Family? At least that's what all those disgruntled workers keep saying. :P
Life is meaningless. People just tend to disagree at what existential level it begins to become meaningless. But right now is not meaningless - we can choose to enjoy it. Whether that is by telling ourselves that we have a purpose and acting upon it, or by playing amateur tennis - what's the difference? In the grand scheme of things.
Doctors have a purpose, but only because people are sick. Homeless shelters have a purpose, but only because there are homeless people. Soldiers have a purpose, but only because there are wars to fight. Workers have a purpose, but only because there is work to be done.
Do people have a feeling of existential purpose only because there is some unfinished work that they can finish, some pain that they can alleviate, or something being a burden that they can take on their shoulders? If so, it's a good thing that Utopia can't become real. Because we wouldn't like it one bit.
Life is meaningless to you... That's a whole another can of worms but a very interesting one nevertheless.
While watching a documentary recently, I realized that my existential angst wasn't nearly as pronounced or debilitating when I was struggling to live day to day. Work sucked, really sucked, to the point that some days I'd almost wish I'd rather fallen gravely ill or died rather than go to work. But that was only some days. Harsh world, you do what you have to do mindset.
One of the hardest adjustments to not necessarily having to work has been having to figure out the "why" and other existential angst. Yes, religion is a quick fix, but given enough free time, even that luxury may go away as one gets disillusioned with all the BS that goes with organized religion.
The author of the article presents a very interesting conundrum indeed. As things get more efficient, there is more free time, more wealth to go around more "leisure" potential than ever before. But on a grander scale is that necessarily a good thing? Apparently some Chinese bureaucrat back in the old day actively decided against industrialization since people wouldn't have work to do. A modernist world clearly dehumanizes people, that's just an artifact of the system. Perhaps a world where labor is cheap and more and more people work helps maintain order and may somehow be more conducive to human happiness as opposed to lots of free time to realize that the system is crap and have war and chaos. (Yes, I know this is a bit hyperbolic).
Personally, I'm really happy to not have to work crazy hours to be able to eat. I appreciate it. But I do see a lot of friends trying to come to terms with finding meaning in their lives, and not always with great results (had the unfortunate task to having to prepare a funeral for one in January). A very thought provoking article and certainly an insightful comment (though I am bit of wary of outright declarations of life's meaning or lack thereof)
Actually, meant to imply that your claim is your opinion & the debate on that is another can of worms. I actually found your comment quite insightful. I was hoping to get your opinion or those of others here about whether a world with more free time is necessarily "better" than one where people toil (perhaps needlessly) but are "happier".
People imposing their views on others inherently implies they think they are better and smarter than the other, and in general I have found reason to distrust such people. Not saying you are such a person, but I assumed you might agree that your viewpoint of life is meaningless is absolute or the "truth" just as the inverse is not. Most smart people can/should determine that themselves. My comment was not meant to be an ad hominem attack, apologies if it came off that way.
Even the word life can be interpreted any number of ways. To address either your point or his would require a whole lot of keyboard pounding before any meaningful conversation could be made.
Life is meaningless. People just tend to disagree at what existential level it begins to become meaningless. But right now is not meaningless - we can choose to enjoy it. Whether that is by telling ourselves that we have a purpose and acting upon it, or by playing amateur tennis - what's the difference? In the grand scheme of things.
Doctors have a purpose, but only because people are sick. Homeless shelters have a purpose, but only because there are homeless people. Soldiers have a purpose, but only because there are wars to fight. Workers have a purpose, but only because there is work to be done.
Do people have a feeling of existential purpose only because there is some unfinished work that they can finish, some pain that they can alleviate, or something being a burden that they can take on their shoulders? If so, it's a good thing that Utopia can't become real. Because we wouldn't like it one bit.