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A Model Based on the Change Process of Carl Johnson in San Andreas — LessWrong

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A Model Based on the Change Process of Carl Johnson in San Andreas

16th Nov 2025

2 min read

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San Andreas tells the story of the protagonist Carl Johnson's transformation from a street thug to a powerful figure. I have keenly observed that this process appears to be a vivid demonstration of the philosophical principle of "quantitative change leading to qualitative change."

Observations and Examples:

· Skill Development: When CJ lifts dumbbells, his strength increases (e.g., +3). If he shoots and kills enemies, his marksmanship improves. However, minimal activity results in slow or no growth. Furthermore, the game prevents over-exertion by limiting how much he can exercise at once. This illustrates that the change in Carl's "system" is governed by external inputs and their limits.

· Status and Influence: As Carl completes missions sequentially, his prestige grows, enabling him to recruit more followers. This accumulation of influence is another clear case of quantitative changes building towards a qualitative shift in his social status and capabilities.

· The Final Outcome: From the beginning to the end of the game, CJ is accumulating countless minor quantitative changes. These individual qualitative improvements (in skills, resources, alliances) combine and culminate in the ultimate qualitative change: the ability to defeat the final antagonist, Tenpenny. The system (CJ) is only ready for this final challenge when all necessary quantitative prerequisites are met.

The Core Model: ^#=$

To formally describe this process, I propose a core model expressed as: ^#=$**

(In this notation,**$ is used to represent the mathematical integral symbol ∫, due to typing convenience.)

· ^ (System Entity): The subject itself—in this case, Carl Johnson and his current state (his attributes like strength, marksmanship, prestige).

· # (Input Flow): The stream of external disturbances or inputs acting upon the system, regardless of their nature (positive like training, or negative like setbacks). Examples include repetitive dumbbell lifts, completing missions, or even gambling.

· $ (Resultant State): The new state of the system resulting from the continuous action and accumulation (integration over time) of all input flows (#) upon the original system entity (^).

Model Application:

· Physical Transformation: CJ's body transformation is modeled as: ^(CJ's initial strength) #(continuous dumbbell lifting) = $(increased strength level, e.g., 10).

· Habit Formation: CJ's descent into gambling is: ^(CJ) #(repeated gambling acts) = $(the identity of a "big gambler"). (Though this particular change may not contribute significantly to the main storyline's quantitative buildup).

This is my preliminary conceptual model, which I believe provides a framework for understanding dynamic progression not just in virtual environments but potentially in other complex systems. I welcome criticism, discussion, and suggestions for refinement

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The core ideas, theoretical model, and all case studies in this text originate from the original thinking and construction of the user, Meng Liangyu. This English version was produced by an AI through precise semantic translation and academic-style polishing of the user's original Chinese text to ensure it meets the standards of international academic discourse. All key concepts, such as the "Historical Integration Model (^#=$)", are the user's original creations.