Just City Quotes

“I am my connectome—my brain network. There is no “will” that is free from physics and biology, no “soul.” If I were born into a different family, with different genes, my connectome would be different, and I would be making different decisions and ending up in a very different situation. At the same time, my connectome constantly chooses its subjective values and courses of action. So here they are.
1. I choose to be kind. No natural (or supernatural) law tells me this. Humans simply get to choose which world they want to live in. My understanding of the fact that I am just my connectome helps me feel humility and compassion for others. Because it could have been me. Always. I also choose to feel compassion for myself when things are tough. And when things are good, I choose to replace the feeling of pride with gratitude because… hello?
2. I also choose to seek truth and base my actions on objective truth. The reality. Whether I like it or not. This is what reason and rationality mean to me now. The scientific method is the pursuit of this objectivity. Beliefs in the supernatural (soul, god(s), afterlife, synchronicities, telepathy, etc.) are understandable but have no evidential basis. The burden of proof lies with those who make such claims. Such beliefs can easily lead to injustice due to their subjectivity, against which rationality and facts are helpless.”
― Olga Tymofiyeva, Just City

“Grandma, I used to have a set of principles but then… I changed my mind. Is it a sign of weakness?” I ask.
“Nathan, just as in science, changing your mind if your knowledge is updated is not a bad thing, but a very good, very important thing. This is what being grown up means to me.”
― Olga Tymofiyeva, Just City

“The joy of seeing someone in need being helped was profound. I wished all defective, lonely toys could be found, helped, and cared for. I thought I would have done the same as that girl. My biggest inner wish was to help those who were lonely. Somewhere along the way, that desire was suppressed by the thought that not everyone deserves help. But the memories of the joy from reading that book always stayed with me.”
― Olga Tymofiyeva, Just City