Does Having Abundance Diminish Purpose?

in Actifit3 years ago (edited)

Willy Wonka: Remember Charlie, don't forget the tale of the man who got everything he wanted.

Charlie: What happened?

Willy Wonka: He lived happily ever after.

  • Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Isaac Arthur's latest YouTube video's title makes it seem like a self-help video and the ending sort of is. It does address an important question: If society becomes post-scarcity would it be hard as an individual to find purpose in life?

Probably the best example of a fictional post-scarcity civilization is portrayed in the Star Trek franchise. It's something to strive for. Maybe one step toward that is universal basic income. I used to be skeptical about the idea of universal basic income but I've grown to be more supportive of the idea; especially after having experiencing life during a global pandemic.

I think I'd find purpose in a post-scarcity society by trying to develop new talents. Some hobbies I would like to try are at least a little expensive to get started in. Even a hobby I already engage in like amateur radio requires at least a few dozen dollars for passable basic equipment. One of my friends jokes that the "ham" in ham radio stands for "Had A lot of Money". That friend who helped introduce me to the hobby has literally spent thousands of dollars for equipment over the years.


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Well given the government's option, it will probably come down to it. However the basic structure of the economic system has not been defined so I can only say that it will fail if not done properly