Button not responding when pressed

If you were standing before a button right now that offered you immediate, absolute nonexistence, would you press it? And let’s be clear: strip away any sentimentality about leaving loved ones behind or causing grief; assume instead that this disappearance includes being wiped from their memories entirely, leaving them with no trace of your existence and no capacity for sorrow.

If the answer is yes—what is the motivation? If it is no—what holds you back?

cosmicskipper82 said:If you were standing before a button right now that offered you immediate, absolute nonexistence, would you press it? And let’s be clear: strip away any sentimentality about leaving loved ones behind or causing grief; assume instead that this disappearance includes being wiped from their memories entirely, leaving them with no trace of your existence and no capacity for sorrow.

If the answer is yes—what is the motivation? If it is no—what holds you back?

Eh, that’s not quite the heavy hitter I was looking for. A much "juicier" question would be: would you press a button that results in total nonexistence for *everyone*? Just "poof"—and the entire universe is gone. 😈

As for the original question, though—I wouldn't. Why invite something upon myself that I can't escape anyway? 🤣

Here’s another tricky one: what if you could "erase" someone ELSE that way? You know, the same way—wiping them from existence and everyone's memory at will. Someone’s presence just grates on your nerves, so you say, "bam, you're gone"—not even leaving a trace in my own mind or anyone else's. 🤣

lonegardener said:Eh, that’s not quite the heavy hitter I was looking for. A much "juicier" question would be: would you press a button that results in total nonexistence for *everyone*? Just "poof"—and the entire universe is gone. 😈

As for the original question, though—I wouldn't. Why invite something upon myself that I can't escape anyway? 🤣

Here’s another tricky one: what if you could "erase" someone ELSE that way? You know, the same way—wiping them from existence and everyone's memory at will. Someone’s presence just grates on your nerves, so you say, "bam, you're gone"—not even leaving a trace in my own mind or anyone else's. 🤣

I don't think I would.

lonegardener said:Eh, that’s not quite the heavy hitter I was looking for. A much "juicier" question would be: would you press a button that results in total nonexistence for *everyone*? Just "poof"—and the entire universe is gone. 😈

As for the original question, though—I wouldn't. Why invite something upon myself that I can't escape anyway? 🤣

Here’s another tricky one: what if you could "erase" someone ELSE that way? You know, the same way—wiping them from existence and everyone's memory at will. Someone’s presence just grates on your nerves, so you say, "bam, you're gone"—not even leaving a trace in my own mind or anyone else's. 🤣

Look, even if our inevitable erasure is certain, shouldn't we at least endure a few more meaningless years before then? 🤷 Why rush the end? 😬

lonegardener said:Eh, that’s not quite the heavy hitter I was looking for. A much "juicier" question would be: would you press a button that results in total nonexistence for *everyone*? Just "poof"—and the entire universe is gone. 😈

As for the original question, though—I wouldn't. Why invite something upon myself that I can't escape anyway? 🤣

Here’s another tricky one: what if you could "erase" someone ELSE that way? You know, the same way—wiping them from existence and everyone's memory at will. Someone’s presence just grates on your nerves, so you say, "bam, you're gone"—not even leaving a trace in my own mind or anyone else's. 🤣

That dilemma is solved by pressing the exact same button mentioned in this thread. 🤷 I suppose I would opt for that instead.

I wouldn't go for that. Nonexistence isn't really my vibe. I’d much rather my consciousness just keeps rolling forever, reincarnating into whatever bodies I feel like picking. Being able to choose my own vessel would be the real kicker. Maybe I'd just be some regular guy, like a mid-level bureaucrat working in Springfield, or maybe I'd pop up as some insectoid alien philosopher on a planet light-years away from Earth—maybe even sliding into another dimension entirely.

