Bosbyshell1

AllenBosbyshell
ProfessorRebeccaAgosta
English1102
20September2014
AmIacomputer?

Ihavedefaultsettings.ThisisacriticismfrommybosswhoclaimsthatIamone
personatworkandanotheratschool.Icantdisagree.ButIdontseeaproblemwithitlikeshe
does.Ithinkeveryonehasdefaultsettings.Wemakedifferentpersonalitiesforourselves
dependingontheenvironment.AndIeventhinkthatitmakessenseforeveryonetodothat.We
haveto.Wecantbewhowearewithourfriends,aroundourfamily.Wecantbewhoweare
withourfamily,atwork.Wecantbewhoweareatwork,withoursignificantothers,etc.Think
ofitlikeacomputer.Computershaveprograms,aspecificcodethattellthecomputerhowto
actbasedontheinput.We,ashumans,arelikecomputersinthewaythatwehavedifferent
programsfordifferentpurposes,updateourprogramsbasedonvalidationfrompeople
aroundus,andcanbepredictedbyanif/thencode.

Shesright.Idohave2differentpersonalities(well,probablymorethanthat).Ihave
multipleprograms.Whateverwehumansdetectfromourenvironment(workenvironment,
homeenvironment,safeenvironment,dangerousenvironment)weoutputaccordingly.Ihavea
distinctiveoneforworkandadistinctiveoneforschool.IneedtwodifferentonesbecauseIhave
tooperatedifferentlyatworkandatschool.Differentthingsarerequiredofme,Ihavetobeseen

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differently,Ihavetothinkandreactdifferently,andIservedifferentpurposes.Sonaturally,
goingfromonetotheotherIswitch(apparentlynotsonaturallythough),justlikeacomputer
switcheswhichprogramitsrunning.Somepeoplewouldcallitbeingtwofaced,Iwouldcallit
adaptingtomyenvironment.
Ihaveaprogramforenteringanewplace,formeetingnewpeople,fortalkingto
authority,forlying,forflirting,foraskingformoney,forgoingunnoticed,forbeingonstage,
andallsortsofotherpurposes.Weallhavehundredsofprograms,evenifsomearerunning
subconsciously.Wehaveaprogramforhowwejudgeotherpeople.Welookatwhattheir
wearing,howthemove,andwhattheysay,andjudgethem.Thenwecategorizethem.Someone
welike?Someonewedontlike?Ourprogramdoesthisforusinlessthanasecond.Weve
trainedtheprogramtorecognizecertainthings.

Secondly,humansupdatetheirprograms.Occasionally,whenaprogramonacomputer
isntactivelyrunning,itwillupdateitself.Thisiswhenfeaturesoftheprogramaretweaked,
added,anddoneawaywith.Likewisehumansupdateourpersonalities.Whenyouenteranew
environmentyouputonyournewenvironmentprogram.Forsomepeoplethatsbecoming
extremelyextrovertedforotheritsclosingthemselvesoff,appearingthreatening,beingasinine,
ortryingtobewhateveryouperceivewouldbeinterpretedascute.Weencounterthis
environmentanditreactstotheprogramwehaveon.Iteithervalidatesitornot.Basedon
whetherornotitsvalidatedweupdateourprogramforthenexttime.Ifwewerevalidatedwe
mightcomebackevenmoreextroverted,asinine,cute,etc.Ifitwasntvalidatedwetweakit
andmakeitmorelikewhatwethinkwouldbevalidated.Oncewevetwiddleddownaprogram

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thatwelikeandarecomfortablewith,wegravitatetowardplaces/people/activitiesthatwethink
wouldvalidatethatprogramandavoidplaces/people/activitiesthatwethinkwouldnt.Afterwe
havedonethisforourwholelivesweendwiththepeople/intheplacesthatwefeelmost
valuable.Andweusetheseplacesandpeopletoidentifyourselvesandproclaimwhoweare.

IstartedtothinkaboutthistheotherdaywhenIgotanemailfrommyfriend.Meandmy
friendwriteandproducemusictogetherandweusesometypeofacomputerforalmost
everything.Theotherday,heemailedmeatrackthathewantedmetoworkonandwhenIhit
openIaccidentallyopeneditinWordinsteadofthesoftwareweuse.Itcameupasa200page
documentof0sand1s.Whichmeansthat,literally,allofmusiccanberenderedintoabinary
code.Humanemotionsarethesame.EveryfacialexpressionImakecouldberenderedintoa01
codeofmusclecontractions.
Howbinarycodeworksisaseriousamessages.Oneisifandtheotheristhen.Soin
Englishthecodewouldsayifsomeonestepsonmytoe,thenIwillbemad.ifsomeone
givesme5dollars,thenIwillbehappy.ifIamhappy,thenIwillsmile.Thensomeone
oneelsewouldseemesmileanditwouldtriggertheircode.ifIseesomeonesmile,then
theyarefriendly.ifsomeoneisfriendly,thenIwillsayhitothem.Andsoonandsoforth
aroundtheentireworld.Obviouslyhumanemotionsarenotthissimple.Butifhumanemotions
couldbeboileddowntoabinarycode,thenwewouldbeabletopredicthumanbehavior.

Toanswermybossscritique:yes,IamadifferentpersonatworkthanIameverywhere
else.Ihavemyworkprogramon.Iamlikeacoupleotherbillionpeoplewhodothis.We,as

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humans,actlikecomputersinthewaythatweusespecificprogramsfordifferentpurposes,
reinventourprogramsbasedonvalidationfromtheworldaroundus,andcanbepredictedbyan
if/thencode.

