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Bekklor t1_j11yicu wrote

We might come and go, but we have a chance and opportunity to make an impact that reverberates long after we're gone. Sure, the far flung future seems bleak, but we can't control that, so I don't spend energy thinking about it.

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atre324 t1_j122ya5 wrote

This. I also think when we worry about humanity’s place in the cosmos, we are really worrying about our own impact in this world. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that it doesnt even have to be anything special- just being kind to others is the easiest way.

To quote Contact… “In all our searching, the only thing we've found that makes the emptiness bearable, is each other.”

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8andahalfby11 t1_j126gur wrote

Yup. We're human. We're designed to walk no more than 10 miles a day on average, interact with a group of no more than 140 people, hunt and gather food, remember a general oral history, and die around age 40-something. Instead, we drive or ride over a hundred miles just on our daily commute, are expected to moderate a thousand social media friends, do high school calculus, and have people living into their hundreds. We're already pulling way, way, WAY more weight than we're designed to; the heat death of the universe is so far out of our hands, and not our problem. Best to focus on that circle of 140 people.

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dustysquareback t1_j12x8lw wrote

> die around age 40-something.

Probably not true at all. Many primitive humans lived long lives if they got through childhood. It was the high infant and child mortality that drove the average lifespan down.

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Mediocre-Oil2052 t1_j12y86a wrote

Seriously? Have you considered viral infections, contaminated food/water sources, and overall organ failure without the aid of even semi-modern medicine? Sorry if parts of that are redundant but sometimes it is nice to have several redundancies in place.

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New-Distribution3195 t1_j12ejne wrote

Even if you make in impact in this world, it will be gone and you will be forgotten. Everyone of us will be forgotten sooner or later.

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zzzrice t1_j12rarv wrote

Sure. Everything is impermanent. But disregarding the meaningfulness of positive impact because of this fact is actually not necessary. In fact it is very useless, and defeatist. An action or impact can be meaningful and impermanent. The very fact that it’s done in the face of its impermanence can give it meaning. Besides, if things weren’t impermanent, new phenomena could not appear. There would be no birth.

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Bluepaperbutterfly t1_j12n2jc wrote

All I want is the bleak nothingness, because then there is no conscious awareness of the cycle.

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cinesias t1_j122wj8 wrote

You are a very specialized piece of the universe that can observe and react to the rest of the universe however you want. That's pretty damn cool in my opinion.

A star is much bigger, but it isn't conscious, and it can't change it's mind.

You can though.

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zzzrice t1_j120e28 wrote

These are all just your thoughts. The problem is you’re clinging to the seeming reality of these thoughts, which do not in actuality represent the reality of things as they are, but are just your projections and conditioned assumptions about reality. These thoughts are also utterly insubstantial, ephemeral, transient, and illusory by nature, since they’re a part of the universe, and of reality. The universe, or reality, possesses no labels. Reality has no self or “I.” There is nothing substantial or permanent in the universe. It is wide open space. Empty cognizance. Natural quiescence.

By nature, your mind is very much like space, which is the opposite of claustrophobia. But if you fixate, especially in an obsessive way, then you freeze the space. Instead of water you’re an ice cube. Everything is reified and exaggerated. There’s no room, when in actuality, all there is is room. So maybe sometimes try to practice sitting, upright, relaxing, with bare awareness. Simple and quiet. That will get you closer to reality than ruminating about a select few materialist scientific ideas.

—And if you take some time to just sit with yourself, and watch your thoughts come and go like traffic, you may find that you naturally possess some strength, and warmth. It isn’t just space, but there is natural warmth as well. There is a soft spot, which encompasses you and others.

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DivesPater t1_j124pes wrote

I could be bound in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space...

Were it not that I have bad dreams.

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Low_Marionberry3271 t1_j12t9x0 wrote

This is important to remember. Our understanding of the universe is not the universe. In fact, our brains understand very little about… everything. Human intelligence is so limited.