The whole "nothingness" thing sounds pretty bleak to me because you can't actually experience anything. Honestly, I think life is pretty sweet as it is.

cosmicskipper82 said:If you were standing before a button right now that offered you immediate, absolute nonexistence, would you press it? And let’s be clear: strip away any sentimentality about leaving loved ones behind or causing grief; assume instead that this disappearance includes being wiped from their memories entirely, leaving them with no trace of your existence and no capacity for sorrow.

If the answer is yes—what is the motivation? If it is no—what holds you back?

No, it’s simply because I know Jesus loves me (in a strictly platonic sense), and besides, He’s going to resurrect me from this state of nonexistence anyway. Once that happens, though, I suspect I’ll be receiving quite a bit of affection—of the much more romantic variety—for a very long time. Plus, I'll finally be back in those places where a sunburn heals in the blink of an eye.

I feel like everyone would just be circling that button like a bunch of lost puppies, probably breaking out into some old blues song about how we’ve only got one life, so pass me another shot because tomorrow we might be toast... la la la la... just everyone joining in together, loud and messy...

cosmicskipper82 said:I don't think I would.

Look, even if our inevitable erasure is certain, shouldn't we at least endure a few more meaningless years before then? 🤷 Why rush the end? 😬

That dilemma is solved by pressing the exact same button mentioned in this thread. 🤷 I suppose I would opt for that instead.

Why not? Honestly, I’d be... tempted. 🤣

cosmicskipper82 said:I don't think I would.

Look, even if our inevitable erasure is certain, shouldn't we at least endure a few more meaningless years before then? 🤷 Why rush the end? 😬

That dilemma is solved by pressing the exact same button mentioned in this thread. 🤷 I suppose I would opt for that instead.

Just out of curiosity? 🤣

cosmicskipper82 said:I don't think I would.

Look, even if our inevitable erasure is certain, shouldn't we at least endure a few more meaningless years before then? 🤷 Why rush the end? 😬

That dilemma is solved by pressing the exact same button mentioned in this thread. 🤷 I suppose I would opt for that instead.

That might be how you see it... but I have a feeling most people would reach for my button first. LOL.

lonegardener said:Why not? Honestly, I’d be... tempted. 🤣

Just out of curiosity? 🤣

That might be how you see it... but I have a feeling most people would reach for my button first. LOL.

Why should I care about anyone else? 🤷Let them have their own button and do whatever they please with it.

lonegardener said:Why not? Honestly, I’d be... tempted. 🤣

Just out of curiosity? 🤣

That might be how you see it... but I have a feeling most people would reach for my button first. LOL.

What curiosity? 😬It seems to me that twenty or thirty years on this earth is more than enough time to extinguish any lingering curiosity regarding him.

lonegardener said:Why not? Honestly, I’d be... tempted. 🤣

Just out of curiosity? 🤣

That might be how you see it... but I have a feeling most people would reach for my button first. LOL.

That strikes me as profoundly strange. Fine, let us be honest—that category would include only those who are genuinely content to exist, even if that existence comes with a few... shall we say... gray areas. 😬

Not really.

It basically boils down to asking why you should bother brushing your teeth every day.

cosmicskipper82 said:If you were standing before a button right now that offered you immediate, absolute nonexistence, would you press it? And let’s be clear: strip away any sentimentality about leaving loved ones behind or causing grief; assume instead that this disappearance includes being wiped from their memories entirely, leaving them with no trace of your existence and no capacity for sorrow.

If the answer is yes—what is the motivation? If it is no—what holds you back?

What even is a "botun"? This whole non-existence contract thing smells a bit like marriage to me. ☕

cosmicskipper82 said:Why should I care about anyone else? 🤷Let them have their own button and do whatever they please with it.

What curiosity? 😬It seems to me that twenty or thirty years on this earth is more than enough time to extinguish any lingering curiosity regarding him.

That strikes me as profoundly strange. Fine, let us be honest—that category would include only those who are genuinely content to exist, even if that existence comes with a few... shall we say... gray areas. 😬

I don't know, I've always been the type to look out for others, not just myself. 😬

cosmicskipper82 said:Why should I care about anyone else? 🤷Let them have their own button and do whatever they please with it.

