What determines when you're born?
Why am I here in 2016 (born in 1993) posting on 4chan and not fighting for the Roman Empire?
If the universe began 15 billion years ago, and you only live once, then doesn't it stand to reason that I should be long, long, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, MOTHER FUCKING LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG dead by now?
Why wasn't I born as an ant in Africa in 1500 BC?
I feel like this just proves that you aren't your ego, and that you don't just "pop" into existence once randomly on the timeline for 80 years and then just peace the fuck out for the rest of all eternity. Why even bother if that's the case?
>What determines when you're born?
the day your mom and dad shagged
>>29081339
I understand what you say, used to think a lot about that when I was 14-ish. Fucked up my mind real good.
>>29081373
/thread
imho
>>29081373
This.
You philosophyfags are so retarded.
>>29081339
>What determines when you're born?
God, you fag
>>29081339
>If the universe began 15 billion years ago, and you only live once, then doesn't it stand to reason that I should be long, long, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, MOTHER FUCKING LO[...]ONG dead by now?
In all probability you and all of us are living close to the midpoint of human existence, assuming we (as in our consciousnesses) are all randomly distributed across that history.
You're thrown somewhere into the middle of human history, you get a brief window in which to experience, and then you die forever. Just like everybody else. This is just the order of things. It doesn't change anything. We're here for no reason at all and all we can do is make the best of it. This board is overwhelmingly populated by those who failed to make the best of it.
>>29081373
That really just rephrases my question.
Why does my dad in particular and my mom in particular produce me?
If my dad decided not to have sex that day, would I NEVER, EVER exist?
Are you implying that if that specific sperm from my actual dad had not enseminated that specific egg that my actual mom that I would never exist AT ALL, EVER? That every ego is latent and chartered to be born under an incredibly specific set of conditions?
>>29081339
that just makes it worse
billions of lives leading up to us
Now THIS is an interesting theory. Makes you think
>>29081513
Yup DNA is human programming, you were limited before you were even born.
That's why working out and eating right feels good but doesn't alter your chromosomes
the fact is that nobody knows
I wish I was born in ancient Rome
I'd believe in gods and just be ignorant but hopefully happy
I feel like the jobs you could get back then had more meaning cause the cities you lived in weren't so big so you could see a direct impact with the work you're doing
I think we took humanity too far, we're going to end up like the mouse utopia and fuck everything up
>>29081563
>we live in the age of the internet
>self-driving automobiles
>virtual reality porn
>stealth jets
>bendable TVs
>Space stations
>no one knows why you were born now, and not as a pterodactyl millions of years ago
I think we just need to connect the dots based on what we already know, t b h
>>29081513
>Why does my dad in particular and my mom in particular produce me?
Because genetics.
>If my dad decided not to have sex that day, would I NEVER, EVER exist?
Yes. If they did it the next day there it a large cgance that you could be different.
>>29081373
The idiotic teenagers ITT too stupid to understand OP's question are just fucking revolting.
This isn't even a decent answer. I wouldn't even consider it an answer...
I deny that it was so "coincidental" that I am now.
After much given thought, I came to the conclusion that we'll end up seeing through another set of eyes.
Something like me. Not me, but something like me.
Anything that has our human qualities; able to establish a memory and distinguish "now" from what's already passed.
So I don't believe there's a definite end. Ever.
>>29081613
>took humanity too far
Smelly
Dumb
Luddite
Scum
>>29081730
I actually find the possibility of eternal existence terrifying
I don't want to do this forever
>>29081339
"(You)" don't exist, you're just a pattern of electrical impulses between neurons that became sufficiently complex enough to be self-aware. (You) couldn't exist in 1500 BC, because the neurons didn't exist. Asking WHY those neurons exist is either an infinite chain of asking why to every causal event up to however the universe came into existence, in which case inane and pointless, or a completely useless asking of why with the implication of purpose to a thing which likely has no purpose, in which case inane, pointless, and retarded.
I personally am religious and believe that all of us were meant to have a purpose, but we each must find/choose what that is. The fact that you exist is, as far as anyone can observe, devoid of purpose. Existence is meaningless, what you do with it must define you.
>>29081373
>it's a "answer philosophical question with overly-simplistic shit and act smart" episode
nice one, buddy. I remember a zen buddhist riddle, something like "how can you get a stone from 1000 feet under water with dry hands?", and some asshole just answered "just go down and get it lol, it's impossible to keep your hands dry lol". This ignores the point of the question.
>>29081432
What exactly do you think philosophy is? And are you one of those people who categorically rejects answering hypotheticals and says they "don't play 'what-ifs'" ?
>>29081647
You're still implying that every "soul" or "ego" is latent and that a certain genetic configuration wills them into existence, if I'm not mistaken.
>Yes. If they did it the next day there it a large chance that you could be different.
This implies that a *different* sperm could enseminate a different egg and I would still be born. Under your theory my ego would still be able to experience consciousness (whereas if Rick and Monica never had sex, or never met for that matter, I would NEVER, EVER, EVER be born, on Earth or another planet) even if the sperm or the egg were different.
Why stop at the sperm and the egg? Through diet and natural bodily processes my father's testes produces sperm, and by the same processes my mother's body produces eggs. These things are procured and maintained by the environment, which suggests that I ( which is likely not singular, like my ego implies) am really many, many things and am trapped in the Earth's ecosystem.