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[deleted] t1_j129sqk wrote

[deleted]

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zzzrice t1_j12ldic wrote

??? Speed up lmao I didn’t imply immortality whatsoever

Just have some more faith in yourself, in your nature. A poverty mentality like that is not necessary or helpful, particularly.

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[deleted] t1_j11zii9 wrote

[removed]

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Garlickable t1_j123ny8 wrote

Can you explain why this is the case?

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[deleted] t1_j1242ic wrote

[removed]

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ThaPlymouth t1_j124k4g wrote

Hey Bob, didn’t you wear that shirt the day after yesterday?

I asked my former boss this and he got pissed and told me I shouldn’t talk shit about people’s clothes 🤣

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lindseylush89 t1_j1221jy wrote

Time is a human construct. There are infinite universes in the multiverse. We are limitless & exist for eternity. You are not trapped… you can go anywhere & experience anything you want ✨

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jerrythecactus t1_j12wpti wrote

Keep in mind the multiverse is still an unproven concept.

Though, it's just as likely that the universe is a recycling system of finite energy and matter that periodically forms and disperses in infinite patterns.

Imagine every single atom, particle, and unit of energy in the universe being shuffled like an incomprehensible seemingly endless deck of cards that can give rise to a new thing every time. We are one such result of that shuffle, and when this iteration dissolves back into the wide nothing it used to be something will spark another shuffle and everything starts anew but different. Maybe given enough time you will form again and again in every possible situation. Maybe you've already died many many times and the nature of existing as an organic being in this generation makes you blind to your extensive existence.

Maybe you've been anything and everything in some way, maybe you've spent time as a black hole or spread across billions of lightyears as dust. Truly we have no idea if this is the first time a universe has occurred or if the heat death will actually end it.

For the sake of our own short lifespans this pondering of the infinity of time and the incalculable numbers of all things and possibilities we are better off just existing with the now and near future being our main concerns. We all will die some day, but that doesnt mean we are deleted, maybe just scattered and waiting to be re-assembled given enough time.

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PerlNacho t1_j11zr9w wrote

It's really not so bad. Consider some other ways things could have played out:

  • The Universe starts out as an empty void and stays that way. No Big Bang happens, so no matter gets created and therefore nobody ever exists. Boring.
  • The Universe exists and you pop into existence at some point, but you cannot die. Sounds fun at first but check back in a couple billion years and see if you still feel that way.

All things considered, there are much worse possible outcomes than this.

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vapournova OP t1_j120i8m wrote

They all seem unsatisfactory personally, which is why i feel trapped. Maybe if i was a cat instead i wouldnt care (would be pretty nice)

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Li2_lCO3 t1_j125hfj wrote

"It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied. And if the fool, or the pig, are a different opinion, it is because they only know their own side of the question." John Stuart Mil

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sersarsor t1_j121qo4 wrote

Do you ever travel and see the natural wonders of our own Planet? As much as I love space exploration, I still thing exploration on our own planet should come first, especially the oceans.

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Houston_swimmer t1_j1245u0 wrote

It’s all absurd my dude. Just try to find some good people to go through life with and chill.

Nothing really matters, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

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He_Still_Eatin_Ham t1_j11zm2c wrote

There's too much to speculate and worry about so I just don't. Afterall, it's completely out of your control.

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bgplsa t1_j1233da wrote

As consciousness that experiences pain and pleasure and time as a present “now” proceeding from cause to effect in an endless series of events until entropy destroys the wetware that evolved to run them, the only rational response to the futility of this state of affairs is to exercise the plausible free will we seem to have to nurture our own and others’ enjoyment of the moments we have been given and yet to come.

Just my opinion.

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Test19s t1_j126tep wrote

Enjoy life and don't screw it up for future "incarnations" of "yourself". That is all.

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throwawaysmy t1_j123jhq wrote

And that absurdity is why people created religion, to give purpose and reason to everything.

Our insatiable curiosity is probably why we're still around. Hopefully we find the real answers someday. Won't be in our lifetimes though.

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Iron_Rod_Stewart t1_j12896f wrote

No, I'll die and stop existing in the blink of an eye, then I won't exist ever again. Nothing is more certain than that. I am the opposite of trapped here.

