Comic #6925: consciousness-3

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Description

Here’s the transcription of the comic:

Panel 1:
Person A: Professor, why do we even have consciousness? It’s clear most of our actions are done automatically and “free choice” is just a story we tell ourselves. Why pretend “we” are in control?

Panel 2:
Professor: That’s easy. You get a fitness benefit from being able to imagine scenarios. In social creatures, that includes modeling other animals. As a byproduct, some creatures become able to model themselves.

Panel 3:
Person A: Okay, but why all the lying?

Panel 4:
Professor: Imagine you wake up one morning in a car driven by an insane monkey. You can only observe the monkey from the back seat. The doors are locked. You try to talk to the monkey, touch the monkey, but it won’t listen.

Panel 5:
Professor: You spend a little while freaking out, clawing at the windows, but it becomes clear there’s no escape.

Panel 6:
Professor: What’s the only way to get by without going mad? Decide you are in control of the car.

Panel 7:
Professor: This is why babies spend their first 3 years crying.

Panel 8:
Person A: And then forget that they did so!

Comic Source: SMBC Comics.