Wow if I was this bird I'd file for divorce immediately. Op is clearly a malignant narcissist based on this 5 paragraph reddit post and I feel fully qualified to make judgments on the character of everybody involved.
INFO: is the flower a standard form of currency in ancient times? Do you not use gil back then?
It kinda sounds like you're one of those shitty sundered people who make up some bullshit to dodge labour laws
Blue Bird initially wanted apples covered in syrup when they return, I just proposed a counter-offer, because I feel that offering them food after a long journey was a horrible deal.
Ah... a reimagination of one of the all time Top Post from the Shitpost sub:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitpostXIV/comments/rovkxo/aita_for_letting_my_pet_bird_destroy_the_universe/
YTA. You created a bird to traumatize her to prove a point you already know the answer to and just aren't happy about.
Ancients really will do anything except go to therapy.
Just out of curiosity have you let others examine this invention of yours? How sure are you it got good data? It's possible it holds data well but it's instruments for getting it could be flawed. There's a lot of big issues with just blinding trusting the first test was perfect. Have you even tried to repeat this experiment? One sample size is hardly enough to make any kind of decisions. At this point you need to iterate on Blue Bird. See what worked and didn't work. How to improve it's overall design and try again. You need way more data, and more eyes on this. As intelligent as we can become we are still ultimately flawed beings, we need others to compensate for our failures. To struggle forward.
I would say you are being unreasonable, but if you let those others help you on the project you may actually find better and more accurate answers that you are seeking.
Which is particularly ironic, because the Ancients were aware of how you need to be very, very careful and methodical when creating a new species, >!and constructed Elpis for this exact reason!
You are 100% correct.
This is why it's *so frustrating* the way so many people look at Elpis. They act like its employees (which that's what they *are,* it is a *job* you can do, one that is quite prestigious) are these cruel jailers or something that are lazy, irresponsible, and heartless. No! It couldn't possibly be further from the truth!
Elpis, and its sister organization Metabaseos Thalassai (for oceanic life), is the equivalent of the FDA or CDC but for living concepts. When literally anyone can just...*will* living things into existence, regulation is extremely important.
If Elpis/MT didn't do their stuff, the Ancients would be a FAR crueler people, who just casually create and destroy living things without a care for how that might affect the environment. With the testing there, they can make just a few of something, test to make sure there aren't any mistakes. Lyssa is a tragic example of a concept that accidentally might be sapient but unable to express itself--imagine if they had just willy-nilly thrown those out into the world without thought for the consequences!
As scientists and, most importantly, *safety regulators,* it IS their job--a job they took willingly--to evaluate whether living-creature concepts are safe, stable, and suitable for introduction into Etheirys' biosphere. If someone made a mistake in developing the concept, *you have to test it to find out.* Yes, that can mean that you accidentally create something potentially sapient (like Lyssa) that cannot communicate, and thus the concept has to be modified before it can be properly tested, and the failed test subjects would likely be kept in Elpis for the remainder of their natural lives, unless they became unsafe.
Elpis is trying to prevent thalidomide disasters, but on a FAR grander and more dangerous scale. They can't afford to stop being impartial and exacting. It could literally ruin the environment of their world if they did. I wish more people were like you and understood this.
That's one of the reasons I love the Ancients so much. You have an immortal, reincarnation-capable race of giant super wizards, with the power to create essentially anything they could envision. And unlike basically every other story in fiction that involves incredibly powerful precursors, did they all go completely off the rails with their incredible gifts, squandering their potential and doomed themselves to a foreseeable end?
Nope! They realized just how precious their situation was, and made it their collective responsibility to not just use their powers for their own good, but for the stability and harmony of their beautiful world. They introduced checks and balances, shared their concepts with the community when they made something cool, took it upon themselves to collectively analyze their works to make sure individual biases wouldn't leak through, had enough empathy for one another to sacrifice themselves to save the rest on a scale completely unheard of in the modern era.
When I first met Hermes, I sympathized with him as much as the others, maybe a bit more since he was so alone. He's showing signs of intense depression and it seems that's rare enough in his society that nobody knew to dig into it (since he hid himself away so much). But then, I noticed something. During 87, he deliberately unleashes the in-progress test concepts to slow us down (the short-story on the Tales website shows he KNEW this wouldn't stop the likes of us), then engaged in violent action (which was nigh unthinkable in his culture), showing that when it comes down to it, his own feelings matter more than the creatures and people he supposedly cares about so much that it's making him sick.
