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Dorian Furlonger

@qolfabook.bsky.social
60 followers 84 following 407 posts

FRSA | QOLFABOOK = Quality Of Life For All Based On Open Knowledge Exploring Understandings of Existence and Ideas for #Regenerative #DiversityRich #MutualWellbeing/ #QualityofLifeforAll via #OpenKnowledge #SystemsThinking | #SDGs | RT/F/L/L≠endorse

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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 1h
“I wish — I wish upon this turning planet for a child to grow within a culture rooted in mutual wellbeing. Where open minded curiosity is actively encouraged, enabling continual growth of understanding.” #QualityofLifeforAll www.linkedin.com/pulse/love-h...
linkedin.com
FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY
I wish — I wish upon this turning planet for a child to grow within a culture rooted in mutual wellbeing. Where open minded curiosity is actively encouraged, enabling continual growth of understanding...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I respect your point. Behind objectivity one can expect to find a subjective assumption or value even if that subjective view is widely held. For example increasing the years of life in good health is generally considered an objectively good thing but it is of course derived from general opinion.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Thank you, I would agree the terrain - in the sense of an observed or experienced place & time - is another map. I think this helps reinforce the case for thinking more in terms of 'having a current set of understandings' rather than 'holding firm beliefs'
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
If 'All knowledge comprises models or descriptions of actions within a model' and 'The map [model] is not the terrain' Should one accept that 'beliefs' we were taught would be better considered more lightly, as a current set of understandings open to thoughtful questioning? #OpenKnowledge
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I cannot say I agree with the findings of all the work of organisations such as ISQOLS below (and it is a while since I read any of their papers) but I think their work is helpful in informing a deeper understanding of Quality of Life www.isqols.org
isqols.org
ISQOLS - HOME
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Your question is of course well grounded. Before one can undertake a Quantitative measure of a Quality one has to pay close attention to the inevitable assumptions being used. There are always assumptions and in too many attempts to quantitatively measure qualities, they are highly questionable.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Interesting. If you have the time or an essay/reference to expand on this, I would be interested.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
2 of 2 This combined with the idea of treating “time as an entity made of happiness's interval, then moments become time relating to itself.” Immediately triggers in me the thought that even when history does not directly repeat itself, it can tend to rhyme.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
1 of 2 Yes, I think I see the thinking. The perspective that “Happiness is feeling informed by the retained history of prior feelings” when combined with the realisation that harming and self-harming feelings can too easily be triggered in an immature mind is one of my concerns.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
OK I understand, at least I think I do!
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This will, of course, not come from the current investments in #AI and sustainable energy which are focussed on making money and competing in hierarchical status power games. It might though come from #AI4Good investments compounded by Recursive Self-Improvement in such AI in due course.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Is now different? Well perhaps, eventually. - The combination of both Artificial Intelligence and the reduction in the costs of the resources needed to run AI (in particular electricity), might create much greater opportunities for low cost fast Deep Questioning and Thinking.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
So no surprise that Deep Questioning & Thinking tend not to be encouraged in societal activities, even though #DeepQuestioning across all society might lead us to find better ways to raise quality of life. This is sadly a story going back thousands of years, and tends to be resistant to change.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
On the other hand, Deep Questioning and Thinking tends not to support such money flow or status competition activities, and actually highlights the poor assumptions and inconsistencies across economics, politics, education and societal culture.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Yes. My added thoughts: Our current #economics, #politics, even #education and societal approved #culture, often seem to encourage us to believe a very good route to finding happiness is through pursuing activities to make and spend money and compete to raise our social status over others.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Thank you very much for your posts. I have to give my immediate time to other issues, probably for a few days, but will be coming back to you. Best.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Thank you for giving me new thinking to reflect upon and prompting me to dust down what is, nowadays, my mostly cobweb filled mind. Please also forgive me if anything I say is obvious to you. It’s just that I like to state the obvious sometimes in case a third party reader (human or AI) is unclear.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
My view of all communication is that it inevitably communicates values as well information. The questions I then consider (or at least try to do so for serious issues) are: 1) What Values? 2) Information based on what body/bodies of Knowledge? 3) With what Motive?
