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Manifest Destiny the great spread or a waste sacrifice.
So for a large part of my life I have debated between the values of pure hedonism or the values of total sacrifice.
So to illustrate what I mean do I focus on my own hedonistic pleasures as much as possible and just having the best time possible or do I focus on sacrificing oneself utterly to the flourishment of others.
Eg right now I have spent £15 on biscuits crisps chocolate and other munchies. that £15 could have fed a starving family in Africa am I immoral for choosing my pleasure there over their survival? when most people think of Hedonistic pleasure they think of drugs partying and rampant sex and yes all of those do seem desirable, but hedonistic pleasure as I see it is any pleasure. everything I do in terms of eating out cinema buying winnis or etc could be time or money spent alleviating the suffering of others?
So do I selfishly live for my own hedonistic pleasure or do I enslave myself to the ideal of total sacrifice for others as the total net pleasure would be more.
Then I realized none of this matters all the suffering and pleasure on earth is meaningless in the grand scheme of things unless.... we are alone in the universe then the future of life is everything and nothing else matters except doing everything possible to spread life through the universe and seed life and consciousness everywhere.
all the wars atrocities and suffering and all the pleasures and glories and triumphs mean nothing compared to the grand scheme of the universe.
we have scanned tens of millions of planets or stars looking for signs of intelligent life nothing found. life has existed on earth for over 3.7 billion years yet multicellurar life only existed on earth for 600million years. intelligent civilization that could think enough to have meaning has lived for what a million years a few million years I guess it depends what you classify things as in multiple catergories there. Yet without conscious meaning nothing means anything nothing matters with it everything matters.
to say we are alone in the universe would be presumptious but well within the realms of possibility. Is intelligent life out there who knows anyone claiming anything has either been enlightened by direct contact or cannot know and cant put any probability on it. However one thing appears very clear intelligent life is likely to be incredibly rare, so rare in fact that it is not absurd to entertain we could be the only case in the entire known universe in that case if we go silently into the night then nothing matters anymore.
However if we spread out into the universe then meaning will sing for potentially billions even trillions of years thus if one is able to or even has the remotest chance of it they should surely dedicate every facet of their being their entire life and effort into trying to spread what is now mankind throughout the universe. to seed the great spread of meaningful life everywhere.
the question remains though am I able to could I stand any chance at all? if yes I should dedicate everything of myself to this if no then I should dedicate the rest of my life to pure hedonism.
could anyone with above average IQ potentially be the catalyst that sets this in motion if they dedicate themselves to this entirely? it could be by coming up with the spaceship designs or it could be by acquiring the funds to fund others to do it. is it feasible I could that I could make a significant difference to making the great spread happen?
The great spread been us seeding sophisticated life throughout the universe.
So to illustrate what I mean do I focus on my own hedonistic pleasures as much as possible and just having the best time possible or do I focus on sacrificing oneself utterly to the flourishment of others.
Eg right now I have spent £15 on biscuits crisps chocolate and other munchies. that £15 could have fed a starving family in Africa am I immoral for choosing my pleasure there over their survival? when most people think of Hedonistic pleasure they think of drugs partying and rampant sex and yes all of those do seem desirable, but hedonistic pleasure as I see it is any pleasure. everything I do in terms of eating out cinema buying winnis or etc could be time or money spent alleviating the suffering of others?
So do I selfishly live for my own hedonistic pleasure or do I enslave myself to the ideal of total sacrifice for others as the total net pleasure would be more.
Then I realized none of this matters all the suffering and pleasure on earth is meaningless in the grand scheme of things unless.... we are alone in the universe then the future of life is everything and nothing else matters except doing everything possible to spread life through the universe and seed life and consciousness everywhere.
all the wars atrocities and suffering and all the pleasures and glories and triumphs mean nothing compared to the grand scheme of the universe.
we have scanned tens of millions of planets or stars looking for signs of intelligent life nothing found. life has existed on earth for over 3.7 billion years yet multicellurar life only existed on earth for 600million years. intelligent civilization that could think enough to have meaning has lived for what a million years a few million years I guess it depends what you classify things as in multiple catergories there. Yet without conscious meaning nothing means anything nothing matters with it everything matters.
to say we are alone in the universe would be presumptious but well within the realms of possibility. Is intelligent life out there who knows anyone claiming anything has either been enlightened by direct contact or cannot know and cant put any probability on it. However one thing appears very clear intelligent life is likely to be incredibly rare, so rare in fact that it is not absurd to entertain we could be the only case in the entire known universe in that case if we go silently into the night then nothing matters anymore.
