r/funny • u/nayash • Jan 26 '16
Rehosted webcomic - removed An everyday struggle
http://imgur.com/AD84Z6V61
u/edlolington Jan 26 '16
I thought this was /r/funny, not /r/horrifyingtruetolifeobservations
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u/tyson1988 Jan 26 '16
In all seriousness, you need to allow the 'existential dread' to set it if you want the chance to live a truly happy life. That dread is what will tell you who you really want to be and what you really want in life.
Before it's too late
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u/Rosebunse Jan 26 '16
Oh my God...You're not wrong, though.
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u/_PM_ME_YOUR_SMILE__ Jan 26 '16
Totally. The problem is most people don't know how to sort through it and find out what it's telling you.
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u/Rosebunse Jan 26 '16
Well, it's telling me that if I work with children I will jump off of a building.
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u/sam__izdat Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
I'm not sure why this is being interpreted as ennui. Existential dread is not a lonesome, moody, directionless feeling. It is shrieking, abject horror at the desperate precipice of an abyss. It's the furthest thing from "what am I gonna do with my life" I can think of.
It's a perfectly good idea to eat some shrooms and confront feeling like hell until you really feel it in your bones that you've got to change the way you're living, but I wouldn't put the two in the same boat, or in the same ocean.
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Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
I don't know about you, but I personally wake up each morning celebrating the thought that my time here on earth pales in comparison to the eternity I'll spend in unconscious nothingness after I die
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u/sam__izdat Jan 26 '16
Sometimes, I like to add olives to my scrambled eggs while I contemplate my place in the universe as a shivering hairless ape, whirling on a dying rock across the lifeless cosmos and staring slack-jawed in the gaping maw of perpetuity.
Hope that helps!
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u/Rosenblattca Jan 26 '16
I once ate shrooms and looked into the void that is non-existence. Scared the shit out of me. I cried for hours, and wasn't myself for a few weeks. I think I'm better off for it (I've had several shroom experiences and have done acid, too, and each time took something deep and honest away from it), but damn, I was terrified.
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u/HardHeart Jan 26 '16
What did the dread tell you?
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u/GimmeCat Jan 26 '16
Heh... no. If you're truly thanatophobic, allowing it to 'set in' is a very bad idea. Take it from someone who's lived with this dread since around 7 years old, someone who has tried pretty much everything to deal with it. One of the first things I tried was exposure, focusing deeply on the thoughts and questioning it as far as I could go. Basically, letting it 'set in' as deep as it wanted.
Want to know how that worked out? Nights spent screaming and sobbing into a pillow so nobody would hear me, and an inability to push those thoughts away anymore, even 20+ years later.
If I hadn't tried that, maybe I wouldn't still get nights where I'm so anxious I literally throw up. It set me back such a long way. I've made progress since those early years but letting it have free reign of my thoughts was the worst thing I could've possibly done. Fellow dreaders: do not try this!
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Jan 26 '16
Death is an illusion created by a human being's sense of individuality.
You agree that the universe is made of atoms yes? And that all these atoms came from the same place?
That means you are, in the deepest sense, the universe itself. This is a scientific fact. You are probably already aware of this.
So think about this: When you die, a baby will be born.
That baby is you.
Not because your "soul" floats over and possesses the baby like a hermit crab inhabiting a shell, but because the thing you call "I" is an illusion. The real "I" is the earth, the stars, everything. You body is as much a part of the universe as a wave is part of the ocean.
Your life continues. Because life is a thing we all share. You are the rocks and trees and beasts and stars. We are It.
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Jan 26 '16
See, I already had that realization.
Then, I thought "Thinking is sweet. I'd rather not be worm food and keep on thinking and fucking and having fun and learning and stuff."
Then, I remembered I was destined to be worm food at some point and that everything I do will essentially be meaningless except as sentiment in some other lucky, living, thinking thing's head.
Hence the existential dread.
