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19-07-2016 Great post as usual, Irina! I was talking to someone I know that is a cheerful atheist but not a delusional optimist. He asked me: "Why does life have to have a purpose? What's the purpose to a chicken's life? It's the same with us...the only difference is ego."That struck me. We humans invent these questions about life purpose. I agree there is no point to being gloomy or depressed all the time. We hopefully have 40-50 years left of healthy life so we may as well do what we want. Good for you for exercising. It releases "happy chemicals" like dopamine. You've probably already read the "Myth of Sisyphus." It tries to answer these questions. So I agree we should exercise, travel, overcome problems, help others and eliminate things that hurt or distress us. Oh and try to sleep 8-10 hours a night. It helps me |
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19-07-2016
"the only difference is ego." - this might be the key, we want to feel more significant than a chicken. Well, we are for our kind, but for the Universe we're ... well, it doesnt even make sense to imply Universe has an attitude or a feeling towards anything. It's just something we have to come to terms with and wait our turn to die, I know that sounded encouraging, right? Actually, we might not wait our turn but take ur turn when the time comes. Hopefully, euthanasia will be lealized in more places by then. Yep, "happy chemicals" like dopamine. :) or serotonine, whatever, both good, exercise helps to get that fix of hormonal happiness ))) And yeah, sleep is uber important!! For me, probably most important of all. "Myth of Sisyphus." never read. Worthy? |
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19-07-2016 Oh and here's an interesting video. It's about a "Pessimism of Strength."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu5-E1dVzbc Oh and we won't have kids, I hope, so we're ahead of the game |
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20-07-2016 The Myth of Siphius is a must read and it's short and easy |
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21-07-2016 What do you think of a life goal of avoiding as much responsibility as possible? No marriage, kids or pets It may be my life goal |
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21-07-2016
Sounds great! Let's get married since we have common life goals then Kidding)) You know, marriage is ... depends on a person and the deal you negotiate between yourselves, it may be not much more responsibility or a beneficial responsibility. I think most marriages collapse because people expect the other person to make them happy and that's so much harder than just to agree who takes the garbage out and does the dishes on what day. I used to be like that when I was 20. And lots of people, seemingly, just never grow out of that, they think it only failed with that previous person but the next one just might be that ideal who gets everything right and is fully compatible and will not disappoint. Bwahahaha! This was found somewhere on Facebook: But pets... Them I love. I've been living without them for a while now though, because I need to be mobile while renting and also I hate when they get sick and die. So I substitute with cute pics and vids of them on Facebook. Sad life. |
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22-07-2016 If Ukraine or America implodes, marriage could definitely be a great idea, we could flee our respective countries I like pets too, just not my own at the moment. I've emailed you a picture of my parents angelic dog...the love of my life |
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23-07-2016 thank you very much for writing & sharing this. As a fellow thinker, pessimist, nihilist (from Indonesia), I am glad that I've accidentally found your writing here. It's smart, rational, logical, no bullsh*t nor fake-optimism/positivity.It really helps enlightened me somewhat. |
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23-07-2016
Thanks, Nick! How's living in Indonesia for a pessimist (atheist I assume?) I guess it's not easy anywhere but you don't have to, like, pretend being religious there like in Pakistan, right? |
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23-07-2016 Dear Irina,As usual, enlightening post. It was worth waiting for posts like this. Have you thought of writing a book based on this blog or others? What do your female friends think of this blog? Do they read it? Few women write their thoughts like you. Of course you pay the price. First as a woman and then as a thinker. Double"curse". Greetings from Paraguay. RaГєl |
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23-07-2016
Hi Raul, nice to see you still not forgetting my blog! You assume I even have female friends? I did have good acquantances, but, I mean, if I knew I could share this blog with any of them and be understood I could then see them as friends, somebody to relate to in a lot of ways or in just a few but very important things. But women I tend to meet in real life are almost always optimists, often 'militant optimists' I'd say (like they call some atheists militant when those are too ...aggressive?). Actually, I've always had male friends alongside female friends (I did have them in school and college, was not yet a pessimist myself, so that was easier), and male friends were more often keen on philosophy and politics and were just often more interesting to talk to. But today it's even worse, I mean, the more you read and think the less you're excited in hanging out with someone who doesn't do that so much. Of course, you still like people for their charachter traits, some are especially kind, others are cute and tell funny jokes, still others are very trustworthy and honest, and I appreciate all that, it's just that if you two don't look at the world in at least a similar way and your interests are very different you remain lonely even in each other's company. I think I've read though that it is mostly important for women to be able to open up and have heart talks with their friends, and that what's more important for men in their friendship is their ability to count on their help in bad situations. So for a woman it's a 'she'll hear me out when i need it' and for a man it's more like 'he'll help me out when i need it'. True or false?.. Anyway, do you have many friends that you can relate to? |
