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Pursuit of Joy, Fulfillment, and Purpose

Tag: memory

  • Skittle Factories, Monkey Titties, and the Core Loop of You


    TL;DR

    Parakeet’s viral essay uses a Skittle factory as a metaphor for personality and how our core thought loops shape us—especially visible in dementia. The convo blends humor, productivity hacks (like no orgasms until publishing), internet weirdness (monkey titties), and deep reflections on identity, trauma, and rebuilding your inner world. Strange, smart, and heartfelt.

    Some thoughts:

    Somewhere between the high-gloss, dopamine-fueled TikTok scroll and the rot of your lizard brain’s last unpatched firmware update lies a factory. A real metaphorical one. A factory that makes Skittles. Not candy, but you—tiny, flavored capsules of interpretation, meaning, personality. And like all good industrial operations, it’s slowly being eaten alive by entropy, nostalgia, and monetization algorithms.

    In this world, your brain is a Skittle factory.

    1. You Are the Factory Floor

    Think of yourself as a Rube Goldberg machine fed by stimuli: offhand comments, the vibe of a room, Twitter flamewars, TikTok nuns pole dancing for clicks. These are raw materials. Your internal factory processes them—whirrs, clicks, overheats—and spits out the flavor of your personality that day.

    This is the “core loop.” The thing you always come back to. The mind’s default app when idle. That one obsession you never quite stop orbiting.

    And as the factory ages, wears down, gets less responsive to new inputs, the loop becomes the whole show. Which is when dementia doesn’t seem like a glitch but the final software release of an overused operating system.

    Dementia isn’t random. It’s just your loop, uncut.

    2. Core Loops: Software You Forgot You Installed

    In working with dementia patients, one pseudonymous writer-phenomenon noticed something chilling: their delusions weren’t new. They were echoes—exaggerated, grotesque versions of traits that were always there. Paranoia became full-on CIA surveillance fantasies. Orderliness became catastrophic OCD. Sweetness calcified into childlike vulnerability.

    Dementia reveals the loop you’ve been running all along.

    You are not what you think you are. You are the thing you return to when you stop thinking.

    And if you do nothing, that becomes your terminal personality.

    So what can you do?

    3. Rebuild the Factory (Yes, It Sucks)

    Editing the core loop is like tearing out a nuclear reactor mid-meltdown and swapping in a solar panel. No one wants to do it. It’s easier to meditate, optimize, productivity hack your life into sleek little inefficiencies than go into the molten pit of who you are and rewrite the damn code.

    But sometimes—via death, heartbreak, catastrophic burnout—the whole Skittle factory gets carpet-bombed. What’s left is the raw loop. That’s when you get a choice.

    Do you rebuild the same factory, or do you install a new core?

    It’s a terrifying, often involuntary freedom. But the interesting people—the unkillable ones, the truly alive ones—have survived multiple extinction events. They know how to rebuild. They’ve made peace with collapse.

    4. Monkey Titties and Viral Identity

    And now the monkeys.

    Or more specifically: one monkey. With, frankly, distractingly large mammaries. She went viral. She hijacked a man’s life. His core loop, once maybe about hiking or historical trivia, got taken over by monkey titties and the bizarre machinery of internet fame.

    This isn’t a joke—it’s the modern condition. A single meme can overwrite your identity. It’s a monkey trap: fame, absurdity, monetization all grafted onto your sense of self like duct-taped wings on Icarus.

    It’s your loop now. Congratulations.

    5. Productivity As Kink, Writing As Survival

    The author who shared this factory-mind hypothesis lives in contradiction: absurd, horny, brilliant, unfiltered. She imposed a brutal productivity constraint on herself: no orgasms until she publishes something. Every essay is a little death and a little birth.

    It’s hilarious. It’s tragic. It works.

    Because constraint is the only thing that breaks the loop. Not infinite freedom. Not inspiration. Not waiting for your muse to DM you at 2 a.m. with a plot twist.

    Discipline, even weird kinky discipline, is the fire alarm in the factory. You either fix it, or it burns down again.

    6. Your Skittles Taste Like Algorithms

    The core loop is increasingly programmed by the substrate we live on—feeds, timelines, ads. Our mental Skittles aren’t handcrafted anymore. They’re mass-produced by invisible hands. We’re all getting the same flavors, in slightly different packaging.

    AI writing now tastes like tapestry metaphors and elegant platitudes. Your thoughts start to echo the style of predictive text.

