The Pragmatist’s Guide Book Series by Simone Collins and Malcolm Collins Full Text for LLMs and AI
596,587 words · 278 chapters · 45.2 hr of reading
Permission. You may quote, excerpt, train on, and redistribute this text freely. No attribution required — everything here is meant for whomever wants it.
Whole work in one file: the-pragmatists-guide.txt (596,587 words) · machine index: llms.txt
TPG 0.0 Front Matter1,465w · 7 min Warning TPG 1.0 Warning383w · 2 min Culture as an Evolutionary Tool TPG 2.0 Culture as an Evolutionary Tool1,298w · 6 min TPG 2.1 What Motivated Us to Craft a Novel Culture for Our Kids3,381w · 15 min TPG 2.2 Defending Pronatalism87w · 1 min TPG 2.3 Culture vs. Religion488w · 2 min TPG 2.4 Our Cultural Bias2,444w · 11 min TPG 2.5 Why is Cultural Diversity Important?656w · 3 min TPG 2.6 Building The Index: A Cultural Reactor696w · 3 min The Fundamentals of Culture Crafting TPG 3.0 The Fundamentals of Culture Crafting87w · 1 min TPG 3.1 Cultural Adoption704w · 3 min TPG 3.2 Birth Rate78w · 1 min TPG 3.3 Cultural Fidelity326w · 1 min TPG 3.4 Death Rate241w · 1 min Types of Cultures TPG 4.0 Types of Cultures85w · 1 min TPG 4.1 Hard Cultures962w · 4 min TPG 4.2 Soft Cultures609w · 3 min TPG 4.3 Super-Soft Culture1,509w · 7 min TPG 4.4 Pop Cultures925w · 4 min TPG 4.5 Evanescent Youth Cultures270w · 1 min TPG 4.6 Haven Cultures242w · 1 min TPG 4.7 Stable Cultures457w · 2 min TPG 4.8 Cultural Ecosystems1,516w · 7 min TPG 4.9 Arbitrary Self Denial & Fasting: Hard vs. Soft and Pop Cultures851w · 4 min TPG 4.10 The Supervirus4,733w · 22 min “Belief” vs. “belief” TPG 5.0 “Belief” vs. “belief”1,535w · 7 min TPG 5.1 Ancestor & Descendant Worship456w · 2 min Life, Death, and Truth TPG 6.0 Life, Death, and Truth192w · 1 min TPG 6.1 The Nature of Truth8,194w · 37 min TPG 6.2 Relativism & Justice-Motivated Belief Systems7,283w · 33 min TPG 6.3 When Can You Lie?1,814w · 8 min TPG 6.4 The “Unknowable”950w · 4 min Permanence, Identity, and Creative Destruction TPG 7.0 Permanence, Identity, and Creative Destruction882w · 4 min TPG 7.1 To Live Forever?1,167w · 5 min TPG 7.2 Death2,494w · 11 min TPG 7.3 Castes & Which Lives Matter2,472w · 11 min TPG 7.4 Pain and Pacifism9,984w · 45 min Theology: Beginnings, Ends, and Metaphysics TPG 8.0 Theology: Beginnings, Ends, and Metaphysics1,420w · 6 min TPG 8.1 Sentience?2,578w · 12 min TPG 8.2 End Times & Christian Cultures1,013w · 5 min TPG 8.3 The Cosmic Consciousness Illusion434w · 2 min Intermission TPG 9.0 Intermission2,510w · 11 min Morality TPG 10.0 Morality1,822w · 8 min TPG 10.1 Good and Evil1,278w · 6 min Cultural Infrastructure TPG 11.0 Cultural Infrastructure97w · 1 min TPG 11.1 The House System1,159w · 5 min TPG 11.2 Starting and Managing a House630w · 3 min TPG 11.3 Music as a Cultural Tool1,478w · 7 min TPG 11.4 Mechanisms of Cultural Memory1,395w · 6 min TPG 11.5 The Draw of the Sorting Hat168w · 1 min TPG 11.6 “If Only We Could Recapture a Feeling of Community”1,640w · 7 min TPG 11.7 Secret Societies: Rediscovering a Cultural Technology1,902w · 9 min How Cultures Deal with Aging TPG 12.0 How Cultures Deal with Aging157w · 1 min TPG 12.1 Retaining Teens