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24-07-2016 I agree with you, more or less.I've peeked trough the curtain and there's no going back now. I know that life is suffering; that "meaning", love, free will and self are nothing but illusions. That there is no point in existing, in fact, that non-existence is preferable to existence. As you know, I'm an antinatalist and a pessimist through and through. What I know about the nature of reality cannot be "unknowned". What I've seen cannot be unseen. And when you have this knowledge, when you are psychology naked, when you're no longer fooled by self-deception, you don't have the rosy tinted glasses and you actually see things for what they are, there comes a time when you ask yourself, what now? I think suicide is a rational solution. But I could never do it. I have a fear of death despite not believing in any sort of after-life, despite knowing that death is simply a release. This fear is probably biologically ingrained in me. A neat little trick by evolution. So, what am I to do? Well, I have to make the best of what I have. That's what I try to do, I try to avoid suffering and maximize pleasure/happiness. And I do that, knowing perfectly well, that it is a futile endeavor, that even the most charmed life has plenty suffering and isn't worth it. Knowing perfectly well that I will fail and fail again and again and again. But there is nothing else that I can do. I don't lie to myself though. At least I try not to. I don't hide the nature of reality to myself, I don't pretend that things are okay or not that bad. Like I said, I just try my best to avoid suffering and maximize pleasure. And of course, "my best" is almost always not enough. The absence of some sort of objective meaning doesn't concern me at all. I never really saw the point of "objective meaning", seems like a leftover from religious thinking. |
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24-07-2016
The absence of some sort of objective meaning doesn't concern me at all. I never really saw the point of "objective meaning", seems like a leftover from religious thinking. I've heard another point made, that a set objective meaning would actually limit our freedom, because it'd be the purpose we never chose, but that we were born to serve, as slaves, kinda. But on the other hand, meaning, even if not universal, but the one that a person believes exist, is like a pain-killer when they're suffering. Somehow, somewhere, you and your daily struggle is a part of some major plan that you're simply not seeing, your suffering isn't pointless, it matters for something greater than yourself. |
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25-07-2016 Sure, I get that but again; I really don't see how anyone can believe in a sort of master plan unless that person is religious.Well I guess some non-religious people have their version of a grand plan: the advancement of humanity, the betterment of society for future generations and so forth. I never really had an issue with the lack of objective meaning, maybe because I was never religious in the first place? I always thought that whatever meaning I could get from life would be found in my own subjective experience, not in whatever happened in the past, not in whatever happens in the future, not in some sort of grand scheme of things. That to me goes back to the human centric view of the universe which can only be born out of ignorance of the facts. Sarah Perry's book "Every Cradle is a Grave" has a pretty good section on the illusion of meaning by the way. Worth reading. |
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25-07-2016
Sure, I get that but again; I really don't see how anyone can believe in a sort of master plan unless that person is religious. Oh sure they can, one of the acquaintances of mine believes we are all part of one consciousness which is greater than all of us and thus in a way it must all be way more meaningful, and yet he is anti-theist. And all those Progress worshippers. On the bones of the people of today to the glorious future of the yet unborn people of tomorrow! Hail progress! Sarah Perry's book "Every Cradle is a Grave" has a pretty good section Good you reminded me, I read about a half of it and then switched to something else. |
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25-07-2016 "On the bones of the people of today to the glorious future of the yet unborn people of tomorrow!"Hahahaha "Good you reminded me, I read about a half of it and then switched to something else." Really? It didn't capture your attention? I was enthralled by the book. But I read one that's even better: Keeping Ourselves in The Dark by Colin Feltham. Just a wonderful pessimistic read. |
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25-07-2016
The book was pretty great, I just have mood changes sometimes and I just pick another book before I finish the first one. I remember that name, Colin Feltman, think I only read this intevrview with him, it's good http://www.knunst.com/planetzapffe/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Interview-Colin-Feltham-20141.pdf Have you read my quotes translations from this Russian pessimist writer? http://uriupina.com/philosophy-psychology/pessimistic-life-meaning-death I just love his writings, I wish everyone could read in original. |
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25-07-2016 Dear Irina,Thank you for your reply. I regret to say that there are no friends to relate to. I am too gloomy. After all I cannot blame my former male friends. They donВґt want to know that we are slaves, and there is no escape from this dungeon called Earth. Somebody told me I had no future. I replied that he was wrong because I have a fture and it is to be put in a coffin and be buried six feet under, using an exression from US tv. I am viewed by many as a failure socially, financially,religiously.Hahaha. What a farce!, Irina. I understand that. Once you wake up you see things and people in a different way. To be honest, sometimes I miss my days when I was a vegetable. I did not think, I was brain dead. I wouder what a lobotomy would be like. Please take care of yourself. RaГєl |
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02-08-2016
Sorry to hear that, Raul. Having people to talk to and jst hang out with is nice. But sure is hard for people with some unorthodox views on life to find. Although I think many people deep down know the truth, they just prefer running away from it, like they know they'e gonna die, but live as if it wasn't true, or a problem. |
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29-07-2016 Hi Irina,Wow, speaking of the "joys of parenting", listen to this. I met an 83 year old dentist through my work. He's the nicest guy ever. I spoke with his 2nd wife. I knew the dentist had some tragedy in his past but I had no idea it was this bad. First, his son was born severely disabled in 1968. He's been living in a home since then. He's almost 50 years old now. The dentist visits him once a week. He lives 50 miles away. Then, his 14 year old daughter died from a brain tumor. Then, his wife became an alcoholic and committed suicide shortly after. Then, his 21 year old daughter was murdered in her apartment. The killer was never found but the fiancee was suspected. Then, he had a massive heart attack (age 55) and had triple bypass surgery. He made it and is still kicking today. Wow. So many good reasons not to have kids. |
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06-08-2016
Some people get it worse than others. No rhyme or reason. Also, no reason to gamble having own kids. Can you imagine how freaking depressing and hard it is to be 'blessed' with a sick, disabled child requiring even more care than normally is expected (even regular childcare is exhausting). I have sympathy for these people, they fell prey to the common narrative that children are blessings and make one's life so much better. |
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