4 ms·

Lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable. In the world where success is infinitely scalable as we are living in the information age, most people are doomed t

Lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable. In the world where success is infinitely scalable as we are living in the information age, most people are doomed to uselessness no matter what. Trick is how to help them get over it. Obesity is a medical problem and will be solved by rather trivial medical means very soon, at least on that front, future is bright.

dr_dshiv 4y ago
>most people are doomed to uselessness no matter what Well, no mater how smart computers get, mothers will be generally useful to their children. So at least one counter example.
- anovikov 4y ago
  That's right and this is why rates of depression, suicide and stuff, is way lower among women than men. Still it leaves an impression of a Ponzi scheme of a sort?
  - boxed 4y ago
    A Ponzi scheme works because it gives the illusion of being real. Life isn't that. Life is real. The only real thing in many ways.
safety1st 4y ago
Woah that's a contrarian take on obesity. Can you elaborate?
- anovikov 4y ago
  GLP-1 receptor agonists seem to be the one-and-for-all solution for obesity and they seem to work for nearly every person regardless of existing health conditions, diabetes, etc (they are primarily diabetes drugs) with under 3% quit rate from side effects. Only problem is production volumes ramp-up but that will solve itself over time just like with covid vaccines, because drugs are new, 2021-2022. Smart asses willing to pay ~$1500+ per month already all got access to them. In 3-4 years, at least in developed countries, only people who will still be fat are those with rare and unusual health issues, rare people with extreme side effects to these drugs, and those who don't care. In another few years, health insurance will probably be unaccessible to those who are overweight and don't use these drugs so it will not even be a choice.
mathieuh 4y ago
Not everyone has to have some grand purpose. I work to earn enough money to do what I like, I'm not planning or hoping to make a heap of money. I would be perfectly happy living a comfortable yet completely unnoticed life. In fact I think a lot of people my age (late 20s) are starting to feel like this as a reaction to the idea that anyone who isn't driving a nice car or going abroad several times a year is a failure. That's the impression I get from talking to people at work anyway. You still get those status-driven people but frankly I feel very uneasy around them.
- SyzygistSix 4y ago
  >In fact I think a lot of people my age (late 20s) are starting to feel like this as a reaction to the idea that anyone who isn't driving a nice car or going abroad several times a year is a failure. Most of the people around me and I always saw that lifestyle as an strong indication of and reaction to no sense of purpose.
- marssaxman 4y ago
  Sense of purpose need not have anything to do with money or status.
taopai 4y ago
I like spending time with my friends and family. This makes my life purposeful. I love creating experiences for them. Studying and working are secondary. I like messing with data, love linux, and have a blast with emacs and all that... But when I am near death I only think about my loved ones.
loonginthetooth 4y ago
You should review the psychological literature around sense of purpose. Basically every study ever conducted on humans has concluded that mental health is more or less impossible without a sense of purpose. The experts in this field say it's very likely that "helping them get over it" is either impossible or close enough that we'll never figure it out. If, as you say, lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable, many decades of research says humanity is doomed.
ChatGTP 4y ago
So we’ll just be taking pills for everything ?
boxed 4y ago
> Lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable Citation needed. We're a loooooong way from post scarcity, as should be pretty obvious from the unemployment numbers. > In the world where success is infinitely scalable as we are living in the information age One of those things doesn't follow from the other.

dr_dshiv 4y ago

>most people are doomed to uselessness no matter what Well, no mater how smart computers get, mothers will be generally useful to their children. So at least one counter example.

anovikov 4y ago
That's right and this is why rates of depression, suicide and stuff, is way lower among women than men. Still it leaves an impression of a Ponzi scheme of a sort?
- boxed 4y ago
  A Ponzi scheme works because it gives the illusion of being real. Life isn't that. Life is real. The only real thing in many ways.

safety1st 4y ago

Woah that's a contrarian take on obesity. Can you elaborate?

anovikov 4y ago
GLP-1 receptor agonists seem to be the one-and-for-all solution for obesity and they seem to work for nearly every person regardless of existing health conditions, diabetes, etc (they are primarily diabetes drugs) with under 3% quit rate from side effects. Only problem is production volumes ramp-up but that will solve itself over time just like with covid vaccines, because drugs are new, 2021-2022. Smart asses willing to pay ~$1500+ per month already all got access to them. In 3-4 years, at least in developed countries, only people who will still be fat are those with rare and unusual health issues, rare people with extreme side effects to these drugs, and those who don't care. In another few years, health insurance will probably be unaccessible to those who are overweight and don't use these drugs so it will not even be a choice.

mathieuh 4y ago

Not everyone has to have some grand purpose. I work to earn enough money to do what I like, I'm not planning or hoping to make a heap of money. I would be perfectly happy living a comfortable yet completely unnoticed life. In fact I think a lot of people my age (late 20s) are starting to feel like this as a reaction to the idea that anyone who isn't driving a nice car or going abroad several times a year is a failure. That's the impression I get from talking to people at work anyway. You still get those status-driven people but frankly I feel very uneasy around them.

SyzygistSix 4y ago
>In fact I think a lot of people my age (late 20s) are starting to feel like this as a reaction to the idea that anyone who isn't driving a nice car or going abroad several times a year is a failure. Most of the people around me and I always saw that lifestyle as an strong indication of and reaction to no sense of purpose.
marssaxman 4y ago
Sense of purpose need not have anything to do with money or status.

taopai 4y ago

I like spending time with my friends and family. This makes my life purposeful. I love creating experiences for them. Studying and working are secondary. I like messing with data, love linux, and have a blast with emacs and all that... But when I am near death I only think about my loved ones.

loonginthetooth 4y ago

You should review the psychological literature around sense of purpose. Basically every study ever conducted on humans has concluded that mental health is more or less impossible without a sense of purpose. The experts in this field say it's very likely that "helping them get over it" is either impossible or close enough that we'll never figure it out. If, as you say, lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable, many decades of research says humanity is doomed.

ChatGTP 4y ago

So we’ll just be taking pills for everything ?

boxed 4y ago

> Lack of purpose is inevitable and unfixable Citation needed. We're a loooooong way from post scarcity, as should be pretty obvious from the unemployment numbers. > In the world where success is infinitely scalable as we are living in the information age One of those things doesn't follow from the other.