What is the meaning of life?

Creamu

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Hello,

today I want to ask you about a rather existential question:

What is the meaning of life?

For me personally the meaning of life is to reproduce and ensure that your family/children are able to do so as well.

Please let me know what your perspective is!

Thanks
 

Creamu

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As far as biological reproduction... I mean if you want to roll that way you can. Seems rather banal though but I guess people respond to that.
You strike me as a smart guy. Perhaps this will change your mind:
9780198788607.jpg

and
1200x630wp.png
 

FAST6191

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Read the first one, got it and a bunch of his other books on the shelf. Never heard of the latter but not reading a synopsis I am not sure what particular relevance it has in this.

As I mentioned before though ideas matter more than DNA from where I sit. While DNA has some interesting levels of control over things (interests, approaches, tolerances, some ponder whether it goes for voting behaviours). Not to mention if I live to see brain uploading or can seed an AI that is way more useful to me in the same way that genetic engineering is better than the borderline random chance (albeit slightly guided by selection) that is more conventional approaches.
 
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V10lator

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I'm also with reproducing isn't the meaning of life. I mean that would mean people physically unable to reproduce don't have a life?

For me the meaning of life is to life endlessly. Now this is impossible, right? No, it isn't: While you will die your footprint won't. So make sure to leave a big footprint. This footprint can be anything: Some wisdom you're sharing, some code you're writing, some cooking recipe you invented, ...
 

Creamu

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As I mentioned before though ideas matter more than DNA from where I sit.
But what are the ideas worth if the DNA based entities that value those ideas are no longer around?
While DNA has some interesting levels of control over things (interests, approaches, tolerances, some ponder whether it goes for voting behaviours). Not to mention if I live to see brain uploading or can seed an AI that is way more useful to me in the same way that genetic engineering is better than the borderline random chance (albeit slightly guided by selection) that is more conventional approaches.
Read the revolutionary phenotype.
 

Creamu

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I'm also with reproducing isn't the meaning of life. I mean that would mean people physically unable to reproduce don't have a life?
Evolutionary speaking its over for them.
Now this is impossible, right? No, it isn't: While you will die your footprint won't. So make sure to leave a big footprint. This footprint can be anything: Some wisdom you're sharing, some code you're writing, some cooking recipe you invented, ...
If the people that care about you kind of wisdom will disapear, so will your wisdom.
 

FAST6191

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some cooking recipe you invented
Now I am pondering how to make an eternal recipe.
My own/my mother's cook book collection goes back to the 1800s and watching stuff like https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsaGKqPZnGp_7N80hcHySGQ then going back further still needs some serious historical knowledge to make sense of things, and that is without going in for the American use this brand approach that is so popular.
But what are the ideas worth if the DNA based entities that value those ideas are no longer around?

Read the revolutionary phenotype.
Someone else will take care of the DNA thing until a nice AI and nanoparticle swarm takes over.

Why? I am generally familiar with the origins of life theories, the boring billion thing is actually fascinating and who does not like dinosaurs? Evolutionary selection pressures is something I have both read up on and played with in computer simulation*. Does it offer anything beyond that?

*if people want a reasonable start on such things then

 

V10lator

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If the people that care about you kind of wisdom will disapear, so will your wisdom.
True. That's why you need to make a big footprint. Just think about the following people:
  • Steve Jobs
  • Bill Gates
  • Jesus Christus
  • Dschingis Khan
  • Adolf Hitler
  • Wladimir Putin
It takes a lot to forget them. With a lot I mean end of the human race. Your DNA wont help you when that happens.
Also your DNA mixes and mutates with each reproduction. At some point your DNA can't be compared to the DNA of your descendants. Does that mean you died?
 

Creamu

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Someone else will take care of the DNA thing until a nice AI and nanoparticle swarm takes over.
If the nice people don't reproduce the world may become to hideous before that happens.
Because the author seems to have a comparable cognition, judging by the way you write, and mirrors you in your position.
I am generally familiar with the origins of life theories, the boring billion thing is actually fascinating and who does not like dinosaurs? Evolutionary selection pressures is something I have both read up on and played with in computer simulation*. Does it offer anything beyond that?
Yes it is the phenotypical revolution, how one lifeform takes over another.
*if people want a reasonable start on such things then


I'll have to look at it at a later point.
 

Creamu

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True. That's why you need to make a big footprint. Just think about the following people:
  • Steve Jobs
  • Bill Gates
  • Jesus Christus
  • Dschingis Khan
  • Adolf Hitler
  • Wladimir Putin
It takes a lot to forget them. With a lot I mean end of the human race. Your DNA wont help you when that happens.
No, you really only need to kill off intellectually curious types and all histroy will be forgotten.
Also your DNA mixes and mutates with each reproduction. At some point your DNA can't be compared to the DNA of your descendants. Does that mean you died?
That means you have evolved.
 

Creamu

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Do I want nice people to reproduce? Survival of the fittest after all.
Also seems like a reasonable risk.
Well niceness is connected to high trust society which is connected to civilisation. You seem to be a craftsman, don't you want civilisation?
 

V10lator

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you really only need to kill off intellectually curious types and all histroy will be forgotten.
It will be forgotten untill someone finds it again. Mayas, old Egypt and other such folks are a good example of this.

If the nice people don't reproduce the world may become to hideous before that happens.
Thats BS and you know it. "Bad" people can produce "nice" people and vice-versa. It's not like the DNA defines anything.
 

FAST6191

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Again can be reasonably confident someone else will take care of it leaving me with a nice life of decadence, or indeed if you somehow now care about making things then me free to make things rather than having to raise a spawn (expensive and resource consuming -- if it is 100K or more to raise a kid these days do you have any idea what kind of workshop I can get/have got for that, never mind the lack of time penalty).
"Bad" people can produce "nice" people and vice-versa. It's not like the DNA defines anything.
DNA does plenty -- nature and nurture and all that.
 

Creamu

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It will be forgotten untill someone finds it again. Mayas, old Egypt and other such folks are a good example of this.
How long will it take for people to evolve into intellctual curiousity?
You might enjoy this movie:


"Bad" people can produce "nice" people and vice-versa.
True, but if you look at evolution you see that there are common features among different genetic clusters.
It's not like the DNA defines anything.
Well we will have to disagree on that one.
 

Creamu

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Again can be reasonably confident someone else will take care of it leaving me with a nice life of decadence,
No, only you have your kind of cognition. If you and types like you give up other types will take the wheel.
or indeed if you somehow now care about making things then me free to make things rather than having to raise a spawn (expensive and resource consuming -- if it is 100K or more to raise a kid these days do you have any idea what kind of workshop I can get/have got for that, never mind the lack of time penalty).
This is the greatest shame of a falling civilisation. There is no great spirit and crafty and nice men disappear, the world falls into barbarism. You think in too small dimensions. Think big, a whole civilisation of nice crafty men, the greatest workshop the world has ever seen.
 

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