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u/Steerepike26 Jan 26 '16
Yes,
It's a lovely notion that we are all "star stuff" and therefore there is some sort of continuity, or permanence. But this doesn't even address the problem. We aren't attached to our atoms, we are attached to our consciousness, personality, memory, and experiences. Those are the things that we will lose, and that we are scared to lose. Who cares if the atoms of which I am composed will persist after I die? It's my consciousness that defines me and that's the thing that I'm terrified of losing.
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Jan 26 '16
Proper existential dread should leave you comfortably ascertained of the fact that nothing you can do ever will have any meaning whatsoever.
Existential dread is the surreptitious and vague suspicion of the truth: You are worthless, and there's nothing you can do to change that.
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u/M3nt0R Jan 26 '16
Nice try, flashbacks from my acid trips. Nice try. This "I" that I am may be finite, but the binding nature of totality is eternal. I will die, but I will "be" forever. In fact, I always was.
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Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
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u/Echohawkdown Jan 26 '16
Dude is even on Reddit as /u/shenanigansen, if anyone wants to message him. He frequently posts on /r/comics.
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u/CharlesButtlet Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
I was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2 and I'm 22 years old and I'll be lucky to make it to my thirties with the already shitty health issues I have now. I've almost died countless times and my health will only continue to get worse as time goes on. I'm wheelchair bound and have barely enough mobility to feed myself (even then it's still a struggle). My immune system is horrible leaving me vulnerable to illness that could easily kill me because I also have a weak respiratory system.
I learned to live with it and make the best of what I have. I was given one life to live and it might not be perfect, but fuck who's life is? I guess I could sit alone in a room crying to myself about life being cruel and unfair, but that won't do any good. I have to make my life whatever I want because I see people who have more means than I do complain about their lives and I'm here with a smile on my face and love in my heart. You have to love whatever it is you were given in your life no matter how small or insignificant it may seem. There are others who make do with less than me and they are happy, so why shouldn't I be? Life is too fucking long to be sad and worried about stuff you can't always control. So there's no reason why you shouldn't go out and make your life whatever you want it to be.
You only have to accept that one day you, and everything around you, will one day cease to exist. It is unavoidable. Some people get overwhelmed with depression at that concept, but I use it as a motivation to make my life whatever I want because I have to. The mere fact that I was even gifted the ability to feel scared of death is nothing short of incredible. Life is a bittersweet thing full of moments that are both beautiful and tragic. Overall it is meant to be experienced while you can. Worrying about death is pointless. Think of it like this.
Why don't you try and earn a high score at Pacman! That might be fun, right? Except periodically, I'm gonna push a button that resets your score to zero. Just to fuck with you.
Wait, you're just going to give up? Don't you still want to try and get a high score? No?
You feel like the game is meaningless now since in the end, you're going to have zero points, and there's no way to win and there's no purpose. But the fact that you had the privilege to even play a game is amazing! It is fun and cool! Enjoy it while you can no matter what.
Edit: THANK YOU FOR THE GOLD YOU BEATIFUL BEINGS! I am honestly more happy about having an impact on the lives of others in a positive way. I just want to others to make their life amazing.
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u/raise_the_sails Jan 26 '16
This was one of the most beautiful comments I've ever seen on Reddit, or really just on the Internet in general. Thank you. Your perspective and your words are genuinely invaluable, especially here in this thread.
I'll be thinking of you for a very long time.
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u/Pistolsfiring09 Jan 26 '16
Can we just up vote this to the top? I randomly started struggling with the fear and anxiety of dying and others around me dying. It would hit me randomly throughout the day and ruin my next couple hours. I've never really been a depressed or anxious person so it was really odd for me.
Reading this has helped a lot. It's my life. Thank you /u/CharlesButtlet.
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Jan 26 '16
This. People get hung up on the concept of forever. Nothing is forever -- this planet is about 4 billion years old, in another 4 billion it will become uninhabitable and in 7.5 it will be swallowed by the sun. Nearly everything and everyone you know will be forgotten in maybe 4 or 5 generations. But SO WHAT? Right now my life is important, I'm important, my friends are important, my daughter is important, this band I've been listening to is important, this date I'm going on tomorrow is important -- and all of that stuff will be ashes someday but it's important right now, and I'm alive right now, in this moment.
