An existential pit of despair

xi5yvm0owc1s2b · 25-01-2019 10:53am

irishguitarlad wrote: »

Once you realise that the sun is going to completely vaporize this planet in a couple of thousand years from now, it takes a lot of pressure off.

I think it might be a bit longer than a couple of thousand years.

Wibbs · 25-01-2019 10:55am

Jaysus, well aren't ye a jolly bunch.

irishguitarlad · 25-01-2019 10:57am

Conrad Cool Wimp wrote: »

I think it might be a bit longer than a couple of thousand years.

I know that, It was a figure of speech.

aaronjumper · 25-01-2019 11:06am

irishguitarlad wrote: »

Once you realise that the sun is going to completely vaporize this planet in a couple of thousand years from now, it takes a lot of pressure off.

Makes it easy to justify buying a cheesecake.

chrissb8 · 25-01-2019 1:10pm

You were born, against all odds, on a planet full of wonders, beauty, terrible things among the potential to do anything you want. Don't worry about death. That's going to happen anyway get busy living.

If everyone thought what's the point than we wouldn't be where we are now. And being here now is pretty amazing.

xi5yvm0owc1s2b · 25-01-2019 1:13pm

irishguitarlad wrote: »

I know that, It was a figure of speech.

Edit: just looked it up, 7.5 million years, the general point still stands though, that humanity will probably eventually die out or all historical records will be wiped out. So don't fret It, and just live your life.

7.5 billion years.

The chances of us self-destructing by ourselves long before then are quite high.

Deebles McBeebles · 25-01-2019 1:20pm

Conrad Cool Wimp wrote: »

7.5 billion years.

The chances of us self-destructing by ourselves long before then is quite high.

Oh man we'll be long gone before the sun takes us. Once the insects start disappearing (even more) its done.

Feisar · 25-01-2019 1:20pm

I am here, now.

What matters if it's all for naught in however many years to come? I'm not living in the future, I'm alive in the present.

joe40 · 25-01-2019 1:21pm

Curly Judge wrote: »

The protons in your body have been around since shortly after the big bang and some of them have been through at least one supernova.
When you die they will lay quietly at the bottom of your grave unless disturbed by a tsunami, a meteor impact or an property developer.
When our sun finally consumes this earth in about five billion years time, the whole process will begin again.
Try not to be so self centered.

The protons are part of the atoms in your body which are mostly carbon. (Excluding water). So by the process of decomposition the carbon atoms of your body will eventually become carbon dioxide in the air available for photosynthesis.

We are ultimately just part of the carbon cycle on this planet. Whether that causes despair or not depends on the individual.

Curly Judge · 25-01-2019 1:25pm

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

Oh man we'll be long gone before the sun takes us. Once the insects start disappearing (even more) its done.

Given 7.5 billion years, thousands of civilizations and possibly dozens of primary species could walk this earth before then.

I'm reminded of Balfour's statement that: "Very few things in life really matter and most things don't matter at all".

Hotblack Desiato · 25-01-2019 1:44pm

NIMAN wrote: »

Bobby McFerrin got it right I think.

"I'm thinking about milk chocolate, I'm thinking about the taste"

Words to live by

JupiterKid · 25-01-2019 1:48pm

My life may be a pretty inconsquential momentary flash of time on a pale blue dot orbiting an ordinary G2 yellow star among a sea of millions of other stars, in a galaxy among billions of other galaxies...

...but it means everything to me and I'm gonna bloody well try to make the most of it as a friend of mine says "this ain't no dress rehersal."

mariaalice · 25-01-2019 2:36pm

Apparently one of the function of the Jester in the middle ages was to whisper in to the kings ear, remember man thou are dust and unto dust you shall return.

Or one my mother use to quote

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Ozymandias was the Greek name of Ramesses II who live to be 90 and knew great wealth and power in his life.

RebelButtMunch · 25-01-2019 2:40pm

I always like the idea of a photon, travelling for millions of years for millions of miles only to land on a chalky dog poo in a lane off meath street

Franz Von Peppercorn · 25-01-2019 2:50pm

mariaalice wrote: »

Apparently one of the function of the Jester in the middle ages was to whisper in to the kings ear, remember man thou are dust and unto dust you shall return.

Or one my mother use to quote

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Ozymandias was the Greek name of Ramesses II who live to be 90 and know great wealth and power in his life.

And here we are remembering him.

Most people won’t be remembered though.

mariaalice · 25-01-2019 3:00pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

And here we are remembering him.

Most people won’t be remembered though.

Yes but his kingdom fell away and returned to the desert all his power wealth and might matter little in the end.

Curly Judge · 25-01-2019 3:29pm

mariaalice wrote: »

Apparently one of the function of the Jester in the middle ages was to whisper in to the kings ear, remember man thou are dust and unto dust you shall return.

Or one my mother use to quote

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

Ozymandias was the Greek name of Ramesses II who live to be 90 and know great wealth and power in his life.

And fathered 150 children by an assortment of females.
Nice work if you can get it.....but think of the nagging and squalling.

Sardonicat · 25-01-2019 3:52pm

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Satre is smartre

There's nothing Nietsche couldn't teach ya.

jimgoose · 25-01-2019 3:53pm

Sardonicat · 25-01-2019 3:56pm

jimgoose wrote: »

Now that will pull you out of your pit of despair.

victor8600 · 25-01-2019 4:17pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

My life may be a pretty inconsquential momentary flash ....

...but it means everything to me and I'm gonna bloody well try to make the most of it...