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Mr_Otingocni t1_j120k0u wrote

I try not to think about it.

Heat death of the universe and astroids are like the only things in the world that actually give me some kind of existential anxiety.

When I think about astroids I immediately feel paranoid, like we're a sitting target, all the eggs in one basket kind of thing

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not-me-again- t1_j12ak2z wrote

I think you’re underestimating how small we are and just how big and empty space is. Probability of something significant hitting us is extremely low especially when you think of timescale also.

Here’s a map of the Solar System down to a scale https://joshworth.com/dev/pixelspace/pixelspace_solarsystem.html it’s ridiculous

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NotObviouslyARobot t1_j122sl1 wrote

You're having an attack of existential pop philosophy. If nothing really matters. Everything matters.

Like, this moment in your life, will never happen again. Hold your breath and it passes...like tears in the rain.

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Rawtothedawg t1_j1239yn wrote

The universe is pretty claustrophobic honestly

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BigCountry76 t1_j1277zm wrote

Go outside and smell the roses. So worrying about the inevitable end and just enjoy what's in front of you.

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moral_luck t1_j127evv wrote

Life is the universe's greatest joke. Learn to laugh and don't take it seriously.

What is, is. What will be, will be. What has passed, is past will be twisted to fit a narrative.

Trying to control outcomes will not change the outcome, it will only frustrate you. Enjoy the ride. Like a roller coaster, strap in and stop thinking about it (unless thinking about it brings you joy, but given the tone of the post it seems to bring you distress).

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vapournova OP t1_j127rgb wrote

Its one of my favorite things to think about, but its also the most depressing

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moral_luck t1_j12bga5 wrote

I like thinking about things like this, but it's not depressing to me. I find it liberating: no matter what I do it will only matter to those who matter to me.

Let's say that humanity (or its progeny species) could exist for ever. YOU will still be forgotten when everyone you've ever known dies. Even if you had some great achievement in life, you will be forgotten eventually. 1,000,000 years from now it seems doubtful that whatever species is the descendant of humans would care or remember who Archimedes is.

So either way, it's inevitable that you will have no grand impact on the universe or even our species. Embrace it. It's freedom. Stay home when your daughter is sick, she'll remember it, but your boss won't remember you coming in. Etc.

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Willbilly1221 t1_j127u2v wrote

The universe will die at some point far far into the future. The important part is you are alive here and now to experience it. Enjoy the show.

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Zenguro t1_j12hex0 wrote

You can only fill the inside void by being grateful for what you have, each moment.
Always wanting more, and asking "what's the purpose of all this" just leads to suffering.

Everything and everyone is trapped, by being what they are. Acceptance creates freedom and space in your heart.

I wholeheartedly recommend meditation.
If you have no idea how to get going, I'd start with the meditation app from dawn dog which is part of their all-in-one-bundle of apps (including yoga which I recommend too btw) for about 40$/year when you subscribe through their website, instead of mobile market places. Do each of it at least 10min/day and you should feel better soon. (Not getting payed for saying this, just a personal recommendation).

One step at a time.

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Oblivionking1 t1_j12j7cz wrote

I feel trapped but not like that. Knowing I’ll live my whole life on just one planet is depressing. I want to explore the universe and experience other planets.

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Wardenclyffe1917 t1_j12lw3k wrote

It’s rather beautiful that the universe like yourself has a birth and a death. Would suck if it was an endless unchanging void. Change is the only constant. Now ask yourself if you lose a limb, do you lose a piece of your identity? Or is it just a piece of your body? Now take away all your limbs and evaluate. You still exist in Your mind as the same person with the same identity. You are an infinite soul experiencing life through this veiled perception. You have lived countless lives before this and you will live countless more. Nature is very efficient and it likes balance. A soul doesn’t just get discarded after one life. Here in this realm we exist within time. But outside of time, one second and a billion years are one and the same. You may be able to understand this when you try DMT. So life is finite and also infinite. As I understand it the only escape from the cycle of life and death is to ascend to nirvana.