What curiosity? 😬It seems to me that twenty or thirty years on this earth is more than enough time to extinguish any lingering curiosity regarding him.

That strikes me as profoundly strange. Fine, let us be honest—that category would include only those who are genuinely content to exist, even if that existence comes with a few... shall we say... gray areas. 😬

It’s like watching a movie where you walk away thinking, "Well, an hour should have been more than enough time to satisfy any curiosity I had about the plot." 🤣

By the way, you haven't even figured out who the killer is yet, right? 🤣

Honestly, Enivej, thirty years doesn't feel like enough to me. In fact, even two hundred years wouldn't cut it—but that’s a whole different conversation. 🥳

cosmicskipper82 said:Why should I care about anyone else? 🤷Let them have their own button and do whatever they please with it.

What curiosity? 😬It seems to me that twenty or thirty years on this earth is more than enough time to extinguish any lingering curiosity regarding him.

That strikes me as profoundly strange. Fine, let us be honest—that category would include only those who are genuinely content to exist, even if that existence comes with a few... shall we say... gray areas. 😬

Most people are happy enough just to exist, but almost everyone has at least one person who gets under their skin. Then there’s that other group—those people who seem to annoy everyone they meet. Or maybe even most of them. Personally? I'm definitely in that second camp. 🤣 To be honest, I’m not exactly thrilled about existing, so I doubt I fall into that category...

Since "erasing" certain people would mean wiping out any trace of their existence entirely, you could argue there aren't even any moral dilemmas involved. No one ends up suffering—not even the person being erased, because, well, they wouldn't exist to feel it, right? How incredibly merciful of Epicurus... 🤣)

Alexander Garcia5 said:What even is a "botun"? This whole non-existence contract thing smells a bit like marriage to me. ☕

A botun is just a button, you know? Like a key or a switch...☕

mistygull16 said:A botun is just a button, you know? Like a key or a switch...☕

Oh, okay.

Theme courtesy of Ren and Stimpy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jjN-H62U64

👍

I wonder how anyone would even handle that button asking about eternal existence.
Would you actually press it? Would you feel that rush of pure satisfaction knowing you could never truly end? Not just for a billion years, but forever.

lonegardener said:I don't know, I've always been the type to look out for others, not just myself. 😬

It’s like watching a movie where you walk away thinking, "Well, an hour should have been more than enough time to satisfy any curiosity I had about the plot." 🤣

By the way, you haven't even figured out who the killer is yet, right? 🤣

Honestly, Enivej, thirty years doesn't feel like enough to me. In fact, even two hundred years wouldn't cut it—but that’s a whole different conversation. 🥳

Most people are happy enough just to exist, but almost everyone has at least one person who gets under their skin. Then there’s that other group—those people who seem to annoy everyone they meet. Or maybe even most of them. Personally? I'm definitely in that second camp. 🤣 To be honest, I’m not exactly thrilled about existing, so I doubt I fall into that category...

Since "erasing" certain people would mean wiping out any trace of their existence entirely, you could argue there aren't even any moral dilemmas involved. No one ends up suffering—not even the person being erased, because, well, they wouldn't exist to feel it, right? How incredibly merciful of Epicurus... 🤣)

So they claim—people have their own agency, so why shouldn't they decide for themselves? I have never been the type to presume I know what is best for another human being, have I? In fact, I know plenty of people who operate under that exact delusion, and quite frankly, I find them utterly insufferable.

