[extropy-chat] Mayanism

[Anders Sandberg]

The Avantguardian wrote:
> It has been my observation that there seems to be a
> definite limit to how good life can get. Perhaps it is
> a corollary to the law of diminishing returns.

Yes, happiness studies have shown that happiness is not so easily affected
by otiside factors. Most people have a setpoint they return to after a
transient when something good or bad happens. This setpoint is likely
heavily biologically determined.

But my point is that the value of life has little to do with happiness,
just as Buddha claimed that even very happy people were actually unhappy.
We ought to fix the setpoints (see Pearces "The Hedonistic Imperative" for
some ideas, despite having a very different philosophical outlook) and
give ourselves as much enjoyment we can, but it is also important to
create more of life.

> Contentment is warm and fuzzy and all but I don't see
> it having much true value. All true progress is driven
> by discontent while all contentment does is sit on its
> ass or worse yet actively oppose progress. Perhaps in
> this regard suffering itself attains value.

Happiness is after all a tool. It is used to drive us towards useful
action. In the past useful was defined by evolution, but now it is up to
us to define in what direction we point it.


-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University