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Nexrosus t1_j12netn wrote

That’s one depressing way to view it. At least you weren’t a tiny microscopic piece of algae that’s soul purpose was to kick off the great oxidation event by merely existing with the perk of photosynthesis. You are literally a child of the stars, as we all are. A perfect combination of carbon and cosmic material that was produced from the birth, death, rebirth, and clashing of beautiful stars and celestial bodies. With your existence, came a long and tedious, beautiful process of the perfect storm creating life. It can either be extremely melancholy or meaningful depending how you view it.

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vapournova OP t1_j11yz4b wrote

Despite the universe being so huge, i feel claustrophobic

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beef-o-lipso t1_j120wnn wrote

That's a you issue. Find someone to talk to. Life's to short (or long) to worry like this.

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zzzrice t1_j122mip wrote

That’s okay. Sit with the feeling. Get to know it. Where is it? Does it have a shape? A color? Does it stay the same, or change?

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ryschwith t1_j1246pw wrote

Welcome to existential dread. Take two Camus and call me in the morning.

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urbanek2525 t1_j124zwf wrote

What would be the alternative?

What would you prefer?

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vapournova OP t1_j125at6 wrote

None.

Thats why it sucks

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urbanek2525 t1_j127tqt wrote

So, you don't like what it is, but you don't know why it's bad because you can't describe what is better?

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vapournova OP t1_j128i0o wrote

It goes more like, there is nothing better. Maybe a hypothetical universe where everything is just serotonin and dopamine but that doesnt seem feasible and is still pointless

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urbanek2525 t1_j12jsnh wrote

How can you be dissatisfied with the best universe you can think of?

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Kaotic987 t1_j12l8s5 wrote

How are you so certain we won’t experience any form of existence again?

Maybe not be the same as we are now, but it could be something else, no?

Anyway, this thread is making my existential crisis thoughts go absolutely wild.

Oof

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urbanek2525 t1_j1427kv wrote

I have a friend with OCD and while I'm no clinician, it seems to me that the most relevant factor, for her, is that she can't consciously (or subconsciously) decide what is relevant and what is not. Her mind can snap onto something and it just can't let it go. When she comes to visit, I hide the dogs' treat jar because it's clear and has lots of treats in it and her mind gets caught on the idea of "how many dog treats are in there?" She MUST count them. She's learned skills to be cope with it, but that's her world. In some ways, she's playing the video game of life on a harder mode than I am.

I'm lucky because I can be aware of the question, but also say, "that's irrelevant."

The vastness of the universe, the short span of my life, the massive multiplicity of human minds on earth at the same time. It's all cool and interesting, but is irrelevant to me. I can meditate on those things, and get lost in them, but then put them in back on the shelf with the full jar of dog treats. I don't need to count the dog treats. I don't need to do anything with the vastness of the universe. What is relevant to my short span of life is what I try to improve as much as I can, within the limits of my ability. Relevancy is different for everyone. It's pretty much up to you to decide for you, right?

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StarChild413 t1_j12sva8 wrote

if everything were serotonin and dopamine there would be no life to experience it unless you're pulling some "and it was all my brain and I am god" mindfuck bullshit

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YouDontExistt t1_j125i0a wrote

Yeah isn't it just the most amazing thing ever to be part of the universe forever!

Forever is a long time!

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NOT000 t1_j125wa4 wrote

i think about how pointless life is

and how humans are the only animals who have to pay for a place to live

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vapournova OP t1_j1266h8 wrote

We made it so hard on ourselves in an already unforgiving world for no reason other than ignorance

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LongjumpingAd5317 t1_j126jrh wrote

A bit of New Age philosophy: you could be a part of creator god who agreed to come to earth to experience non-perfection… Ergo you are simply here to have non-perfect experiences. You’re alive! And you have free will (kinda sorta, but that’s another discussion). As you go through life there will be numerous opportunities to choose different paths and options. Your mind is not trapped so keep it open to new experiences.

