Why does everything need to have personal gain to matter at all. I get the whole “no actual evidence” part. But if we actually see aliens and you’re not impressed, I don’t think we can be friends. Don’t blame capitalism, you’re just lame. Sure, there are real problems, but people throughout history have had it far worse and still managed to care about things outside of their own tiny microcosm. Many people enjoy these things not in spite of but because of their personal struggles, as they can act as an escape for a short time. If you’re going to have economic troubles anyway, why spend all your time dwelling in it?
I don’t think that person is talking about their personal thoughts, but more mankind as a whole.
As we operate now we would not have to tools to add anything meaningful to a galactic conversation.
We could all personally think it’s awesome, but as a people we are simply unequipped to deal with the consequences of meeting an extraterrestrial race.
People are sort of great individually, but collectively we’re horrific. We’d be trying to kill, enslave, or exploit any new species we came across. It’s what we do with new species. Hell it’s what we do to each other.
True, it would be amazing. I’m just ambivalent about the long-term impact. Like, would much really change ultimately? I guess we’ve never experienced another species we could directly communicate ideas with. Maybe it would be more revolutionary than I can imagine.
Why does everything need to have personal gain to matter at all. I get the whole “no actual evidence” part. But if we actually see aliens and you’re not impressed, I don’t think we can be friends. Don’t blame capitalism, you’re just lame. Sure, there are real problems, but people throughout history have had it far worse and still managed to care about things outside of their own tiny microcosm. Many people enjoy these things not in spite of but because of their personal struggles, as they can act as an escape for a short time. If you’re going to have economic troubles anyway, why spend all your time dwelling in it?
I don’t think that person is talking about their personal thoughts, but more mankind as a whole.
As we operate now we would not have to tools to add anything meaningful to a galactic conversation.
We could all personally think it’s awesome, but as a people we are simply unequipped to deal with the consequences of meeting an extraterrestrial race.
People are sort of great individually, but collectively we’re horrific. We’d be trying to kill, enslave, or exploit any new species we came across. It’s what we do with new species. Hell it’s what we do to each other.
True, it would be amazing. I’m just ambivalent about the long-term impact. Like, would much really change ultimately? I guess we’ve never experienced another species we could directly communicate ideas with. Maybe it would be more revolutionary than I can imagine.