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Comment by causasui | Hacker News Reader

If you trace this thread backwards to its root (by essentially responding to every answer with "so what?"), you end up with the question "would it a 'bad thing' if humanity were to become extinct?"

Anecdotally, the vast majority of people I've met - from all walks of life and religious/political leanings - will answer this question with an unthinking "yes, of course that's bad".

I've been curious lately why this is. From the standpoint of Christianity, isn't the end goal rapture followed by total extinction anyway? From the standpoint of agnosticism/atheism, wouldn't an extinction mean the end of human suffering?

Why are we as a species so afraid of not being able to sustain ourselves through a constant churning of new births? Is it just our monkey brain ultimately calling the shots?

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You are a monkey brain. It is not the case you should replace your monkey brain value system with some "better" value system.

Or rather, if you choose to replace your monkey brain value system with some better value system, such choice can be made only under your monkey brain value system. Value-system-yet-to-be-adopted is not your value system yet (entire question is about whether it should be your value system) and can't be the basis of your choice. (Yes, humans often make mistakes here, but that's because humans are vulnerable to circular reasoning, not because circular reasoning is valid.)

The end of human suffering also represents the end of the (IMO vastly greater) aggregated joy of being alive as a human.

What's the point of aggregated joy if only a few select elites have it?

Why even give birth to humans that are most likely not wanted in this world?

I would say most children in Western nations are wanted by their parents. They're mostly just a cost economically speaking, so no incentive to have more than you want.

I think most people can achieve happiness in their situation, even under bad conditions, if they have a sound mind. Those elites might have a better shot at accidental happiness, but being upset over that will do nothing good for your own state of mind, so why let it bring you down? You can't change how the world works.

Happiness comes from within, and from meaningful social connections.

Most everyone experiences joy at many points in life. Joy comes from family, friends, accomplishment/mastery, personal growth, learning, and sometimes just from having a great day. It’s not like you need a yacht to find some joy.

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