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StarChild413 t1_j12st0n wrote

> Ergo you are simply here to have non-perfect experiences.

then wouldn't that be turnable into arguing the purpose of life is to fail and never achieve anything great as if we become anything close to perfect creator god (and who did we agree with and how do we know that and that god weren't just part of something even higher) that'd defeat the purpose

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LongjumpingAd5317 t1_j13v4ky wrote

Yup we’re here to fail and learn and fail and learn until the Buddhists say we reach Nirvana. So you might as well laugh it off and enjoy the ride

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calculatorprogram3 t1_j129lng wrote

The way I see it, there’s one thing that’s eternal: conscious experience. While we know all life has to end with the universe, I’d rather have lived in a universe full of joy rather than one full of suffering. At the end of the day, the fact that people experienced joy transcends time, so as long as I can make life better for people after me, I’m happy.

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Hero_Charlatan t1_j129lr7 wrote

Yes, until they pick me up! So thankful they travel so far for me every 6 months

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TheCaptainJ t1_j12a5lu wrote

But, you didnt have will before you were conscious

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craftingakrabbypatty t1_j12bd5p wrote

Its just a ride man you can't make the operator stop it, you just get thrown around for a while. Hang on.

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Sad-Plan-7458 t1_j12be2x wrote

Small, and trapped!! I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of this world. I’m 50 now, hoping for some consciousness swap in 40-50. Then maybe another world. Oh to dream!

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Azur3flame t1_j12ccwy wrote

There's an impossibly big universe, we're a tiny speck somewhere in it, and we're still trying to figure out it the tutorial planet. Seriously. We have no clue what's happening in the big picture and nobody in this generation or the next is going to fix that. It's a process and we can only hope to make a contribution to that progress. I'm not worrying about what's beyond our atmosphere, it's neat to know and learn but we can't let it overwhelm us. Still need to figure out the tutorial level 😉. We're not trapped, we're just getting started.

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KorgX3 t1_j12ciz1 wrote

On the bright side, we could be wiped out by vacuum decay tomorrow!

I don't know why, but I find this information liberating. There's really nobody out there to tell us what is right or wrong. We could die at any moment. We are completely free to make the most of it and enjoy it with one another while it lasts. In the end, we all become part of the complete and natural history of the Milky Way Galaxy inscribed upon the sacred surface of Sagittarius A* where we are slowly digested over the course of trillions of years. Together.

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_herenorthere66 t1_j12duz7 wrote

Yeah of course. But in the meantime, experience as much beauty and joy and entertainment and pleasure and laughter and sex and food and art that you possibly can before (re)joining the void.

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kaoscurrent t1_j12e518 wrote

Nothing is true, everything is permitted. Enjoy.

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ToBePacific t1_j12g1k1 wrote

The universe is busy being and doing everything that it can possibly be and do. Some of those things get to have conscious experiences and do things like ponder their own existence.

Peopling is a thing that the universe does sometimes, as evidenced by us being here and doing this.

I just think that’s neat.

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Rakhered t1_j12gpyd wrote

You are so tiny. If you feel trapped, go 100 miles in any direction and experience something new.

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Widgar56 t1_j12gw6k wrote

The whole universe could be just a speck of dust on a policeman or policewoman's uniform. I think I heard this on the Twilight Zone. Really made me think...

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Iluraphale t1_j12h3ll wrote

Worrying about the heat death of the universe is not on my current list

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joecapcoffee t1_j12hnnp wrote

You have to buckle up to ride a roller coaster

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Atari__Safari t1_j12kwe4 wrote

Ahhh the youth and their struggle with nihilism.

Just be glad you wake up each morning. Take time to enjoy listening to the birds sing, and revel in seeing the sun and the moon. But most of all, be good to those you love. And enjoy every moment.

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starsblink t1_j12l0jo wrote

The fact that you attained consciousness on this big rock amidst the vastness of the universe is THE most amazing and beautiful thing in the known universe.

Don't sell your existence short.

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Rthepirate t1_j12n62j wrote

My mom asked me if there was anywhere you could go where would you go.

I said Andromeda.

