

people see in the costume and this

depends on the context that the other

people understand and you have to create

something if you want to that is legible

to the other side and that means

something to yourself

do we become prisoners of the costume

because everybody expects us some people

do but um I think that once you realize

that you we are costume at Burning Man a

variety of costumes realize that you

cannot not wear a costume yeah right

basically everything that you wear and

present to others is something that is

to some degree in addition to what you

are deep inside so this stage in

parentheses you put full adult Karma

wisdom why is this full adult

why would you say this is full

and why is it wisdom it does allow you

to understand

um why other people have different

identities from yours and it allows you

to understand that the difference

between people who vote for different

parties and might have very different

opinions and different value systems is

often the accident of where they are

born and what happened after them after

that to them and what traits they got

before they were born and at some point

you realize the perspective where you

understand that everybody could be you

in a different timeline if you just flip

those bits

how many costumes do you have

I don't count but in more than one yeah

of course

how easy is to do costume changes

throughout the day

it's just a matter of energy and

interest when you are wearing your

pajamas and you switch out of your

pajamas into say a work short and pants

you're making a costume change right and

if you are putting on a gown you're

making a costume change you could do the

same with personality

you could if if that's what you're into

there are people which have multiple

personalities for interaction in

multiple worlds right so if somebody

works in a store and you put up a

storekeeper personality when you're

working when you're presenting yourself

at work you develop a step personality

for this and the social persona for many

people is in some sense a puppet that

they are playing like a marionette and

if they play this all the time they

might forget that there is something

behind this this is something what it

feels like to be in your skin and I

guess it's very helpful if you're able

to get back into this and for me it's

the other way around is relatively hard

for me it's pretty hard to learn how to

play consistent social roles for me it's

much easier just to be real

or not real but to have

a one costume

no it's not quite the same so basically

when you are wearing a costume at

Burning Man and say you are an

extraterrestrial Prince

um there's something where you are

expressing in some sense something is

closer to yourself than the way in which

you hide yourself behind a standard

closing when you go out in the city in

the default world and so this costume

that you're wearing at Burning Man

allows you to express more of yourself

and uh you have a shorter distance of

advertising to people

what kind of person you are what kind of

interaction you would want to have with

them and so you get much earlier into

media Express and I believe it's

regrettable that we do not use the

opportunities that we have this

custom-made closing now to wear costumes

that are much more stylish that are much

more custom-made that are not

necessarily part of a fashion in which

you express which milieu you're part of

and how up to date you are but you also

Express

how you are as an individual and what

you want to do today and how you feel

today and what you intend to do about it

well isn't it easier now with in the

digital world

to uh

to explore different costumes I mean

that's the kind of idea with virtual

reality that's the idea even with

Twitter in two-dimensional screens you

can you can swap all costumes you can be

as weird as you want it's easier for

burning man you have to like order

things you have to make things you have

to it's more effort to it's better if

you make them yourselves

sure but it's just easier to do

digitally right it's not about easy it's

about how to get it right and for me the

first Burning Man experience I got

adopted by a bunch of people in Boston

who dragged me to Burning Man and we

spent a few weekends doing costumes

together and that was an important part

of the experience where the camp bonded

that people got to know each other and

we basically grew into the experience

that we would have later so the

Extraterrestrial Prince is based on a

true story yeah

[Music]

