I’m guessing there would be a sharp uptick in suicide. At least, my initial reaction to the prompt was, “Well, if I knew with complete, 100% certainty that my life (and everyone else’s life) would end in 5 years, why wouldn’t I just go ahead and get it over with?”
The reason I have goals is to make a lasting impact on the world. To change my corner of the world (for the better, hopefully). If the world is going to end in 5 years, then nothing I do matters. Any impact I make, either on the world or on other people, will be erased in 5 years time. So what’s the point? Why do anything at all? Why not just get it over with rather than dragging it out?
Do you find your life actively unpleasant? For me, being alive seems like it’s generally net positive rather than negative utility, so merely knowing that it would end soon wouldn’t be a reason to end it sooner.
I’m guessing there would be a sharp uptick in suicide. At least, my initial reaction to the prompt was, “Well, if I knew with complete, 100% certainty that my life (and everyone else’s life) would end in 5 years, why wouldn’t I just go ahead and get it over with?”
The reason I have goals is to make a lasting impact on the world. To change my corner of the world (for the better, hopefully). If the world is going to end in 5 years, then nothing I do matters. Any impact I make, either on the world or on other people, will be erased in 5 years time. So what’s the point? Why do anything at all? Why not just get it over with rather than dragging it out?
Do you find your life actively unpleasant? For me, being alive seems like it’s generally net positive rather than negative utility, so merely knowing that it would end soon wouldn’t be a reason to end it sooner.
Do the same feelings get evoked when you think about the heat death of the universe? (I am actively curious)