However if we spread out into the universe then meaning will sing for potentially billions even trillions of years thus if one is able to or even has the remotest chance of it they should surely dedicate every facet of their being their entire life and effort into trying to spread what is now mankind throughout the universe. to seed the great spread of meaningful life everywhere.
the question remains though am I able to could I stand any chance at all? if yes I should dedicate everything of myself to this if no then I should dedicate the rest of my life to pure hedonism.
could anyone with above average IQ potentially be the catalyst that sets this in motion if they dedicate themselves to this entirely? it could be by coming up with the spaceship designs or it could be by acquiring the funds to fund others to do it. is it feasible I could that I could make a significant difference to making the great spread happen?
The great spread been us seeding sophisticated life throughout the universe.
Comments
JWT "Hold my beer..... "
https://www.simplypsychology.org/freewill-determinism.html
the spread in space stuff, elon musk is trying to get that moving
The only possible answer is some form of soft determinism. The only question is where to place the relative importance of environment/genetics/free will. Because it is nonsense to suggest that only 1 of those is relevant.
More than 90% of the prison population comes from the bottom 10% (at birth) of the population. So environment and genetics clearly have a part to play.
But, similarly, more than 90% of that bottom 10% commit no "crime" (by which I am excluding motoring/the minor stuff). Because most people manage to rise above disadvantages. Due to a variety of factors. 1 of which is free will.
It isn’t hedonistic to treat yourself now and again.
The thought of mankind in its current form spreading through the galaxy is horrendous, from destroying the planet with our selfish ways to destroying each other through wars isn’t a trait we should be spreading.
That 90% who rise above it, could be programmed to do so, just like the 10% who commit the crimes.
Its a mind bender to ponder imo, it freaks folk out when they think they have zero control, thats why we cling so tightly to the notion of free will.....hard determinism certainly makes me feel pretty uneasy.
Add into the discussion the idea of simulation theory and yer mind starts doing cart wheels! Its amazing how many top minds, like elon musk and neil degrasse tyson, seriously consider the possibility that our reality is a simulation.
Even more mind boggling is considering the opposite, that this is baseline reality, living on a tiny rock, spinning round another rock, floating in an ever-expanding nothingness, haha, ever had a dose of existential awe or dread?
Im just glad i know the answer is 42!
For 30 years it was all about me and what I wanted as I played the game of survival in the mad world drugs, violence and anarchy that was and still is the underground world of doors, money and power.
There was nothing that could not be obtained, nothing that could not be achieved and nothing that could not be done. the rules were simple, expect no mercy, show no mercy, trust nobody.
So for 30 years that was it. Lies, deceit, mistrust. People were a commodity, commodities were a currency. It was exciting, scary, dangerous and a total rush.
People got hurt, lives got ruined, hearts, heads and reputations got broken and what for? It didn't matter, you don't think about it, that's weakness. You just make sure "I'm allright Pal" and move on.
Let's examine for a moment the reasons for becoming what I was. I came from a loving family where both parents had good jobs and I was better off than most of my mates. i had a good education, was raised to respect law and order, my elders and authority.
I played golf to a reasonable standard as a teenager, rugby, football and cricket, was not socially awkward and had a balanced outlook on life.
So can't really find a societal cause there. So I have to conclude I just wanted it, the life. the drugs, the violence, the kudos, everything. Funny thing is I got zilch, nothing , nada, at the end of the day, you yourself are just another commodity.
So what happened to stop all this. No it was not Christianity, that came later. Put simply I broke, yup, stopped working, lost the immunity to it all and became a liability. In short I developed a conscience.
And here comes the flip side, after spiraling into a vicious circle of alcoholism, depression and suicidal desires, I managed with the help of those closest to me, the same ones I had hurt and almost broken with the decades of hedonistic living, to come through the other side.
So I now developed a caring, nurturing, and socially aware side that I had never expected or realised I was capable of. It wasn't out of a silly notion about righting wrongs, although I have since spoken to several of those whom I caused distress to, just an understanding that being the opposite of what I was is simply a better choice.
Sacrifice doesn't have to be about laying down your life to enable others to carry on, although that does have it's relevant merits.
No, it can be giving up time to help an elderly neighbour instead of watching the match or going to volunteer for 2 hours at a foodbank. Forgoing the pub and giving the money to the homeless guy to get a night in a shelter or buying £20 worth of food and go around handing it out. It can be about just stopping what you're doing and listening to somebody talk about their problems, or just stopping your car and offering the person struggling with heavy bags a lift.
It can be about turning your back on the things that you know you could still enjoy, people you know you could still hang with and things you know could alleviate financial pressures. Sacrifice is as much about self denial as it is about others.
Sacrifice isn't about grand gestures, put simply it's about consideration for somebody else, then acting on that consideration. It doesn't have to be all Thomas Caton and a Tale of Two Cities.
I know my example is a bit extreme, but it is what it is. I'm sure there are others out there with even more wild rides. The most worrying aspect is mine is not even out of the ordinary.
As for the greater Universe, I say let's sort our own sh1t out before we go looking for new civilizations to screw up.