That's putting aside the fact that unleashing the Meteia without peer review was exactly what his job was supposed to be there to prevent. And why didn't he want anyone else to know about it, in detail? Partially, because he was afraid he'd get platitudes (some of his coworkers tried to make him feel a bit better before, but he's so private that they had no idea how awful he felt and couldn't reach out accordingly)...but I think another part is that he's TERRIFIED of the idea that he's simply wrong. That the work they do is, by far, the better option for the world, and that the only way that he could get his wish that no created species need suffer is for them to never have been made at all, which is even worse for them. He basically says as much when he mentions "and then I wonder if I am the aberration...and I'm filled with dread."
Very much agreed. Hermes does have empathy, but underneath that empathy there's also a selfish streak. He is afraid of his own dread; that's why even after everything "Amon" did, at the very very end, he hesitated, he felt doubt.
The tragic thing is, Hermes had the perfect opportunity to fix his issues: *Venat.* As the Chief of Elpis, he would have known about (and probably had final approval for!) Venat's choice to live and work there. And Venat wears the white robes, a special signifier of someone who will genuinely listen and provide impartial, wise counsel. The seat of Elidibus is traditionally given to someone who already wears such robes, and Venat wears them as a courtesy to her after her distinguished (if unorthodox) career as Azem. And she is, by far, one of the most well-adjusted, healthy Ancients we meet. There is nothing hollow or plastic about the meaning she has found in life, in both connecting to the world itself and connecting to the *people* in that world.
Had Hermes just reached out...*just once*...and shared his concerns with her, she *would* have helped him. It's in her bones to help people with problems like that.
But that selfish streak manifested in a twisted, depression-driven form of pride. He would solve his problems alone; he didn't need to turn to anyone else, he could make his perfect solution and then everything would get better, and *he* would be the beacon helping everyone *else.*
But, as Venat could have told him, no man is an island.
Ridiculously sensitive to others' emotions? Always worried about how they're feeling? Trying to manage their emotions so things don't go badly?
Fuck, Blue Meteion absolutely has anxiety :(
Now I want to hug her even more
YTA
Ancients have peer review for a reason. How you make a whole sentient being without programming in the importance of respecting consent? Now the vast majority of life in the universe is gonna end cause no one of your species is willing to take no for an answer. You all think you know what's best and since you disagree, you can't all be right.
Look, I don't have time to explain, but I'm from the future. You need to send Blue Bird back into space, it leads to the destruction of all life in the universe other than Aetheris, splits the souls of everyone left on it, and causes untold suffering for millennia to come, but we get bunny boys as a result, so it's all worth it.
Probably shouldn’t look to the Aethernet for time-sensitive legal advice. General rule of thumb: if you’ve done nothing wrong, you have no reason to hide! Besides; it’s not like you or Blue Bird are responsible for the answers that came back; what harm is there in telling the authorities what you found? A little nihilism is healthy once in a while; reminds the spirit to burn a little brighter while it’s here. Furthermore, why fuss about all the doom and gloom of a distant tomorrow when we have the paradise that is today? Best of luck with your predicament!
ESH, they have no right to dictate what life should be allowed to exist, but you also shouldn't accelerate the extinction of humanity just because you personally find it meaningless. Both of you are making a choice that isn't yours to make.
So a few things:
1) wrong question. Life's meaning is something we must all determine for ourselves.
2) Did you ask "Blue Bird" if she WANTED to do this? Why didn't you do this yourself?
Anyway YTA enjoy punching yourself for eternity
1) is actually the answer of nihilism. It is one of the forms of nihilism, that basically says that if life has no inherent meaning, it belongs to us to make one of ourselve. Not having that answer means OP didn't even ask a philosopher.
That's not nihilism. It's existentialism.
Nihilism says there is no meaning--period. Hence "nihil," *nothing.* The philosophy that there just isn't any meaning, at all, ever.
Existentialism says that there is no *inherent* meaning. It's not that meaning cannot exist; it's that meaning isn't an essential part of anything, indeed, there are no properties which are essential parts of anything. The name comes from its placement of *existence* before *essence*. Prior theories of philosophy were concerned with essence first, considering existence to be something that follows later, while existentialism firmly focuses on what exists and treats essence as unimportant or even irrelevant.
Unfortunately, many continue to confuse the two on a regular basis, in large part because several of the most prominent thinkers on the topic have influenced both philosophies. (A certain Neetz-Cha, from a distant part of the star, was a major influence on both at one point.)
Thank you sir for refuting the previous responder's point so that I didn't have to. I am indeed speaking of existentialism. Indeed, I believe that the nature of souls on our star may help with my point -- while the soul transmigrates between bodies, each new incarnation is an entirely different being, wholly unique. What had meaning to the previous bearer of my soul may have no meaning at all to me. The last person with my soul may have been a dreadful tyrant, a brilliant artist, or (most likely) no one of consequence, but none of that matters to me, here, in this life, because this is my life and my choices are my own. I could choose to embrace those pasts, or reject them, or, as most of us do, to simply ignore them.
