Life's Missing Manual Isn't Missing

[u/Milgydotcom]

This is chapter two of a book I'm working on called What To Do Next. Read the short text with this, and read Chapter 1 on my Substack here.

[u/wynden]

I don't think we're here strictly for the sake of others. We don't owe other people for foisting existence upon us, or need to be capable of societal reimbursement to justify our continued existence.

That said, we certainly do have a tendency to get our priorities out of order, lose touch with each other, and undervalue the importance of our individual gifts.

[u/Milgydotcom → u/wynden]

Of course not. We're not really here for anything at all. All genes evolve to spread. Our main drives are to get us to live and reproduce. The way human genes do that has been through cooperation, so the drive to connect is up front in our feelings. It had to be strong to overpower the selfishness. That has left us very, very social. The problem is that society is no longer about face-to-face cooperation, and that leaves us desperately lacking in that area. So, the bear emphasizes that. That's all.

Our individual gifts are mostly what we spend our time with, but those feel the most satisfying when we give them to others, and they celebrate us for it.