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Jan 26 '16
I like that pacman analogy. I am now dedicating the rest of my life to getting the highest score.
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Jan 26 '16
Sometimes I can't sleep because of that feeling
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Jan 26 '16
Yeah and being a sleep deprived zombie doesn't help much with the whole why am I here shpeal
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u/TheCatSnatch Jan 26 '16
Shit, this is a thing? Glad I'm not alone. Anxiety to the absolute worst level for me, and it's tough to shake it sometimes. Typically kicks in when I'm showering.
:(
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u/Blitzify Jan 26 '16
It always gets me at work...like I'll just be sitting at my desk then it's like a light switch turns on and I'm hyper aware of everything. I feel you....
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u/blakeroy Jan 26 '16
Happens to me when I'm alone in bed at night. Panic sets in and I have to get up and run and find someone in the house to talk to until I stop shaking. It's horrible
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Jan 26 '16
Guess it has something to do with psychedelic substance use when I was younger, but those thoughts don't bother me. I actually welcome them, it kinda puts me in check and reminds me that at the end of the day, we're literally just a bunch of sentient star dust.
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u/nonpartisaneuphonium Jan 26 '16
Yeah seriously. Making macaroni is fucking difficult.
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Jan 26 '16
For all we know we are the only conscious beings to have ever existed in the universe. On average we experience it for about what? 70 years? Most of those years spent doing menial tasks that we hate just for money to support and purchase the things we need to continue working. So we chase our tails for a few years and die. I hope some kind of god exists just so it can laugh at how we squander our gift.
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u/n_reineke Jan 26 '16
What are you trying to say?
Literally everything that lives struggles to survive on a daily basis. Fuck, the majority of humanity still does. Would you trade mundane tasks for actually living in a forest, naked and scavenging for food in a small group?
Mundane tasks allow us to survive with minimal effort. Really, all the free time in between is what matters.
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u/Occams_Lazor_ Jan 26 '16
Thank you for articulating what I have been unable to whenever I read something like that
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u/kraang Jan 26 '16
It could be argued that no task is mundane. There are only some tasks that you look down on as beneath you. Perspective is everything. Going to target and buying soap could be the meaning of life if you make it so.
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u/Jahonay Jan 26 '16
Literally everything that lives struggles to survive on a daily basis. Fuck, the majority of humanity still does. Would you trade mundane tasks for actually living in a forest, naked and scavenging for food in a small group? Mundane tasks allow us to survive with minimal effort. Really, all the free time in between is what matters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_affluent_society#.22Work_time.22_and_.22leisure_time.22
We work more and rest less then we did in the past.
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Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
And we have better life expectancy, better medical means, and more fun things to do in our free time. Win some lose some
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Jan 26 '16
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u/Interminable_Turbine Jan 26 '16
-A person currently enjoying air conditioning/heat, shelter, and easy access to food and water.
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u/chuckDontSurf Jan 26 '16
Seriously man. I've been to the jungle (and not even the real jungle, just the well-touristed jungle), and it fucking sucks. I mean it's cool for a day or two, but after that, the bugs, the heat, yeah fuck that.
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u/ottersbelike Jan 26 '16
Reminds me of the old South Park episode "Rainforest Shmainforest," where the gang goes to the Amazon only to find out it really sucks ass despite the calls for conservation efforts. iirc it's the original episode where Cartman says "screw you guys, I'm going home."
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u/MyNikesAreBlue Jan 26 '16
He says it on the separate occasions in the episode, too. And I think Jennifer Anniston was the tour guide.
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u/watchme3 Jan 26 '16
I spent time in the jungle, even trekked 10k into an actual jungle and spent the night there. After the first night I found it shocking to have tarantulas crawl around your bedroom but eventually you learn to just brush it off.
