Eternal Oblivion

[Espy]

This feeling, thought, is incredibly uncomforting.

I remember acknowledging this possibility at around the age of 16 when I really began to challenge what the Universe was really all about and it bothered me for a little while but I was able to find distractions and that's all that keeps me unbothered about it but recently throughout the day I'd be subconsciously thinking about it.

I've taken quite a liking to science for science is the study of the physical world. The how, what, where, and when, and in "some" cases why. Its mission is to discover the complete explanation to the deepest mysteries of the Universe and how it all works, with indepth and well-substantiated explanations.

And biologically? Death is the termination of all biological functions which includes our brain and therein lies the source of our consciousness.

I find myself growing closer and closer to not living my every day life as I have been doing. At work I have been nothing short of top notch. One of the best and most knowledgeable workers and I'm still continuing this way but I'm not quite sure how much longer I'll be able to. I find it as if it has no meaning to me anymore. My awards, accomplishments. If eternal nothingness is what awaits us then nothing we do here truly matters for it will be as if we never existed. It will be as if nothing ever existed to begin with.

I cannot live my life under this belief much less the way that I have been living it but there seems no other way around it. It only seems morally illogical and "morals" very well could just be a man made concept, not an actual thing that "comes from the heart." I understand that this is incredibly dehumanizing and I for one feel very much so, dehumanized.

All beliefs are welcome.

 

[Heissonear]

.

The God of the Bible is always watching you, and has every second of your life.

The purpose of this existence is if you in heart seek Him to find Him.

He hears everything you say. Your thoughts are louder in Heaven than your audible words. When you draw near to the God of the Bible He will draw near to you. A relationship of knowing Him firsthand through experience awaits you.

.

 

[Espy]

.

The God of the Bible is always watching you, and has every second of your life.

The purpose of this existence is if you in heart seek Him to find Him.

He hears everything you say. Your thoughts are louder in Heaven than your audible words. When you draw near to the God of the Bible He will draw near to you. A relationship of knowing Him firsthand through experience awaits you.

.

And how do I know this? I've been hearing things like this all my life. If God purposely created me the way that I currently am then he has created someone who requires an absolute certainty to be able to devote his belief. This isn't something that I can control or have a choice in the matter. I can't force myself. How do I know that what you're saying is true without just hearing it over again? This is the problem that lies within actually thinking about every possibility over just settling for what sounds pretty.

 

[Chesterton]

nm

 

[essentialsaltes]

"morals" very well could just be a man made concept, not an actual thing that "comes from the heart." I understand that this is incredibly dehumanizing and I for one feel very much so, dehumanized.

If morals 'come from the heart', then they are man made concepts. This is not a dehumanizing concept -- it is a humanizing one.

 

[Oafman]

The people who will try to recruit you to their religious beliefs are wasting their time. There is no solace, for an inquisitive mind like yours, in that which cannot be known. You already know this.

Don't be grumpy about not having access to eternity. As the great philosopher Freddie Mercury (!) said, "Who wants to live forever?". Instead, be grateful for the time you have. Be grateful that you were the sperm which made it, and not one of the millions which did not. Try not to waste a single second.

Bertram Russell gives some good answers to your questions, and is recommended reading:

“The secret of happiness is this: let your interest be as wide as possible and let your reactions to the things and persons who interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile. ”

 

[juvenissun]

And how do I know this? I've been hearing things like this all my life. If God purposely created me the way that I currently am then he has created someone who requires an absolute certainty to be able to devote his belief. This isn't something that I can control or have a choice in the matter. I can't force myself. How do I know that what you're saying is true without just hearing it over again? This is the problem that lies within actually thinking about every possibility over just settling for what sounds pretty.

You CAN do something better than anybody else can do. That is IT. Your talent points to the meaning of your life. Your good skill PLUS your personality make your talent the best (not one of the best) in this world.

Don't forget that your special talent is given by God. So, talk to Him to find out how should you continuously develop and apply your special talent.

 

[Mr Strawberry]

You CAN do something better than anybody else can do. That is IT. Your talent points to the meaning of your life. Your good skill PLUS your personality make your talent the best (not one of the best) in this world.

Don't forget that your special talent is given by God. So, talk to Him to find out how should you continuously develop and apply your special talent.

Lol, brilliant. Someone complains that lacking any evidence of god make the meaning of life unclear. Juve recommends talking to god about it. Genius. That made me laugh.

 

[Espy]

You CAN do something better than anybody else can do. That is IT. Your talent points to the meaning of your life. Your good skill PLUS your personality make your talent the best (not one of the best) in this world.

Don't forget that your special talent is given by God. So, talk to Him to find out how should you continuously develop and apply your special talent.

Please further elaborate on this talent if you can. I'm interested to say the least. Right now it seems nothing more than a curse rather than a talent.

 

[BL2KTN]

There are some things to recognize that will help you:

1) Do you suffer that you did not exist as a conscious creature in 1885? Then why do you suffer that you will not exist as a conscious creature in 2185?

2) If the singulitarians are right and we experience a technological singularity by the year 2045, then you may well live for thousands of years at least.

