just ignore it
just ignore it
the reason to live
Nah, I think that overstates the extent to which our ancestors were the hunter more than the hunted and ignores the social dimension. An early human might have been at risk for predators when they were out alone hunting or gathering but when you're with the group I'd think that's a much smaller threat. Having to deal with social threats from within the group, now, that's ever-present. And still present today!
Also, after reading a book about the evolution of agency that suggests the evolutionary innovation of humans is that we're a goal-seeking system that's able to function as a part of a larger goal-seeking system (collective action)... I wonder how much that can account for existential dread. We have a diffuse drive to be part of something greater than ourselves but it's not always clear what that should be.
I wouldn’t read too much into that, evolutionary psychology is a pseudoscience: en.wikipedia.org/…/Criticism_of_evolutionary_psyc…
Psychology is already a field full of rough concepts, bad statistics, and low certainties, we mostly have no clue why we’re doing things right now. Adding millions of years and unprovable speculation surely doesn’t help.
Why is everyone so anxious nowadays?
What's there to dread?
Dread is a Reddit-like dark web discussion forum featuring news and discussions around darknet markets. The site’s administrators go by the alias of Paris and HugBunter.
I, for one, almost died at a mass shooting.
My body has left in a permanent state of pain and suffering, where every few days the pain intensifies and there is next to nothing I can do about it.
What about you?
I don’t know why you’re gate keepint existential dread, but here is the APA’s definition: “a profound, deep-seated psychic or spiritual condition of insecurity and despair in relation to the human condition and the meaning of life.”
I’m feeling plenty of despair to the human condition and the meaning of life. I wake up everyday and ask myself why live and exist at all when existence is nothing but pain.
Same. Definition you gave, you're just misinterpreting it.
"in relation to the human condition and the meaning of life." Not your life specifically, life in general. The general human condition, not your specific circumstances. It's a pretty common phrase.
Tell me then, what is the general human condition? Is it the experiences of the ‘average person’? I hate to break it to you, but this person doesn’t exist.
Who are you to decide who is and isn’t included in the general human condition?
Why is everyone so anxious nowadays?
For me it’s financial, though as a middle-aged person I am nowadays also plagued with metaphysical questions.
About the financial part, I’m actually very well-off but the world has become such a complex place (or it always was and I am only realizing it now at my age) and I have little to no control over most aspects of it. I don’t want to lose what I have worked towards because of geo-politics, climate change impact, global recession, or such things. It’s not an existential crisis for me but there is some amount of anxiety and dread that I previously did not have.
Classic Traeger moment
I was dealing with some pretty intense nihilism after my beloved dog passed away. I had thoughts like “Why put effort into anything when in 100/1000/10000 years everything I love and care about will be dead, gone, and forgotten?” It’s a terrible philosophy to have and live with, incredibly depressing. I was able to escape mine through meditation with some chemical assistance. Realized that just because things don’t last forever doesn’t mean they don’t have meaning. The fact that we’re alive and conscious, experiencing things everyday, means our lives have value. The cosmic odds of us existing here and now are staggering, we’re so lucky to be alive! So, to me the value is in the experiences, in the day to day.
(early 30s, also bought sports car)
I tried to lean into that as well, something like nothing matters so you can do whatever makes you happy! I couldn’t quiet get it to work for myself, but I know several very happy people living by that philosophy.
The koi pond + pets solution definitely sounds like the right move! Having pets during the pandemic kept me sane.
If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of fun car did you get and what are you thinking of getting? I’m a big car guy and love hearing about people’s cars :D
Absolutely! When my sensible reliable used ‘99 Honda Accord sedan(with a 5 speed!) blew a freaking cylinder valve on a road trip, I got myself a 2006 WRX. Damned good car. It kept me safe when it got totaled by some asshat in a pickup truck, and got replaced with the family SUV. But we have a 2012 Mazda 3 too, and that’s what I drive on my back country road to work!
My next car, once I’m ready, I hope to essentially be the electric to the WRX. The best example right now is probably a Tesla model 3 performance. Basically, dual motor AWD with the instant low-end torque and super car 0-60 of ~3 seconds — if that can be part of my daily life for normal-car-ish cost (given that I am also into cars) it seems like a loss to not have that experience in my life.
There are already some great alternatives out there, but given the changing market right now, whichever car I get might not even exist yet.
Nice! I had a 1995 Accord coupe, a 2005 Accord coupe, and a 2015 Accord coupe. Loved those cars, amazing daily drivers that had a splash of fun and style. It’s truly a tragedy they discontinued it.
WRXs are rad, excellent choices! A friend of mine rented a Model 3 Performance and took me for a ride in it. The acceleration is absurd!
Why put effort into anything when in 100/1000/10000 years everything I love and care about will be dead, gone, and forgotten?
I had a slightly different question: what’s the point of doing anything if it’ll end? In other words: anything achievable is not worth doing.
I haven’t really found an answer to this, it just stopped bothering me, though one potential answer was: happiness and wisdom. Wisdom is unachievable because there’s always more to understand, and happiness is not a stable state since we’re hardwired not to be perpetually happy because we wouldn’t do anything if we were. Thus those two things can be chased always, they don’t end, and then you die. After that you have no more problems.
(Mid 20s, don’t like driving)
Climate change is going to kill us all reasonably slowly, but it’s OK because we’re in the brink of nuclear war which will kill us quickly… Unfortunately, where I live isn’t a historic nuclear target, but areas around me are, so I’ll not be vaporised, and have to endure the chaos…
But… It’s pizza day tomorrow so there’s that.
Damn dude…
It’s pizza day for me today! About to go pick it up right now actually. Stay strong 💪 thru the wait!!
Cheese pizza, pan crust, jalapenos, extra cheese, well done.
Was delicious and they actually baked it extra for once, even tho I ask for it ever time.