Is it not a curious thing that we find ourselves endlessly repeating the same tired patterns, as if history were nothing more than a carousel of predictable failures? One must wonder, does anyone truly believe that these hollow gestures will ever amount to anything meaningful in this weary world?

lonegardener As if anyone actually believes that? It would be akin to sitting through a feature film only to realize that sixty minutes was more than enough time to satisfy any lingering curiosity you might have had about the plot—but at what cost? 🤣

Listen, isn't it true that for some people, even the bare minimum is more than enough? 😬

Quincy:

lonegardener Is there anything more predictable than this? Does anyone truly believe that we haven't seen this exact pattern unfold a thousand times before? Does most people truly cherish the mere fact of their existence, or is it more accurate to say that nearly everyone is at least mildly irritated by being alive? And yet, one cannot ignore the vast number of individuals who seem to exist solely to irritate others—myself included, if we are being honest. 🤣 To be perfectly honest, I find the mere fact of my own existence to be quite a burden, so one can only assume I don't fall into that particular category...

Whether it stems from a single nuisance or a multitude of irritating souls, all such problems simply vanish the moment I am no longer there to witness them; for if I do not exist within the equation, does the problem truly persist? 🥳 I shall simply cease to be irritated by their existence, though if they find such a lifestyle agreeable, they are more than welcome to persist in it.

lonegardener said:I don't know, I've always been the type to look out for others, not just myself. 😬

It’s like watching a movie where you walk away thinking, "Well, an hour should have been more than enough time to satisfy any curiosity I had about the plot." 🤣

By the way, you haven't even figured out who the killer is yet, right? 🤣

Honestly, Enivej, thirty years doesn't feel like enough to me. In fact, even two hundred years wouldn't cut it—but that’s a whole different conversation. 🥳

Most people are happy enough just to exist, but almost everyone has at least one person who gets under their skin. Then there’s that other group—those people who seem to annoy everyone they meet. Or maybe even most of them. Personally? I'm definitely in that second camp. 🤣 To be honest, I’m not exactly thrilled about existing, so I doubt I fall into that category...

Since "erasing" certain people would mean wiping out any trace of their existence entirely, you could argue there aren't even any moral dilemmas involved. No one ends up suffering—not even the person being erased, because, well, they wouldn't exist to feel it, right? How incredibly merciful of Epicurus... 🤣)

Since I have absolutely no desire to go around deleting other people, this serves as little more than a tangential thought, but what exactly does Epicurus have to do with any of this? Is it your contention that the mere absence of suffering is the ultimate metric of wisdom? If that were truly the case, then I suppose I should be hailed as a sage myself. 😬

Every single time I drift off, I feel like I’m slipping into absolute nothingness. My entire sense of "self" just... evaporates. Then, when the dreaming starts, this weird, surreal world begins to take shape. It makes me wonder—when would someone actually *want* to cease to exist? It wouldn't be out of boredom, obviously. No one hits that metaphorical reset button just because they're restless. But if you were sitting under the interrogation lights at a black site, or facing some unimaginable physical or mental agony? That’s different. That’s what drives people to the edge—the idea that it's better for the "I" to simply vanish than to endure a lifetime of hellish pain.
Existence, on its own, isn't really enough. It's what we *do* while we exist that matters. Think about this hypothetical scenario: imagine that right before you die, scientists extract your brain and plug it into some high-tech cyborg—a state-of-the-art android or something. You’re still "you," and you can technically do everything you used to do, just through a mechanical interface. Now, picture an earthquake hitting, burying you deep underground. They never find you. Your brain is still alive and functioning inside that machine, but you're trapped. You can't move, you can't feel anything from the outside world. There’s no pain, but there’s also no input. You’re just a consciousness trapped in a loop, thinking about nothing but itself. In that situation, would you hit the switch to end it all? Or would you choose to keep existing for the next two thousand years, as long as the tiny nuclear reactor powering your robotic shell keeps your brain ticking?