3) If the singulitarians are wrong and we only slowly improve technology, then we can still assume it likely that humans will be able to warp time and space within a million years (look how far we came in a hundred). As ethically evolved individuals, it is likely they will use such technology to resurrect those who died before.

4) The chance that all of this is a simulation is somewhere between 30 and 66.7%. In that case, the whole "there is nothing after death" is off the table and we just have to admit we don't know what comes later.

Be optimistic. Against all odds, the human race has left the nomadic grasslands and managed to explore the farthest reaches of the universe. We can figure it out =)

 

[Split Rock]

This feeling, thought, is incredibly uncomforting.

I remember acknowledging this possibility at around the age of 16 when I really began to challenge what the Universe was really all about and it bothered me for a little while but I was able to find distractions and that's all that keeps me unbothered about it but recently throughout the day I'd be subconsciously thinking about it.

I've taken quite a liking to science for science is the study of the physical world. The how, what, where, and when, and in "some" cases why. Its mission is to discover the complete explanation to the deepest mysteries of the Universe and how it all works, with indepth and well-substantiated explanations.

And biologically? Death is the termination of all biological functions which includes our brain and therein lies the source of our consciousness.

I find myself growing closer and closer to not living my every day life as I have been doing. At work I have been nothing short of top notch. One of the best and most knowledgeable workers and I'm still continuing this way but I'm not quite sure how much longer I'll be able to. I find it as if it has no meaning to me anymore. My awards, accomplishments. If eternal nothingness is what awaits us then nothing we do here truly matters for it will be as if we never existed. It will be as if nothing ever existed to begin with.

I cannot live my life under this belief much less the way that I have been living it but there seems no other way around it. It only seems morally illogical and "morals" very well could just be a man made concept, not an actual thing that "comes from the heart." I understand that this is incredibly dehumanizing and I for one feel very much so, dehumanized.

All beliefs are welcome.

1. If what you do and your accomplishments leave the world a better place than you found it, then that is something to be proud of and also represents a legacy you will leave behind when you pass away.

2. if you raise children, this represents both a legacy you leave behind and also a means of something close to immortality, since your children carry your genetic information.

3. What is wrong with morals being a creation of man? Like I said, leaving things better than you found them is a good way of leaving an impact after you are gone. Why does it matter if some god created them for us or not?

You seem to be depressed... perhaps even clinically. This concerns me. I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but perhaps you should consult with one if things do not get better for you.

 

[PsychoSarah]

You CAN do something better than anybody else can do. That is IT. Your talent points to the meaning of your life. Your good skill PLUS your personality make your talent the best (not one of the best) in this world.

Don't forget that your special talent is given by God. So, talk to Him to find out how should you continuously develop and apply your special talent.

It sucks so much for people who work all their lives to develop a skill for people to claim it as a gift from god. Don't forget, all of our weaknesses are in that design as well.

 

[selfinflikted]

This feeling, thought, is incredibly uncomforting.

I remember acknowledging this possibility at around the age of 16 when I really began to challenge what the Universe was really all about and it bothered me for a little while but I was able to find distractions and that's all that keeps me unbothered about it but recently throughout the day I'd be subconsciously thinking about it.

I've taken quite a liking to science for science is the study of the physical world. The how, what, where, and when, and in "some" cases why. Its mission is to discover the complete explanation to the deepest mysteries of the Universe and how it all works, with indepth and well-substantiated explanations.

And biologically? Death is the termination of all biological functions which includes our brain and therein lies the source of our consciousness.

I find myself growing closer and closer to not living my every day life as I have been doing. At work I have been nothing short of top notch. One of the best and most knowledgeable workers and I'm still continuing this way but I'm not quite sure how much longer I'll be able to. I find it as if it has no meaning to me anymore. My awards, accomplishments. If eternal nothingness is what awaits us then nothing we do here truly matters for it will be as if we never existed. It will be as if nothing ever existed to begin with.

I cannot live my life under this belief much less the way that I have been living it but there seems no other way around it. It only seems morally illogical and "morals" very well could just be a man made concept, not an actual thing that "comes from the heart." I understand that this is incredibly dehumanizing and I for one feel very much so, dehumanized.

All beliefs are welcome.

I find the argument that "nothing ultimately matters" a bit disturbing. My life, my accomplishments, my work, hobbies, partner, etc bring me pleasure in life. And while I'm living this life, that amounts to something. When I die will I care? No, but while I'm here, I do.

 

[Chesterton]

I find the argument that "nothing ultimately matters" a bit disturbing. My life, my accomplishments, my work, hobbies, partner, etc bring me pleasure in life. And while I'm living this life, that amounts to something. When I die will I care? No, but while I'm here, I do.

"Eternal Oblivion" could be a decent band name though.

 

[MerlinJ]

It's a bit too long to post here, but my sentiments on death are expressed pretty well by the little girl in Wordsworth's poem "We are Seven."

Wordsworth, William. 1888. Complete Poetical Works.

