> [mailto:CONLANG@listserv.brown.edu] On Behalf Of Lars Finsen
> > Well this is starting to get in to the "no cross" territory,
but
> > the whole thing about leaving a mark on the world in the
form of
> > artistic works or even children are part of the thinking
that they
> > somehow make you immortal.
>
> Somehow. At least you defy death a little. It's human to like
being
> appreciated. I like to be appreciated. We have all seen how
quickly
> most people are forgotten as soon as they leave this world.
> Especially if you're a nice guy who did nothing wrong in your
life,
> you will be very quickly forgotten. And being forgotten is to
cease
> to exist completely. But if you are remembered and
appreciated, at
> least something is left behind, although you don't appreciate
it
> yourself.
I know other believe differently, and they are entitled to do
so, but my philosophy is when I'm gone, I'm nothing more than
food for the worms whether anyone remembers me or not. Leaving
something behind means nothing to me.
> Existence isn't all material.
In fact it's not material at all. What we all have is a
timeline which begins at birth and ends at death, however long
that may be. Just a serious of moments, of which I intend to
make the best out of as many as I can, until I run out of
moments.
> Whether my existence or what I do or make are making the world
a
> better place is hard to tell. Yet, making no difference at all
would
> make life seem very meaningless, wouldn't it? If you think
your own
> self is all that really matters in this world, you wouldn't
give a
> damn whether you continued making a difference after your life
is
> over or not, but I guess most people find there are other
> things that matter, too.
I could argue that it's somewhat arrogant that what I think is
so important that it should carry onward after my death. My
idea of "a better world" may not be the same as the other 7
billion people out there. Let those who survive me decide what
they want their world to be like.
> > Yes, it's a selfish attitude but actually so are all
attitudes.
> > Someone could also say it's selfish to want to leave a mark
on the
> > world after death when those who are still alive may want
something
> > different. Even the so-called "giving" types are acting
> > selfishly. Their rewards may emotional rather than
material, but
> > they are still acting in self-interest.
>
> That depends whether they are "giving" out of a habit formed
because
> they found they enjoyed giving some time in their youth, or if
they
> are "giving" out of an intellectual decision formed out of an
> abstract notion of the greater good or that sort of thing.
Genuinely
> self-disinterested people exist. Pretty often they are not
happy and
> pretty often they are abused and exploited by other people.
Some
> people develop techniques to diminish other people's
> self-interest in order to exploit them. Political or domestic
tyrants for
> example, not to mention the religious ones.
It all comes down to the same thing. "Giving" to gain access to
"Heaven" or some eternal reward, or escape some eternal
punishment is still a sefish motive. Unfortunately a lot of
people tend to think too much in material terms when often the
motivation is emotional. They either give because they find it
somehow emotionally rewarding, or maybe it's just to avoid
negative emotions like guilt. All involve "selfish" thinking.
> Only newborn babies are completely self-absorbed. If they are
blind
> and deaf and lack any way to perceive the outside world, they
stay
> that way. Otherwise they soon develop some interest in things
> outside themselves, and at times this interest can be pretty
absorbing, like
> when you discover language for example, or when you discover
> girlhood. When something like this absorbs you so much you
forget
> about yourself, we call it love.
Ah, but discovering language is really just learning to use it
as a tool to get what you want. The first things a baby learns
to say are words like "mama" and "papa" so they can get the
attention of the parents who provide for them. Then they reach
the state where they learn single words, any of which could be
preceded with "I want ...
"