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Humansswitchpersonalitieslikecomputersswitchprograms.
1.Wehavedifferentprogramsfordifferentenvironments/inputs.
2.Weupdateourprograms.
3.Ifeveryhumanactioncanberenderedtoanif/thencode,ultimatelyweshouldbe
abletopredicthumanbehavior.
Humansswitchpersonalitieslikecomputersswitchprograms.

Writeacodeforyourself?Liketheif/thenexample.

keepexpanding,elaborating.MaybeIlovedoing____,butimaginemedoingthatwith
myrents.

Explainthecomputersideofthingstoo.

Howwejudgeotherthingsisalsoaprogram.

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Justasanexperiment,Itriedtowriteabinarycodeorprogramforinteractions
inmyownlife.Thistypeofbinarycodeconsistsofifmessages,andaccordingthen
messages.Forexample:

Ifmyshoesareuntied,thenIwilltiethem.

RememberhowItoldyouthatthecodeforthesongmyfriendsentmewas200
pages.TospareyouthatagonyIhavedecidedtoonlycoverbasicprogramsthatIrun
toexistinanewenvironment.Theseprogramsdontaccomplishanything.Theyare
justinstructiononhowtoreacttotheenvironment,orwhatpersonalitytoputon.They
arecompletelybasedonwhatIveobservedfromenvironmentsinthepast.Andnoneof
themincludemixedcompanybecausethatwouldbetoocomplicatedtowrite.

Whenenteringanewenvironment:
Ifmostofthepeopleareold,thenIwillrunmyUpstandingYoungManprogram.
Ifmostofthepeopleareyoung,thenIwillrunmyBlendInprogram.
Ifmostofthepeopleareblack,thenIwillrunmyNoReasontoGetExcitedprogram.
Ifmostofthepeoplearewhite,thenIwillrunmyGuiltyUntilProvenInnocent
program.
Ifmostofthepeoplearefemales,thenIwillrunmyWhatYouNeed?program.
Ifmostofthepeoplearemales,thenIwillrunmyIDontNeedYouprogram.

1.UpstandingYoungManprogram
Ifpeopletalkaboutyou,thenletthemsaywhatever.
Ifoldmenwantahandshake,thenbeextrafirm.
Ifanyoneaskswhatyoudo,thensaysomethingsimplethatsoundslikeagood
deed.
Ifanyoneaskswhatyoureinto,thensaysomethingsimplethatsoundslikea
gooddeed.
Ifsomeonesaystheyknowanyoneinyourfamily,thensmileandactlikeyoulike
themevenmorenow.
Ifanyonesaysanythingaboutyou,thenjustsaythankyou.

2.BlendInprogram
Ifeveryoneisdoingsomething,thendotheexactsamethingwiththem.
Ifsomeonespeakstoyou,thenspeaktothem.

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Ifanadultsinglesyouout,thenactlikeyouaretoonaivetoknowwhateverit
wasyouweredoing.
Ifthematurityleveloftheroomislow,thenmatchit.
Ifthematurityleveloftheroomishigh,thenmatchit.

3.NoReasontoGetExcitedprogram
Ifanythinghappens,thendontexpressexcitement.
Ifanyoneaddressesyou,thenbestraightforward.
Ifthereisconflict,thendontcareabouttheendresult.
Ifthereisanopportunityforfun,thentakeit.
Ifthereisaproblem,thenthesolutionshouldbenefitthewholegroup.

4.GuiltyUntilProvenInnocentprogram
Ifeveryoneishappy,thenbesuspiciousofthepurposeofthisgathering.
Ifthereisaclearleader,thenbeevenmoresuspiciousofthatperson.
Ifaddressedinahappytone,thenmatchthattone.
Ifaddressedinaserioustone,thenmatchthattone.

5.WhatYouNeed?program
Ifthereisconflict,thentalkcalmly.
Ifpeopletalkaboutfemalethings,thendonttalk.
Ifsomeonecomestoyouwithsomething,thenrespondasifyouvealready
takencareoftheirconcern.
Ifemotionscomeout,thenletemotionscomeout.
Ifsomeoneasksyousomethingincode,thenanswerthencodedquestionbut
notincode.

6.IDontNeedYouprogram
Ifanyoneacknowledgedyou,thenacknowledgethemback.
Ifthereisaclearleader,thenpretendlikeyoudidntconsentedtotheir
leadership.
Ifanythinggoodhappens,thenactlikeitwascoincidenceandyoudidntintend
forittohappen.
Ifanythingbadhappens,thenpretenditwasntbad.
Ifthereisconflict,thenmakeitajoke.

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Ialsowantedtotrytocodeabitofaoneononeinteraction.

Igetinthecarwhenmyfriendpicksmeup:
Ifsheissilent,thenthatmeansthatsheisupsetinsomeway.
IfIdontknowhowsheisemotionally,thenIaskheraboutherday.
Ifsherespondshesitantly,thenIknowsheissad.
Ifshedoesnotrespond,thenIknowsheismad.
Ifshemad,thenIdontknowwhatsheismadabout/at.
IfIdontknowwhatsheismadabout/at,thenIwillaskherifsheisupset.
Ifinheranswershereferencessomethingunrelatedtome,thenIknowsheis
madaboutsomethingthathappentohertoday.
Ifinheranswershereferencessomethingthathastodowithme,thenIknow
thatsheismadatme.Ifsheismadatme,thenadinfinitum.