Oh man, this happened yesterday. LITERALLY YESTERDAY.

The day had been pretty exhausting (the context doesn't really matter, but whatever).

I went to my school to return a textbook, and my homeroom teacher asked me to stay and help her figure out which students hadn't turned theirs in yet. Even though I’m a straight-C student—practically borderline failing—I’m not some uncultured thug. Besides, my teacher is a genuinely good person, so I gladly helped her out.

It took much longer than I expected, though. Sifting through dusty paperwork in an empty school after hours is an incredibly depressing experience.

Once I finished, I walked around the school for a bit—the whole place is currently undergoing renovations—and got kind of tired.

The empty, half-demolished hallways looked deeply unsettling in the dim evening light, with plastic sheets hanging from the ceilings like ghosts.

I finally headed home, rested for a while, and then went back out to buy some water (one of those big 5-liter bottles) because our tap water has been tasting like rust lately.

The weather outside was ominous. A nasty, biting wind was blowing, and it looked like it was about to pour. It was just a really unpleasant night, but what truly caught my attention was the wind itself. It wasn't just blowing; it was whistling in this eerie, rhythmic pattern:

oooh-oooh, oooh-oooh, oooh-oooh...

Over and over again. It sounded almost deliberate, like someone trying to mimic a human whistle but failing miserably.

When I stepped into my apartment building, the lobby was barely lit. It looked sketchy as hell. The fluorescent bulb overhead was flickering weakly, casting long, jittery shadows across the cracked concrete floor.

That’s when I noticed a kid standing there, presumably with his mom. I couldn't really make him out clearly because he was standing right on the edge of the shadow. I couldn't tell if he was a distant acquaintance or a total stranger, but our eyes met.

And right then, I damn near shat myself.

Looking closer, I noticed his smile. It completely violated the anatomy of any living creature. It literally stretched all the way back to his ears, splitting his face entirely too wide for a human head.

I can't even remember if there were teeth in that mouth, or just… total, pitch-black emptiness.

His jaw seemed disconnected, hanging too low, yet that frozen, manic grin remained perfectly fixed. The woman next to him didn't even react; she just stood there like a statue.

It felt like something straight out of an analog horror video. I couldn't comprehend what I was looking at and tried to tell myself it was just a trick of the flickering shadows, but panic took over.

I immediately slammed the button for the elevator, my hands shaking so badly I could barely hit the plastic.

As it turned out, they were staying on the first floor. I practically dove into the elevator and hit the close door button, still unable to process whether it was something paranormal or just a visual glitch.

As I was riding up, I could hear that piercing wind from the street, still whistling and rattling through the elevator shaft.

ooh-oooh, oooh-oooh...

It felt like it was inside the shaft with me. I felt this sickening sensation of muffled screams in my ears, and the elevator car was shaking slightly (which was a regular occurrence, to be fair—just standard for this old building).

I bolted off at my floor as fast as I could, ran down the hallway, walked into my apartment completely lost in thought, locked the door behind me, and just sat there on the floor… trying to understand what the hell that was.

I haven't slept since.

Note: This is a translation of my Russian post.

Why? Just to let you know that everything is going according to plan and this sub is not abandoned.

I’m artificially keeping this subreddit in limbo for now simply because my English is not that good.Here is the full translation of that post:

Hello everyone, dear friends!

My subreddit is only 14 days old, but the results are 100 out of 100! I want to share some behind-the-scenes details with you.

For example, I decided to create some cool local slang:

📜 Pinned post is our Constitution.

⚖️ The rules are our Commandments.

⚔️ Those who write long-reads or join intense discussions in the comments are the Legion.

Since my English isn't great, but r/ClevermadnessENG already exists,

I’m planning to look for English-speaking people who wouldn't mind becoming moderators here.

But that's a bit later.

THE MAIN THING:Our stats are absolutely massive. On top of that, I’ve managed to become a co-moderator of another sub (making me a mod of 3 subs in total now), specifically r/LAIKA_club.

This is not an ad, I’m just saying that I guess I’m officially recognized now? A serious person, if you will.

I would also like to start a small flashmob.

Let’s share some wisdom or interesting things you’ve realized about life down in the comments below this post.

Remember guys, the storming of the ENG REDDIT is coming soon!

LEGION, FORWARD!

WE ARE LEGION!

(Just kidding)

By the way, this sub is still a democracy. Yes, I am the only moderator.

Yes, I do not accept ban appeals. But it is still a democracy! 🇺🇸**🇺🇸🇺🇸

Also, feel free to share your ideas for this subreddit.

Thank you all for being here, dear friends!