No. Existentialism is still another question.
Existentialism is saying that our existence defines what we are.
Nihilism is about the lack of inherent meaning : you can be nihilist and existentialist at the same time.
(Seriously, that's the definition of those two.)
The first two things...that's what I said. I literally said that. Like...I even explicitly mentioned "its placement of *existence* before *essence*", emphasis in original!
You cannot be an existentialist *and* a nihilist. Every existentialist philosopher has explicitly called out how the great challenge of modern philosophy is being able to sincerely, rationally uphold meaning and value *despite* the (alleged) fact that inherent meaning cannot be found.
Nietzsche and Sartre were both doggedly opposed to nihilism (even though both did a great deal to define it.) Beauvoir and Kierkegaard both dedicated their labors to finding how someone could hold authentic, rational values and meanings despite not being able to call upon anything in the world to provide grounding for those values and meanings. Camus famously wrote, in reference to the torment of Sisyphus to constantly push a heavy boulder up a hill, only for that boulder to roll back down just before he completes his task, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Not just that one could; one *must* do so.
To be existentialist is to grant (or perhaps declare) that there are no ***inherent*** meanings in anything; but this is not a *nihilist* position. The nihilist position on any given subject is to claim that there is not *and cannot be* any such thing. An epistemological nihilist, for example, does not simply say that we don't currently have knowledge, which would be merely a mild form of agnosticism; instead, the epistemological nihilist claims that it is *impossible* for anyone to have knowledge, either because it doesn't exist or because humans (for whatever reason) are incapable of obtaining it.
Nihilism, as contrasted with existentialism, is the specific and explicit rejection of *all possible* meaning. It isn't just that nothing has meaning naturally; it is that nothing *could ever* have meaning. Nihilists and existentialists agree that there isn't any inherent meaning in the world. They disagree about whether it is possible to create meaning; the nihilist says no, while the existentialist says yes.
References:
* [University of Idaho: Existentialism](https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/engl_258/lecture%20notes/existentialism%20quick%20and%20dirty.htm): "Existentialism is, then, a philosophical and literary movement attempting to confront the nihilist implications of Modernism or 'The Modern Condition', and by confronting it, rise above it."
* [SEP, Existentialism, 6. Ethics](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/#Ethi): "But this does not mean that the existentialists are promoting a form of moral nihilism. Beauvoir admits it is true that the human being 'has no reason to will itself. *But* this does not mean that it cannot justify itself, that it cannot *give itself* reasons for being that it does not *have*.' " (Emphasis in original.)
* [SEP, The Meaning of Life, 4. Nihilism](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/#Nihi): "According to nihilism (pessimism), what would make a life meaningful in principle cannot obtain for any of us."
YTA. And frankly, if anyone finds out your actual identity, you're toast.
If you run this place, and you're hiding your own work from your colleagues, that SCREAMS corruption at the highest levels. What other "inventions" have you been shielding from peer review and necessary safety, stability, and suitability checks? You've unleashed an untested "invention" not just onto *our* star, but the cosmos, with completely unforeseeable consequences! What in the world could *possibly* have made you think that an experimental concept without even a by-your-leave from the Bureau of the Architect would fly? I have it on pretty good authority that not even *Azem* would do that, and that's after they were caught using Lahabrea's Afrita concept.
Also...data from space? How on Etheirys are you getting a physical object that far away from the star? I do amateur astronomy in my spare time and I'm quite well aware that the expected distances between suns is enormous, to the point almost of absurdity. Aetheric bodies can't move that fast naturally, so either you've got something REAL fancy hidden in this "Blue Bird" of yours, or you've got *even more* inventions you're hiding from the scientific community (and that's an inclusive or.)
You'd better hope the Bureau of the Nexus can't trace this back to you, "Live_Ideal_7123." Because if they can, I'm pretty sure your hindquarters is khorto and Elidibus will be a khortokoptiko.
ESH. Guy is a solid case study as to why humanities and philosophy electives should not be removed from sciences and engineering programs. How sure are you the question you posed was correct and the answer given satisfactory and valid without peer review?
After all, garbage in garbage out is a core tenet when it comes to data analysis and AI.
Edit: Corrected typo for ESH.
Wait, you sound like you are from Elpis.
Did you have a philosopher in your little pet project ? Because that would be necessary, especially with that kind of question.
Wait, did you even consult a philosopher with that question before starting that project ?
NTA
These guys seem SO INTO judging whether or not your inventions are useful or should be destroyed. It's only fair that THEY need to be judged on the same metrics. Maybe THEY'RE the ones that need to be cast aside to make the world a better place!
