Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: November 13, 2024, 5:50 pm

Poll: Is it possible to be authentic in the face of survival?
This poll is closed.
Yes
66.67%
6 66.67%
Maybe, but we do what we can with what we've got
11.11%
1 11.11%
No
22.22%
2 22.22%
Total 9 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Acting authentically in the face of survival
#1
Acting authentically in the face of survival
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:
Hovik Wrote: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.
[Image: SigBarSping_zpscd7e35e1.png]
Reply
#2
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
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?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#3
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
Money? Who needs money when you have jewels! Lots and lots of precious jewels!!!!
Cunt
Reply
#4
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
(July 27, 2012 at 1:47 pm)Rhythm Wrote: 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?
[Image: hoviksig-1.png]
Ex Machina Libertas
Reply
#5
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
(July 27, 2012 at 1:54 pm)Hovik Wrote:
(July 27, 2012 at 1:47 pm)Rhythm Wrote: 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.
[Image: SigBarSping_zpscd7e35e1.png]
Reply
#6
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
If everyone got what they wanted all the time then the world would probably be in an even worse state.
Cunt
Reply
#7
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
(July 27, 2012 at 1:59 pm)frankiej Wrote: 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?
[Image: hoviksig-1.png]
Ex Machina Libertas
Reply
#8
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
Hopefully a fair few people truly desire to be janitors and sanitation workers then...lol. Otherwise we have a problem.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#9
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
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?
Reply
#10
RE: Acting authentically in the face of survival
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.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Philosophical ideas and acting "as though" bennyboy 12 2457 March 31, 2017 at 11:15 am
Last Post: henryp
  Technology is the key to survival....... trev22 15 2567 March 25, 2017 at 10:05 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  Survival of Fittest ? Why not Survival of brotherhood and Peace ? Khansins 23 4452 March 21, 2014 at 6:45 pm
Last Post: tor



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)