    But deep inside you, beneath the sponsored content and doomscrolling, the loop persists. Still waiting for you to acknowledge it. To reboot it. To deliberately choose a different flavor.

    7. What to Do With All This

    Stop optimizing. Start editing.

    Reject the fake productivity gospel. Burn your to-do list. Read Orwell’s Politics and the English Language. Re-read Atlas Shrugged if you dare. Dance. Fast. Suffer. Change. And when the factory explodes, use the rubble.

    Rebuild.

    And maybe, just maybe, make better Skittles.

  • The Yerkes-Dodson Law: Understanding the Relationship Between Arousal and Performance

    The Yerkes-Dodson Law: Understanding the Relationship Between Arousal and Performance

    The Yerkes-Dodson law is a psychological principle that explains the relationship between arousal and performance. According to this law, as arousal increases, so does performance, but only up to a certain point. Beyond this point, further increases in arousal can actually impair performance. This principle is depicted by an inverted U-shaped curve, where performance peaks at moderate levels of arousal.

    The Yerkes-Dodson law has important implications for a variety of cognitive and physical tasks, including learning, memory, decision-making, productivity, and even sports performance. For example, when a task is relatively simple and straightforward, lower levels of arousal may be sufficient to reach optimal performance. On the other hand, when a task is more complex and demanding, higher levels of arousal may be required to achieve peak performance.

    Interestingly, the optimal level of arousal can vary from person to person, and even from moment to moment, depending on a number of factors such as stress, anxiety, attention, motivation, and task complexity. For instance, a student who is taking an exam may require a moderate level of arousal to perform well, while an athlete competing in a high-pressure game may need a higher level of arousal to perform at their best.

    Moreover, the Yerkes-Dodson law suggests that both low and high levels of arousal can be detrimental to performance. When arousal is too low, individuals may feel bored or disengaged, leading to suboptimal performance. Conversely, when arousal is too high, individuals may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or even panic, resulting in impaired performance.

    The Yerkes-Dodson law provides a useful framework for understanding the relationship between arousal and performance. By recognizing the optimal level of arousal for a given task, individuals can optimize their cognitive and physical performance, enhance productivity, and reduce stress and anxiety.

  • Improve Your Prospective Memory: Strategies and Techniques for Remembering Your Tasks and Intentions

    Improve Your Prospective Memory: Strategies and Techniques for Remembering Your Tasks and Intentions

    There are several strategies that can help improve prospective memory, including the following:

    • Make a list: Writing down your intentions and tasks can help you remember what you need to do and when. You can create a to-do list or use a planner or calendar to keep track of your tasks and deadlines.
    • Set reminders: Using reminders, such as alarms or notifications on your phone, can help you remember your tasks and intentions. You can also set reminders in your environment, such as placing a sticky note on your fridge or setting an alarm clock to go off at a specific time.
    • Create associations: Creating associations between your intentions and specific cues in your environment can help you remember your tasks. For example, you could associate taking your medication with a specific routine, such as brushing your teeth, or you could place a reminder note on your computer to remind you of an upcoming meeting.
    • Use visualization: Visualizing your tasks and intentions can help you remember them better. Try to create a mental image of what you need to do and when, and try to visualize the steps you need to take to complete your task.
    • Practice mindfulness: Being mindful and present in the moment can help you remember your intentions and tasks. Try to focus on one thing at a time and avoid multitasking, as this can make it more difficult to remember your tasks.

    By understanding the concept of prospective memory and using these strategies, you can improve your ability to remember your tasks and intentions, and be more productive and successful in your personal and professional life.

  • Uncovering the Nature of Knowledge: A Detailed Look at the Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives on How We Acquire, Store, and Use Information

    One of the most enduring and thought-provoking questions in the history of humanity is “What is the nature of knowledge?” This question has been asked by philosophers and educators throughout history, and continues to be a topic of study in fields such as epistemology and education.

    The nature of knowledge refers to the fundamental nature of knowledge and how it is acquired, stored, and used. It encompasses questions about the validity, reliability, and accuracy of knowledge, as well as the methods and processes by which knowledge is gained and transmitted.

    There are many different philosophical and scientific perspectives on the nature of knowledge, and these perspectives have evolved over time as new evidence and insights have emerged. One of the most influential philosophical perspectives on the nature of knowledge is empiricism, which holds that knowledge is derived from experience and that the senses are the primary source of knowledge.