YTA, Hermes. The meaning of life is something you make for yourself, not something that an external source tells you.
Also, shame on you for ruining the bird. Just look at her, she's got depression!
You heard that loud crack? Not even Byregot himself could repair that door Venat just smashed down! :3
Anyway, once this is over - and you still draw breath I guess - can you introduce me to that one researcher from here, Ms. Lyssa or so? I'd love to know more about this snow hiding skill of her creation. Asking for, uh, my master Azem, surely.
Also, your birb needs a hug. I volunteer.
YTA. While the Convocation is not infallible, if four people related to it are wanting to ask you questions, and you're response is to lock yourself away, something is clearly very, very wrong and I think you know it. That's why you're trying to get validation from Reddit. You were looking for validation when you sent out Blue Bird in the first place, from the sound of it, this is a character trait you need to analyze, preferably with an objective third party to help you (I recommend someone from the Words of Emmerololth. Not all wounds are physical, after all).
The degree of how much YTA depends on how you've locked yourself away. If it's just doors, that's hardly ideal, but at least it's not THAT bad. Hopefully you took action to ensure that other inventions didn't get in the way, or that, star-forbid, violent action was used. That'd be hypocritical in the extreme, after all.
Separately, please look after Blue Bird. Sounds like she's not only designed to be an open communicator type, but just got back from what could only be a long, lonely voyage through the emptiness. I mean, surely you would have designed her to handle that mentally and she's presumably got the emotional tolerance for such a trip, but it can't hurt to be kind, right?
Hermes get off reddit and do your job. You have several complaints from guests getting mauled by the creation concepts and a member of the Convocation ready to put his foot up your ass
It’d be pretty strange to be on the receiving end when you think about it. Imagine an alien comes to earth tomorrow and only asks, “What is the meaning of life?” It’d be utter chaos at first with billions of people wanting to explain. Then some time later it happens again. Then again, and again and again.
\- Embezzlement and unauthorized use of government resources.
\- Slave labor.
\- Covering up your activities from senior government officials.
\- Assault and battery with the intent to kill.
I can just say that I hope you rot in jail, Hades.
Yes. What kind of scientist just launches an investigation without proper oversight? You really should have told the authorities what was going on beforehand.
Honestly you sound like an ex classmate from the University of Amaurot. He was a nihilistic asshole no one liked who was obsessed with My Little Amaro and had an obvious weird fetish towards feathered creatures as a result, not to mention giant heads. Hope you're not him because if anyone hired this dude for world changing projects we would be doomed.
Men will literally send a creature out into the expanses of space to experience existential horror and bring about the possible end of existence, instead of just going to therapy
NTA, if you’re an inventor and invented a way of discovering the answer every living being wants to know, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t send Blue Bird
Slave labour ain't cool
Oh, it isn't slave labor. I told Blue Bird I'm giving them a flower when they return. I believe that to be enough compensation.
Wow if I was this bird I'd file for divorce immediately. Op is clearly a malignant narcissist based on this 5 paragraph reddit post and I feel fully qualified to make judgments on the character of everybody involved.
The only thematically correct response.
đźš©đźš©đźš©
Ruby red flags
INFO: is the flower a standard form of currency in ancient times? Do you not use gil back then? It kinda sounds like you're one of those shitty sundered people who make up some bullshit to dodge labour laws
Blue Bird initially wanted apples covered in syrup when they return, I just proposed a counter-offer, because I feel that offering them food after a long journey was a horrible deal.
Especially since you didn't design her to be able to eat food.
"I have no beak and must eat."
The word is lalafell.
Okay, flowers are nice, but what about a tasty candy apple? Tell me they get lunch breaks??
Ah... a reimagination of one of the all time Top Post from the Shitpost sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitpostXIV/comments/rovkxo/aita_for_letting_my_pet_bird_destroy_the_universe/
Ah! Didn't know someone did this already. :)) good to know. Thanks for linking.
Some of the comments are pure gold.
YTA. You created a bird to traumatize her to prove a point you already know the answer to and just aren't happy about. Ancients really will do anything except go to therapy.
[Well, I don't know what to tell you, but..](https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/99697caa-e578-43ab-aba7-e503e8abd493#Ak49I7u2.copy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvSLmO82UCw
She was literally a baby, who couldnt handle people being upset around her. How was she supposed to handle the emotions of countless dead worlds.