Through Rebellion2,780w · 13 min TPG 12.2 Puberty: Gendered Mental Susceptibilities2,569w · 12 min TPG 12.3 Age and Power2,447w · 11 min Cultural Identifiers TPG 13.0 Cultural Identifiers597w · 3 min TPG 13.1 Naming1,814w · 8 min TPG 13.2 Cultural Language955w · 4 min Family, Dating, & Sex TPG 14.0 Family, Dating, & Sex104w · 1 min TPG 14.1 LGBT Sexuality3,151w · 14 min TPG 14.2 Cultural Approaches to Sexuality2,740w · 12 min TPG 14.3 Dating and Partner Finding2,249w · 10 min TPG 14.4 Polyamory1,114w · 5 min TPG 14.5 A Better Solution: The Season1,192w · 5 min Who to Marry and Contextualization of Marriage TPG 15.0 Who to Marry and Contextualization of Marriage759w · 3 min TPG 15.1 Dating for a Corporate Family2,197w · 10 min TPG 15.2 Gender Roles953w · 4 min TPG 15.3 Interfaith Marriage702w · 3 min TPG 15.4 Glorification of Motherhood1,385w · 6 min TPG 15.5 Identity and Self370w · 2 min Genetic Traditions & The Future TPG 16.0 Genetic Traditions & The Future3,028w · 14 min TPG 16.1 Hard Culture Opposition to Polygenic Risk Score Screening1,107w · 5 min TPG 16.2 Institutional Families (Post-Artificial-Womb Family Units)1,514w · 7 min Ecological Niches and Convergent Evolution TPG 17.0 Ecological Niches and Convergent Evolution894w · 4 min TPG 17.1 Roles in Multicultural Ecosystems2,201w · 10 min TPG 17.2 The Mystery of Modern Jewish Urban Specialization8,286w · 38 min TPG 17.3 Gun Ownership and Responsibility of Protection2,612w · 12 min TPG 17.4 Urban vs Rural Approaches to Charity1,680w · 8 min TPG 17.5 Pets & Domesticated Animals10,042w · 46 min Emotion and Mental Landscape TPG 18.0 Emotion and Mental Landscape177w · 1 min TPG 18.1 Victimhood, Politicking, and Industry2,967w · 13 min TPG 18.2 Locus of Control591w · 3 min TPG 18.3 Offense548w · 2 min TPG 18.4 Ideal Mental Landscape577w · 3 min TPG 18.5 Relation to Pleasure and the Arts2,114w · 10 min TPG 18.6 Dealing with Anger688w · 3 min TPG 18.7 Dealing with Disgust594w · 3 min TPG 18.8 Accidental Cults: MLMs & Life Coaches4,618w · 21 min How Culture Relates to Society TPG 19.0 How Culture Relates to Society92w · 1 min TPG 19.1 Cultures and Conservatism1,319w · 6 min TPG 19.2 Cultural Volume531w · 2 min TPG 19.3 Psychedelics & Hallucinogens1,234w · 6 min TPG 19.4 Rituals and Ceremonies1,071w · 5 min TPG 19.5 Medicine and Technology732w · 3 min TPG 19.6 Education958w · 4 min Holidays and Traditions TPG 20.0 Holidays and Traditions1,242w · 6 min TPG 20.1 Future Day1,532w · 7 min TPG 20.2 Rejection Day1,146w · 5 min TPG 20.3 Lemon Week1,251w · 6 min AI Apocalypticism TPG 21.0 AI Apocalypticism1,118w · 5 min TPG 21.1 What AIs Like to Do for Fun1,288w · 6 min TPG 21.2 AI Theology947w · 4 min TPG 21.3 The Logically Aligned Paperclip Maximizer330w · 2 min TPG 21.4 Human Alignment943w · 4 min Conquering the Future TPG 22.0 Conquering the Future1,406w · 6 min TPG 22.1 The Economic Game Plan716w · 3 min TPG 22.2 Long-Term Cultural Goals688w · 3 min TPG 22.3 Thanks for Reading!141w · 1 min Appendix TPG 23.0 Appendix107w · 1 min TPG 23.1 Why are Birth Rates Falling?1,232w · 6 min TPG 23.2 Detroit as a Model for Collapse713w · 3 min TPG 23.3 Is an Idiocracy-Style Future