Conversation

To first order, I haven't really tried to do anything with my life besides simply exist for a long time 🤔 This may be the source of many of my...ahh... frictions.
Quote Tweet
You have no obligation to be useful or interesting to the world.
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That quoted tweet is among my most popular but also quite hated by many. It goes right against sentiments like "to whom much is given, much will be required" (the grammar there seems janky 🧐)
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I admire and appreciate people who do stuff though, both from awfully deprived beginnings and highly privileged ones, and whether they do it out of a sense of obligation or because they actually want to
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I'm not exactly a free rider, and I do work for a living, but I don't feel even remotely guilty about whatever luck or privilege I have or about not trying to proactively share it. I do admire those who "give back" though.
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But it's like modern life offers you a multiple choice question that looks something like a) accomplishment/career b) startup and dents in universe c) family and community d) altruism and nobody tells you that there's actually a viable hidden option e) nothing in particular
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You can't really "waste" a life. That's... not a concept that applies to natural things. Go to a wilderness areas. There's dead and decaying things, and abundant and scarce things, but not really "wasted" things. Waste is a concept that only applies to designed things.
Replying to
For something to be wasted, it has to first have a designed purpose. A default "use" that can then be undermined by "misuse" or "waste." The belief that life has such a designed purpose if only we were wise enough to decode it is a category error. All religion is based on it
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And "doing nothing" is not the same as an empty life. Being alive at all is being real, and reality has content to it whether or not you have designed intentions relative to them. In fact you can work very hard and have an exhausting life doing nothing, if you're poor enough.
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The so-called Meaning Crisis in a nutshell: The Purposing will continue until morale improves. Angst is the result of trying to force yourself to have a purpose when none of the available ones fit you. Because you think you can’t not have one.
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You have to make a living, which can be challenging, but having a higher calling beyond that is kinda optional. It’s like wearing a tux to a black-tie optional event. You can, and might even be encouraged to, and appreciated for it. But regular formals will do.
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And to extend the analogy there are entire functional cultures with no notion of formal ceremonial events and clothing. Purpose is a case of culture playing dress-up. Progress is a kind of party scene. Go if you enjoy that sort of thing or to support someone you care about.
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But if you do go, don’t be a party pooper. You don’t have to be useful or interesting at a party but interfering with those who are is bad manners. Purpose is like that.
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Replying to
Yeah I don’t think you’re obligated to do anything in/for the world, but once we realise that and yet we do exist in the world, that gets really interesting. Idk if there’s waste in nature but things definitely thrive or suffer