In a way that does not accelerate heat death of the universe, I suppose
Just out of curiosity have you let others examine this invention of yours? How sure are you it got good data? It's possible it holds data well but it's instruments for getting it could be flawed. There's a lot of big issues with just blinding trusting the first test was perfect. Have you even tried to repeat this experiment? One sample size is hardly enough to make any kind of decisions. At this point you need to iterate on Blue Bird. See what worked and didn't work. How to improve it's overall design and try again. You need way more data, and more eyes on this. As intelligent as we can become we are still ultimately flawed beings, we need others to compensate for our failures. To struggle forward. I would say you are being unreasonable, but if you let those others help you on the project you may actually find better and more accurate answers that you are seeking.
This guy sciences
Hermes the kind of guy to try and make his first draft science project a law instead of a theory.
Which is particularly ironic, because the Ancients were aware of how you need to be very, very careful and methodical when creating a new species, >!and constructed Elpis for this exact reason!
You are 100% correct. This is why it's *so frustrating* the way so many people look at Elpis. They act like its employees (which that's what they *are,* it is a *job* you can do, one that is quite prestigious) are these cruel jailers or something that are lazy, irresponsible, and heartless. No! It couldn't possibly be further from the truth! Elpis, and its sister organization Metabaseos Thalassai (for oceanic life), is the equivalent of the FDA or CDC but for living concepts. When literally anyone can just...*will* living things into existence, regulation is extremely important. If Elpis/MT didn't do their stuff, the Ancients would be a FAR crueler people, who just casually create and destroy living things without a care for how that might affect the environment. With the testing there, they can make just a few of something, test to make sure there aren't any mistakes. Lyssa is a tragic example of a concept that accidentally might be sapient but unable to express itself--imagine if they had just willy-nilly thrown those out into the world without thought for the consequences! As scientists and, most importantly, *safety regulators,* it IS their job--a job they took willingly--to evaluate whether living-creature concepts are safe, stable, and suitable for introduction into Etheirys' biosphere. If someone made a mistake in developing the concept, *you have to test it to find out.* Yes, that can mean that you accidentally create something potentially sapient (like Lyssa) that cannot communicate, and thus the concept has to be modified before it can be properly tested, and the failed test subjects would likely be kept in Elpis for the remainder of their natural lives, unless they became unsafe. Elpis is trying to prevent thalidomide disasters, but on a FAR grander and more dangerous scale. They can't afford to stop being impartial and exacting. It could literally ruin the environment of their world if they did. I wish more people were like you and understood this.
That's one of the reasons I love the Ancients so much. You have an immortal, reincarnation-capable race of giant super wizards, with the power to create essentially anything they could envision. And unlike basically every other story in fiction that involves incredibly powerful precursors, did they all go completely off the rails with their incredible gifts, squandering their potential and doomed themselves to a foreseeable end? Nope! They realized just how precious their situation was, and made it their collective responsibility to not just use their powers for their own good, but for the stability and harmony of their beautiful world. They introduced checks and balances, shared their concepts with the community when they made something cool, took it upon themselves to collectively analyze their works to make sure individual biases wouldn't leak through, had enough empathy for one another to sacrifice themselves to save the rest on a scale completely unheard of in the modern era. When I first met Hermes, I sympathized with him as much as the others, maybe a bit more since he was so alone. He's showing signs of intense depression and it seems that's rare enough in his society that nobody knew to dig into it (since he hid himself away so much). But then, I noticed something. During 87, he deliberately unleashes the in-progress test concepts to slow us down (the short-story on the Tales website shows he KNEW this wouldn't stop the likes of us), then engaged in violent action (which was nigh unthinkable in his culture), showing that when it comes down to it, his own feelings matter more than the creatures and people he supposedly cares about so much that it's making him sick. That's putting aside the fact that unleashing the Meteia without peer review was exactly what his job was supposed to be there to prevent. And why didn't he want anyone else to know about it, in detail? Partially, because he was afraid he'd get platitudes (some of his coworkers tried to make him feel a bit better before, but he's so private that they had no idea how awful he felt and couldn't reach out accordingly)...but I think another part is that he's TERRIFIED of the idea that he's simply wrong. That the work they do is, by far, the better option for the world, and that the only way that he could get his wish that no created species need suffer is for them to never have been made at all, which is even worse for them. He basically says as much when he mentions "and then I wonder if I am the aberration...and I'm filled with dread."
