5 ms·

Sounds like a permanent mid-life crisis.

by Camas 6y ago

flir 6y ago
Ok, but how would you prefer to live? Ideally?
xvector 6y ago
In the Culture individuals have the opportunity to live however they want. If you want to go all-in on hedonism and stray away from the mid-life crisis, there's nothing stopping you. The fact that death is optional, allows individuals to live life on their own terms.
p_l 6y ago
I think that was partially the "AhhForgetIt Tendency" offshoot of Culture (which is essentially Culture citizens deciding that putting bricks on the hedonism pedal is not enough), while "Zetetic Elench" goes plus ultra on searching novel things.
libraryofbabel 6y ago
> Sounds like a permanent mid-life crisis. I mean... uh, not really. A mid-life crisis is about impending old age and death. This is the exact opposite. And how many people undergoing a mid-life crisis devote their time to architecture or mathematics? If you wanted to make a snide quip you should have said it's like being an eternal trust fund kid who parties and vaguely dabbles in art and travels and slums it at Burning Man. Except it isn't really that either, because those people frequently get messed up by private wealth and privilege and expectations that they make something of themselves, and in The Culture private wealth does not exist and expectations and values are totally different. As another poster asked, how would you live if you were able to choose?
- Camas 6y ago
  >A mid-life crisis is about impending old age and death And lack of meaning/purpose. >And how many people undergoing a mid-life crisis devote their time to architecture or mathematics? Plenty of mature students at universities. In the series it's just asserted that people do these things. It's not explored. >snide quip "succinct description" >As another poster asked, how would you live if you were able to choose? I think I have more meaningful choice in this world than a human living in the culture so not an interesting question.

Sounds like a permanent mid-life crisis.

by Camas 6y ago

Sounds like a permanent mid-life crisis.

flir 6y ago

Ok, but how would you prefer to live? Ideally?

xvector 6y ago

In the Culture individuals have the opportunity to live however they want. If you want to go all-in on hedonism and stray away from the mid-life crisis, there's nothing stopping you. The fact that death is optional, allows individuals to live life on their own terms.

p_l 6y ago

I think that was partially the "AhhForgetIt Tendency" offshoot of Culture (which is essentially Culture citizens deciding that putting bricks on the hedonism pedal is not enough), while "Zetetic Elench" goes plus ultra on searching novel things.

libraryofbabel 6y ago

> Sounds like a permanent mid-life crisis. I mean... uh, not really. A mid-life crisis is about impending old age and death. This is the exact opposite. And how many people undergoing a mid-life crisis devote their time to architecture or mathematics? If you wanted to make a snide quip you should have said it's like being an eternal trust fund kid who parties and vaguely dabbles in art and travels and slums it at Burning Man. Except it isn't really that either, because those people frequently get messed up by private wealth and privilege and expectations that they make something of themselves, and in The Culture private wealth does not exist and expectations and values are totally different. As another poster asked, how would you live if you were able to choose?

Camas 6y ago
>A mid-life crisis is about impending old age and death And lack of meaning/purpose. >And how many people undergoing a mid-life crisis devote their time to architecture or mathematics? Plenty of mature students at universities. In the series it's just asserted that people do these things. It's not explored. >snide quip "succinct description" >As another poster asked, how would you live if you were able to choose? I think I have more meaningful choice in this world than a human living in the culture so not an interesting question.