Did you know there are really just two answers to all our "Important" questions?

… And that’s basically why there’s so little I take seriously. No offense, but have you stepped back lately and looked at how busy we are blaming everyone but ourselves for everything that’s gone wrong?And how much time we waste feeding our hunger for meaningless shit??

Even Sagan’s epic insight gets slimed with YouTube adds.

It’s stoopid. And weak. And strange. And human.

And so are you. And so am I.

You’re welcome.

While this is a worthy question, the answers may be slow in coming. This is happening, and many of us are sad.

@Hawaii_Jake – Sad stuff.

Seems like someone worth knowing. Hope his spirit goes on.

So long and thanks for all the fish !

Not sure what your point is.

Carlin says that the planet will still be orbiting the Sun even if we wipe ourselves off of it. Well that’s a relief!

Sagan is saying that we need to cooperate to preserve life on the only planet known to have it.

George Carlin is right on. But actually plastic and styrofoam breaks down rather rapidly (far less than 1000 years). Within just a couple million years after humans go extinct about the only evidence that we were here will be toilets all over the place.

Enjoy the ride on spaceship Earth while we can. We’re over due for another ice age.

Pleasant thread here. All of the optimistic scholarly (and comedic) comments on the fate of humanity, coupled with the eventual passing of a well respected jelly, whom I never had the honor or pleasure of knowing. Anyone for a game of Russian Roulette? You hold the gun. I can’t handle so much joyfulness in one morning.

Funny, I always get multiple answers to my two most important questions: Where are my socks, and who left my beer out of the fridge?

Gee and I always thought it was “You were right dear”.
And just “Yes dear”.

LOL No the answers I get are more like, “Its not my day to keep track or your socks”, or “Your beer is not my problem”.

@LostInParadise – I think my point is that we’ve begun to lose our grasp of the realities that really matter.

Carlin’s mocking kick in the ass treatment, and Sagan’s moving call for a shared vision of human destiny both share a common view : Our existence isn’t guaranteed.

Really understanding that can restore some perspective and much needed humility to what we think and say.

What is it that really matters? Are you saying that we should just live one day at a time and not care if, in a few decades, we wipe ourselves off the planet? Carlin is saying that nothing that we do matters, that we are collectively an inconspicuous speck in the Universe. Even if we annihilate ourselves by nuclear war or climate change, Earth will still go around the Sun.

@LostInParadise – What I’m saying isn’t actually that complicated. What you think is evidently something else.

Please give an example of something that really matters.

@LostInParadise – This isn’t a test and I’m not a teacher. Or a student.

I gave two examples of what a larger view of life on earth, and existence in the universe could be. You’ve picked one to focus on. Good job.

But, if you think none of this matters to you – go find something that does.

One last time. You said, I think my point is that we’ve begun to lose our grasp of the realities that really matter. What is one, just one, example of a reality that really matters that we have lost our grip on? If you can’t manage to do this then I am forced to conclude that you are talking nonsense, no offense.

@LostInParadise – One last time (and I really mean it) : This is a Q & A forum.

The way it works is someone asks a question (me), and someone offers an answer (you, but in this case maybe not).

So what is your answer??? What do you think the more important reality is?

And by the way, I don’t care what you think is nonsense.

Once we have the current pandemic under control, reversing climate change should be the top priority. I don’t draw any comfort from knowing that our planet will continue to orbit the Sun with or without us.

@LostInParadise – Those seem like good, rational choices for making the best use of your energy. Thanks for the answer.

My thought in asking this was whether being more aware of how fragile and temporary we are can make us think more clearly about the big and small stuff. In their own different ways I think that’s what Carlin and Sagan were each hoping for.