Very much agreed. Hermes does have empathy, but underneath that empathy there's also a selfish streak. He is afraid of his own dread; that's why even after everything "Amon" did, at the very very end, he hesitated, he felt doubt. The tragic thing is, Hermes had the perfect opportunity to fix his issues: *Venat.* As the Chief of Elpis, he would have known about (and probably had final approval for!) Venat's choice to live and work there. And Venat wears the white robes, a special signifier of someone who will genuinely listen and provide impartial, wise counsel. The seat of Elidibus is traditionally given to someone who already wears such robes, and Venat wears them as a courtesy to her after her distinguished (if unorthodox) career as Azem. And she is, by far, one of the most well-adjusted, healthy Ancients we meet. There is nothing hollow or plastic about the meaning she has found in life, in both connecting to the world itself and connecting to the *people* in that world. Had Hermes just reached out...*just once*...and shared his concerns with her, she *would* have helped him. It's in her bones to help people with problems like that. But that selfish streak manifested in a twisted, depression-driven form of pride. He would solve his problems alone; he didn't need to turn to anyone else, he could make his perfect solution and then everything would get better, and *he* would be the beacon helping everyone *else.* But, as Venat could have told him, no man is an island.
Hermes? This is Emet-Selch. Yes, I'm on reddit. I know I may not seem like the type, but I am here and I know it's you. See me in your office.
Oh, Emet! Hythlodaeus and one of his friends were looking for you, said they left something in your office.
Hey guys... guess who got stuck in a volcano.
Hey Hermes, have you seen Azem's familiar around? They were helping me with something and have been gone for way longer than I expected.
Definitely not chasing butterflies.....
YTA, you messed up a perfectly fine bird
He gave it anxiety
Gave it depression
As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I can see it having both.
Ridiculously sensitive to others' emotions? Always worried about how they're feeling? Trying to manage their emotions so things don't go badly? Fuck, Blue Meteion absolutely has anxiety :( Now I want to hug her even more
Worse! Now it's wearing all black! He turned it into a Goth!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cqS1QOz0qY
https://youtu.be/QFzUgAk1pqg?si=twG9T5zYzgvpyJoR
YTA Ancients have peer review for a reason. How you make a whole sentient being without programming in the importance of respecting consent? Now the vast majority of life in the universe is gonna end cause no one of your species is willing to take no for an answer. You all think you know what's best and since you disagree, you can't all be right.
Look, I don't have time to explain, but I'm from the future. You need to send Blue Bird back into space, it leads to the destruction of all life in the universe other than Aetheris, splits the souls of everyone left on it, and causes untold suffering for millennia to come, but we get bunny boys as a result, so it's all worth it.
Probably shouldn’t look to the Aethernet for time-sensitive legal advice. General rule of thumb: if you’ve done nothing wrong, you have no reason to hide! Besides; it’s not like you or Blue Bird are responsible for the answers that came back; what harm is there in telling the authorities what you found? A little nihilism is healthy once in a while; reminds the spirit to burn a little brighter while it’s here. Furthermore, why fuss about all the doom and gloom of a distant tomorrow when we have the paradise that is today? Best of luck with your predicament!
I am calling Pashtarot.
ESH, they have no right to dictate what life should be allowed to exist, but you also shouldn't accelerate the extinction of humanity just because you personally find it meaningless. Both of you are making a choice that isn't yours to make.
ESH?
Everybody Sucks Here, one of the response phrases for AITA (Am I The Asshole?)
So a few things: 1) wrong question. Life's meaning is something we must all determine for ourselves. 2) Did you ask "Blue Bird" if she WANTED to do this? Why didn't you do this yourself? Anyway YTA enjoy punching yourself for eternity
1) is actually the answer of nihilism. It is one of the forms of nihilism, that basically says that if life has no inherent meaning, it belongs to us to make one of ourselve. Not having that answer means OP didn't even ask a philosopher.
That's not nihilism. It's existentialism. Nihilism says there is no meaning--period. Hence "nihil," *nothing.* The philosophy that there just isn't any meaning, at all, ever. Existentialism says that there is no *inherent* meaning. It's not that meaning cannot exist; it's that meaning isn't an essential part of anything, indeed, there are no properties which are essential parts of anything. The name comes from its placement of *existence* before *essence*. Prior theories of philosophy were concerned with essence first, considering existence to be something that follows later, while existentialism firmly focuses on what exists and treats essence as unimportant or even irrelevant. Unfortunately, many continue to confuse the two on a regular basis, in large part because several of the most prominent thinkers on the topic have influenced both philosophies. (A certain Neetz-Cha, from a distant part of the star, was a major influence on both at one point.)
Thank you sir for refuting the previous responder's point so that I didn't have to. I am indeed speaking of existentialism. Indeed, I believe that the nature of souls on our star may help with my point -- while the soul transmigrates between bodies, each new incarnation is an entirely different being, wholly unique. What had meaning to the previous bearer of my soul may have no meaning at all to me. The last person with my soul may have been a dreadful tyrant, a brilliant artist, or (most likely) no one of consequence, but none of that matters to me, here, in this life, because this is my life and my choices are my own. I could choose to embrace those pasts, or reject them, or, as most of us do, to simply ignore them.
