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RE: Purpose? No idea what it is.
November 15, 2018 at 9:03 am
Yes, in 5 billion years, nothing you do will matter at all. Probably much sooner than that. 
But, a candle flame doesn't lose its purpose of giving light and heat simply because it is blown out. And I don't lose my purpose of learning, loving, helping, etc simply because I die.
From what I can see, *real* purpose is local: it happens here and now. To worry about a lack of 'ultimate' purpose is then simply a mistake: you are missing the good stuff right here and misunderstanding what a 'purpose' really means.
It's always seemed rather egotistical to think that anything I do will have 'ultimate' consequences.
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RE: Purpose? No idea what it is.
November 15, 2018 at 9:53 am
(November 15, 2018 at 9:03 am)polymath257 Wrote: Yes, in 5 billion years, nothing you do will matter at all. Probably much sooner than that.
But, a candle flame doesn't lose its purpose of giving light and heat simply because it is blown out. And I don't lose my purpose of learning, loving, helping, etc simply because I die.
From what I can see, *real* purpose is local: it happens here and now. To worry about a lack of 'ultimate' purpose is then simply a mistake: you are missing the good stuff right here and misunderstanding what a 'purpose' really means.
It's always seemed rather egotistical to think that anything I do will have 'ultimate' consequences.
It may not necessarily require ultimate consequences to make something meaningful, but that's not to say that having ultimate significance isn't an order of magnitude better than not having it.
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RE: Purpose? No idea what it is.
November 15, 2018 at 10:13 am
(This post was last modified: November 15, 2018 at 10:16 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Wouldn't that depend more on the nature of that ultimate significance or consequence? It might not be orders of magnitude better, it may not even be better at all, if a persons purpose had ultimate significance or consequence.
Say, that a person and their purpose amounted to xenocide. In what way is it better (let alone orders of magnitude better) that this persons purpose or meaning was of ultimate significance or consequence?
-just to add to the above, it;s the kind of question we have to ask ourselves, since a dry reading of some natural teleology might indicate that our purpose is to out breed, out compete, and ultimately out survive all other life - at the very least. Our natural purpose may, in fact, be xenocidal.
Just repping for the benefits of human transience, lol. We only live so long, so we can only do so much damage. 
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!
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RE: Purpose? No idea what it is.
November 15, 2018 at 10:24 am
(November 15, 2018 at 10:13 am)Khemikal Wrote: Wouldn't that depend more on the nature of that ultimate significance or consequence? It might not be orders of magnitude better, it may not even be better at all, if a persons purpose had ultimate significance or consequence.
I'm playing defense here. Pay attention.
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RE: Purpose? No idea what it is.
November 15, 2018 at 7:58 pm
(November 15, 2018 at 9:53 am)Jörmungandr Wrote: It may not necessarily require ultimate consequences to make something meaningful, but that's not to say that having ultimate significance isn't an order of magnitude better than not having it.
Better in what way?
10,000 years from now no one will know I existed.
Were I tempted to worry about that, I can content myself with the notion that the guy 10,000 years from now who didn't know about me? -- In 20,000 years no one will know he existed either.
Significance? Pfft. Don't need it.
--
Dr H
"So, I became an anarchist, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."
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