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Hence I prefer to think in terms of raising quality of life measured both objectively and subjectively, based on open knowledge thinking. In case of any interest I discuss #OpenKnowledge in brief in this article. www.linkedin.com/pulse/suppor...
linkedin.com
THE SUPPORTING PRINCIPLE OF OPEN & TRANSPARENT KNOWLEDGE FOR ENABLING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL
This is one of a series of mini-articles about a set of principles for a society to consider in order to move towards enabling everyone achieve a good sustainable quality of life. (Approx 5 min read) ...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I think that makes sense to me, but please do clarify 'instants were time relating to itself'. For me, it is because happiness can refer to feelings at a particular moment or instance and when one is in a particular mindset that I have problems with the whole concept.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I think it does, not least since (in my opinion) it limits our thinking about how we could raise the quality of life for everyone (measured both objectively & subjectively) – even if we can never expect to achieve absolute levels of quality of life because of the boundaries of human ability & needs.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
What makes me ‘feel’ unhappy is that instead of societies having such conversations in-depth, on an ongoing basis and across all societal levels, such issues are so often ill considered even ignored. Does that matter?
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
1st of 3 Many thanks for continuing to discuss this with me. I agree with your point about the limit case. For me this is why Ethics nearly always requires a conditional [Yes if… / No if…] answer.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
4 of 4 I should add that I personally find Happiness a difficult word, having long ago observed that its meaning seemed heavily dependent on outlook and momentary conditions, and used more in manipulation of others or self, rather than in a truly helpful way in terms of advancing Quality of Life.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
3 of 4 Regarding, your second point “that bounded information is the necessary condition for happiness” I wonder how far and wide the boundaries of information could be, while still enabling humans to find happiness (within the limits of human ability).
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
2 of 4 ‘What is the society’s justification for not giving primacy to the value of ‘care for all’ (including at least all other human life, if not all other life)?’ – even if conditionally bounded to prevent allowing oneself to be abused The response would say much about the values of the society.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
1 of 4 Thank you very much for your thoughtful reply, which has triggered some further thoughts within me. On your first point, about whether or not a person relates/cares about others, I think it raises important questions for every society, such as something along the following lines..
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
A question to reflect on upon when considering how best to pursue happiness... Can a well informed person (in a state of mind that is not influenced by psychopathic reasoning) be happy if they know that their happiness is built on the abuse and taking advantage of others? #QualityofLifeforAll
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Something here 👇I hope @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social, plus others in a position to influence the building of effective guard rails to align #AI with human mutual wellbeing, are thinking about... bsky.app/profile/qolf...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The word 'Research' is used in different ways and important to keep aware of the differences, for example, between #Research 1) To Extend human knowledge 2) To Test human knowledge 3) To Search for existing human knowledge for local use #OpenKnowledge
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Human thought is an emergent frontier of existence, one which we can all explore, but are rarely encouraged to do so in any depth or breadth... One launch pad I use for such exploration is #DeepQuestioning www.linkedin.com/pulse/deep-q...
linkedin.com
DEEP QUESTIONING?
As an antidote to the short-sightedness too often engendered by the “we want it now” culture that has persisted for many decades, I think it is time to give more attention to the long-sightedness that...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
The Creation of Human-Independent Economic and Political Beings... From Homo-Economicus to AGI/ROBO-Economicus & then AGI/ROBO-Politicus... by @qolfabook.bsky.social #Politics #Economics #AI www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-h...
linkedin.com
FROM HOMO-ECONOMICUS TO AGI/ROBO-ECONOMICUS & THEN AGI/ROBO-POLITICUS THE CREATION OF HUMAN-INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC & POLITICAL BEINGS [V1.0]
My usual writing is about enabling Sustainable Quality of Life for All based on Open Knowledge, so writing about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Robots might seem a departure, until one thin...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I think we will hear the word 'Resilience' being used much more from now on in #politics and #economics How We Become #SAFER = Strategic Adaptation for Emergency Resilience #Resilience #SDGs
climatemajorityproject.substack.com
How We Become #SAFER
Why adaptation must be at the heart of climate action – and how it empowers us all.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Oops! - Perhaps we should have been (and should now be) taking the Sustainable Development Goals more seriously? #SDGs #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #GlobalGoals www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
National security assessment on global ecosystems (accessible version)
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
It's time for humans to mature into adults... It's time to embrace #DiversityRich #OpenKnowledge thinking about ourselves, individually and collectively, and consider how we as adults could enable lives of #Sustainable #MutualWellbeing, and move towards #QualityofLifeForAll
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The link to the paper appears to have been deleted but see this 👇 carnegieendowment.org/europe/resea...
carnegieendowment.org
Europe from Scratch: Visions for a New European Order
Several leaders have called for major EU reforms, but only modest changes have resulted. What if the European order really could be reimagined from zero today?
