Ask Lemmy

I don't try to justify my existence. No-one needs to earn a right to be.

its neutral that i exist and you have no particular reason to care other than we share a solidarity having to suffer the human condition.

good luck, you only get one shot

What makes you assume I exist?

My purpose for existing is not to do your homework. Stop being lazy and do your own work.

When I meet people who share my ideals and principles, it feels like finding an oasis in a desert.

It's very likely that other people think the same of me. My existence ensures that some people won't feel alone in this world.

"Try and stop me."

I didn't get much say in the matter so might as well enjoy the memes

I have a cheat code: I work for others. My work helps performances happen, which in turn do bring entertainment and/or depth to audiences. Also I love my office

No one needs to justify their existence. Existence is valuable in and of itself, not derived from what you can do or be or experience.

"In the same way that your heart feels and your mind thinks, you, mortal beings, are the instrument by which the universe cares. If you choose to care, then the universe cares. If you don’t, it doesn't."

I exist. There's nothing to justify.

Capitalism creates a world in which you have to "earn" a living. But you exist and that should be enough.

I didn't ask to exist. I exist and you are not required to care. Whether my existence is good is a philosophical debate.

However showing empathy and understanding to your fellow sapients is a virtue.

It's self-evident

To produce art that, however slightly, affects the world. I don't care if anyone agrees or cares, I just need to make it.

Is it good that anyone exists over anyone else?

Unless you've knowingly caused some irrevocable abhorrent harm to others then you're just as deserving of your existence as anyone else.

We're all here without our consent, some even by complete accident - might as well do something with it, even if its just living a quiet life surrounded by those who love you.

So that I can reduce suffering in the world

I have none. I exist now but did not before and eventually will not again.

IMHO, there's no such thing as a reason to exist. It was imposed, by a principle that exists beyond the existing cosmos, to all existing things (every star stuff, thus it's not just me and you). One of our duties is to let go of anthropocentric pretensions that "only we humans are trapped into existence", for countless fauna and flora are in the same ship as us, many of which were already here before the first hominin ever existed. And similarly, we must let go of the geocentric pretensions that "only earthlings are trapped into existence", for countless celestial bodies (statistically likely to be cosmic petri dishes of self-rearranging structures aka life) throughout the cosmos have existed way before Sol (the star around which this Pale Blue Dot have been orbiting) got its form. I got some spiritual beliefs on top of that (Demiurge vs Cosmic Mother, unfolding of fractals of this cosmic strife, Lucifer and Lilith, , etc) but for this specific question, I'm trying to keep it objective and more grounded on scientific reality, which is the universe is an ongoing system of unfolding causality, subjected to thermodynamic entropy, in which baryonic and nonbaryonic matter are fated to interact pointlessly and react in strictly mathematical manners. Exactly: a pure, mathematical fate. C'est la vie.

!asklemmy@lemmy.world

Because there's only one of me. And if I weren't me, then nobody would be me.

im just here so i don't get fined

I already exist, and that's enough justification on its own. Whether you care or not doesn't make a difference.

Now, swap around "I" and "you".

I exist because the world existed before I did. My existence is neutral, it is my actions that determine good or bad. I am capable of unparalleled compassion and kindness, but I'm also capable of unimaginable cruelty. Choosing not to care about these capabilities is why we have some truly terrible people throughout the world. Therefore it is my duty to care for myself and others around me, to reduce cruelty in the world.

I guess I have none, but I also don't really feel like offing myself.

i'm not as dumb as you, for starters.

Pattern recognition. Opposable thumbs. Kung-fu grip. Floor-sweeping. Can sometimes create something neat befitting the year 1997. Can chop and fry vegetables. Load/unloading dishwasher. Poorly-equipped operator of 2 wheels (250w assist), ~450 miles on the odometer and no current destinations (also too damn hot).

Those are the ingredients that make it hard for me to justify myself in context of escapist fantasies (as out there as brain-in-a-can, as realistic as intentional communities yet still intangible).

People like positive self-talk (everyone matters), though I feel it really clashes with the rent-seeking+papers-please reality that we find ourselves in. Disposable everything.

You seem to be under the impression that I think my existence is a good thing.

i have a damn good reason but i'm not gonna tell people because my whole life i've faced rejection for who i really am because other people are superficial assholes who fail to comprehend something meaningful when they see it.

Great question!

😬

Why is anything good? Existence isn't a question of value.

What makes your existence any more or less meaningful than a speck of dust in some distant nebula? Does the fact that we breathe, shit, and wax poetic about the hallucinations we derive from our bundles of nerves really amount to anything when we know how impermanent it is? I say no

There is no meaning to life - there is no good or bad for being around at any one time.

Some people try to fill this hole by convincing themselves that service to others, or great accomplishments in their eyes, will somehow tip some cosmic scale and demonstrate/reward their goodness.

The bee doesn't examine it's own life, yet many believe their lives are worth living (because it benefits other life).

🤷‍♂️

No help here, I guess.

I’m just here to keep the pretzel population in check.

I live and grow more powerful to spite my enemies.

I have no justification I'm afraid. I kinda just suck.

I can still bleed.

I exist because I do, I will until I don't, which will be earlier than I think, and the only alternative is to "clock out early", which I was told to avoid doing.

I am conscious and my experience of the physical world including my own body allows me to grow and feel.

At a bare minimum you should care if for no other reason than self preservation. You probably seek fulfilment of your need for connection in that others care about your existence. You're much more likely to receive that if you care for the existence of others. Furthermore, the experience of caring for others enriches your own sense of well being and value of self.

I didn't use "good" because its meaning hinges on context and the morality of the reader.