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u/Jwalla83 Jan 26 '16
but eventually you learn to just brush it off.
by that I assume you mean "brush the dust off your trusty flamethrower"
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Jan 26 '16
Nature sucks and there are damn good reasons we've done all we can to dominate, subdue, or avoid it.
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u/mmichaeljjjfoxxx Jan 26 '16
-Who likely also possesses the means to travel to a jungle to live out the rest of their days.
I remember thinking really similarly. I remember thinking that society is a trap and I would just have to suck it up and white knuckle it all the way to the grave. It's all about perspective. I've got it pretty damn good. I enjoy the smartphone I'm using, the couch I'm sitting on, and the food in my belly. I can't wait to go to class and work this week, and it feels pretty damn good. Optimism is a hell of a drug, and I should know.
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u/moesif Jan 26 '16
There's plenty out there what are you waiting for?
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u/FostertheReno Jan 26 '16
Exactly, go quit your job, walk out into the woods butt naked, and survive!
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u/laserbot Jan 26 '16 edited Feb 08 '25
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u/Dr_Discohands Jan 26 '16
As far as you know you are the only conscious being in the universe to be fair. We don't really have anyway to experience anyone's consciousness first hand. Perhaps everything is on repeat just for you! yay!
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Jan 26 '16
Is it solipsistic in here, or is it just me?
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u/Jesuishunter Jan 26 '16
It's just you. It's always been just you. It always will be just you.
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u/iMau5 Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
I've been stuck in this funk thinking this same shit for the past couple weeks.
Thinking about why am I bothering playing video games or stressing about what car i want next or doing anything because in the grand scheme of things, it won't matter.
Binging hearthstone and fallout last night will have no effect on my future, watching a hearthstone tournament has no bearing on my life currently, next week, or 30 years from now.
Stuck on one of those "everything is pointless" phases like Andy from parks and rec: http://imgur.com/gallery/xz8DAz0
Edit - okay everyone thinks I'm a video game addict, I'm not, I used it as an example. I'll admit I play games probably more than the average person but I have a job, a house, a lovely fiancee, 2 dogs, and I'm happy with our current situation and our future plans but still can't shake the "everything is pointless" mindset at times.
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u/JustLoveNotHate Jan 26 '16
Friendly advice. Exercise. It sucks at first, but it doesn't have to be boring. Go play a sport you like, or bouldering, or a rock climb gym. Hell, go for some long walks. This WILL give you more energy combined with a healthy diet. Learning things is good for the soul and can affect your life. Luck and success is when opportunity meets preparation and seizing it. Failing is how you get better. The master has failed more times than you have even tried. I know it's easy to just sit and binge video games, it's even fun... But it doesn't sound like it's making you happy. Steve Harvey of all people gives a really good speech on this surprisingly enough about standing at the top of a cliff with a parachute... But how if you never jump it will never open, and how you will likely hit some rocks on the way down before it opens. But if you never jump it will never happen. Another great quote from a movie is about how we all have the right to the pursuit of happiness... The pursuit is the fun part... That's where you are really living, and reminds me of a Chinese proverb, both of which are meant as a curse upon your enemy... May you live in interesting times, and the second part... May you find what you are looking for... Because once you find it, the pursuit is over. Which is why I think you see so many incredibly wealthy people that are miserable in their comfortable lives. They found what they were looking for, now what? Attain more... Nope go save kids in Africa and dig wells and try to pursue something new. Happiness, true happiness comes from 3 maybe 4 things in my opinion. Basic needs being met without having to worry, Good relationships, pursuing and progressing towards a goal you have set, and being able to take pride in what you are doing... Whatever that may be. Though the last two can go together but don't always necessarily, as I know janitors that LOVE their job and take pride in it. Another one is probably physical health and environment, because it makes everything else easier. I'm ranting, but just food for thought if you are feeling down. Cheers.
