Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Simulacra Levels Summary, published by Zvi on January 30, 2023 on LessWrong.

For More Detail, Previously: Simulacra Levels and Their Interactions, Unifying the Simulacra Definitions, The Four Children of the Seder as the Simulacra Levels.

A key source of misunderstanding and conflict is failure to distinguish between combinations of the following four cases.

Sometimes people model and describe the physical world, seeking to convey true information because it is true.

Other times people are trying to get you to believe what they want you to believe so you will do or say what they want.

Other times people say things mostly as slogans or symbols to tell you what tribe or faction they belong to, or what type of person they are.

Then there are times when talk seems to have have gone strangely meta or off the rails entirely. The symbolic representations are mostly of the associations and vibes of other symbols. The whole thing seems more like a stream of words, associations and vibes. It sounds like GPT-4.

One can refer to these as the simulacra levels as a useful fake framework for understanding this. When looking at talk, one can ask what level or levels a statement or discussion is on, and which ones people care about in context. One can also ask about the level a person, group or civilization most cares about. That is also how they default to understanding new talk.

This concept has important details that are difficult to understand. The posts linked up top offer discussions of four definitions that all point at the same dynamics. Each is stronger at capturing different elements.

As a more concise alternative, this post gathers together the most vital information.

First, the more straightforward definitions from 2020.

The Lion and Pandemic Definitions

The lion definition asks what each level means by ‘There is a lion across the river.’

Level 1: There’s a lion across the river.

Level 2: I don’t want to go (or have other people go) across the river.

Level 3: I’m with the popular kids who are too cool to go across the river.

Level 4: A firm stance against trans-river expansionism focus-grouped well with undecided voters in my constituency.

The pandemic definition changes the statement to ‘There is a pandemic heading our way from China.’

Level 1: “There’s a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 2: “I want you to act as if you think there might be a pandemic on our way from China” while hoping to still be interpreted by the listener as meaning “There’s a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 3: “I wish to associate with the group that claims there is a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Level 4 (old version): “It is advantageous for me to say there is a pandemic headed our way from China.”

Except no, that’s not quite right. The key issue with the lion and pandemic definitions is treating Level 4 as if it has motivations and does things for logical reasons. One can think strategically about level 4 implications but those operating on Level 4 mostly not only don’t do this, they have lost the ability to do so.

Therefore, the real situation more like:

Level 4 (new version): “It feels like the thing for me to say here that there is a pandemic headed our way from China.”

More abstractly:

Level 1: Truth. Attempt to accurately share and describe physical reality.

Level 2: Manipulation of Perception. Lies. Attempt to shape perception of reality, so that others will act on that perception, without regard to whether it is true.

Level 3: Association. Attempting to change perception of one’s social position and alliances, rather than expecting anyone to act upon beliefs about physical reality. Requires maintaining some plausibility of the underlying physical claim.

Level 4: Manipulation and Intuition. Occasionally a strategic attempt to manipulate Level 3 dynamics. More cent...