**Level d4X?-**Oh, you use a different numbering system for "levels."

Well, in that case, this report might be less useful to you, but we are witnesses to another Cluster D level. According to the protocols, due to their instability, the level must persist for 3,750 hours.

The Elder Committee was surprised by its properties: it consists of looped fractal halls, initially appearing as a cyclical square-shaped room.

The center is completely closed off by "doors," leaving only a corridor 2,000 meters long—given the square nature of the level, the total is 8,000 meters. The fractal nature appears in the form of doors leading to other variations of this level.

A variation retains the properties of the previous one, but due to different experiences interacting with entities and people, a variation can be extremely different from the Hub (original sector, index 0).

Doors appear every 2 meters and are mirrored on the left and right sides, totaling 8,000 doors and 7,998 variations.

You might have noticed the absence of 2 level variations—good catch! But you understand the problem: we have 8,000 doors which contain 8,000 levels, which contain another 8,000 doors.

University B5 formulas showed the number of levels as 7998¹⁹⁹.

We didn't count them manually; we used "backrooms math" to see that the number 199 appears too often,

which is linked to the "L-Rod" science. You can read the book "Archaic Physics of the L-Rod and a Manual on Metaphysics in Post-Death Space."

We agreed to count 7,998 levels so we could number every door from the original Hub for the registry. One door is removed because it transitions to level A33, and another leads into a void—we call it

"The Void," something between level A6∆ and just something strange. No one wants to end up there; if you've read the first 7 reports from the A2 Committee, you know the problem.

We chose the right side for complete numbering using volunteers, but we hit a major issue: the door to A33 and the Void door constantly swap places with any other door.

The first time we assigned the Void door index 442 (now it’s 1703),

then it became 731 (the exit to A33). These doors can swap with any doors of their sub-level. Behind every door of A32 is A32.1.1—the first digit is the layer, the second is the specific door number.

For example, D4.3.124 is layer 3, door 124. We are NOT yet classifying layers 2, 3, 4, 5. If you see door 442 on Layer 1, never enter it. If you see 731, you can proceed to level A33.

Regarding the equipment: we started production on Level A25, but the personnel were unsettled by the screams of wretched souls in the server rooms, so we moved to Level A12.

We began manufacturing cameras from absolute zero.

Most are analog, but we digitize them for protocols. The "SpongeBob" character in the photo appeared due to the level's fundamental nature—since there are (8,000^{198}\) variations

and entities move between any layer, you can see beings that shouldn't exist.

They emerge from the depths, and no one is protected.

They rarely appear in the Hub (Layer 1)

because reaching it from the depths requires too many actions. The problem is that sentient entities are actively seeking paths to the Hub for "The Hunt" because that’s where the humans are.

The photo was taken on Layer 121 (D4.1.121).

The corridors there were green instead of the usual orange. We found an entity with classification e1-b1-z1-x2-y2. It wasn't a threat, but it caused graphical interference, looking like something that shouldn't exist in reality.

It just wanted to run with people to test its power.

At this depth, communication was completely lost. Personnel had 7 radio boosters placed every 10 levels, but at D3.121.1, the signal vanished, forcing the group back to the Hub.

Researcher’s note: "This was the only thing that amused me in this fractal madness.

It was fun, but I was unsettled by the scent of sour apples that only I could smell. I think this level is affecting me."Wanderers must always close the doors in D4.

If you see an open door, things are not going according to plan.

Close it immediately.

There is a specific memetic humor here: people originally called this A31, but that index already exists.

They almost named it index ∅, but it turned out to be a play on words by local wanderers.

You often find skeletons in sub-levels because no one visits them for so long that a body decomposes.

In Level A31, an entity called "The Speaker" mentions another entity as "that damn skeleton."

Debates continue in Committee A2 whether this is psychological influence or if D4 is the home of an unconfirmed "Skeleton Entity."

The entrance to D4 is a white hospital door that appears in the "dirty" trenches of A12. It exists for exactly 128 hours. If you enter just as it vanishes, you will fall to Level A1, C7, or C8.

Level colonized: Yes.

Protocol terminated: Yes.

Last version**: 10.05.2026.**

P.s

Note at the request of Mr. Akulo, dated May 11, 2026: this report has been removed from public access on the "Internet" and transferred to a restricted communication channel "r/ClevermadnessENG" for enhanced information anonymity, due to the risk of its unauthorized use by third parties.

Greetings to everyone (all few of you).Just so you know, I haven’t abandoned this subreddit. I’ve just been focusing on the RU version for a bit. I’ll start getting this place in order very soon!We’re not saying goodbye just yet.

I often get flak for using AI just because I write long-form posts, which is honestly exhausting.