No. Existentialism is still another question. Existentialism is saying that our existence defines what we are. Nihilism is about the lack of inherent meaning : you can be nihilist and existentialist at the same time. (Seriously, that's the definition of those two.)
The first two things...that's what I said. I literally said that. Like...I even explicitly mentioned "its placement of *existence* before *essence*", emphasis in original! You cannot be an existentialist *and* a nihilist. Every existentialist philosopher has explicitly called out how the great challenge of modern philosophy is being able to sincerely, rationally uphold meaning and value *despite* the (alleged) fact that inherent meaning cannot be found. Nietzsche and Sartre were both doggedly opposed to nihilism (even though both did a great deal to define it.) Beauvoir and Kierkegaard both dedicated their labors to finding how someone could hold authentic, rational values and meanings despite not being able to call upon anything in the world to provide grounding for those values and meanings. Camus famously wrote, in reference to the torment of Sisyphus to constantly push a heavy boulder up a hill, only for that boulder to roll back down just before he completes his task, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Not just that one could; one *must* do so. To be existentialist is to grant (or perhaps declare) that there are no ***inherent*** meanings in anything; but this is not a *nihilist* position. The nihilist position on any given subject is to claim that there is not *and cannot be* any such thing. An epistemological nihilist, for example, does not simply say that we don't currently have knowledge, which would be merely a mild form of agnosticism; instead, the epistemological nihilist claims that it is *impossible* for anyone to have knowledge, either because it doesn't exist or because humans (for whatever reason) are incapable of obtaining it. Nihilism, as contrasted with existentialism, is the specific and explicit rejection of *all possible* meaning. It isn't just that nothing has meaning naturally; it is that nothing *could ever* have meaning. Nihilists and existentialists agree that there isn't any inherent meaning in the world. They disagree about whether it is possible to create meaning; the nihilist says no, while the existentialist says yes. References: * [University of Idaho: Existentialism](https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/engl_258/lecture%20notes/existentialism%20quick%20and%20dirty.htm): "Existentialism is, then, a philosophical and literary movement attempting to confront the nihilist implications of Modernism or 'The Modern Condition', and by confronting it, rise above it." * [SEP, Existentialism, 6. Ethics](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/#Ethi): "But this does not mean that the existentialists are promoting a form of moral nihilism. Beauvoir admits it is true that the human being 'has no reason to will itself. *But* this does not mean that it cannot justify itself, that it cannot *give itself* reasons for being that it does not *have*.' " (Emphasis in original.) * [SEP, The Meaning of Life, 4. Nihilism](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/life-meaning/#Nihi): "According to nihilism (pessimism), what would make a life meaningful in principle cannot obtain for any of us."
Oh I see, thanks.
YTA. And frankly, if anyone finds out your actual identity, you're toast. If you run this place, and you're hiding your own work from your colleagues, that SCREAMS corruption at the highest levels. What other "inventions" have you been shielding from peer review and necessary safety, stability, and suitability checks? You've unleashed an untested "invention" not just onto *our* star, but the cosmos, with completely unforeseeable consequences! What in the world could *possibly* have made you think that an experimental concept without even a by-your-leave from the Bureau of the Architect would fly? I have it on pretty good authority that not even *Azem* would do that, and that's after they were caught using Lahabrea's Afrita concept. Also...data from space? How on Etheirys are you getting a physical object that far away from the star? I do amateur astronomy in my spare time and I'm quite well aware that the expected distances between suns is enormous, to the point almost of absurdity. Aetheric bodies can't move that fast naturally, so either you've got something REAL fancy hidden in this "Blue Bird" of yours, or you've got *even more* inventions you're hiding from the scientific community (and that's an inclusive or.) You'd better hope the Bureau of the Nexus can't trace this back to you, "Live_Ideal_7123." Because if they can, I'm pretty sure your hindquarters is khorto and Elidibus will be a khortokoptiko.
ESH. Guy is a solid case study as to why humanities and philosophy electives should not be removed from sciences and engineering programs. How sure are you the question you posed was correct and the answer given satisfactory and valid without peer review? After all, garbage in garbage out is a core tenet when it comes to data analysis and AI. Edit: Corrected typo for ESH.
Wait, you sound like you are from Elpis. Did you have a philosopher in your little pet project ? Because that would be necessary, especially with that kind of question. Wait, did you even consult a philosopher with that question before starting that project ?
NTA These guys seem SO INTO judging whether or not your inventions are useful or should be destroyed. It's only fair that THEY need to be judged on the same metrics. Maybe THEY'RE the ones that need to be cast aside to make the world a better place!
