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Notes -
I want to resurrect a variant of an old question that has got me wondering again. Is it possible for an atheist to think deeply about life without losing motivation to live well?
It’s trite to phrase it like this, but the atheistic model still seems utterly devoid of motivation or purpose when you dwell on it. Obviously, if you don’t dwell on the facts of life, you can distract yourself with various concerns and pursuits. But what if you don’t distract yourself? Someone with a religious model involving a loving God can ponder his existence forever and be motivated and purpose-filled, provided that they forever presuppose a loving God as an article of faith. But I’m trying to envision an atheist pondering life while still maintaining motivation to live vibrantly and maximally. How do they do it, do they do it, or are they just distracting themselves?
Eg, “an atheist believes they need to make life count” —> count for what? Your life does not count, by your own definition. You will cease to exist, like the dinosaurs, who surely did not count. So why are you programming your own Operating System as a hobby? It doesn’t count! “But it makes me happy” —> drugs will surely make you more happy. Why not do them?
I am an optimistic nihilist. I can see absolutely no reason to believe that humans have any objective "reason to live", but am perfectly content without it. I continue living and seek to live longer because I intrinsically enjoy living itself. If I didn't, I wouldn't aspire to live to at least the Heat Death of the Universe.
In the absence of any objectivity here, nor any reason to think it exists, I have no qualms about taking my own subjective preferences and giving them all my attention. To aim for more is, frankly, a foolhardy endeavor, leaving aside that the comfort of meaning from religion is delusional.
If anyone has a genuine God-shaped hole in their soul, then I can only pity them, and hope we find a way to fix the problem because God isn't real. I'm grateful that I came out of the factory without that particular problem.
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