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When you die you no longer remember (if you do then you're not dead), so it doesn't really matter. What matters is a life full of meaningful moments, not symbol
by theboywho 7y ago
When you die you no longer remember (if you do then you're not dead), so it doesn't really matter. What matters is a life full of meaningful moments, not symbolic ones.
- brenden2 7y agoOne could argue that you live on forever in memories and historical accounts.
- pfdietz 7y agoThose don't live forever either.
- reroute1 7y agoHow do you know? Have you been to the future and confirmed that my history has not lived on? You might think it improbable, but you have no way of knowing that.
- crooked-v 7y agoSome people are up there at nearly 3800 years so far, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complaint_tablet_to_Ea-nasir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complaint_tablet_to_Ea-nasir
- kinleyd 7y agoWell, we don't really know what happens after we die. And a little bit of symbolism is a nice touch that also helps those left behind.
- theboywho 7y agoWe kinda know that memory lies in the brain and that the brain gets rotten after you die. Symbolism is nice but it can’t replace actually meaningful moments.
- kinleyd 7y agoTrue, the body and the brain both rot and die. However, whether there is something beyond that that lives on, or not, is something that we are truly qualified to comment on only after we die, however scientific one may try to be.
- justforyou 7y agoThis is sloppy philosphy. Symbolism is clearly defined, but "actual meaningful moments" is a culturally subjective term without actual meaning. Furthermore, symbols are largely how our species interprets and experiences reality. Symbols provide meaning. Without them, moments are mere streams of phenomenon.
- theboywho 7y agoSymbolism is as subjective as it gets, an act can be interpreted as heroic by some people while others might think it's stupid. Meaningful moments don't exclude symbolic ones, they extend them by including banal moments like having an ice cream with your kid and enjoying it.
- justforyou 7y agoHaving an ice cream with your kids and enjoying it is only meaningful due to the cultural symhols and context present in the scenario. Otherwise, you're just hijacking short term reward systems and facilitating the consumption of empty calories to the (health) detriment of all parties involved. There's no inherent meaning in the scenario. Sounds like you are conflating meaning with the felt quality of immediate experience.
- theboywho 7y agoI don't agree. It's not necessary meaningful _only_ for symbolic reasons, in fact, you chose to give it meaning that way. You can also simply enjoy the fact your kid is happy and you are having a solitude moment with somebody who you love and who loves you back. In the same way you would enjoy a good tasting Apple, or hot water touching your skin, etc. Unless you are saying that humans are incapable of enjoying life outside of cultural symbols. You seem to be conflating "am I enjoying this moment?" with "does what I'm doing matter?"