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Every single time I drift off, I feel like I’m slipping into absolute nothingness. My entire sense of "self" just... evaporates. Then, when the dreaming starts, this weird, surreal world begins to take shape. It makes me wonder—when would someone actually *want* to cease to exist? It wouldn't be out of boredom, obviously. No one hits that metaphorical reset button just because they're restless. But if you were sitting under the interrogation lights at a black site, or facing some unimaginable physical or mental agony? That’s different. That’s what drives people to the edge—the idea that it's better for the "I" to simply vanish than to endure a lifetime of hellish pain.
Existence, on its own, isn't really enough. It's what we *do* while we exist that matters. Think about this hypothetical scenario: imagine that right before you die, scientists extract your brain and plug it into some high-tech cyborg—a state-of-the-art android or something. You’re still "you," and you can technically do everything you used to do, just through a mechanical interface. Now, picture an earthquake hitting, burying you deep underground. They never find you. Your brain is still alive and functioning inside that machine, but you're trapped. You can't move, you can't feel anything from the outside world. There’s no pain, but there’s also no input. You’re just a consciousness trapped in a loop, thinking about nothing but itself. In that situation, would you hit the switch to end it all? Or would you choose to keep existing for the next two thousand years, as long as the tiny nuclear reactor powering your robotic shell keeps your brain ticking?

Signature.

I don't want to disappear—not yet, anyway. I don't view my own vanishing as some grand tragedy, though I can't quite pin down why. It's just that I feel there is still so much left to experience, and surely this isn't the peak.
I want to find fulfillment. And I want to help those around me—people are desperate for support these days.

Benjamin Taylor6 said:Every single time I drift off, I feel like I’m slipping into absolute nothingness. My entire sense of "self" just... evaporates. Then, when the dreaming starts, this weird, surreal world begins to take shape. It makes me wonder—when would someone actually *want* to cease to exist? It wouldn't be out of boredom, obviously. No one hits that metaphorical reset button just because they're restless. But if you were sitting under the interrogation lights at a black site, or facing some unimaginable physical or mental agony? That’s different. That’s what drives people to the edge—the idea that it's better for the "I" to simply vanish than to endure a lifetime of hellish pain.
Existence, on its own, isn't really enough. It's what we *do* while we exist that matters. Think about this hypothetical scenario: imagine that right before you die, scientists extract your brain and plug it into some high-tech cyborg—a state-of-the-art android or something. You’re still "you," and you can technically do everything you used to do, just through a mechanical interface. Now, picture an earthquake hitting, burying you deep underground. They never find you. Your brain is still alive and functioning inside that machine, but you're trapped. You can't move, you can't feel anything from the outside world. There’s no pain, but there’s also no input. You’re just a consciousness trapped in a loop, thinking about nothing but itself. In that situation, would you hit the switch to end it all? Or would you choose to keep existing for the next two thousand years, as long as the tiny nuclear reactor powering your robotic shell keeps your brain ticking?

Honestly, some people might—just out of the sheer, unbearable boredom of existing.

cosmicskipper82 said:So they claim—people have their own agency, so why shouldn't they decide for themselves? I have never been the type to presume I know what is best for another human being, have I? In fact, I know plenty of people who operate under that exact delusion, and quite frankly, I find them utterly insufferable.

Is it not a curious thing that we find ourselves endlessly repeating the same tired patterns, as if history were nothing more than a carousel of predictable failures? One must wonder, does anyone truly believe that these hollow gestures will ever amount to anything meaningful in this weary world?

lonegardener As if anyone actually believes that? It would be akin to sitting through a feature film only to realize that sixty minutes was more than enough time to satisfy any lingering curiosity you might have had about the plot—but at what cost? 🤣

Listen, isn't it true that for some people, even the bare minimum is more than enough? 😬

Quincy:

lonegardener Is there anything more predictable than this? Does anyone truly believe that we haven't seen this exact pattern unfold a thousand times before? Does most people truly cherish the mere fact of their existence, or is it more accurate to say that nearly everyone is at least mildly irritated by being alive? And yet, one cannot ignore the vast number of individuals who seem to exist solely to irritate others—myself included, if we are being honest. 🤣 To be perfectly honest, I find the mere fact of my own existence to be quite a burden, so one can only assume I don't fall into that particular category...

