re: Self-esteem & the “Crisis of the Young”

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What is the driving force behind the pursuit of power though? Legacy. The need to leave a mark on the world and prove one’s existence mattered.

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I would argue that legacy is second to autonomy. The more accumulation of wealth and power one has, the less likely that they have to be subservient to anyone in their life. I would imagine that there is strong correlation between one’s work ethic and drive and their desire for independence.

Freedom from self-awareness and the existential dread of maturity.

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But to the extent that it is, saying that toddlers are "more free" is like saying that humans would be better off if we were cows or lizards, who, by that metric, would have to be considered even more free than toddlers.

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Slaves To instincts?

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what is the author's prescriptive point?

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he was diagnosed with late stage colon cancer while writing this book and died shortly after it was published. Maybe the book was his own “immortality project.” He references the “over-production” of knowledge, yet he continued to produce more knowledge until he died. Idk what his point is. I’m on chapter 4. About 20% through the book.

I’m not sure I’m completely on board with his premise that we live our lives trying to be immortal or denying our mortality but it’s definitely food for thought.

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Slaves To instincts?

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But more free from self awareness, which I thought was the metric being used here. I thought that was the whole point of your correction.

If we start pivoting toward something else, then no one is free. No one is free from the effects of gravity or nuclear forces or electromagnetism. And absent a God or anything "supernatural," those are the forces equally responsible for everything, including instincts and including self awareness.

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I’m not sure I’m completely on board with his premise that we live our lives trying to be immortal or denying our mortality

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That's the one part I have no doubt of.

So far the clarification of the metrics he's using to make these statements haven't changed anything for me.

I still stand by my very first post.

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Idk what his point is.

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Let me know when/if he has one. As you pointed out, he's already seemingly self-contradictory in the very writing of the book.

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But more free from self awareness, which I thought was the metric being used here. I thought that was the whole point of your correction.

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You're right. That was my point.

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I’m not sure I’m completely on board with his premise that we live our lives trying to be immortal or denying our mortality

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That's the one part I have no doubt of.

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Some things are not that deep. The first thing I do after I get out of bed in the morning is go outside to look at my plants. I have tons of zinnias blooming right now and they are so pretty and cheerful. As I was admiring them this morning, I thought about the book and if my hobby aligned with its premise. Zinnias don't live forever. The blooms last maybe a week or two before they wither, wilt and die. The plants will die in the winter. Sure, they will likely come back in the Spring, but they are by no means eternal. So why do I plant flowers? Maybe chasing self-esteem. I'm worthy of existence because I can grow things that some people like to look at? idk.

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Let me know when/if he has one. As you pointed out, he's already seemingly self-contradictory in the very writing of the book.

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He's very contradictory. He also references the "over-production of knowledge" as a human pursuit for meaning. He criticizes it and basically frames it as pointless because there's so much knowledge already available that no one can possibly consume it all, but the book is his own contribution to the over-production of knowledge. Maybe the book is just a vanity project. Or his way of making meaning of his own life. I'll let you know if I figure it out.

I hope posting that made you feel worthy.

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Some things are not that deep. The first thing I do after I get out of bed in the morning is go outside to look at my plants. I have tons of zinnias blooming right now and they are so pretty and cheerful. As I was admiring them this morning, I thought about the book and if my hobby aligned with its premise. Zinnias don't live forever. The blooms last maybe a week or two before they wither, wilt and die. The plants will die in the winter. Sure, they will likely come back in the Spring, but they are by no means eternal. So why do I plant flowers? Maybe chasing self-esteem. I'm worthy of existence because I can grow things that some people like to look at? idk.

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Again, that's the one thing I don't doubt about this book.

Just the fact that we're both posting on this forum is a statement of self-validation.

It's basically like carving, "wackatimesthree was here" in a tree or writing it on a wall. We are inherently social beings who will literally die (if very young) or go insane (if adults) if totally deprived of social interaction.

Understanding our own existence based on interaction with others is a biological fact.

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They continue to work, innovate and garner more power (and wealth) because that’s all they know or want to do.

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Also, it's fun. When you master business, and you're rolling along, making money, it becomes as much of a hobby as it is work.

Other people are out playing golf or going to the shooting range, or fishing. The successful businessman is working, but it is work as fun.

Thanks for sharing that. I agree that we can find profound meaning in lives lived well and moments that won’t be remembered in 100 years. I guess that’s why I plant flowers that I know will soon die. They make today beautiful and today matters, too.