Oct 18, 2026 06:27 PM
“For any possible population of at least ten billion people, all with a very high quality of life, there must be some much larger imaginable population whose existence, if other things are equal, would be better even though its members have lives that are barely worth living.”–Derek Parfit
I think we're presently at around 8 billion. There must be something about just being in the future that suggests being better than now. Or maybe something about just being in the present that suggests anything is better than this. Is pessimism hardwired into the contemporary itself? Is possibility innately better than actuality regardless of its content? Perhaps nobody likes a static done deal. Finality is so depressing.
I think we're presently at around 8 billion. There must be something about just being in the future that suggests being better than now. Or maybe something about just being in the present that suggests anything is better than this. Is pessimism hardwired into the contemporary itself? Is possibility innately better than actuality regardless of its content? Perhaps nobody likes a static done deal. Finality is so depressing.