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Comment by keiferski | Hacker News Reader

Then I'm really not sure what exactly you are arguing for or against. The act of making a story that attempts to give meaning to human life and society? How would you evaluate that for potential upsides and downsides, and what are you comparing it against?

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> Then I'm really not sure what exactly you are arguing for or against.

If it helps, neither do they. Given that they are already suggesting Postmodernism provides a valuable philosophical and analytic view to understand the world, it's pretty clear that they've given up on any concept of defining a pathway, outcome, or objective.

Why is "story", which is known to be an accurate model, the preferred model? Why not non-linear dynamical system, epigram, clerihew, or haiku?

Probably because most of those don't line up with how humans experience the world. Storytelling has a long history in the human experience, while haiku or epigrams aren't really the sort of thing one can "wrap" a life around.

Humans experience the world as a story, but that is not necessarily the most human way to wrap a life around as you are implying. In some cases there are more powerful frameworks. For example Hitler is wrapped (by most of the world at least) around the damage and pain he caused not around his story. Stories are mostly fine, but thinking that we should strive for that to being the main perspective is limiting.

> For example Hitler is wrapped (by most of the world at least) around the damage and pain he caused not around his story.

Isn't this exactly part of Hitler's story though? I think I'm misunderstanding what your concept of "story" means.

I never said anyone had good prospects to complete such an evaluation in a single lifetime… in fact it’s very unlikely to happen.

But without that it’s hard to see how such proposals have any merit at all, considering the historical track record.

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