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Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

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Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#11

Post by solardev »

jeffreyames wrote: post #10
solardev wrote: post #7

> Given all the above, what makes you optimistic about the future? Why do you believe that the world of tomorrow will be better than the world of today? What do you look forward to in the world of the future? Many species, and viruses too, have population-level boom-bust cycles. Maybe humans will self-destruct enough to wipe out a fair number of us and our impacts will dwindle for a few millennia. It'd be cool if oth…

So your answer to “what makes you optimistic about the future?” is the apocalypse? Reminds me of pets by porno for pyros

It's just an apocalypse -- or probably many small ones -- for one species. The other millions go on to some degree, I hope! I don't think humans deserve some special place in evolution that make us more important than all the other life and life-like beings out there.

But yeah, I don't think there's any saving our species anymore, I just hope enough of us perish soon so other beings can have a shot. Maybe we can go through a dinosaur-like mass extinction and transformation, where our version of "birds" millions of years later can still be very successful even without dominating.

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#12

Post by [deleted] »

akhmatova wrote: post #9

Because the world might be going to hell in handbasket, or it might not. And either way, there's essentially nothing that that you or I can (reasonably) expect to do about it. Or not quite nothing, but probabilistically speaking, epsilon close to nothing. However to the extent that any of us might , just might, be able to help steer this civilization out of the death spiral it seems currently locked into -- such a co…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#13

Post by marginalia_nu »

mindcrime wrote: post #8
marvel_boy wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

I don't think it's particularly relevant what your science book of the 60's says. Of course controlling fusion is a hard problem. Nobody said it was going to be easy, or if they did, they were a fool. But there's no reason to think we won't get there eventually. It might not be in my lifetime, but so what? I'm not trying to be that myopic here. I'm reminded of something I read, I think it was in Engines of Creation […

Fusion has been a couple of decades along for decades. It's pretty much always been 20 years away. I do think it's a bit of a pipe dream. We need it now if it's to be of any use for us. If it takes us nearly another century to get there (that's how long we've been working at it), it's far too late to be of any sort of help.

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#16

Post by silicon2401 »

akhmatova wrote: post #9

Because the world might be going to hell in handbasket, or it might not. And either way, there's essentially nothing that that you or I can (reasonably) expect to do about it. Or not quite nothing, but probabilistically speaking, epsilon close to nothing. However to the extent that any of us might , just might, be able to help steer this civilization out of the death spiral it seems currently locked into -- such a co…

personally I believe the most rational approach is to believe realistically and act optimistically. I believe whatever I think is most likely to be true, not what I want to be true. However in certain cases I may act as if what I wish were true is in fact true, just because it makes life better (doesn't apply to all scenarios though)

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#17

Post by cal85 »

solardev wrote: post #11
jeffreyames wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your answer to “what makes you optimistic about the future?” is the apocalypse? Reminds me of pets by porno for pyros

It's just an apocalypse -- or probably many small ones -- for one species. The other millions go on to some degree, I hope! I don't think humans deserve some special place in evolution that make us more important than all the other life and life-like beings out there. But yeah, I don't think there's any saving our species anymore, I just hope enough of us perish soon so other beings can have a shot. Maybe we can go t…

For our species. Fuck that.

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#18

Post by marginalia_nu »

silicon2401 wrote: post #16
akhmatova wrote: post #9

Because the world might be going to hell in handbasket, or it might not. And either way, there's essentially nothing that that you or I can (reasonably) expect to do about it. Or not quite nothing, but probabilistically speaking, epsilon close to nothing. However to the extent that any of us might , just might, be able to help steer this civilization out of the death spiral it seems currently locked into -- such a co…

personally I believe the most rational approach is to believe realistically and act optimistically. I believe whatever I think is most likely to be true, not what I want to be true. However in certain cases I may act as if what I wish were true is in fact true, just because it makes life better (doesn't apply to all scenarios though)

Why believe at all? What will happen will happen. If that's the end of civilization or a golden utopia will reveal itself in due time. Regardless, the way to act is the same, that is, true to yourself.

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#19

Post by kradeelav »

- We have the accumulated knowledge of the entire human history at our fingertips and can avoid a large chunk (not all, obviously) of the pitfalls that befell our ancestors. maladies that basic sanitation eradicates, old deadly diseases like leprosy, polio, being eaten by lions, mass starvation ... those are things that are not a Thing in developed countries, and a lot more developing countries than before. The amount of people being lifted out of critical poverty worldwide over the last 50 years is another wonderful example.

- obviously we have new pitfalls our ancestors didn't ... but when was this not true for the human species? there's always been adjustment periods to new social changes and technology. The printing press created one heck of an information upheaval that changed power structures of institutions and nations, and yet it's considered a net good now.

- On a more individual scale, the human brain for some has a tendency to always need to worry or be anxious about Something. The ancients were simply anxious about other things. This has been a thought that's helped me from negativity getting in the way of the potential positives I could accomplish.

- "if it bleeds, it leads" is one of the truest quips about the news I've heard and seen. Simply logging off of news and focusing on local connections will do wonders for the mindset. What you see on TV does not equate to reality.

And lastly, some may feel this quote is overly twee, but the older I get the more it rings true:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping. '" - Mr. Rogers

Re: Ask HN: What makes you optimistic about the future?

#20

Post by solardev »

cal85 wrote: post #17
solardev wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just an apocalypse -- or probably many small ones -- for one species. The other millions go on to some degree, I hope! I don't think humans deserve some special place in evolution that make us more important than all the other life and life-like beings out there. But yeah, I don't think there's any saving our species anymore, I just hope enough of us perish soon so other beings can have a shot. Maybe we can go t…

For our species. Fuck that.

Yeah, it's not a hugely popular philosophy with the pro-human crowd, lol.

But really, what do you expect of a species barely differentiated from chimps? Genocide and in-group obsession is in our blood; we are cursed by our genes. It would be cool if something like super-smart ants took over for a while. Or flying dolphins.

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