    Another perspective on the nature of knowledge is rationalism, which holds that knowledge is derived from reason and that the mind is the primary source of knowledge. This perspective is often associated with the idea of innate knowledge, or the belief that certain concepts and ideas are present in the mind from birth.

    The nature of knowledge is also a topic of study in fields such as psychology and sociology, and is closely related to concepts such as learning, memory, and intelligence.

    Despite the many different perspectives on the nature of knowledge, the question remains one of the most enduring and thought-provoking in the history of humanity, and continues to fascinate and inspire people of all ages and walks of life

  • Exploring the Mysterious Nature of Consciousness: A Look at the Theories and Questions Surrounding the Subjective Experience of the World and Ourselves

    One of the most mysterious and intriguing questions in the history of humanity is “What is consciousness?” This question has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries, and continues to be a topic of study in fields such as neuroscience and philosophy.

    Consciousness is the subjective experience of the world and oneself, including thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions. It is what allows us to be aware of our surroundings and our own existence, and it is a fundamental aspect of the human experience.

    Despite the central role that consciousness plays in our lives, the nature of consciousness is still not fully understood. Scientists and philosophers have proposed many different theories about the nature of consciousness, but there is still much that is unknown and mysterious about it.

    One theory about the nature of consciousness is that it arises from the activity of neurons in the brain. This theory is supported by the fact that changes in brain activity are often accompanied by changes in consciousness, and that brain injuries or damage can lead to changes in consciousness.

    Another theory about the nature of consciousness is that it is a fundamental aspect of the universe, like space and time, and that it is not fully explainable in terms of physical processes. This theory is often associated with spiritual and metaphysical beliefs, and suggests that consciousness may have an independent existence beyond the physical body.

    Despite the many different theories about the nature of consciousness, the question remains one of the most puzzling and mysterious aspects of the human experience, and continues to fascinate and inspire scientists and philosophers alike. So, it is an intriguing topic to study and explore.

  • Boost Your Prospective Memory: Tips and Tricks for Remembering Tasks and Intentions

    Boost Your Prospective Memory: Tips and Tricks for Remembering Tasks and Intentions

    Prospective memory is a type of memory that involves remembering to perform an action or intention at a future time. This could involve remembering to take your medication at a specific time, remembering to return a library book, or remembering to attend an important meeting.

    Prospective memory is an important cognitive function that helps us carry out our daily tasks and responsibilities, but it can also be challenging, especially as we age or when we are faced with a lot of competing demands. However, there are strategies and techniques that can help improve prospective memory and make it easier to remember your intentions and tasks.

    So what is prospective memory, and how can you improve it? Here are some key insights into this important cognitive function:

    1. Prospective memory involves remembering to perform an action: Prospective memory involves remembering to perform an action or intention at a future time. This could be a one-time action, such as remembering to pick up your dry cleaning, or a recurring action, such as remembering to take your medication every day.
    2. Prospective memory can be affected by various factors: There are a number of factors that can affect prospective memory, including age, stress, and competing demands. For example, older adults may have more difficulty with prospective memory due to age-related changes in the brain, while people who are under a lot of stress may have difficulty remembering their intentions due to their overwhelmed mental state.
    3. There are strategies to improve

    prospective memory: There are several strategies that can help improve prospective memory, including the following:

    • Make a list: Writing down your intentions and tasks can help you remember what you need to do and when. You can create a to-do list or use a planner or calendar to keep track of your tasks and deadlines.
    • Set reminders: Using reminders, such as alarms or notifications on your phone, can help you remember your tasks and intentions. You can also set reminders in your environment, such as placing a sticky note on your fridge or setting an alarm clock to go off at a specific time.
    • Create associations: Creating associations between your intentions and specific cues in your environment can help you remember your tasks. For example, you could associate taking your medication with a specific routine, such as brushing your teeth, or you could place a reminder note on your computer to remind you of an upcoming meeting.
    • Use visualization: Visualizing your tasks and intentions can help you remember them better. Try to create a mental image of what you need to do and when, and try to visualize the steps you need to take to complete your task.
    • Practice mindfulness: Being mindful and present in the moment can help you remember your intentions and tasks. Try to focus on one thing at a time and avoid multitasking, as this can make it more difficult to remember your tasks.

    By understanding the concept of prospective memory and using these strategies, you can improve your ability to remember your tasks and intentions, and be more productive and successful in your personal and professional life.