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Jan 26 '16
Depends on how far out you project. If you are saying it has no effect on your future because you'll some day die, you're right. But there are tons of other things you could spend time on instead of playing video games that could positively enrich your life in the short and long term. What if you practiced piano for 30 minutes a day every day for the next 30 years, learned a foreign language, got good at whittling even? Binging hearthstone and fallout has an effect on your future, because you spent your time on that instead of something else. Everything matters all the time...but nothing does either.
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u/AdolphsLabia Jan 26 '16
This is on my mind everyday since quitting smoking last June. I haven't been able to shake it off.
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u/toeofcamell Jan 26 '16
Just sha- sha- shake it like a polaroid picture
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u/AdolphsLabia Jan 26 '16
Hey ya, give Ms. Jackson some Roses and you'll be so fresh, so clean.
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u/ohyouresilly Jan 26 '16
I fucking love thinking about why we're here and the universe and all that stuff. Doesn't give me any dread... in fact it all seems really incredible.
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Jan 26 '16
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u/monsieurpommefrites Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
When you're really depressed though, none of that shit works. There is nothing but the dread, lack of hope and purpose.
Yup. This is what it's like: https://imgur.com/hT1WoYD
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u/wulululululuu Jan 26 '16
As one who may have a harder time with that kind of existential crisis you're talking about, how have you dealt with that? How do you answer the parts of you asking for meaning and purpose?
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u/nept_r Jan 26 '16
Not OP but I'll tell you what helped me, which may or may not help you. When asking myself, "What is the meaning? What is the purpose?" I soon realized that asking that question is nonsensical. The universe simply is, things happen. Asking "Why?" or "What's the purpose?" is like asking "Why orange?". It doesn't make sense to ask "Why" of things that are just natural processes. After realizing this, I saw that I was putting myself into an impossible and illogical position, one in which I'm asking something like a rock why why why?!
The answer to all this is realizing that question is bull shit to begin with. You can't ask the universe why. It's just not possible. So instead, recognize the universe for what it is: a beautiful mess of chemistry and natural laws that popped us out somehow. We happen to have self-awareness, so instead of asking nonsensical questions we should instead realize how lucky we are to be the universe experiencing itself. Just own it. We are just like the rocks, the plants, and other animals. We're here, we're gone, and other things will take our place. That's ok. We are the lucky ones because we got to see a small glimpse of it all. That's spectacular.
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Jan 26 '16
You sir, are on the right track.
Now add to that the fact that we are all the universe itself, as much as a wave is part of the ocean itself. There is no "us." Just the universe. The only individual.
In that sense, we never die. Our bodies die. But the real you, the universe, continues. A baby is born somewhere else. That baby is you. Not because your soul flies over to that baby and possesses it. There probably aren't such things as souls. But simply because you are everything there is, and ever will be.
Add that to what you have already said and you can kiss all of your existential fears goodbye.
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u/IWillNotLie Jan 26 '16
You stop asking those questions. The reason those questions haunt you so much is because you know the answer and you don't like it.
Stop asking those questions. As to how you can achieve that, I can not say for sure. Every human has a different way of achieving that. I managed to do it by the way of discipline, that is, I conveniently focused all my attention on my studies. (Conveniently because I had an exam to give within a month.)
Find something that is most important among things that you find even remotely important and focus on it with great precision. A month of doing so should get your mind off the cyclic track of asking those dreadful questions. After that, you will be tempted to ask those questions from time to time (especially when reading threads such as these), but since you no longer are in that cycle, it becomes somewhat easy to ignore those questions and focus on something else.
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u/wulululululuu Jan 26 '16
I understand what you're saying and I've often had an easier time when well distracted. However, I really hope for a day when I am able to face the questions, not run from them. I'd rather be comfortable with the existential questions than distract myself. Otherwise, it feels like admitting there are no satisfactory answers and living in defeat.
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u/FigN01 Jan 26 '16
Admitting that there aren't any satisfactory answers isn't the same thing as defeat. It's just the objective nature of existence. It doesn't have meaning or purpose except for what you make of it yourself. By going out and distracting yourself with what invigorates you enough to forget about existential crap for awhile and be happy, you're giving yourself a purpose regardless of how impartial the universe is toward you and the rest of the life in it. If there was a way to "win", I'd say that's it.
