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Would you rather live in a civilization during its ascendency or its decline?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Rocket River, May 5, 2017.

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Would you rather live in a civilization during its ascendency or its decline?

  1. Ascendency

    8 vote(s)
    72.7%
  2. Decline

    2 vote(s)
    18.2%
  3. I will think about it .. . . .

    1 vote(s)
    9.1%
  1. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    and Why
    and
    Which do you think we are currently in?

    Rocket River
     
  2. Invisible Fan

    Invisible Fan Contributing Member

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    I don't think we're on the decline. It shouldn't be mistaken that Egalitarianism is on the decline.

    We're reaching a (More) Golden Age for a few Chosen Ones, but there is a steep barrier of entry that mimics the Ancient Eras of Rome, Greece and Britain.

    I do think that Idiocracy is half ironic (because we're steeped in pretending to be right and acting wrongly), and half truthful. As the plebs forsake their hard fought rights (suffrage, privacy,, knowledge seeking over prideful ignorance, voluntary service) for convenience, we enter an era that sacrifices mercenary pragmatism over acknowledging the pains and grey truths of our shared history.

    I once believed that individualization of expertise was the main reason why we've become this way, where you can be a brilliant expert at a field but painfully ignorant about politics or economics, but it's really the case where there is too much complexity for us to handle some matters as a layman, and that uncertainty frightens the **** out of us. It removes order in our monkey brains and whereas our expertise gives us control and a thought out path, matters in the social sciences are too deep to think about when we're focused on surviving. Because if one is to do it right, not only do they have to grasp theory, they have to grasp practice and scale (1, 100, 1000, 10000000).

    A lot of these things are hard. And if we recognize, we're on a decline, it means we have to try harder.
     
    dmoneybangbang likes this.
  3. Haymitch

    Haymitch Custom Title
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    I'm just here to get mine
     
  4. sirbaihu

    sirbaihu Member

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    We're totally on the ****ing decline. Please!
    Stephen Hawking thinks our best option is leaving the Earth? Yeah, can we fit 7.3 billion people into spacecraft that have never even been built yet!
    Oh, we can def ship a few mill to like Mars or whatever. And blow off the other 95% of humanity. Not!
    Christians, realize: man is sinful and we are going down. Scientists know too.
     
  5. Dairy Ashford

    Dairy Ashford Member

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    We're probably in the same place UK was before the Great War, but too individualistic to groom or cultivate any loyal successors, or to pool our strategic costs with any cultural allies.
     
  6. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Contributing Member

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    I'm just here for the gang bang
     
  7. No Worries

    No Worries Contributing Member

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    China or USA?
     
  8. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Contributing Member
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    Whatever civilization I happen to live in is always on the ascendency.
     
  9. dmoneybangbang

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    We should be okay. I don't think we are in decline, but undergoing another major industrial revolution. It's not just technology but the fact that technology has spread around the world (globalization).
     
  10. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Contributing Member

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    I'd obviously prefer the ascent. Times might be tougher for me, but there's good reason to expect my children will reap the benefits of any sacrifice I make. In descent, I'm living well while scrabbling to figure out how I can situate my children to win in a shrinking opportunity set. I think that's where we are. We'll never be a dominant as we were in my parents' day. But, I don't think it needs to be a collapse. I think it's possible for our country to grow old gracefully. Our politics don't always give me cause for hope though, and if the United States loses hegemony in a childish way, it could be extremely ugly.
     
  11. pirc1

    pirc1 Contributing Member

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    I think it might be decent for most of the people on the planet soon, unless we can figure out a way to find employment for people soon to be displaced by AI and automation. It will be great for the .1% though.
     
  12. cml750

    cml750 Member

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    Meh, make the most of it either way. That is how I see it. Do your best to make the world a better place and have no regrets.
     
  13. Buck Turgidson

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    It's all about the Parabola of Excellence:

    You drink until you get good at whatever bar-game you're playing, but you suck for the first few drinks. Then you get in your zone on the upswing, then you plateau (this is the point where you stop betting money), then you maintain, then it all comes crashing down.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Ascendence is being a part of building something great
    Descendence is about enjoying greatness

    Rocket River
     
  15. rhino17

    rhino17 Member

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    I'm currently living in the decline, so it's hard to judge without experiencing the other....
     

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