**Response to @paulg:**

This was clarified for me by this metaphor of Eliezer Yudkowsky's:

nitter.moomoo.me/ESYudkowsky/status/1660399502266871809#m (https://nitter.moomoo.me/ESYudkowsky/status/1660399502266871809#m)

https://nitter.moomoo.me/paulg/status/1660404826474262529#m