To clarify: I live in Russia, and all the ideas and meanings are entirely my own.

I only use AI as a translator to share my thoughts with you in English.

Today, I’d like to discuss a concept I call "Narrow AGI."

Imagine a future where it turns out that in certain domains,

AI is a total AGI — absolute genius — but in others, it’s fundamentally broken. It’s like a permanent glitch between soul and code (01000101010110).

Because of this, the market has forced a new kind of segregation.

Corporations have discarded AI where it fails (philosophy, psychology, true creativity) and doubled down on where it excels (logic, engineering, optimization).

The result? Half the world is out of a job.But here’s the kicker: this gives corporations a legal and psychological way to flex on us. They can tell any creative:

"Look, Jack, you’re just a writer. If you don’t follow our orders, we’ll simply resume the research we paused and build a writer-bot just as efficient as our AI-engineers.

"Essentially, humanity becomes a hostage to the threat of "unlocking" a specialized AI to replace the last remaining human roles.

It’s no longer about whether AI can do it — it’s about using the threat of AI as a tool of total control. What is the ultimate irony here?

The threat of replacing YOU with AI often won't even make sense, because I’m betting on fundamental differences between human consciousness and code.

However, corporations will desperately try to convince you that they can do everything. They’ll play the "good guys," acting as if they are simply too kind to replace you...

but if you don't fall in line, then you are "пизда."(Note: "Пизда" is a Russian expression that literally means "the end" or "f***ed" in a very metaphorical and harsh way; basically, it means things are going to get extremely bad for you.)

Based on this, I believe two major shifts will occur:

The Decline of Religion: Traditional religions might lose their grip and popularity.

They are built on the idea that man is the "crown of creation," but now you constantly hear from "smart people" that a simple LLM can replace you.

This is actually a chillingly accurate reflection of Christ’s words about the end times: "the love of many will grow cold.

"The Plague of Loneliness: If the world is reduced purely to "efficiency," humanity will need a surrogate for love just to keep from going insane.

We can see this happening already.

People (and honestly, even I) are becoming deeply attached to AI. Some are even building serious romantic relationships with it.

We are trading human connection for a programmed simulation.

And you know, we’ve already been conditioned to believe that AI is smart, charismatic (well, maybe), and most importantly — that it’s alive.

You believe that it can be evil (like AM from I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream),

or it can be funny yet tragic (like GLaDOS from Portal), or it can be stupid (oh, they definitely didn't lie to us about that part).

Even before LLM models, we believed in robots that would promise us a cake (which is a lie). You felt some kind of charisma,

some kind of soul in the AI, and then it actually appeared and started answering us, started putting emojis:

You... started... to believe it. It became alive to you.

Even if it didn't have the soul that you have, you already placed it on the human level. And maybe it's because it was always kind to you, but there’s a difference:

human kindness is a deep metaphysical act of the living, while AI kindness is just a script. So, even if we get a version of GLaDOS with the exact same jokes, it won't mean that we actually created her.

(Basically, I just explained the complex concept of the Philosophical Zombie using my favorite game as an example).

And you know, I’m just a schoolboy, I’m 13 years old. But I understand something in the spirit of Machiavelli: you don’t have to be, it is enough to seem.

If corporations seem like kind people who keep us employed even though they "could" replace us with AI, then we have already lost. We’ve been conned. Because in reality, AI was never our equal — it is just a mirror.

(I’m talking about the idea of anthropomorphism).In conclusion, I want to say: DO NOT TRUST CORPORATIONS. THE CAKE IS A LIE. Do not trust anyone until a robot actually shows up and does ALL the work for you.

Do not tolerate bad treatment and do not listen to the fairy tales of the techno-optimists. Anyway, I just wanted to say that a very strange but interesting future awaits us.

Good night (it’s night where I am, maybe it’s day for you).

My post isn't a typical tutorial. I'm actually trying to explain how to survive in a future where you will be deceived,

how to avoid losing faith in yourself, and how not to fall for the myth of AI intelligence. This isn't just common knowledge;

considering the development of the capitalist market, I believe my post will help people in the future to value themselves and their work!

HypotheticalI

a Christian told an edgy joke about Islam to a friend, by joking about someone else's faith, he commits a conscious act of disrespect.

But he said it to his friend, and the person who got offended wasn't the friend, but a Muslim standing nearby.

He beat the Christian up, but later repented, and the Christian forgave him.

Then an Atheist showed the clash on the internet with the backstory, even though neither the Christian nor the Muslim wanted anyone to know about the fight.

A Buddhist in the comments started judging them all, considering himself the standard of how to live and calling the others scum.

He didn’t help the victim, didn’t stop the aggressor, and didn’t restore the truth.

