I find it hard to conceive of falling into misery because I do not live in a future society where an all-powerful FAI seeking the best interests of each individual and of the species governs perfectly. I am glad that I do not have to work as a subsistence peasant, at risk of starvation if the harvest is poor, and I have some envy of celebrities that I see.
I think a lot of misery comes from wanting the World to be other than it is, without the power to change it. Everybody knows it: I need courage to change what I can change, serenity to accept what I can’t change, wisdom to know the difference. It is not easy, but it is simple (this last sentence comes from House MD).
I’d add that one of the strongest imagination-seducers possible is wanting the world to be different in a microcosmic, personal way that one is still not able to deal with. (For example, I have learned that while global-scale worldbuilding is fine, I need to stop worldbuilding on a subcultural or regional-cultural level unless I actually am going to publish fiction.)
I find it hard to conceive of falling into misery because I do not live in a future society where an all-powerful FAI seeking the best interests of each individual and of the species governs perfectly. I am glad that I do not have to work as a subsistence peasant, at risk of starvation if the harvest is poor, and I have some envy of celebrities that I see.
I think a lot of misery comes from wanting the World to be other than it is, without the power to change it. Everybody knows it: I need courage to change what I can change, serenity to accept what I can’t change, wisdom to know the difference. It is not easy, but it is simple (this last sentence comes from House MD).
I’d add that one of the strongest imagination-seducers possible is wanting the world to be different in a microcosmic, personal way that one is still not able to deal with. (For example, I have learned that while global-scale worldbuilding is fine, I need to stop worldbuilding on a subcultural or regional-cultural level unless I actually am going to publish fiction.)