Whether it stems from a single nuisance or a multitude of irritating souls, all such problems simply vanish the moment I am no longer there to witness them; for if I do not exist within the equation, does the problem truly persist? 🥳 I shall simply cease to be irritated by their existence, though if they find such a lifestyle agreeable, they are more than welcome to persist in it.

Since I have absolutely no desire to go around deleting other people, this serves as little more than a tangential thought, but what exactly does Epicurus have to do with any of this? Is it your contention that the mere absence of suffering is the ultimate metric of wisdom? If that were truly the case, then I suppose I should be hailed as a sage myself. 😬

😬 'Thinking' isn't quite the same thing as 'knowing.' I suspect it was those who claim to 'know' that got under your skin, right? Not necessarily everyone who just dares to think about it.
Personally, the idea that "everyone knows what's best for them" bugs me. It’s clearly not true when it comes to children, so there’s no reason to assume it always applies to adults, either. To be honest, I don't see a massive divide between childhood and adulthood—the line is pretty blurry.

cosmicskipper82 said:So they claim—people have their own agency, so why shouldn't they decide for themselves? I have never been the type to presume I know what is best for another human being, have I? In fact, I know plenty of people who operate under that exact delusion, and quite frankly, I find them utterly insufferable.

Is it not a curious thing that we find ourselves endlessly repeating the same tired patterns, as if history were nothing more than a carousel of predictable failures? One must wonder, does anyone truly believe that these hollow gestures will ever amount to anything meaningful in this weary world?

lonegardener As if anyone actually believes that? It would be akin to sitting through a feature film only to realize that sixty minutes was more than enough time to satisfy any lingering curiosity you might have had about the plot—but at what cost? 🤣

Listen, isn't it true that for some people, even the bare minimum is more than enough? 😬

Quincy:

lonegardener Is there anything more predictable than this? Does anyone truly believe that we haven't seen this exact pattern unfold a thousand times before? Does most people truly cherish the mere fact of their existence, or is it more accurate to say that nearly everyone is at least mildly irritated by being alive? And yet, one cannot ignore the vast number of individuals who seem to exist solely to irritate others—myself included, if we are being honest. 🤣 To be perfectly honest, I find the mere fact of my own existence to be quite a burden, so one can only assume I don't fall into that particular category...

Whether it stems from a single nuisance or a multitude of irritating souls, all such problems simply vanish the moment I am no longer there to witness them; for if I do not exist within the equation, does the problem truly persist? 🥳 I shall simply cease to be irritated by their existence, though if they find such a lifestyle agreeable, they are more than welcome to persist in it.

Since I have absolutely no desire to go around deleting other people, this serves as little more than a tangential thought, but what exactly does Epicurus have to do with any of this? Is it your contention that the mere absence of suffering is the ultimate metric of wisdom? If that were truly the case, then I suppose I should be hailed as a sage myself. 😬

Is Life the worst movie ever? 🤣

cosmicskipper82 said:So they claim—people have their own agency, so why shouldn't they decide for themselves? I have never been the type to presume I know what is best for another human being, have I? In fact, I know plenty of people who operate under that exact delusion, and quite frankly, I find them utterly insufferable.

Is it not a curious thing that we find ourselves endlessly repeating the same tired patterns, as if history were nothing more than a carousel of predictable failures? One must wonder, does anyone truly believe that these hollow gestures will ever amount to anything meaningful in this weary world?

lonegardener As if anyone actually believes that? It would be akin to sitting through a feature film only to realize that sixty minutes was more than enough time to satisfy any lingering curiosity you might have had about the plot—but at what cost? 🤣

Listen, isn't it true that for some people, even the bare minimum is more than enough? 😬

Quincy:

lonegardener Is there anything more predictable than this? Does anyone truly believe that we haven't seen this exact pattern unfold a thousand times before? Does most people truly cherish the mere fact of their existence, or is it more accurate to say that nearly everyone is at least mildly irritated by being alive? And yet, one cannot ignore the vast number of individuals who seem to exist solely to irritate others—myself included, if we are being honest. 🤣 To be perfectly honest, I find the mere fact of my own existence to be quite a burden, so one can only assume I don't fall into that particular category...