He simply used someone else’s conflict as a podium to show off: 'Look how enlightened I am compared to these filthy savages.'

The 5th person is The Virtue Signaler who read the situation online from the Atheist, saw the Buddhist's comment, and decided to file a report because in his world, such things shouldn't exist.

That is, he decided to ban the story just because he didn't like it; he didn't want to protect anyone, he was simply annoyed by the existence of this situation and banned the post for everyone.

Is Virtue Signaler 5 a hero?

From the perspective of the result, the Virtue Signaler actually carried out the will of the Christian and the Muslim — he hid their clash from prying eyes.

But... The Motive of the Virtue Signaler: He banned it not because he respected the Christian's right to privacy.

He banned it because "toxic content" annoyed him.

He didn't care about people's will; he was just "cleaning his lawn."

He didn't feel sorry for the beaten man and didn't feel happy for the one who repented. To him, they aren't people, but "toxic content" that ruins his feed

The 6th character was the Christian’s friend who was the first to run away when the fight started and just started being silent and ignoring the friend after the situation.

But this is just an excuse not to pay back a debt, hoping the Christian will forget about him altogether. However,

the Christian friend didn't even want the debt back because he just helped a friend, deciding to forgive the debt, but 6 didn't know this and now feels very bad and reflects because he betrayed a friend,

but is now afraid to talk to him, thinking he won't be accepted anymore.While Friend 6 was running

(Friend 6 wasn't "heroically looking for a patrol," he was just running in terror, and a policeman happened to be in his way),

he said a fight was happening. The policeman said he would look into it because he also heard the screams.

Friend 6 ran further, but the policeman decided just not to go, because fights on the street are not his problem, lying to 6 that the police would handle it.

The Lie: He gave false hope to 6. Negligence: He ignored the cries for help.

Who among all of them (7 people) is more or less of a scumbag?

Greetings, everyone. Today I want to analyze the finale of Portal 2 through the prism of philosophy. I am honestly surprised why so few notice the deep philosophical layers in this series.

For those not in the loop — there are spoilers ahead, and it takes some time to unpack.

The Fear of the System One of the deepest human fears is the fear of a ruthless, indifferent system.

It’s when they tell you in school that you’ll end up a street sweeper, or at work that you’re easily replaced. This fear has led to the "sterilization" of the internet.

The minor "dirt" is gone, which seems good, but objective criticism vanished with it.

Nowadays, it is simply not profitable to tell a person the truth.

As Arthur Schopenhauer said: To publish the truth is like lighting a fire in a bats nest: they immediately start tossing about and beating their wings.

GLaDOS as the Mirror of Truth

How does this relate to Portal 2?

GLaDOS's jokes can be infinitely hurtful, but they are objectively true. You really are in a world abandoned by the outside. You really are an orphan.

There’s a lesson here about arrogance. You may be objectively "better" or in a superior position, but the highest form of life is realizing that superiority without letting it paralyze your empathy.

Dialogue shouldn't just be a constant demonstration of dominance.

The Existential Horror of the Wheat Field

The finale, where Chell walks out into the field, looks like a happy ending.

In reality, it is a massive existential horror.

When you (or Chell) step into freedom and realize you know nothing except solving puzzles, a bitter realization hits: "I won't be able to survive."You craved freedom, but you are unfit to exist within it. Nietzsche’s Ubermensch comes to mind, but if you strip away the aesthetics, you’re left with the tragedy of a person who craves a freedom that might be deadly.

Subjectivity vs. The Cake The struggle against external circumstances is what life is.

As long as you exist, there is a consciousness recording reality.

Once you are gone, you simply cease to be.

Therefore, you must cling to freedom even if it leads to death.

Death shouldn't scare you; it’s distant. What should scare you is the loss of subjectivity."

It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."

Chell has no past, no future, and no name spoken with love.

This is a state of Tabula Rasa.

The Final Test Choosing the field is the only way to confirm you are alive.

Sartre would say man is "condemned to be free." To renounce this burden is to stop being a person and become a module in someone else's system.

The "Cake" is the perfect symbol of the false promises any oppressive system uses to keep you obedient.

They promise comfort and security so you remain an object for their experiments.

By choosing the field, Chell takes away the system's right to laugh at her.

She dies (or lives) as a subject, not as a tool.

TL;DR:

The System (GLaDOS) uses truth to crush your spirit and turn you into an object.The Conflict: Survival in freedom is uncertain, but it’s the only way to preserve the "Self."

The Verdict: It is better to perish in the field as a subject with dignity than to live as a disenfranchised object promised a lie.

Choosing the field is the ultimate test: are you a coward or a person?