Hell has to be at least bad enough for the folk in it to want to commit suicide for utility to count as “below zero”. Most plausible futures just aren’t likely to be that bad for the creatures in them.
The present is already bad enough. There is more evil than good. You are more often worried than optimistic. You are more often hurt than happy. That’s the case for most people. We just tend to remember the good moments more than the rest of our life.
It is generally easier to arrive at bad world states than good world states. Because to satisfy complex values you need to meet complex circumstances. And even given simple values and goals, the laws of physics are grim and remorseless. In the end you’re going to lose the fight against the general decay. Any temporary success is just a statistical fluke.
The present is already bad enough. There is more evil than good. You are more often worried than optimistic. You are more often hurt than happy.
No, I’m not!
That’s the case for most people. We just tend to remember the good moments more than the rest of our life.
Yet most creatures would rather live than die—and they show that by choosing to live. Dying is an option—they choose not to take it.
It is generally easier to arrive at bad world states than good world states. Because to satisfy complex values you need to meet complex circumstances. And even given simple values and goals, the laws of physics are grim and remorseless. In the end you’re going to lose the fight against the general decay. Any temporary success is just a statistical fluke.
It sounds as though by now there should be nothing left but dust and decay! Evidently something is wrong with this reasoning. Evolution produces marvellous wonders—as well as entropy. Your existence is an enormous statistical fluke—but you still exist. There’s no need to be “down” about it.
The present is already bad enough. There is more evil than good. You are more often worried than optimistic. You are more often hurt than happy. That’s the case for most people. We just tend to remember the good moments more than the rest of our life.
It is generally easier to arrive at bad world states than good world states. Because to satisfy complex values you need to meet complex circumstances. And even given simple values and goals, the laws of physics are grim and remorseless. In the end you’re going to lose the fight against the general decay. Any temporary success is just a statistical fluke.
No, I’m not!
Yet most creatures would rather live than die—and they show that by choosing to live. Dying is an option—they choose not to take it.
It sounds as though by now there should be nothing left but dust and decay! Evidently something is wrong with this reasoning. Evolution produces marvellous wonders—as well as entropy. Your existence is an enormous statistical fluke—but you still exist. There’s no need to be “down” about it.
For some people, this is a solved problem.