Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to So we have different views of where the pendulum is.

re: So we have different views of where the pendulum is.
TB — (archived)

You see the ability to conduct business an arena for self-actualization, no matter what it is you are doing. I see it that way only if I am doing precisely what I want to spend my life doing, which I'm not, so it really doesn't matter that much to me. I've given up on self-actualization and am happy with a quiet competence, the respect of my peers, and the prompt fulfillment of my obligations.

Nothing at all wrong with that. I've had plenty of jobs whose sole function was to deliver me a paycheck so I can live comfortably. Most of them, in fact. It's honest work, not a burden on society, and if you're doing any kind of useful work at all, you're making the world a little bit better.

But some of my jobs involved trying to get humanity into space. I haven't succeeded in that either, but I'm not going to write off my dream as sour grapes.

The greatness of our civilization is founded on the minority of humanity that went further than simply earning a living, people that saw achievement as something that was good for its own sake. Whether or not I'm an active part of that minority doesn't change that truth.

The only way human beings survive is by altering their environment using their skills and tools. The moment you have two people with different skills, you have the potential for trade. Economic activity is not a luxury, and the basic right to engage in it and the right to the gain you generate, is fundamental to freedom.

This is not a "lifestyle choice" any more than freedom and slavery are "lifestyle choices." It makes a difference who controls your life.

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