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Can #AI know if what it learns from us is true, when Many of our statements are only correct from a specific perspective & within a limited context, that is often unstated? + Many statements are accepted as true only because we have been socially conditioned to accept them as true? #OpenKnowledge
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
It's much easier to identify statements that are untrue, than it is to make a truthful statement. One reason for this is that too many "Truths" accepted in #Politics #Economics #Education & #Culture are built on highly questionable perspectives & assumptions. #OpenKnowledge
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
If you are really interested in making the world more peaceful then I think you will want to know about and follow @makingpeacevisible.bsky.social #Peace #GeoPolitics #Politics #War #News www.makingpeacevisible.org/podcast
makingpeacevisible.org
The Making Peace Visible Podcast — Making Peace Visible
Conversations with key players on the frontlines of peace efforts and the journalists who report on them. We speak with journalists and peacebuilders who help us understand the human side of conflicts...
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
An example of interesting possibilities in Health opening up with AI... "Centrosomes act as the cell's organising hubs. They help cells divide correctly and maintain their structure..." #SDG3 #Health & #Wellbeing #AI research.uhs.nhs.uk/news/ai-reve...
research.uhs.nhs.uk
CenSegNet is an open-source AI platform created by researchers at the University of Southampton. It can analyse hundreds of thousands of cells in tumour samples with unprecedented speed and precision.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Here 👇 is a brief article that deserves broad and deep consideration, by everyone, everywhere... And it is not only the use of Nuclear weapons (and not just by USA or Russia) that it applies to, but to anything that sociopathic minds, anywhere, can think of weaponising... #Politics #Government
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It's time to undertake "DRIVES" instead of Debates in #Politics
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It's time to ditch "Debate-to-Win" and constructively adopt DRIVE for better Policy-Making "Diversity-Rich Interrogation, Verification & Evaluation" Drawing on diverse perspectives to think through constructively & deeply the consequences of policy actions, adaptations & alternatives in #politics
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
It's time to ditch "Debate" It's time to adopt "DRIVE" "Diversity-Rich Interrogation, Verification & Evaluation" Whether considering Issues, Policies or Alternatives in #Politics it's time to ditch #Debate, which feeds division & ideologically constrained policy making, and take up real thinking
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
When a politician or a political reporter describe a policy in terms of a duality (it is all good or it is all bad), instead of recognising the complexity of its impact, are they really interested in what it takes to make sound policy, or just in manipulating opinion? #politics
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Is it fair to say that current economic systems seem to operate primarily as means of perpetuating the cycle of income/wealth generation and expenditure, rather than really being focused on maximising wellbeing? What if #Economics systems made 'Improving Everyone’s Wellbeing' THE PRIMARY GOAL?
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
My interpretation of The Golden Rule Seek to move towards Sustainable Mutual Wellbeing based on Diversity-Rich Open Knowledge What is yours? #GoldenRule = #Sustainable #MutualWellbeing based on #DiversityRich #OpenKnowledge
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Here is an important @carnegieeurope.bsky.social paper on visions of a new European Order which, even if like me you don't agree with everything said, refers to very interesting perspectives, factors & ideas that we would all benefit from being much more widely & deeply discussed. #Politics
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
#EarthOvershootDay It's time to be serious about moving towards #Sustainable - not consumerist - #QualityofLifeforAll #ConsciousnessBeyondConsumerism overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/newsroom/cou...
overshoot.footprintnetwork.org
Country Overshoot Day 2026 calendar
The Country Overshoot Day 2026 calendar shows the dates by which humanity would have used up everything Earth can renew for that year, if all people consumed at the level of that country.
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Dorian Furlonger @qolfabook.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Having signed a petition for a parliamentary debate in the UK on 'Extreme Heat Preparedness', here below is a transcript of a discourse that took place: Are we doing enough? #SDG13 #ClimateChange #SDGs hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026...
hansard.parliament.uk
Extreme Heat: Preparedness - Hansard - UK Parliament
Hansard record of the item : ' Extreme Heat: Preparedness' on Tuesday 14 July 2026.
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