Acting authentically in the face of survival

[Annik]

I recently had a conversation that filled my head with fuck.
EDIT: This is an existential topic.

We have to have money to survive in this world. There is no getting around it. We need money for food, housing, clothing, and everything else under the sun. To get that money, we often have to do things we don't want to or wouldn't do otherwise. This holds especially true in the current economy. As an example, let's say you're trying to go through school. It's likely that you'll need to take up a job, maybe even two. Instead of going to college just to focus on your studies as you might want, you have to work to feed yourself. Having a job (and furthermore, not being able to choose a job you really want to work at due to slim pickings or lack of experience) is not exactly authentically you, but is a necessity.

Which brings me to the topic I'd like to discuss. Is it even possible to act in good faith while in such a system? How can one be authentic when we have to worry about survival? Does it really count as being authentic if you're trying to be as true to yourself as possible?

As a side discussion: How could this change? Would something like the Venus Project really work?


To help understand my gobbly-gook, Hovik further explains the context in which we're viewing the topic:

By authentic, Annik means affecting one's own choices. In a world where one is forced to survive, one is not being true to one's own desires and authentic motives. In every action I make, I am free to choose for myself what I wish to do, and at no point can I say that I have no ability to do so. However, when one is forced to survive, his or her available avenues of choice are limited, and therefore one does not act as though they were completely free.

This is a topic that I think Star Trek: TNG touched on nicely. In their time, money doesn't exist, and people are free to live to their own affected ideal. They needn't worry about survival.

This then gives rise to the question, can a person truly be free if he or she must devote time to surviving?

MOAREDITZ: I just want to tack on that I believe a society torn away from the need to survive would have to have a lot of help from technologies to produce goods and do maintenance. We'd have to go fully automatic on a lot of things. Please reference the Venus Project for more information as to how such a world would be.

[The Grand Nudger]

Working towards one's own survival is a pretty authentic -albeit not entirely or completely satisfying in every particular- activity. Instead of considering the jobs you find menial or unsatisfying as an endeavour separate from your education, consider them a part of it?

[frankiej]

Money? Who needs money when you have jewels! Lots and lots of precious jewels!!!!

[Hovik]

Working towards one's own survival is a pretty authentic -albeit not entirely or completely satisfying in every particular- activity. Instead of considering the jobs you find menial or unsatisfying as an endeavour separate from your education, consider them a part of it?

By authentic, Annik means affecting one's own choices. In a world where one is forced to survive, one is not being true to one's own desires and authentic motives. In every action I make, I am free to choose for myself what I wish to do, and at no point can I say that I have no ability to do so. However, when one is forced to survive, his or her available avenues of choice are limited, and therefore one does not act as though they were completely free.

This is a topic that I think Star Trek: TNG touched on nicely. In their time, money doesn't exist, and people are free to live to their own affected ideal. They needn't worry about survival.

This then gives rise to the question, can a person truly be free if he or she must devote time to surviving?

[Annik]

Working towards one's own survival is a pretty authentic -albeit not entirely or completely satisfying in every particular- activity. Instead of considering the jobs you find menial or unsatisfying as an endeavour separate from your education, consider them a part of it?

By authentic, Annik means affecting one's own choices. In a world where one is forced to survive, one is not being true to one's own desires and authentic motives. In every action I make, I am free to choose for myself what I wish to do, and at no point can I say that I have no ability to do so. However, when one is forced to survive, his or her available avenues of choice are limited, and therefore one does not act as though they were completely free.

This is a topic that I think Star Trek: TNG touched on nicely. In their time, money doesn't exist, and people are free to live to their own affected ideal. They needn't worry about survival.

This then gives rise to the question, can a person truly be free if he or she must devote time to surviving?

This is a more apt description. Adding to OP for clarification.

[frankiej]

If everyone got what they wanted all the time then the world would probably be in an even worse state.

[Hovik]

If everyone got what they wanted all the time then the world would probably be in an even worse state.

I'm not really sure what you mean. Care to elaborate on how that would be the case?

[The Grand Nudger]

Hopefully a fair few people truly desire to be janitors and sanitation workers then...lol. Otherwise we have a problem.

[Whateverist]

I'm not sure. I know a few multi-generational trust fund babies and they do not look so happy or fulfilled to me. One is in the arts and has a position as a curator at a museum but, much as I like her, she does not seem so content. Perhaps if you take away the need to survive but you're unhappy in spite of achieving the objectives you set for yourself .. the only thing left is despondency and therapy?

[The Grand Nudger]

Or new goals. Personally, I've found that I'm most content in the chase, achievement of a goal or culmination of a plan has far less allure. A decade ago I wanted to be good at a particular thing, I think i handled it well, but once there I found that it didn't satisfy me the way I had hoped, the next goal was just to wake up the next day -obviously handled that- wasn't content, new decade, new goals, new chase, new avenues for fulfillment. I don't know, I suppose survival doesn't seem like a forced issue to me, and it's definitely part of what I would consider my "ideal life". A part that I enjoy, I guess I'd have to add.