>>29081613
>I'd believe in gods and just be ignorant but hopefully happy
You probably wouldn't be very happy unless you were extremely skilled.
>>29081513
you're a combination of your mums and dads genes
if your dad decided not to ejaculate that MINUTE you would have never existed like one cumshot is like hundreds of millions of sperms just like you, if he came even a minute later someone else might have won the race
>>29081765
You won't be saying that when you're put in a VR hell for eternity
There is some power that humanity should never wield
>>29081787
I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MORE DIVINE
>it's another existentialism thread
Please cure me.
The problem here is a logical fallacy. You think that, due to the span of time, you should have existed and died by now. The truth is that you can only perceive the time in which you are born. From your perspective, nothing existed before you were born. Therefore, all that time doesn't really matter, relative to your own existence. This holds true if you were born 20 years ago or 5 billion years from now.
This slice of time is all you can experience. It does not prove anything beyond that.
>>29081765
>WE WUZ FUTURISM AN SHIET
Not that guy, and I'm not saying we should hold ourselves back necessarily, but it's hard to deny that the things we'll be able to create with technology will be overwhelming to the human potential, and our societies will collapse. If we don't just go extinct, we'll revert to techno-barbarism.
It's already started in East Asia, and it cannot be stopped.
>>29081879
Do you think we get born again after the next big bang?
>>29081730
Agree. Everyone has it all wrong.
Atheists too often think people will just stop existing.
If the universe could be created, it will be created again.
God is a meme.
Death is a meme.
>>29081908
If you got cloned, you wouldn't be able to experience your clone's sensations. Just because another pattern of neurons is identical to yours, that doesn't mean it's (You). You're a self-aware pattern of electricity, whether an identical pattern will exist in the future is irrelevant.
Also, they're's no strong justification to believe there will be a "second" big bang, or even that there was necessarily a first one. There could have been, and there could be in the future, but it's impossible to prove.
>>29081954
>tfw we are stuck in the loop suffering
>>29081975
>no strong justification
Hmmm...
pretty sure the consciousness we're so familiar with is eternal or maybe just lasts for a very long time.
and even if it's not its probably healthier for your mentality to act as if it is.
just like its healthier for your mentality to act as if you came here intentionally of your own free will to experience the things you're experiencing.
most people have some victim mentality which is pretty toxic.
>>29081339
What happened was that (you) in essence are energy and our bodies act as receivers. Once your body gives, you will go back into the void until you happen upon another shell that works on your frequency.
>t. Fourth dimensional shitposter.
Well, there are trillions of years until the heat death of the universe, so you came early, not late.
>>29082045
>so you came early
LOL!
>>29081879
I'm still scratching my head.
If that's the case shouldn't you just kill yourself immediately? If you're going to pop in arbitrarily in an arbitrary form (I could be a kangaroo, an anteater, a spider, etc) on an arbitrary planet/life-supporting body, in an arbitrary time only to pop out forever, what's the fucking point?
It's a pointless intermission, a hiccup in "real" life (that is, eternal nothingness).
Why not just skip that bullshit and never be born at all? Why poof in and poof out, completely and utterly randomly? That makes zero sense at all and completely contradicts everything I have ever heard, read, or seen in my entire life.
It's like, electricity makes sense, liquid mechanics make sense, calculus makes sense then all of a sudden this weird bullshit springs up apropos of nothing that seems to ignore everything else (your theory on why I was born now). It just doesn't add up. It's not intellectually satisfying at all.
>>29081373
Atheists and teenagers are getting more retarded by the day.
The longer the former group exists, the more they prove themselves to be too emotionally immature to consider the possibility of something greater than themselves.
>>29081339
ego is an illusion. All living things are just the byproduct of a set of environmental circumstances (doesn't matter if you believe a god started it all or not, it is true).
Make of that what you will. I would suggest reading up on logical positivism, buddhism, existentialism and stoicism.
>>29081339
>long, long, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG, MOTHER FUCKING LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG
That reminds me Carl Sagan for rednecks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI9ImScQGAo
whats up with all the underaged redditors itt?
>>29082126
>>29081693
>>29081796
you guys are fucking stupid, i'm actually a huge philosophy fag but this conversation is fucking stupid every time it's like you have NO consideration for proof or lack of it
nigga you better start dwelling in nihilism like the rest of us
there is no reason you were born here and now deal with it
i'm agnostic i'm not into that fedora shit, i wish i could believe in god or something but until i personally get touched him he probably doesn't exist
We're probably just following our biological [chemical (physical)] guidelines anyways. It's not like our consciousness emerged at a specific place and time for some reason, it just did. "It's all in our head" is a way to explain why we think anything at all happens for a reason. We live trying to solve mysteries that actually don't even exist. We created them ourselves to keep busy doing something, mostly to forget that our existence is not only ephemeral, but also meaningless and actually not even something objective in the Universe, just something we subjectively defined as conscious life.
>>29082378
>until i personally get touched him he probably doesn't exist
I'm serious when I say that it happens to every human sooner or later.
Just keep open eyes and an open mind.
>>29081339
>why does it happen?
Because it happens, roll the bones
