[Analogy] Pro-lifers just don’t want others’ to skip to the finish line of an unwanted competition!

[TAW122]

This was just an analogy that crossed my mind with regards to life/sentience itself. Whenever we came into existence against our will, the duration of our suffering varies and while some people are fortunate and end up at the finish line sooner or even in a better shape, there are many others who cross the finish line at a time that they did not wish to (not on their own terms) or in worse shape. What does the finish line have to do with life and sentience? Well, when life itself is like an "unwanted competition/race" and the finish line itself is analogous to non-sentience and/or death. However, everyone (as with all living and sentient beings) will eventually cross the "finish line", just not exactly in the way that one wishes to go.

We pro-choicers just want to cross the finish line even if it means 'cheating' or 'skipping' there and pro-lifers are like the anti-cheat team in the unwanted competition. There are some people who managed to slip by the 'anti-cheat' team and got to the finish line (non-sentience, death) successfully. However, there are many more people who attempt to 'cheat' but end up getting caught either planning, conspiring, or even attempting to but failing to do so. As a penalty, the people in the competition (the cheaters from the anti-cheat team's pov) are then punished in some way. This may include reduced progress, set back from the competition, maybe even torture and/or other consequences from them, depending on what the anti-cheat team wishes to dole out.

Hope this analogy made sense and that it gives insight into how and why pro-lifers seem to be adamantly against the right to die and seek to compel everyone to suffer in the 'sentience competition'. I thought this small analogy would make sense and perhaps others can see how sentience and life itself is rather forced sentience and full of suffering. Of course, there are many more factors and this analogy may be oversimplified, but conveys my point nonetheless.

What do you guys think, do you find this to be a pretty accurate analogy of sentience and suffering itself?

@Forever Sleep @FuneralCry

 

[Adûnâi]

Maybe they're just envious? I get triggered when I try to abstain from chocolate and my mom suggests buying it, because temptation.

Or maybe they're "fearful of what they are ignorant"? Suicide is an incredibly rare occurance, almost like an LGBT person before the 1960s, so they could be scared of the unknown, of evil spirits.

And finally, the denial of an afterlife is an incredibly recent concept, people at all times believed in the supernatural. People are mostly optimists, so they tended to focus on being remembered, even though everyone ends up in Hades.

 

[sserafim]

Pro-lifers won't let anyone leave the matrix/simulation early, I think their mentality is that everyone has to stay and suffer.

 

[Adûnâi]

Pro-lifers won't let anyone leave the matrix/simulation early, I think their mentality is that everyone has to stay and suffer.

...or they're irrational, unthinking creatures.

 

[Pluto]

Normies be like:

 

[Forever Sleep]

I was actually thinking about a different kind of analogy the other day including a race or a game but- it was more to do with the value of life- the value of winning and therefore- taking part.

I feel like the most crucial part in living is actually having the will to do so. Because- living isn't unconditional. Most people don't have the luxury of laying back and being taken care of. We are born into a system. In our cases, a capitalist system where- either you comply and make money (although, maybe not enough to live comfortably on,) you qualify for benefits (almost certainly not enough to live comfortably on) or, you go hungry and homeless. So basically- we have to comply, or suffer worse consequences. We pretty much have to play the game or- run the race.

Obviously- that's a problem in itself- it's badly paid slavery. Where I think we run into disagreements with pro-lifers is not just about obligation though- I feel. Although- that certainly plays a part. They don't see why we should be able to opt out or 'cheat' and skip to the finish line.

The way I was thinking about it though was the actual prize and race itself. Pro-lifers for the main part seem to have accepted it was ok that they got involuntarily conscribed into this race. More than that though- many think the race is worth it. They're going for gold!

I think, the difference between them and us is partly cynicism. We're looking around at our fellow competetors and some of them have taken enhancing drugs, yet slipped through the tests. Some are wearing very high tech trainers that give them the edge over our shitty plimsolls. Some poor sods are on crutches- yet, they are still expected to compete against everyone else. One of the judges grandkids is racing today and they're waiting up ahead to show them a short cut. We know that the race is going to be over treacherous terrain and we know we're likely going to injure ourselves. Plus, we know at the end of it, that 'gold' medal is actually gold plated aluminium. Take it out the box once and the surface will chip off.

Basically- we know life isn't a level playing field. Some people naturally have the advantage because they got superior genes or, were born into wealth, or they got more opportunities put their way early on. Even of you accept that and choose not to be bitter about the shitty things that befell you, you may still believe that your realistically achievable goals in life won't be worth your effort. Both these things may well make you feel- why should I compete to begin with? So- I think that plays an important part too. It's not just that we want to quit the race the pro-lifers don't like. They can't seem to fully take on board why. I guess because it's too depressing though. It's too hard to keep living when you no longer see a point to it. When it's all 'emperor's new clothes'.

I suppose that's another anology for life from our perspective- 'emperor's new clothes'. Many of us simply don't see the same value in life and living that pro-lifers do. So- why would we want to take part?

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I understand where you're coming from with this analogy but I personally can't think of death as a competition, even if you describe it as unwanted. A competition implies that people want to win but nearly everybody doesn't want to reach the finish line (i.e. death). Many of them would choose to be immortal if they could be.