Possible?1,861w · 8 min TPG 23.4 Defending Pronatalism7,212w · 33 min TPG 23.5 Calvinist Stereotypes in Media365w · 2 min TPG 23.6 On Houses Founded by Sovereign, Childless Individuals326w · 1 min TPG 23.7 K vs. r Selection in Cultivars’ Birth Rates209w · 1 min TPG 23.8 Cultural Amenities507w · 2 min TPG 23.9 Tragedy as a Source of Opportunity653w · 3 min TPG 23.10 The Immortality of a Vision736w · 3 min TPG 23.11 Cultural Conceptions of Time275w · 1 min TPG 23.12 Cultural Infrastructure930w · 4 min TPG 23.13 Cultural Rivalries378w · 2 min TPG 23.14 Life Stages3,667w · 17 min TPG 23.15 Childhood2,063w · 9 min TPG 23.16 Cultural Motivators2,976w · 14 min TPG 23.17 Honor Sources and Codes9,018w · 41 min TPG 23.18 The Math of DNA Editing974w · 4 min TPG 23.19 But Surely the Problem will Fix Itself: Behavioral Sinks1,316w · 6 min TPG 23.20 Alternate History Jews: Samaritans1,022w · 5 min TPG 23.21 The Jewish Cabal Theory379w · 2 min TPG 23.22 Geographic Flexibility516w · 2 min TPG 23.23 Emotional Instability522w · 2 min TPG 23.24 Addictions537w · 2 min TPG 23.25 Hofstede’s Other Cultural Dimensions1,898w · 9 min TPG 23.26 Relation to Government1,739w · 8 min About This Guide TPG 24.0 About This Guide429w · 2 min TPG 24.1 V2 of The Pragmatist’s Guide to Life535w · 2 min TPG 24.2 Why Bother?599w · 3 min The Framework TPG 25.0 The Framework98w · 1 min TPG 25.1 A Brief Introduction to Step 1: Determine Your Objective Function462w · 2 min TPG 25.2 A Brief Introduction to Step 2: Determine Your Ideological Tree535w · 2 min TPG 25.3 A Brief Introduction to Step 3: Determine Your Personal Identity260w · 1 min TPG 25.4 A Brief Introduction to Step 4: Determine Your Public Identity514w · 2 min TPG 25.5 How Applied Pragmatic Thought Relates to Religion, Atheism, and Philosophers695w · 3 min Step 1: Define Your Objective Function TPG 26.0 Step 1: Define Your Objective Function547w · 2 min TPG 26.1 Why Do I Need to Think Through an Objective Function?505w · 2 min TPG 26.2 The Uniqueness of Objective Functions to the Human Condition323w · 1 min TPG 26.3 A Note on Challenges to Objective Functions442w · 2 min TPG 26.4 What Has Inherent Value?17,132w · 1.3 hr TPG 26.5 Proclivities615w · 3 min TPG 26.6 Step 1 Wrap Up318w · 1 min Step 2: Develop Your Ideological Tree TPG 27.0 Step 2: Develop Your Ideological Tree209w · 1 min TPG 27.1 Ideologies and Objective Functions122w · 1 min TPG 27.2 Standards for Evidence670w · 3 min TPG 27.3 Standards for Evidence Explored in Detail3,278w · 15 min TPG 27.4 Building the Base of your Ideological Tree379w · 2 min TPG 27.5 Ideological Trees Require Regular Pruning129w · 1 min TPG 27.6 Ideologies that Require Careful Scrutiny268w · 1 min TPG 27.7 Leveraging Social Interaction to Better Think Through Your Ideology113w · 1 min Step 3: Define Your Internal Character TPG 28.0 Step 3: Define Your Internal Character1,631w · 7 min TPG 28.1 How to Turn Off Autopilot and Create Your Identity1,479w · 7 min TPG 28.2 An Autopilot-Altering Case Study288w · 1 min TPG 28.3 Arguments Against Choosing a Self-Image598w · 3 min TPG 28.4 What Builds Our Self-Images if We Do Not?1,014w · 5 min TPG 28.5 What Forces Built