Trying to make the most of it sounds like a lot of effort, probably leaving no time to enjoy whatever little life's pleasures one's left until death.

Hector Savage · 25-01-2019 4:28pm

mad muffin wrote: »

I heard you die twice, once when they bury you in the grave. And the second time is the last time that somebody mentions your name.

w0w!!!!!

Hector Savage · 25-01-2019 4:31pm

Pythagorean wrote: »

It can be shown, using mathematical probability theory, that it is virtually certain, that during the course of our life, that we will inhale a molecule of oxygen that was exhaled by Julius Caesar. In this way, our existence on Earth does leave some measurable permanent trace.

Same reason that at least one molecule of water from a glass of water you drink was pissed by Adolf Hitler...

Ariadne · 25-01-2019 4:34pm

Nothing really matters in the grand scheme of things. I mean there were other species of humans, such as homo erectus, who walked this earth for possibly two million years, over one million anyway. We've been here for 200,000 years and I doubt we'll make it to two million at the rate we're going. No one is around to mourn homo erectus. But does it really matter? You live your life, you love who you love, and hopefully you are loved in return. I think this is where a hedonistic lifestyle is pretty damn suitable, sure why not enjoy life, why not pursue pleasure. There isn't really a purpose for us, so do whatever the hell you want, just try to avoid hurting others because that's not cool.

wakka12 · 25-01-2019 4:39pm

Just enjoy life for what it is.Dont over think it, its a short ride and theres plenty to enjoy before its over.

topper75 · 25-01-2019 4:49pm

irishguitarlad wrote: »

Once you realise that the sun is going to completely vaporize this planet in a couple of thousand years from now, it takes a lot of pressure off.

Yes the only pressure you need to be concerned with is that in the manifold of your 5 litre engine as you career around the roads with reckless abandon.

Deebles McBeebles · 25-01-2019 4:50pm

“Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the Weather.”

― Bill Hicks

topper75 · 25-01-2019 6:02pm

Curly Judge wrote: »

And fathered 150 children by an assortment of females.
Nice work if you can get it.....but think of the nagging and squalling.

That is what the pyramids were originally - massive pubs.

Bit cynical · 25-01-2019 6:16pm

mariaalice wrote: »

Apparently one of the function of the Jester in the middle ages was to whisper in to the kings ear, remember man thou are dust and unto dust you shall return.

Like the slave employed by Roman emperors to say repeatedly "remember you are mortal".

scamalert · 25-01-2019 6:19pm

i thought OP's title was referring to after hours

josip · 25-01-2019 6:27pm

OP, ever feel like you were a different person 10-15 years ago?
That's because you were, apart from a few small bits like your teeth, inner eye and cerebral cortex.

Atoms for Peace · 25-01-2019 6:28pm

Techno speaks to my nihilistic soul.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfmGX8qPMfI

buried · 25-01-2019 6:46pm

Bit of some the new Christoph De Babalon is what you be needing hey

Esel · 25-01-2019 7:44pm

There was a great cartoon on the front of the paper when Sartre died.

It was of a newspaper seller, and his banner said:

SARTRE THINKS HE'S DEAD

Atoms for Peace · 25-01-2019 9:49pm

Smoke dope fück hope.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 26-01-2019 1:13am

josip wrote: »

OP, ever feel like you were a different person 10-15 years ago?
That's because you were, apart from a few small bits like your teeth, inner eye and cerebral cortex.

The self is the same.

Auguste Comte · 26-01-2019 3:23pm

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

Smoke dope fück hope.

Smoke dope, fück, hope.?

Atoms for Peace · 27-01-2019 9:47am

Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey

Atoms for Peace · 23-02-2019 11:23am

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/three-ways-the-universe-could-end-venus-keus#review

Only14 billion years until entropy catches up with us. At this rate I'll never get on top of my sky box/net flix backlog and don't even get me started on those books I got last Xmas.

Atoms for Peace · 19-03-2019 12:46am

See the animal in his cage that you built
Are you sure what side you're on?
Better not look him too closely in the eye
Are you sure what side of the glass you are on?
See the safety of the life you have built
Everything where it belongs
Feel the hollowness inside of your heart
And it's all right where it belongs
-NIN

Baron Kurtz · 19-03-2019 1:17am

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

For how long?

There’s a poem by Shelly about Oxymandius, better known as Ramseses II.

Many of us did it in school. Shelly describes a visitor to a foreign land who sees an inscription on the bust of a ruined statue saying “look on my work ye mighty and despair”. The the poet continues:

“Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away”

This is to mock the man’s hubris.

Nevertheless there’s a poet writing about Oxymandius thousands of years later and here’s me talking about him now. So he’s not dead in the second sense yet.

Moral of the story - if you dont want to be forgotten be a famous monarch full of hubris and build loads of statues.

Oxy-moron.

Baron Kurtz · 19-03-2019 1:21am

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Good thread, and not an instagram in sight.

I enjoyed the book L'Etranger. By Camus. Read it again and again. He has nailed it I think.

Life is absurd. Take note now.

My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.

The Rape of Lucretia · 19-03-2019 10:14am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o

Bigbagofcans · 19-03-2019 10:30am

Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you die.

jimgoose · 19-03-2019 12:28pm

We are rather unremarkable carbon-based life forms clinging to a small rocky planet orbiting a fairly boring star in an unfashionable corner of a perfectly ordinary galaxy which is itself lost in the unfathomable infinity of the Universe.

You can take great joy in that, or deep despair. It's up to you.

An existential pit of despair

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