 

[Chesterton]

Before I became Christian, when I thought oblivion was probably my destination, I didn't worry about it. Lazy sod that I am, I like going to sleep (actually pretty good at it, too). And when I'm sleeping, I don't know. Anything.

I just find death a huge embarrassment. Like being at a fancy party and soiling your pants or something. It seems like it's not supposed to happen. Depending on the circumstances, death may be messy, shocking or painful, but then so was birth.

 

[MikeCarra]

This feeling, thought, is incredibly uncomforting.

I remember acknowledging this possibility at around the age of 16 when I really began to challenge what the Universe was really all about and it bothered me for a little while but I was able to find distractions and that's all that keeps me unbothered about it but recently throughout the day I'd be subconsciously thinking about it.

I've taken quite a liking to science for science is the study of the physical world. The how, what, where, and when, and in "some" cases why. Its mission is to discover the complete explanation to the deepest mysteries of the Universe and how it all works, with indepth and well-substantiated explanations.

And biologically? Death is the termination of all biological functions which includes our brain and therein lies the source of our consciousness.

I find myself growing closer and closer to not living my every day life as I have been doing. At work I have been nothing short of top notch. One of the best and most knowledgeable workers and I'm still continuing this way but I'm not quite sure how much longer I'll be able to. I find it as if it has no meaning to me anymore. My awards, accomplishments. If eternal nothingness is what awaits us then nothing we do here truly matters for it will be as if we never existed. It will be as if nothing ever existed to begin with.

I cannot live my life under this belief much less the way that I have been living it but there seems no other way around it. It only seems morally illogical and "morals" very well could just be a man made concept, not an actual thing that "comes from the heart." I understand that this is incredibly dehumanizing and I for one feel very much so, dehumanized.

All beliefs are welcome.

What you're feeling is probably reasonably common. It is reasonable to the extreme to hope that our existences on this mortal plane will have some lasting impact, or failing that, that we will not "run out of time" to do so.

As an atheist myself I still find it somewhat unnerving to give up the concept of something about us going onward. But then I remind myself that I'm imagining a world in which I would "miss myself". If oblivion is mine to have then it is irrational to think of missing myself.

But the other half of the equation: what about now that you are facing, that is a much harder nut to crack. It could simply be that it is what it is.

I find myself now at age 50 realizing that there is little that I've accomplished of a lasting nature (probably) and for that I'm sad. I'm sad that I might not make a mark, but then that is the fate of almost all of humanity. The masses of people who have walked to earth in aggregate are now wholly unknown and unknowable.

In some ways it is sad, but in other ways it is also just fun to be on the ride for as long as it lasts. The best I can do is the best I can do.

If you are someone who has historically always been a go-getter and you now find yourself at loose ends, it is unlikely you could ever be other than a go-getter. It is probably just your nature to be so. Enjoy who you are and jettison those things about you that make it painful. Find your path.

There are times when I find "oblivion" to be quite comforting as well. In some real sense, when the weight of the world gets me down, the thought that it won't be forever can be a comfort. When I gave up religion it was, in part, because religion and faith in God had become a "job" that had no up-side. I was chasing after a communion with a being that I never felt as a real presence, so it ultimately became little more than me bowing and praying and trying to please the ineffable that never gave me feedback. It was an awful thing for me. I felt no "godly love" from on high, no comfort in times of darkness, nothing. But I feared if I didn't do the proper things I would also face eternal punishment.

Remember: there's friends and family and good times to be had. Sunny days and rainy days and an incredible planet to explore. Things to feel and new things to discover.

It's a great ride and it lasts as long as it lasts.

And one other thing: remember that the good you do may be something you never realized and that in some small way you may have made a bigger impact on others or the world than you could ever imagine!

Enjoy it!

And if you are a person of faith, enjoy that faith. It is there to give you comfort as it should.

If you are a person like myself (an atheist) then enjoy the things that are here to be seen and experienced!

 

[juvenissun]

It sucks so much for people who work all their lives to develop a skill for people to claim it as a gift from god. Don't forget, all of our weaknesses are in that design as well.

You do not understand. You may credit all you have to yourself. No problem. At the end, you die. That is the problem hinted by the OP.

If all you have are the gifts of God, then they continue to function after your death.

Big difference.

 

[juvenissun]

1. If what you do and your accomplishments leave the world a better place than you found it, then that is something to be proud of and also represents a legacy you will leave behind when you pass away.

Sorry to break your dream. That certainly will not happen. History proves it.

 

[juvenissun]

Please further elaborate on this talent if you can. I'm interested to say the least. Right now it seems nothing more than a curse rather than a talent.

Everyone is good in some special skill. So you certainly have yours. But the skill is not the whole thing. For example, who is using the skill will make a big difference. You are unique and nobody can use the skill like you do, even skill-wise, you may not be the best. But YOU plus your skill IS certainly the best. In a sense that it can do things nobody else can do the same way.

All of it together, IS the talent assigned to you by God. It IS you and it will be with you even after your death. You WILL use this assigned and polished skill in the life after your death. Nothing goes oblivion. If you are 25 now, you have about 60 years (not much) to make your skill better and more useful. Then you will use it in eternity (that is serious).