Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Do you Consider Life to be Futile

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–35 of 35 posts

Re: Ask HN: Do you Consider Life to be Futile

#31

Post by AnimalMuppet »

idoh wrote: post #30
AnimalMuppet wrote: post #28

If there is no God, if all there is is the physical universe, then we are here only by chance. The universe doesn't care about us, because there's nobody there to care. All there is is matter and the laws of physics. Therefore, all we can be is matter that obeys the laws of physics. That's all we can be - nothing more. In particular, it is impossible that we have any kind of free will or real choice. Matter that obey…

I like your comment, but I think it creates a false dichotomy between a deterministic universe or one with a higher power. What about a middle option, where there is no higher power but the universe isn't deterministic? If the laws of physics include randomness / some amount of vagueness, then maybe it changes things from a philosophical perspective.

If there is no higher power, if the physical universe is all there is, and if our current understanding of the physical universe is correct, there is some randomness - quantum uncertainty. But that's not the same as my free will or ability to choose, because my choice does not determine the results of the quantum uncertainty.

That leaves me essentially as a deterministic machine with some noise at the lowest levels. It doesn't leave me as what was classically considered human...

Re: Ask HN: Do you Consider Life to be Futile

#32

Post by kennethtilton »

tekkanphan wrote: post #24
kennethtilton wrote: post #21

My first thought was that the question cannot be answered without knowing what we must fail at inevitably for life to be futile. I looked up futile to be sure: "incapable of producing any useful result; pointless." As I feared, it begs the question: what is considered useful? If it is leaving the world a better (healthier, more peaceful, more ccmfrtable) place than when you found it, no, life is not futile. If the go…

Good Argument. Then Do you believe in More is better?

Good gosh, no. For example, I am with Einstein: make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. ie, There is a right amount of everything. I guess I am also with Goldilocks, then. I said, "More comfortable", but Americans have nicely demonstrated how in excess that leads to obesity and diabetes. So now we have learned that true comfort comes from a bit more exercise and a lot less garbage food, and now we have come full circle: life is not futile. People ridiculed in the 60s for espousing healthier diet finally got heard and made the world a better place. Did you see the recent news about Coke/Pepsi in decline? Kaching.

Re: Ask HN: Do you Consider Life to be Futile

#34

Post by luxpir »

Yes, it is completely futile, if you ask me. I've thought a lot about the varying arguments, to the point where all parties from agnostics to the religious and/or spiritual and even the (noisy) atheists frustrate me for their absolute confidence in their own 'logic'. But, and it's a big but, from a human point of view, futility should not be cause for concern.

Life is beautiful (to the average human) in so many ways. Anyone who can read and contemplate this kind of post has won the greatest lottery in the universe, and those winnings shouldn't be squandered on worry and complaint.

Post reply on HN