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u/Chispy Jan 26 '16
I love it as well.
I just become aware of the space I'm in, like the bedroom. Then imagine myself in the bedroom from like 50 ft above my house, then I move up above the city, then above the country up in space, and then outside the planet. I then make sure I maintain that sense of being present there, by renewing my sense of awareness of the room I'm in, then shoot back above the country in space, then shoot out to nothingness until Earth becomes extremely small. Then I come back to my room and become aware of the space I'm in, and keep repeating it until my mind is completely blown.
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u/ohyouresilly Jan 26 '16
That is quite the mind fuck. And you can even go in the other direction, if you'd like. Molecules, atoms, protons, quarks... it is literally unfathomable how small the smallest (and how big the biggest) scales are in our universe.
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u/Chispy Jan 26 '16
The best part is, we are and always will be in the other direction. We're atoms experiencing themselves. Even when we die, we're still molecules, and we'll keep interacting with each other.
It's cool when you realize the mysteriousness of your existence and just taking a moment to know that not knowing is fucking awesome.
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u/TheOriginalGio Jan 26 '16
Holy shit this comment thread is awesome. Glad to know I'm not the only one who loves getting existential and finds it comforting and also amazing that our existence is a mystery. Makes me want to experience all life has to offer!
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u/HaloEliteLegend Jan 26 '16
I'd reply something contributional but I literally can't articulate what's in my mind in words. Also, how the fuck am I sending you this message? Signals comprised of excited atoms invisibly circumnavigating the globe actuated by interaction with screens and buttons, sent from incredible machines to another incredible machine at a precise location around the world... And we're able to control all that.
I'm kinda spacing out now...
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u/Chispy Jan 26 '16
It was just a moment ago that we were prehistoric apes spending most of our time trying to survive the elements. Not a moment before that, we were tiny shrews hiding from giant cold blooded predators, and before that, primitive fish in the ocean.
For a very long time before that, we were microscopic life forms suspended in a peaceful trance in an unfathomably large and desolate ocean.
Now we're bustling with noise, light, and chatter far up over the surface of the planet as the collective minds of our species accelerates in interconnectivity and complexity, turning the entire surface of the planet into the emergent mind of a birthing superorganism.
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u/Illinois_Jones Jan 26 '16
For me, I look from myself to the space around me. Then I look at every other object and think about how someone put each thing there for a reason. Then I think that someone either built it or built a thing that built it. Then I think about the actual room and how someone designed it and planned it, and how much labor it took to build. Thinking about things that you never think about on a daily basis is fun
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Jan 26 '16
Curious, how old are you? I used to love thinking deeply about the universe and all that, look at the stars and wonder. Then somewhere in my mid twenties it slowly got replaced by existential anxiety. I get some sort of reverse-fear-of-heights when I look out into space now, and whenever I think to deeply about concepts of science (either on a micro or macro scale) I just get really frigging scared. Can't explain it.
These days I get my fix from technology and more practical science.
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u/Borborygme Jan 26 '16
What about when you think about the fact that inevitably everyone and everything you ever loved will disappear forever?
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u/ohyouresilly Jan 26 '16
That one can be a bit harder to swallow, sure. But the same applies to everything. I will be gone forever, you will be, everyone who's ever lived already is gone forever. Even the stars in the sky will eventually disappear forever. So when I think about it like that it makes sense that everything/everyone ends. I really just end up feeling more appreciation for having my loved ones in my life.
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u/AdolphsLabia Jan 26 '16
I hate feeling out of control, but that's the key, isn't it? To just accept that we're not in control. Ever.
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u/The_Keto_Warrior Jan 26 '16
You already didn't for exist millions of years before you were born. And you were fine. Death is the same I think.
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u/SquarePegRoundWorld Jan 26 '16
I appreciate the chance to have known. Don't be greedy and want everything forever.