I personally think about life as an illusion of a competition. Everybody thinks that they will be the ones to own the rags to riches story and that they will be the one to triumph to the top. Or, at least they think that their kids would do that instead. However, what they fail to acknowledge is that most of these people are simply average and will live average lives. Most of these people will just work for the rest of their lives and fail miserably, hoping that their kids would achieve the success story they wanted for themselves. Then those kids fail and subsequently wish for their offspring to succeed instead and so on ad infinitum

I think that the reason why pro lifers don't want us to die isn't because of us cheating to reach the finish line but rather because they want us to suffer and that they hope that we appreciate life enough to... well they don't think beyond this point. They just want us to appreciate life no matter what our quality of life is or where we are in the race
.

 

[Ironborn]

Misery loves company.
They can't stand we found a work around lol.

 

[Captive_Mind515]

It's a good analogy.

I see society as sort of like a contract (one we're all forced to sign at birth, whether we like it or not)

From the pro-lifer perspective, if enough people decide to break this contract… it starts to lose its legitimacy. The authority of the contract over people's lives starts to fade, and so the bedrock/foundation of everything starts to erode and crumble.

They fear the erosion of civil responsibilities, which starts with the basic premise that your life is important and has value. And so you contribute something worthwhile just by merely existing - it's a numbers game, volume of signatures.

Of course, there is no intrinsic or objective value to life. So the whole thing was in reality always on shaky foundations.

And of course, western liberalism has encouraged us to think as individuals which further erodes the idea of some overarching social contract. We are free to view our lives as being separate from the masses, why should we honour some BS made up social contract when our individual experience of this life can vary dramatically from person to person?

Tldr: it's about fear and control. Society has always had these as crucial driving forces.

 

[FuneralCry]

It really does disgust me how those people wish to make existence into a prison where one cannot peacefully escape from this existence they never even consented to on their own terms. I despise how pro-lifers are obsessed with making others suffer for as long as possible.

 

[Goku Black]

Everybody thinks that they will be the ones to own the rags to riches story and that they will be the one to triumph to the top. Or, at least they think that their kids would do that instead. However, what they fail to acknowledge is that most of these people are simply average and will live average lives. Most of these people will just work for the rest of their lives and fail miserably, hoping that their kids would achieve the success story they wanted for themselves. Then those kids fail and subsequently wish for their offspring to succeed instead and so on ad infinitum

yeap, just an ongoing cyle perpetuated by delusions that somehow their kids will be the ones to make it to the top, or whatever. Most people can't accept that it just won't work out as they hope.

 

[sserafim]

Normies be like:
View attachment 129276

The saddest thing is that they all *look forward* to the capitalist rat race

...or they're irrational, unthinking creatures.

True

 

[ijustwishtodie]

yeap, just an ongoing cyle perpetuated by delusions that somehow their kids will be the ones to make it to the top, or whatever. Most people can't accept that it just won't work out as they hope.

Yeah, that's life for you. Most people tend to think that their impact on the world is equivalent to the impact that a main character has on a story. Though, in truth, I'd say that most of us aren't the main characters at all in terms of importance and so forth though of course we perceive ourselves as the main characters

These people are extremely resilient though, I'll give them that. No matter how bad the world or the system can get, instead if giving up, they'll justify the suffering with phrases like "suffering builds character" and so forth. I've even seen many of them wish that they had the power to not be reliant on sleep so that they can have more hours allocated to them to make more income

 

[Goku Black]

Yeah, that's life for you. Most people tend to think that their impact on the world is equivalent to the impact that a main character has on a story. Though, in truth, I'd say that most of us aren't the main characters at all in terms of importance and so forth though of course we perceive ourselves as the main characters

Main character syndrome they call it?

Overtime, I've learnt that we overestimate our importance, we're not what we think we are and I agree, the impact we'll have isn't even significant enough, befitting of some kind of plot that involves main character, even I know once I ctb, I'll be just another stat for the year regarding ctb numbers and that's it, nothing more, nothing less, oh well, maybe there will be less but you get the point.

These people are extremely resilient though, I'll give them that. No matter how bad the world or the system can get, instead if giving up, they'll justify the suffering with phrases like "suffering builds character" and so forth

Oh, those tough people who enjoy suffering because it means they grow and build character, I still don't like those people at all but at the end of the day, that's their justification for trying to keep fighting, in vain, a system they'll never beat.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Main character syndrome they call it?

Yeah

Overtime, I've learnt that we overestimate our importance, we're not what we think we are and I agree, the impact we'll have isn't even significant enough, befitting of some kind of plot that involves main character, even I know once I ctb, I'll be just another stat for the year regarding ctb numbers and that's it, nothing more, nothing less, oh well, maybe there will be less but you get the point.

That's what people are like. In the end, everybody fades away to time and ends up irrelevant. Most end up irrelevant and forgotten quicker than others but, in the end, nobody will be remembered

Oh, those tough people who enjoy suffering because it means they grow and build character, I still don't like those people at all but at the end of the day, that's their justification for trying to keep fighting, in vain, a system they'll never beat.

I don't like these people either but I wouldn't care much about them if they just let us have a peaceful escape from life. They can suffer and justify suffering all they want but I want no part in it

 

[Goku Black]

That's what people are like. In the end, everybody fades away to time and ends up irrelevant. Most end up irrelevant and forgotten quicker than others but, in the end, nobody will be remembered

don't know why but I've never really cared about if I've ever done anything with my life to be remembered, i don't even care if i am after I'm dead. Others are driven to make a name for themselves or leave a footprint but i don't care if i die a nobody.

They can suffer and justify suffering all they want but I want no part in it

yeah, we didn't consent to this after all.