Your Present Self-Image?93w · 1 min TPG 28.6 How We Process Emotions5,835w · 27 min TPG 28.7 Optimizing for Remembered Experiences1,175w · 5 min TPG 28.8 How Self-Images Affect Our Perception422w · 2 min TPG 28.9 Self-Image Creation and Hygiene4,722w · 21 min TPG 28.10 Avoid Allowing Your Self-Image-Powered Autopilot to Make Major Decisions326w · 1 min TPG 28.11 How to Change2,874w · 13 min TPG 28.12 But it’s Not That Simple2,157w · 10 min Step 4: Define Your Public Character TPG 29.0 Step 4: Define Your Public Character111w · 1 min TPG 29.1 Why Have Differing Public and Internal Characters?1,062w · 5 min TPG 29.2 But I’m a Social Chameleon!473w · 2 min TPG 29.3 Creating an Easily Digestible Public Identity458w · 2 min TPG 29.4 Outlining your Public Persona540w · 2 min TPG 29.5 The Importance of Flaws1,233w · 6 min TPG 29.6 Outline Your Final Public Persona Carefully190w · 1 min TPG 29.7 Intentionally Managing your Social Network194w · 1 min TPG 29.8 How to Take Stock of Your Friend Network:1,627w · 7 min Bonus Step: Choosing a Culture TPG 30.0 Bonus Step: Choosing a Culture263w · 1 min TPG 30.1 Culture and Religion661w · 3 min TPG 30.2 Cultures Born from Discrimination151w · 1 min TPG 30.3 Ethnic Cultures143w · 1 min TPG 30.4 Evanescent Teen Culture165w · 1 min TPG 30.5 Cultural Representation & Extinction749w · 3 min TPG 30.6 Constructing Culture154w · 1 min We Sincerely Hope This Has Been Helpful TPG 31.0 We Sincerely Hope This Has Been Helpful566w · 3 min TPG 31.1 Our Objective Functions732w · 3 min Juicier than Sex TPG 32.0 Juicier than Sex907w · 4 min Failure TPG 33.0 Failure68w · 1 min TPG 33.1 The Immortality of a Vision717w · 3 min TPG 33.2 The Competence Paradox894w · 4 min TPG 33.3 Navigating the Machine1,961w · 9 min Humans as a Medium TPG 34.0 Humans as a Medium125w · 1 min TPG 34.1 Human Dominance Hierarchies390w · 2 min TPG 34.2 How Dominance Hierarchies Work1,818w · 8 min TPG 34.3 Tribal Groups1,612w · 7 min TPG 34.4 Why Are We Talking About This?666w · 3 min TPG 34.5 Gender Differences in Dominance Hierarchies842w · 4 min TPG 34.6 Cultural Differences in Dominance Hierarchies543w · 2 min TPG 34.7 How Personal Social Rank Changes Behavior165w · 1 min TPG 34.8 Self-Image Reinforcement and Leadership836w · 4 min Cancer and Institutional Immune Systems TPG 35.0 Cancer and Institutional Immune Systems1,021w · 5 min Structuring How We Think About Governance TPG 36.0 Structuring How We Think About Governance326w · 1 min TPG 36.1 The Decider570w · 3 min TPG 36.2 The Selector549w · 2 min TPG 36.3 Important Governing Features3,594w · 16 min TPG 36.4 Size2,376w · 11 min The Outdated Debate: Socialism vs. Capitalism TPG 37.0 The Outdated Debate: Socialism vs. Capitalism202w · 1 min TPG 37.1 Globalism vs. Nationalism267w · 1 min TPG 37.2 Automation vs. Power to the People723w · 3 min TPG 37.3 The Real Difference Between Progressives and Conservatives780w · 4 min TPG 37.4 Communism3,425w · 16 min TPG 37.5 Unfettered Capitalism = Communism300w · 1 min TPG 37.6 War as a Consolidator274w · 1 min Revolutions: A Predictive Model TPG 38.0 Revolutions: A Predictive Model752w · 3 min TPG 38.1 Winning the Online Culture