Tied to reality and can't truly experience a post-scarcity society

(cross-posted in IJBM here)

See, for those of us who are living in middle and upper middle class households in first-world countries (or what passes for that these days), or are in college, we've got a lot of resources and free time on our hands.

We're frequently found discussing things on message boards. Discovering new media on Youtube. Running into and indulging ourselves in new memes. We can rather easily supply ourselves with hardware—most likely, our parents bought our computers for us or we bought ourselves something that's half-decent and cheap, or better. Accessories like headphones, speakers, and wireless mice are easy to come by. Software can be mostly found for free—between all the open-source and non-open-source freeware programs out there, and all the games, TV shows, and movies that can be acquired for free via legal or less-than-legal means, we have access to pretty much anything a computer can ever do, save maybe really-high-end gaming and design capabilities. And we can just hunt for stuff on the cheap if we need it. Or beg our parents for it.

We have little worry for food, water, clothing, shelter, or other basic needs. Maybe we'll be asked to do chores, or fix some meals. But when push comes to shove, we have a very generous safety net.

This, my friends, is our little taste of what a post-scarcity utopia is truly like. We get to organize ourselves into social groups and find common activities with which to enjoy our lives. We get to troll people and play pranks at our leisure. We get to spend endless hours playing computer games and commenting on internet forums. We get to philosophize endlessly, occupy ourselves with hobbies, speculate about celebrities and the media, involve ourselves in causes and politics, and lend helping hands those around us anytime we like.

But all good things will come to an end someday. The blissfully ignorant lifestyles we lead will eventually give way to more responsibilities and obligations, and we will have to bid farewell to our carefree living, and with it, many of our beloved activities, interests, ambitions, and even friends.

Discuss.

Not necessarily. As long as technological innovation and production rates continues to outpace population growth, there is no reason why this lifestyle cannot continue as long as civilization itself.

For a select few.

That's the big difference. Huge difference. Those few who are experiencing it now are doing so only because someone else is supporting them.

This thread says Wattup.

A hard to swallow but effective remedy for this, is to stop wasting time on trivial matters ike memes and videogames.

And while we can live as philosophers, our hobbies can be useful, like learning to speak a new language, cooking exquisite meals and yoga, that is to say, somehing that has an actual value in your life.

After all,what does it matter to read and experience so much fiction that is either idealized or unrealistic? When you can improve every second.....

TANSTAAFL

/thread

I find there to be inherent value in philosophical conversations and, yes, even memes.

Still, it'd be nice if I could find a !@#$ing job.

I don't think I'll give up on my "beloved activities." I might have less time for them, but I refuse to let that equate to "no time," and I don't spend enough on my activities for money to be a problem.

Modified for my purposes.

Its a tough truth, but art and philosophy are more complementary.

Philosophy gives one some interesting perspectives, if Im not mistaken.

Philosophy maybe.

This one understands that, and is in fact very anxious about it. Worst thing is that she cannot stop thinking that the things she enjoys are going to end, and very soon. This one is 22, for Cthulhu's sake!

Is there anything to look forward to in life?

I can't see how philosophy is any different from, say, playing video games. An interesting diversion, but it isn't going to put food on the table.

@Clarste: brings to mind the anecdote on Euclid (or was it Thales?) and the issue of olive presses.

@Beholderess and the others: I have this feeling too, once in a while. Then I get back to wasting my time.

@Beholderess: It's your conscience kicking you subtly for not doing something useful you want to do but haven't gotten around to it, If Im not mistaken.

Well, it is. But without much effect. Thing is, I know I'll have no choice soon. Just like all other people.

You'll always find place under my bridge. I can even spare a box for you.

Well, thank you

When life changes, you change. Your priorities will shift in order to keep up. Will that make life worth living?

<Shrugs>

Beats me.

One annoying thing is that there is no true steady-state.

"Steady-state" is a concept in engineering referring to something being stable for some good amount of time during which you no longer need to constantly worry about how the situation is changing. For example,

Except this never really happens in real life. Yeah, we can forget about things for a little while, but it's not like a videogame where we can stand around doing thing for indefinite periods of time. First, there is the passage of time—people grow old, things wear out, and culture and technology keep on moving. Second, there is the fact that living takes money. In order to stay alive, as long as you aren't in your own little pad in the middle of nowhere where you grow your own food and find your own water from a stream or a well, you're part of a society, and you'll be paying people for your food, water, and likely shelter and transportation needs. This also means that you also have to be employed in such a way that actually makes yourself money to pay bills (and making money, as we all know, is not necessarily at all related to meaningfulness of work*

So unfortunately, sitting around is actually stagnation against the flow of time.

Yea, truanting by doing frivolous activities is like trying to climb a waterfall upstream.

I;m in a position to continue to live in post scarcity.

...I love how Deboss hangs out on a forum that is by its nature full of artsy, creative people and openly decries the very existence of art...

I don't really think we should be considering trying to go post-scarcity for just ourselves while people still starve to death every day in droves in other places...

That's whwere I differ. While I'd like them to be prosperous, they need to build it for themselves.

Except it's our fault they're how they are. If their fucked up-ness was their own fault, then yeah, but it's the imperial powers that did it to them, and goddammit, it's our responsibility to help them fix it...