The trapped feeling is real for sure, just wanna know we're not alone.

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Kooky_Performance116 t1_j12o4wy wrote

I think the reality is a little more science fiction then not. We has humans have a very finite ability to think about these existential crisis as a whole. Almost like a road block in our brains thinking about how and why this whole thing came about. There’s even recent cracks in the theory of the Big Bang if I’m remembering correctly. We can only pin point the start of everything into some particles flying around in a void. But we cant figure out beyond that. What is a void without a universe, where did those particles come from, if they didn’t come from somewhere how have they always existed etc

I wouldn’t be shocked if this whole thing is more like Horton hears a who, the matrix , or even the aliens playing with marbles in men in black.

Could be like interstellar where we’re just on some continuous time loop always living the past and the future simultaneously and you start fresh a new at the end of the line.

People start thinking about existential crises and freak out. But for me its exciting. Cause we don’t know now. But we might all find out eventually.

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bloodwell1456 t1_j12of9f wrote

Do we even know if the universe started? Maybe it always has and always will be. Maybe black holes are what explode and create the new expansions and could be the "big bang" in theory. After all they do suck in anything that comes near, and crushes everything into an inconceivably small ball of matter. Who knows for sure, we cant say for certain because our small brains arent able to comprehend it with only a hundred or so years of studying it with limited technology.

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weirdrevolution11 t1_j12p3ca wrote

I was actually terrified about this when I was young. When I was able to to articulate it to my father, he somehow explained it to me in a simple way. I couldn’t do it justice here . What he was able to convey to me was , It is very easy. You are small. One day you won’t be so small but you will understand, the weight won’t effect you. The time won’t effect you. You are safe because it has always been this way. He witnessed airplanes and moon launches and atom bombs. It was a little comfort Edit: I think I posted too soon

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bryty93 t1_j12w9uo wrote

I feel trapped at my job, let alone every other part of life...

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WarProgenitor t1_j12xfpc wrote

Whenever I think my life is pointless, I just focus on all that death makes me miss out on, and how boring death must be.

The opportunity to live and experience life.. that is the meaning.

After all, the universe only created life in an attempt to understand itself in the first place... first space..

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FriedmanMkIII t1_j121rsx wrote

If you think it matters that much then you have a lot to learn about the universe.

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HealthyStonksBoys t1_j128xof wrote

What always blows my mind is we are here. Right now. Yet no one cares about why. Instead of all of us collectively pursuing knowledge as to why, to what end we instead go about our lives eating sleeping and working. There is so much to explore! We should be building ships, regardless of time it takes how many generations etc. the pursuit of knowledge should be above all.

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Looter629 t1_j12cp8i wrote

Tick tock, tick tock. It's happening again, I have to stop it.

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e_j_white t1_j12h0ux wrote

If it makes you feel better, even if another big bang occurred trillions of year from now, you probably won't experience any form of existence again.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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simcoder t1_j12i3jz wrote

Harry Welsh : It's a game, Blithe. That's all. We're just moving the ball forward one yard at a time. Nothing but a game.

Pvt. Albert Blithe : What is, sir?

Harry Welsh : This. The whole thing.

[offers Blithe another drink]

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BronchialChunk t1_j12mgzg wrote

one can't equate a limited experience that is probably less than a 100 years to the billions of years that are going to pass. Your scope is entirely a self-centric one that really can't be explained beyond that self aggrandizement.

what difference are you expecting to make on the universe? you can't get to orbit let alone be outside of the orbit of this planet and even if then, you may make it to the moon. Your supposed are of affect is 300k miles in this area of space that is constantly changing. You think a 100kg mass is going to change the constitution of a star?

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Loktodabrain t1_j11yxl6 wrote

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

John 5:28-29.

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CurveOfTheUniverse t1_j120sfc wrote

Thanks for reminding us to turn to the Good Book. Let me now share one of my favorite verses:

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ."

Ephesians 6:5

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Canes--Venatici t1_j121vb3 wrote

Or my favorite verse "The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open"

Hosea 13:16

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