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how is it possible to believe that modern man has the capability of understanding such massively chaotic systems as the entire planet's climate and the sum of a
by adamrezich 3y ago
how is it possible to believe that modern man has the capability of understanding such massively chaotic systems as the entire planet's climate and the sum of all total contemporary human anthropology, let alone chaos and game theory—so as to be able to make such bold claims about the specific certainty of specific future social injustices? even if man did have this capability, how would it be remotely possible that only negative outcomes are possible, and that no positive outcomes are possible, to the point of reaching what seems to be abject nihilism, elevated to the level overriding one's innately primal biological drive to perpetuate one's genetic lineage, not just as a precondition to procreation, but, in your case, to the point of causing an overwhelming sense of regret in having procreated as many as fifteen years ago?
I can understand the perspective that anthropogenic climate change is a significant factor in various things in our complex systems, but I have trouble making the logical leap from there to what, again, seems to be abject nihilism caused by complete certainty of an imminent doomsday scenario, leaving no possibility any other outcome—which, no offense—is something usually reserved for cults. (religions usually at least proffer the possibility of salvation in such scenarios!)
it may be useful to introspect and examine what led you to such beliefs, as this specific sort of paralyzing terror is often something that one reaches through overexposure to fear-mongering mass media in a 24/7 online news cycle, and promise-making(-and-never-fulfilling) politicians looking for reelection.
- hotpotamus 3y agoI live in South Texas and 2 days ago we set an all time record high heat index and today we passed it by 2 degrees. You talk about modesty in the face of overwhelming complexity of climate systems, well then we really should have stopped fucking with them before I was even born. I don't see nihilism in fearing the unknown feedback effects that we may have already set into motion; I see it in doing that and saying something like, "maybe it will all just work out anyway" or "hopefully some kid born today will innovate a way out of it". Hope isn't a plan.