3 ms·
This might be instructive reading re: the plan you alluded to lower in your comments: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lotus_Eater https://en.m.wikipedia.org
by graeme 6y ago
This might be instructive reading re: the plan you alluded to lower in your comments: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lotus_Eater https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lotus_Eater
Can’t find text online but it’s a good story. Most humans want to live when older, even if circumstances bad.
As for the future, you may consider a few things:
1. What will happen of everyone sensible to problems lives a life of empty hedonism? Rather than trying to improve them.
2. Will the change really happen so fast that death will be preferable? See the story above. Young you can not reliably plan for what older you will consider early of living.
3. Certainly your analysis cautions against working to death in a job you hate to enjoy it all at 65. But, that plan is not a good idea even if the world at 65 is paradise. These are your most capable years and it makes sense to enjoy them.
In my own case, I worked really hard for about three years, built a working business, and now work a moderate amount on it. (I mean really hard. Sacrificing three years can be rational, sacrificing 30-40 is not. And I still did some memorable things in that time, like travel)
The other option is to pick some work which is moderately enjoyable, and leaves ample free time and mental space to pursue your interests.
Or work you love for itself.
But again, I fail to see what the end of the world does to either of these calculations. In my view the hate your life then retire then die was obsolete regardless.
However, there is a fourth option that presents itself regarding the future apocalypse: work against it. For instance, if you have the technical skills, there is a booming field in renewable energy or carbon extraction.
What about animals specifically? Current nature reserves exist because people in the past decided to make them. You can be part of making one.
Or you can make a lot of money and fund these causes directly.
If everybody gives up hope then hope is lost. My expected future scenario is so grim it startles my parents. But I also think we could still avert much of and it’s worth trying.
As for the recession, that’s far too short term to worry about. If you’re posting here you surely have the skills to avoid it. I came into the market through the 2008-09 recession. Statistically, it was worse for my cohort, but my friends are doing just fine. It lowers results on average, but that doesn’t mean all individual results are disastrous.
- thatguy0900 6y agoI'll read the book, thanks for the reccomendation. 1. Maybe I'm just being a doomer, but I don't think it makes a difference, all of the money is on being a hedonist staying the course and that seems to be the only relevant thing. 2. 68% of life in 50 years is pretty fast, it will only really take 1 global war between powers over resources for things to slip it seems to me 3. That's a sensible plan. I enjoy the field I'm currently in, for the most part. But it feels pointless. I had to wake up early for work today and didn't get enough sleep, I'm sure I'll care less about this situation after I take a nap and keep ignoring it like the rest of the world, I guess. I'll have to look into changing careers to something a little more noble, though, I guess.
- graeme 6y agoIf you think you have the aptitude for it, you might consider starting a business. You can make it so you’re totally free of time and location, and have a fair bit of money. It requires a bunch of upfront work, but then you’re free. For hedonism or more useful purposes. (Though directly working on the problem is more effective than what I suggest) And yeah, 68% in 50 years is a lot. Our default trajectory is very bad. But if all those who see this collapse into hopelessness, what chance do we have? And the book is just a short story. A cautionary tale against believing that a happy life can be hedonism in youth with a planned early end. Most older people, it turns out, still want to live, once they get older.
- foxdev 6y ago>> "Or you can make a lot of money and fund these causes directly." Doing this and finding the most fulfilling path through it is the premise of 80,000 Hours. https://80000hours.org/ https://80000hours.org/