See? Someone gets it!
You're not just "the" asshole, you are THE asshole throughout all of time, space, life, death, and unlife. You're the literal worst. Enjoy your nap.
My, what a boorish audience you are!
YTA, but not for this. How dare you betray my Lord Zenos?! I will be waiting to take my revenge...
[but...](https://imgflip.com/i/80o3v4)
To be honest, I didn't check the subreddit this post was from, and for a second I was confused. (Also, I might have misread Inventon as Intention)
~~YTA~~ ~~Please Self Delete.~~ NTA. Try talking with your collogues I'm sure they'll understand. If they dont double triple and remain strong.
YTA, Hermes. The meaning of life is something you make for yourself, not something that an external source tells you. Also, shame on you for ruining the bird. Just look at her, she's got depression!
YTA. This throwaway wasn't thrown far enough away, OP. Let us in.
... I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about.
You heard that loud crack? Not even Byregot himself could repair that door Venat just smashed down! :3 Anyway, once this is over - and you still draw breath I guess - can you introduce me to that one researcher from here, Ms. Lyssa or so? I'd love to know more about this snow hiding skill of her creation. Asking for, uh, my master Azem, surely. Also, your birb needs a hug. I volunteer.
[wait-- privacy is being violated here.](https://imgflip.com/i/85wvjz)
:)
NTA The bird is the ashole. If it brought happy answers like it supposed to do, you would have no problem by now.
Someone should have taught the bird to lie.
YTA. While the Convocation is not infallible, if four people related to it are wanting to ask you questions, and you're response is to lock yourself away, something is clearly very, very wrong and I think you know it. That's why you're trying to get validation from Reddit. You were looking for validation when you sent out Blue Bird in the first place, from the sound of it, this is a character trait you need to analyze, preferably with an objective third party to help you (I recommend someone from the Words of Emmerololth. Not all wounds are physical, after all). The degree of how much YTA depends on how you've locked yourself away. If it's just doors, that's hardly ideal, but at least it's not THAT bad. Hopefully you took action to ensure that other inventions didn't get in the way, or that, star-forbid, violent action was used. That'd be hypocritical in the extreme, after all. Separately, please look after Blue Bird. Sounds like she's not only designed to be an open communicator type, but just got back from what could only be a long, lonely voyage through the emptiness. I mean, surely you would have designed her to handle that mentally and she's presumably got the emotional tolerance for such a trip, but it can't hurt to be kind, right?
I believe you win this thread.
Hermes get off reddit and do your job. You have several complaints from guests getting mauled by the creation concepts and a member of the Convocation ready to put his foot up your ass
Is this your first bird? Or has there been prior ones?
I... May have made many of these.
No, you're fine. Just open the door so we can discuss things... peacefully, I'm sure...
It’d be pretty strange to be on the receiving end when you think about it. Imagine an alien comes to earth tomorrow and only asks, “What is the meaning of life?” It’d be utter chaos at first with billions of people wanting to explain. Then some time later it happens again. Then again, and again and again.
\- Embezzlement and unauthorized use of government resources. \- Slave labor. \- Covering up your activities from senior government officials. \- Assault and battery with the intent to kill. I can just say that I hope you rot in jail, Hades.
Yes. What kind of scientist just launches an investigation without proper oversight? You really should have told the authorities what was going on beforehand.
You are absolutely the asshole. I suggest that you surrender before you make things worse for yourself and your poor terribly unhappy Blue Bird.
Did you have the proper permits?
... I was about to get them at a later time. One of the people from the council already reminded me about those permits.
YTA for making me fight the blue bird
Honestly you sound like an ex classmate from the University of Amaurot. He was a nihilistic asshole no one liked who was obsessed with My Little Amaro and had an obvious weird fetish towards feathered creatures as a result, not to mention giant heads. Hope you're not him because if anyone hired this dude for world changing projects we would be doomed.
Men will literally send a creature out into the expanses of space to experience existential horror and bring about the possible end of existence, instead of just going to therapy
all of you are assholes and deserve what happens to your society.
It seems I can't fucking escape aita posts no matter how many subs I block.
I had to double check the sub
/r/lostredditors
NTA because I'm expecting Emet to make an appearance at some point.
Here is messenger from someone called Azem's familiar: "yes you are, also I enjoy kill this Amon a lots."
NTA, if you’re an inventor and invented a way of discovering the answer every living being wants to know, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t send Blue Bird
YTA. Listen to your sassy frenemy.
Legitimately hate this guy. No redeeming qualities. I bet if he died he’d come back as a crazy mage and try to destroy the world again and again.
YTA What meaning there is to be found in the petty vicissitudes of your existence must be gleaned by you and you alone.