In light of these ideas, I could say that this particular person—Ray Kurzweil—is both the result of incredibly precise prior conditions and the product of my own choices. As a self-modifying information pattern, I have certainly shaped myself through decisions throughout my life about whom to interact with, what to read, and where to go. Yet despite my share of responsibility for who I am, my self-actualization is limited by many factors outside my control. My biological brain evolved for a very different kind of prehistoric life and predisposes me to habits that I would rather not have. It
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