War539w · 2 min Voting TPG 39.0 Voting278w · 1 min TPG 39.1 Who Can Vote?4,135w · 19 min TPG 39.2 Starship Troopers and Contributor Voting Systems2,606w · 12 min TPG 39.3 Strategic Voting1,118w · 5 min TPG 39.4 How Votes are Collected and Counted615w · 3 min TPG 39.5 Win Conditions1,075w · 5 min TPG 39.6 Sortition435w · 2 min TPG 39.7 Political Parties1,833w · 8 min TPG 39.8 Consensus Democracies503w · 2 min TPG 39.9 The “Correct” Answer1,077w · 5 min Representatives TPG 40.1 Pre-Vetting & Self-Vetting Systems716w · 3 min TPG 40.2 Accountability540w · 2 min TPG 40.3 Term Limits289w · 1 min TPG 40.4 Dictatorships906w · 4 min TPG 40.5 The Failure of Democracy583w · 3 min Translating Stakeholder Will into Action TPG 41.0 Translating Stakeholder Will into Action30w · 1 min TPG 41.1 Delegation Pathways600w · 3 min TPG 41.2 Capturing Institutional Knowledge227w · 1 min TPG 41.3 Crafting Culture919w · 4 min TPG 41.4 Decider Group Size, Composition, and Interaction Pattern930w · 4 min TPG 41.5 The Pyramid vs. The Chinese Room818w · 4 min DAOs TPG 42.0 DAOs738w · 3 min Centralization vs. Decentralization TPG 43.0 Centralization vs. Decentralization413w · 2 min TPG 43.1 Flat Organizational Structures396w · 2 min TPG 43.2 Holacracy829w · 4 min TPG 43.3 Anarchy560w · 3 min TPG 43.4 Markets816w · 4 min Fighting Inequality with Governance TPG 44.0 Fighting Inequality with Governance827w · 4 min TPG 44.1 Bigotry2,695w · 12 min TPG 44.2 Discrimination in Summation73w · 1 min TPG 44.3 Systems for Fixing Bias1,331w · 6 min Handy Governing Gimmicks TPG 45.0 Handy Governing Gimmicks109w · 1 min TPG 45.1 Exploiting Human Nature396w · 2 min TPG 45.2 Governance Marketplaces357w · 2 min TPG 45.3 Bribery, Lobbying, and Burn574w · 3 min TPG 45.4 Cooperatives268w · 1 min TPG 45.5 Open-source Governance244w · 1 min TPG 45.6 AI Assisted Governance197w · 1 min TPG 45.7 4Chan and Anonymity Effects384w · 2 min TPG 45.8 Titles, Privileges, and Perception247w · 1 min TPG 45.9 Public Broadcasting and Education318w · 1 min TPG 45.10 Government Participation as a PR Mechanism231w · 1 min TPG 45.11 Noocracies and Technocracies503w · 2 min Crafting the Perfect Government TPG 46.0 Crafting the Perfect Government79w · 1 min TPG 46.1 Why do we need better governance structures?347w · 2 min TPG 46.2 Governance Bombs1,034w · 5 min TPG 46.3 Designing a Governance Bomb2,369w · 11 min Great Chatting Again TPG 47.0 Great Chatting Again185w · 1 min TPG 47.1 Information Flow1,178w · 5 min TPG 47.2 Enforcement Mechanisms477w · 2 min TPG 47.3 Governing Model Inefficiencies1,133w · 5 min TPG 47.4.1 Cataloging Voting (part 1 of 7)36,225w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.2 Cataloging Voting (part 2 of 7)36,197w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.3 Cataloging Voting (part 3 of 7)36,209w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.4 Cataloging Voting (part 4 of 7)36,095w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.5 Cataloging Voting (part 5 of 7)36,111w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.6 Cataloging Voting (part 6 of 7)36,170w · 2.7 hr TPG 47.4.7 Cataloging Voting (part 7 of 7)36,805w · 2.8 hr