I’ve always desired utopia. Utopia seems within reach. I’m starting to think my views on this are part of my shadow.

People need to be different in a utopia. I can’t foresee that kind of change. This means any conclusion I have that leads to a utopia is unrealistic. It is some scary shit to look at society and think it is on rails off a cliff. We can’t achieve the utopia. It is more likely we implode.

Utopia

Any utopia I conjure up requires people like me in many ways. There is a lot of evidence that most people are not like me. I enjoy spending time contemplating my Self. I speak with people with PhDs from exclusive schools about intellectual topics. My work has always been easy and productive. There is no reason to think that the majority of people live a life remotely resembling my own. Further, I don’t think they want to live that life.

What happens when people have nothing that is required of them? Will people find meaning the same way I do?

Meaning in a Futuristic Utopia

I can find meaning very easily. I enjoy learning and debating things with people. There is nothing that makes me happier than being proved wrong. I am hardly committed to any viewpoint and generally believe several are correct at the same time.

In a pre-modern society where everyone works towards a goal, meaning is easy. You put in the work and get the reward. Everyone is happy. There is a challenge when famine or war hits you, but you can live in a utopia up to that point. Maybe it is too cold or hot for you as well.

So, humans strive for something better. Each improvement removes something that sucks about life. Why would you stop improving?

There seems to be a tipping point. Once life stops sucking and you can just sit and eat candy all day (without getting fat, we have pills for that) what is the purpose of living? Pleasure only gets you so far in life.

Utopian Shadow

It is a flaw within me. Because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not only that, but my eyes work quite well. I can see the tunnel for what it is. I am not bothered by it.

Evidence is telling me now that we are veering away from that light. We are headed down a new tunnel. There are many forks in the path, and some of them lead back towards the light. Even as the majority of us move into this new tunnel, some of us soljourn on in the old tunnel.

I am wondering if it is a mistake to want to get back to the old tunnel. Will that old tunnel always lead to bad places? Most people don’t seem to see the light. They only see the darkness that the light is casting. My shadow may be one that I am casting on others.

Telos

It is clear to me that telos isn’t a thing in any meaningful way. Humanity has no end purpose. To assume we do is hubris. Each life is something important in itself. Suffering is real. It is obvious to me that I can reduce suffering.

When I assume there is a telos and we have a direction to head as humanity, I do things that end up increasing that suffering. I can’t really help myself. I think people are making mistakes.

It is hard to ignore the future utopia I see. My time will be better spent working in the tunnels than casting my shadow on everyone else. There is no way to force everyone back to their place. It isn’t worth my time.