10/ This is necessary for breaking out of assholery. What makes it sufficient is not being attached to your own sense of humanity.
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11/ To things can anchor this limiting attachment: residual resentments and narcissism.
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12/ Residual resentments lead to turning both the instincts to religion and science into instruments of redemption. Super-powered assholery.
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13/ Narcissism results when you've been a successful sociopath asshole so long, you can't give up your oversize identity that's the reward.
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14/ Finally, what separates assholes who find religion from those who find science is, I think, a function of shame/guilt.
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15/ Perspective offered by larger-than-human suddenly devalues your gains and highlights others' pains that resulted from past assholery
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16/ Summary: if you were raised in comfort, you started out an asshole. If you are a persuader, you're now just a skilled asshole...
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17/ ...If you went the sociopath route, you're now either a resentful or narcissistic asshole, or working off guilt/shame via religion...
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18/ ...or you've turned into an asshole like me: who believes the scientific sensibility is the only one worthy of respect.
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