Whether it stems from a single nuisance or a multitude of irritating souls, all such problems simply vanish the moment I am no longer there to witness them; for if I do not exist within the equation, does the problem truly persist? 🥳 I shall simply cease to be irritated by their existence, though if they find such a lifestyle agreeable, they are more than welcome to persist in it.

Since I have absolutely no desire to go around deleting other people, this serves as little more than a tangential thought, but what exactly does Epicurus have to do with any of this? Is it your contention that the mere absence of suffering is the ultimate metric of wisdom? If that were truly the case, then I suppose I should be hailed as a sage myself. 😬

What I meant was, that works if you're thinking purely of yourself—truly, for someone who *only* cares about their own stuff and nothing else. In that case, there really is no better solution than termination. (Edit: I mean subjectively from their perspective, not necessarily 'objectively'—obviously).

But if you have ever cared about anything other than yourself, then it's clear that your non-existence doesn't affect that 'something else' (at least not in a positive way, unless you're a pathological sadist, lol).

cosmicskipper82 said:So they claim—people have their own agency, so why shouldn't they decide for themselves? I have never been the type to presume I know what is best for another human being, have I? In fact, I know plenty of people who operate under that exact delusion, and quite frankly, I find them utterly insufferable.

Is it not a curious thing that we find ourselves endlessly repeating the same tired patterns, as if history were nothing more than a carousel of predictable failures? One must wonder, does anyone truly believe that these hollow gestures will ever amount to anything meaningful in this weary world?

lonegardener As if anyone actually believes that? It would be akin to sitting through a feature film only to realize that sixty minutes was more than enough time to satisfy any lingering curiosity you might have had about the plot—but at what cost? 🤣

Listen, isn't it true that for some people, even the bare minimum is more than enough? 😬

Quincy:

lonegardener Is there anything more predictable than this? Does anyone truly believe that we haven't seen this exact pattern unfold a thousand times before? Does most people truly cherish the mere fact of their existence, or is it more accurate to say that nearly everyone is at least mildly irritated by being alive? And yet, one cannot ignore the vast number of individuals who seem to exist solely to irritate others—myself included, if we are being honest. 🤣 To be perfectly honest, I find the mere fact of my own existence to be quite a burden, so one can only assume I don't fall into that particular category...

Whether it stems from a single nuisance or a multitude of irritating souls, all such problems simply vanish the moment I am no longer there to witness them; for if I do not exist within the equation, does the problem truly persist? 🥳 I shall simply cease to be irritated by their existence, though if they find such a lifestyle agreeable, they are more than welcome to persist in it.

Since I have absolutely no desire to go around deleting other people, this serves as little more than a tangential thought, but what exactly does Epicurus have to do with any of this? Is it your contention that the mere absence of suffering is the ultimate metric of wisdom? If that were truly the case, then I suppose I should be hailed as a sage myself. 😬

It’s not that, though. I'm actually aiming at that specific "logic" of his regarding how death doesn't concern us—that little wordplay trick. You know, the whole "while we exist, death is not here, and when death arrives, we no longer exist" thing. It's a clever little loophole, LOL. So, I'm "applying" that to this somewhat... unorthodox and not entirely polite approach. 😬

Anyway, I wouldn't go so far as to say he was "wise." As you pointed out, suffering is usually an indicator of something. Therefore, the goal should be to address whatever is causing that suffering—it shouldn't just be about using *any means necessary* to simply "end" your own pain by bypassing it. That's just treating the symptom rather than the cause.

In short, if you ask me, Epicurus was a complete fool. 🤣

Michael Anderson2 said:Honestly, some people might—just out of the sheer, unbearable boredom of existing.

Yeah, those people definitely exist. The ones who are practically dying of pure boredom. Honestly? They should just go plant some pine trees. Or maybe an orchard out in the Midwest. Anything to stay busy.