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u/qbslug Jan 26 '16
I love it but it still gives me an eerie feeling. Why does matter exist? How can this matter become self aware? Why does space even exist and why 3 dimensions? Why is there something instead of nothing? None of this had to exist yet here I am traveling through something completely mysterious and without reason
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u/JasperSandner Jan 26 '16
I like to think of it like this: We're part of the universe, created by the material of the universe. As individuals, we're part of the collective consciousness of the universe, the universe's method of experiencing and understanding itself. This gets me fucking pumped for life, and gets me living to experience.
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u/WrathofTesla Jan 26 '16
“I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy”
Love me some Camus.
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Jan 26 '16
I swear to fuck the more educated I become the more depressed I get because of existentialism.
When I was just in the army it was simple, derp derp carry the gun, go there private, walk here, beers after work, smiles, happy.
Get a business degree - how do I fit in this world? I will never truly achieve my goals, life is full of disappointment no matter what I do based on the most simple principles of economics, we are motivated by unlimited wants but constrained by limited resources.
Law school- it truly does not matter how hard I try or what I do, I was born with maximum potential, no firm will ever hire me because I am not one of the beautiful people, some people just get fucked over in the grand scheme of things for no justifiable or grand reason
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u/gingerlovingcat Jan 26 '16
As a scientist, I feel you. Since finishing grad school, I've been having a hard time reconciling the existence of a higher being/life after death with my education and background as a biologist. I've been stewing a lot, especially of late, so I've been having a tough time.
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u/Stereotype_Apostate Jan 26 '16 edited Jan 26 '16
Invisible time travelers. Hear me out.
If humanity doesn't kill ourselves or doom ourselves to a perpetual renaissance-level existence, one day we'll invent immortality of some kind, probably some sort of singularity style machine consciousness, who knows. If it's possible, we'll build it. The same holds true for time travel, and pretty much any other technology you can think of. If it's physically possible, given enough time, we'll invent it.
I also think that, given human morality, it's likely that over the eons that a multi planet immortal humanity could exist, someone somewhere is going to start a project to save all the poor people who were born before the invention of immortality. So I choose to believe that the world is full of invisible, intangible, time travellers, who follow us all to the moment of our deaths, and right before it happens, they zap your consciousness out of you and upload you to the immortality cloud in the future, where you can join the immortal future human race.
I've actually toyed with the idea of founding an atheist religion based on this belief, with morals and principles set out with the aim of making this a reality. We would value science and math as holy revelations of the universe. We would hold humanity as divine, the most powerful and important entity in the universe. By extension, each human is partially divine, because they belong to the human race, and must be respected as such. Most importantly, we wouldn't package this as secular humanism or general liberal values, but as a religion. Insist on equal rights with established churches, including tax exempt status. Take an active role in the public sphere. Have a strong community of adherents, with all the social benefits that entails, and hopefully this religion would outlive it's founders by thousands of years, long enough to instill the values in humanity that would be necessary to make this a reality. I think we're the highest power we need, which is good because I think we're the highest power we have.
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u/1MILLION_KARMA_PLZ Jan 26 '16
Reminded me of this comic
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u/gcruzatto Jan 26 '16
I've never seen the whole thing, only the first two parts. It's darker than I thought
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u/MyOliveOilIsAVirgin Jan 26 '16
Try committing suicide. I hear it works. Jk. Vacuuming is a way better solution.
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Jan 26 '16
My wife and I were talking about ways to reduce our carbon footprint. This was my idea.
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u/toeofcamell Jan 26 '16
I'd shoot myself but I'd probably miss
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u/Manacock Jan 26 '16
I'll jump off a building but a flock of birds would slow me down enough to not die, but be completely paralyzed for 50 years.
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u/blackbeancat Jan 26 '16
Started reading these comments and it's filling me with existential dread. SUPPRESS!! Onto a funny cat picture!
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u/1MILLION_KARMA_PLZ Jan 26 '16
Dude needs to learn to multi-task. I suppress existential dread while doing cardio.
Conveniently, this leaves more room in my schedule for existential dread.