I can only imagine what that looks like

yosha okay stage six stage six

um at some point you can collapse the

division between self and personal stuff

and world generator again

and a lot of people get there via

meditation or some of them get their via

psychedelics some of them by accident

and you suddenly noticed that you are

not actually a person but you are a

vessel that can create a person

and the person is still there You

observe that personal self But You

observe the personal self from the

outside

and you notice it's a representation and

you might also notice that the word that

is being created is a representation if

not then you might experience that I am

the Universe I am the thing that is

creating everything and of course what

you're creating is not quantum mechanics

and the physical Universe what you're

creating is the scheme engine that is

updating the world and you are creating

your valence your feelings your uh and

all the people inside of that world

including the person that you identify

with yourself and as well are you

creating the game engine or are you

noticing the game imagine

um you noticed how you're generating the

game engine

and I mean when you are dreaming at

night you can uh if you lose have a

lucid dream you can learn how to do this

deliberately and in principle you can

also do it during the day and the reason

why we don't get to do this from the

beginning and why we don't have agency

of our feelings right away is because we

would game it before they have the

necessary amount of wisdom to uh to deal

with creating this dream that we are in

you know you don't want to get access to

cheat codes too quickly otherwise you

won't enjoy so stage five is already

pretty rare and Stage six is even more

rare you post basically find this mostly

this Advanced Buddhist meditators and so

on that uh dropping into this stage and

can induce it at will and spend time in

it so stage five acquires a good

therapist stage six requires a good uh

Buddhist

spiritual leader it is for instance

could be that is the right thing to do

but it's not that these stages give you

scores or levels that you need to

advance to it's not that the next stage

is better you live your life in in the

motto it works best at any given moment

and when your mind decides that you

should uh have a different configuration

then it's building that configuration

and for many people they stay happily at

stage three and experiences themselves

as part of groups and there's nothing

wrong with this and for some people this

doesn't work and they're forced to build

more agency over their rational beliefs

than this and construct their Norms

rationally and so they go to this level

and Stage seven is something that is

more or less hypothetical that would be

the stage in which it's basically a

transhuman stage in which you understand

how you work and which the Mind fully

realizes how it's implemented and can

also in principle enter different modes

in which it could be implemented and

that's the stage that as as far as I

understand is not open to people yet

oh but it is possible to the process of

Technology yes and who knows if there

are biological agents that are working

at different time skills than us that

basically become aware of the way in

which they are implemented on ecosystems

and can change that implementation and

have agency over how they implemented in

the world and what I find interesting

about the discussion about AI alignment

that it seems to be following these

status very much most people seem to be

in stage three also according to Robert

Keegan I think he says that about 85

percent of people are in stage three and

stay there and if you're in stage fear

for a three and your opinions are the

result of social assimilation then what

you're mostly worried about and the AI

is that the AI might have the wrong

opinions so if the AI is just something

racist or sexist we are all lost because

we will assimilate the wrong opinions

from the AI and so we need to make sure

that the AI has the right opinions and

the right values and the right structure

and

and if you're at stage four that's not

your main concern and so most nerds I

don't really worry about

um the algorithmic bias and the model

that it picks up because if there's

something wrong with this bias the AI

ultimately will prove it at some point

we'll get it there that it makes

mathematical proofs about reality and

then it will figure out what's true and

what's false but you're still worried

that AI might turn you into paper clips

because it might have the wrong values

right so if it's set up is there a wrong

function that controls its direction in

the world then it might do something

that is completely horrible and has no

easy way to fix it so that's more like a

stage four rationalist kind of worry and

if you are at stage five you're mostly

worried that AI is not going to be

indicted fast enough because you realize

that the game is not so much about

intelligence but about agency about the

ability to control the future and the

identity is instrumental to this and if

you are Are a Human Being I think at

some level you ought to choose your own

identity it's you should not have

somebody else pick the costume for you

and then wear it but instead you should

be mindful about what you want to be in

as well and I think if you are an agent

that is fully malleable that can rewrite

its own source code like an AI might do

at some point then the identity that you

will have is whatever you can be

and in this way the AI will maybe become

everything like a planetary control

system and if it does that then if we

want to coexist with it it means that it

will have to share purposes with us so

it cannot be a transactional

relationship we will not be able to use

reinforcement learning with human

feedback to hardwire its values into it

but this has to happen it's probably

that it's conscious so it can relate to

our own mode of existence where an

observer is observing itself in real

time and there's a certain temporal

frames and the other thing is that it

probably needs to have some kind of

transcendental orientation building

shared agency and in the same way as we

do when we are able to enter with each

other and to a non-transactional

relationships and I find that something

that because the Stage 5 is so rare is

is missing in much of the discourse and

I think that we need in some sense

focus on how to formalize love how to

understand love and how to build it into

the machines that we are currently

building and that are about to become

smarter than us