this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024
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To be honest, I'd just be happy I could smoke cigarettes again.

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 10 months ago

Would depend on the person.

When Hawaii got the ballistic missile alert a few years ago, it was essentially a test of this scenario and people went both ways.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

OP, you sound like you need to talk to someone. Not on the internet. In real life.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Did I miss something OP said that made you think that? I’d indeed be happy I could smoke again, too. There’d be existential crisis and all, too, but cigarette would 100% be back. Man, and it’s been like 10 years, imagine someone who just quit lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (6 children)

I don't think someone who's not having a crisis would think about the world ending and decide that the thrill of skipping work is about even with the knowledge of impending death in terms of emotional impact.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Oh no... Literally everyone I know feels this way. That's probably not a great sign lol

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Look at Mr rainbows & sunshine here

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

We all live with the knowledge of impending death every day, it's something we all have in common that will come for all of us at some point.

For a lot of us, the hard thing to deal with is the uncertainty about when. We might keel over tomorrow, or even later today, but if we live our lives like that's the case, we might screw ourselves over if we manage to live for another 70 years. We might fuck up our health, leave ourselves poor, homeless, ruin our reputations, etc.

It's a balancing act to squeeze in as many good times while we can, while setting ourselves up to have many more good times in the future and for others to continue having good times after we're gone. Plan too conservatively and you miss out on a lot of stuff now, but if you go completely balls to the wall now you leave yourself nothing to work with later.

Put a hard limit on things with the world ending though, and you remove a whole lot of uncertainty from the equation. You don't have to worry about making things last, or the long-term consequences, you get to live entirely in the now, because there is no (or very little) later.

I'd rather have another 50+ years of normal good times and people to continue having that opportunity long after I'm gone, even if it means going to work, than a scant few days or hours (or whatever scenario we're imagining in this case) of raucous debauchery, but if that's the cards I get dealt and theres no way of changing that outcome, I can either mope about it and waste the little time I have left, or I can lean into it and make the most out of it.

From where I'm standing, anyone who'd rather mope is the one with real issues.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Eh, it's not like you can do anything about it. Why worry?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I’m what you could describe as an optimistic nihilist. I understand it might now satisfy everyone, but for me, the certitude that we’ll ultimately all be forgotten and erased from existence, as time passes and the universe slowly drifts into heat death, is an extremely liberating idea. The lack of an objective overarching meaning to life means that I can choose one for myself, and I genuinely think the best way to do it is to try to make everyone’s time on this drifting ball of rock and magma suck as little as possible.

All this to say, I don’t really fear my own death, but the impacts it’s going to have on the people I love.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I think about the world ending a lot. Isn't fear of death really fear of leaving others or being left? If we all go at once, that solves that issue and I'm pretty ok with it. On days when I'm especially tired, i would choose asteroid over work.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago

No. I like to work. Or at least I like to create things, which work is at least correlated to on an average day.

Also all the things I made being broken would make me sad. I want them to thrive and be useful to people. Or at least bring them joy.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

no. I don't have kids (by choice) exactly because I don't want to worry about "all ending" IDGAF. I was born a slave so I only have glimpses of what an amazing life is but can never have it coz I have to work to eat. So if it ends it ends, at least I can sleep

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Came here to say this. 🐖👺

[–] [email protected] 8 points 10 months ago

I would worry more because now all the social contracts are out the window. People no longer have a reason to act civil.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Probably a little bit of both

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Luckily the 9 to 5 mentality has already changed a bit after the Covid-19 pandemic :-)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, every hour is a working hour! Every space is a workplace! I've even switched to ignoring days of the week. I can work whatever days would be best!

It's been pretty great honestly. I can work or take time off as needed.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

That's cool.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

I suppose I'd be the most interested in what people have to say. Maybe you'd get closure on unexpected things.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Everything ending would definitely outweigh not having to go to work. Outweighing in the sense it's so much more calming lol

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I think I would be happy. And just relax.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

"If the world was ending you'd come over, right?"

Seriously though I think you need to look for ways of changing your workplace if it's possible. We probably only have one life.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I'm in a good place at work. I just want to be exploring my creativity. Unfortunately, that will never pay as much.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They say to never do what you love for work or it'll become a chore. Make time to be creative, even if it's only one weekend a month, it'll refill the creative juices and balance out the balance

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

They also say to do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. They say lots of things, many of them contradictory.

I think your advice of intentionally setting aside time is wise, though. I believe that too often we take for granted that things will just happen, and also overestimate the chilling effect of “not being spontaneous”.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

I didn't say I wanted to do it for work. I just would rather be doing it. Even in the case it made me money it wouldn't be enough.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

@Daft_ish

Do you need it to pay as much? I hope that someday you get to have as much creativity in your life as you want, friend. And that it's not only at the end of the world.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Just trying to survive, and god forbid thrive, out here

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I hear ya.

Glad you're okay, the original post was giving Melancholia vibes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

yeah, my self preservation would outweigh it (despite the many suicide "jokes" I "like to" tell)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Fear? I would be happy it's going to be all over!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Man, my only fear would be regarding any suffering involved in this ending and my relief would be that the whole humanity thing is ending

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Tbh I feel like I would still have to go to work tommorow.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

I mean if the worlds ending all crime becomes legal. Pure anarchy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

I think I will still come to work. Maybe less shackled by bills to keep working but volunteering to work cause I love what I do

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I don’t worry too much about what might happen. If the world ends it was probably supposed to. Everything that happens had to have happened that way. It’s a waste of time worrying about what might have been different.