Surely, and I guess that they will survive here much longer than humans!
But if we look only at animals, humans are just the latest species, not necessarily "the best"... and we have harmed or killed thousands of other species!
This is a planet of microbes. We are here at their pleasure. Without their help we would die. Indeed, we could never have existed.
It's time to say thank you to your microbes!
There's a song called " god of grain", and the lyrics partly suggested (it's a long time since I've heard it) that instead of grain serving us, we serve grain by planting it and spreading the seeds (a highly intelligent being serving a plant in a symbiotic relationship), there's some indication that our stomachs have a primitive brain, perhaps out "head brain" serves our primitive stomach, then there's the time machine novel where people serve primitive descendance of humans. Then there's some "interesting" theory that planet earth has a mind. Who serves who?
Our relationship with domestic animals is most decidedly symbiotic. Exhibit A: dogs. Exhibit B: Domestic cattle.
Neither species would exist without us. Neither species could exist without us. Dogs might evolve into a feral proto-dog species without us, but domestic cattle are just so damn stupid I can't imagine them lasting a generation without us.
Domestic turkeys are a more extreme example. Domestic turkeys are really stupid. Domestic turkeys will drown standing in a sprinkler. Domestic turkeys can't even mate any more. Domestic turkeys are slow, stupid, and delicious. It's amazing to me that they were bred from the wild turkey, a creature that is neither stupid, or docile.
Neither species would exist without us. Neither species could exist without us. Dogs might evolve into a feral proto-dog species without us, but domestic cattle are just so damn stupid I can't imagine them lasting a generation without us.
Domestic turkeys are a more extreme example. Domestic turkeys are really stupid. Domestic turkeys will drown standing in a sprinkler. Domestic turkeys can't even mate any more. Domestic turkeys are slow, stupid, and delicious. It's amazing to me that they were bred from the wild turkey, a creature that is neither stupid, or docile.
Ed, thanks for posting your experience. I'm in the first month of that adventure and had no idea it would be such an emotional roller coaster. We spend the first 20 years or so educating ourselves for a career that essentially defines our life and identity in a big way to those around us. Then suddenly, Geronimo! At least the chute has opened, I think.
Don't wait until you're too old to do some of the things you want to do.
My whole life, I listened to authority figures; you know, people that "knew better." I had figures of authority (like my academic counselors) tell me that my ideas were IMPOSSIBLE. Then thirty years later, somebody did it and now it's everyday technology (like cochlear implants oh that's impossible).
If I had a time machine, I'd go back to 1974 and tell that young, ambitious, energetic engineering school student that was brimming with ideas to tell his professors to stuff it, I'm not going to do my thesis on high energy power distribution. I'm going to do it on electrical interface with biological systems and I'm going to go to another school and find a professor that will support my ambition, thank you very much.
My whole life, I listened to authority figures; you know, people that "knew better." I had figures of authority (like my academic counselors) tell me that my ideas were IMPOSSIBLE. Then thirty years later, somebody did it and now it's everyday technology (like cochlear implants oh that's impossible).
If I had a time machine, I'd go back to 1974 and tell that young, ambitious, energetic engineering school student that was brimming with ideas to tell his professors to stuff it, I'm not going to do my thesis on high energy power distribution. I'm going to do it on electrical interface with biological systems and I'm going to go to another school and find a professor that will support my ambition, thank you very much.
After a month, reality hadn't even set in for me. I was still confident that I'd soon be employed again. After all, it was just a year before that I was being ruthlessly headhunted. Everybody knew who I was and everybody wanted me on their team. Up to that point in my life, I had never looked for a job. After 2009, I couldn't get any job. Too old, overqualified, your education has expired, nobody would give me a chance. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this could happen to me.
I knew I had it good, but it wasn't luck. I earned my good fortune. Nobody did me any favors. I did it all myself.
And then it was all gone, forever. Then I was persona non grata. Invisible. Without meaningful work I felt anxious, ungrounded, meaningless. It cost me a lot including my health.
So I tell you, try to imagine a future where you don't have that cushy job any more. Try to hold on to your dignity while you figure out how to live, while you work demeaning jobs that totally waste your talent, and how you can move forward into a new way of living. It's not easy but you wouldn't be the first person to recover from such a setback.
This is materialism in a nutshell. To be happy; eat, drink, be merry for this life is all there is. This philosophy has existed for thousands of years, in ancient India it was called Charuvaka. The problem with this school of thought is it comes up short. That which made you happy before does not make you happy anymore, whether it be objects or persons. It may because that person is no longer in your life, or because your mind is no longer interested. We live our lives as slaves to the next best thing.
Other schools of thought are in opposition to this. They argue not to pursue objects that bring you happiness, rather the means which decrease our suffering. Essentially to find sustained inner peace, which is neither happiness nor unhappiness. I think there is lots of meaning to be found here
There's a song that I don't particularly like, but it has the lyrics "if I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor" - genius.
I can remember watching "castaway" (Tom Hanks), and watching him value the simple posessions that he had, had a profound effect on me. I am glad that there are luxury high end stuff, with the people able to make it, but I have no desire to own any.
I can remember watching "castaway" (Tom Hanks), and watching him value the simple posessions that he had, had a profound effect on me. I am glad that there are luxury high end stuff, with the people able to make it, but I have no desire to own any.
I'm rather intrigued that you'd describe my philosophy as materialism as I'm far from being a materialist myself. Perhaps you didn't give sufficient weight to the 'unintended consequences' - those are no less important than the 'have fun' part.
'Finding sustained inner peace' sounds great to me, aka 'contentment'. At the risk of being glib, it seems rather reminiscent of the 'Four noble truths' from Buddhism.
I hope this comes across as all in fun and polite argument. I don't mean to attack your personal way of life. The pursuit of fun itself has suffering built in, it is unavoidable. You can try to minimize the suffering, but you cannot escape it in any ultimate sense. Balance lies in not letting "fun" run wild, that we not lose ourselves in our fun pursuits. Perhaps this is what you meant by unintended consequences, or was it something else?
It is Buddhism, as well as Samkhyayoga, Vedanta, Janism.. They all stand in contrast to Caruvaka philosophy. They all share quite a bit of common ground.
Naturally - no attack perceived at my end. I'm just curious how my own words can be interpreted in such a way.
In mentioning the 'unintended consequences' I was really hinting at karma, a much misunderstood word. I don't think I've ever met a materialist who entertained the notion of karma.
It is! I think if you ask ten different people what it is you might get ten different answers. As I understand it, our actions result in latent imprints of those actions. Those imprints again fructify into actions in either the present or the future. That is karma, not some external force. What does it mean for you?
What does karma mean for me? Hmmm, in a very brief summary 'whatever you intend for another you'll eventually experience yourself'. So its fuelled by intention, which often isn't conscious intention. Hence 'unintended consequences' aren't really unintended, rather they aren't consciously intended rather unconsciously intended.
