As humans do we strive to do more with less?
Why do we aspire to become more machine-like?
We want to do “moreâ€â€” but towards what ends?
What does it mean to do “more“?
The first question at hand: what does it mean to do more? And why is it significant?
On one hand, less is more. For example, better to own one Bentley or rolls Royce than 100 Honda Civic‘s. Also if you think about ancient aphorisms and things, any proverb of Heraclitus is worth 1 trillion times more than any modern proverb.
Shorter things tend to be more memorable. And more memorable things tend to be more durable. And durability and memorability in today’s world is worth it’s weight in gold, or perhaps bitcoin.
I want more energy
On the practical side, I know that physically speaking, more energy is better. That is, more physiological energy and strength.
I desire to become more
On another hand, I desire to become more. Ideally, I would desire the Apex physique. To me the Apex physique is more of a Herculesesque physique. huge muscles and stature, and very little body fat. I would rather be a Hercules than a Doryphoros Once again, for me it’s better to look like the Rock than Brad Pitt from fight club
I desire to become stronger
Also in the ideal world, I would be able to dead lift at least 700 pounds or more. first theory: maybe having more muscle or stronger muscle is our first great human adaptation or human technology. Because with more muscle, we could do more physical activity. Also another theory I have is that if you desire to become more artistically creative and productive, having more muscle and less body fat is also advantageous, at least hormonally speaking.
Why do we desire to get rid of sleep?
By far the most foolish notion is this notion of trying to get rid of sleep, or somehow sleeping less is more virtuous. In fact, the less you sleep, I believe the weaker you become. The more strenuous physical activity you put yourself under, and if you want to optimize your muscular growth, you need more sleep. Ideally 12 hours a night.
What would the ancient Greeks say?
The closest notion I have is the notion of the centaur. Half man, half house. But no matter how beautiful a centaur or a strong a centaur you can become, everyone would always prefer to be a man.
In fact, maybe in the future humans who are not genetically engineered or implanted with AI technology would be seen as a superior race. Old-school homegrown humans as the new aristocracy.
What we desire to is to become more influential
A quick Takeaway I have is this: I think we as human beings strive to become more influential. And influence is interesting because it doesn’t necessarily mean how many people do you influence, but the degree you influence a small portion of people who are also highly influential. I believe this is the root of elitism.