The philosophy that brought me back to life
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
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This philosophy changed my life in ways that words can't capture.
This is probably the most important video I've made so far, I hope it can help you in the way I intend, but if it doesn't, that's an indication that I didn't explain it well enough.
We are in the midst of a meaning crisis, and as someone who was once in that pit of nihilism, I saw first-hand how that worldview instantly leads to destructive behaviour and a plethora of unnecessary suffering. As someone who left that pit, I also saw how much better life gets when your foundation is solid. However, without an alternative worldview, people get locked into their current one.
I deeply, deeply want to do my part to help others leave that place, and I think autotelic effectivism is the vehicle.
I'm going to continue developing this philosophy and experimenting with different delivery mechanisms until I'm confident that it's not getting lost in translation, because I really do think this perspectival inversion has the potential to 'revive' so many zombies who are lost without a north star or worldview that affords them meaningful engagement with the world.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, so don't hesitate to be unfiltered in the comments.
Musicbed: fm.pxf.io/angelo (Use code: COMPASS)
Channel overview:
A few years ago, I was stuck in bed, hating the universe for subjecting me to the 'sick and twisted game of life' without my consent. I was pathetic.
It was only after I realized something very important that things began getting better... life didn't suck; I did.
In the absence of friction, my mind was conjuring its own, so life was hard, yes, but it didn't have to be. The suffering was unnecessary. After a few years of incremental progress, I'm having the time of my life. I've never been in better shape, my mind has never been sharper, I've never experienced so much happiness, and it's all rooted in a deep sense of meaning that was once absent.
I had to shake myself of lots of old beliefs and patterns to get to where I am, and I believe there are millions of other people who feel stuck and could learn from my mistakes. So that's why I'm starting this channel: to share some of the insights that formed the foundation of the psychological habitat I now occupy.
I don't know exactly how the channel will develop but I'm going to start by posting my raw ideas as that's the only thing I can consistently do at this point in time.
I hope it helps!
Socials:
Instagram: @angelo.somers
twitter: @angelo_somers
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Quick Tip: You can use reasoning models(Chat GPT, DeepSeek, Perflexity) to understand this video: Paste the transcription of the particular chapter from the video, with the proper prompt containing, the meaning and daily life implication of every phrase! 👊
This is the content i want to see on UA-cam. Literally Nietzche's new philosophers developing their worldview to adjust to our modern circumstances. Whether you are completely right or wrong does not matter, it is that you try to find greater meaning that really matters, looking for something beyond the superficiality of modern living. Great content, liked and subbed 👍
@@Daniel-9097 thank you bro! Hugely appreciate that
@@Daniel-9097 amazing comment, Nietzsche has recently piqued my interest in philosophy
Analyze the entirety of information in modernity and tell me which consumes you first.....madness or conviction? THIS is what is plaguing the human species in the world today.....ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION!
This quote alone has tortured me for over a decade and Im always reminded of it and 2 others + a list of youtube videos that compliment its implications which I will share with you now.
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.”
― H.P. Lovecraft
(list of videos verifying Lovecraft's quote above)
1.) The Map of Chemistry- ua-cam.com/video/P3RXtoYCW4M/v-deo.html
2.) Map of Biology- ua-cam.com/video/wENhHnJI1ys/v-deo.html
3.) The Map of Physics- ua-cam.com/video/ZihywtixUYo/v-deo.html
4.) The Map of Mathematics- ua-cam.com/video/OmJ-4B-mS-Y/v-deo.html
5.) The Map of Engineering- ua-cam.com/video/pQgxiQAMTTo/v-deo.html
6.) Map of Science (and everything else)- ua-cam.com/video/ohyai6GIRZg/v-deo.html
7.) Map of Computer Science- ua-cam.com/video/SzJ46YA_RaA/v-deo.html
8.) Every Thing in Space- ua-cam.com/video/uniGQrGLEoI/v-deo.html
9.) ENTIRE UA-cam CHANNEL > www.youtube.com/@UsefulCharts/videos
10.) history of the entire world, i guess- ua-cam.com/video/xuCn8ux2gbs/v-deo.html
11.) The Impossible Hugeness of Deep Time- ua-cam.com/video/dI7SbZx_Qiw/v-deo.html
12.) Human Body 101 | National Geographic- ua-cam.com/video/Ae4MadKPJC0/v-deo.html
13.) Building the Ultimate Map of the Human Body- ua-cam.com/video/DWcFTjrEBDg/v-deo.html
14.) Metal Gear Solid 2 SOL - Who are The Patriots? (Part 4 of 8)- ua-cam.com/video/q8bfLIBbLHU/v-deo.html
15.) Colonel JD AI Codec Conversation MGS2 HD- ua-cam.com/video/eKl6WjfDqYA/v-deo.html
“The only saving grace of the present is that it's too damned stupid to question the past very closely.”
― H.P. Lovecraft, Pickman's Model
"There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know." -Donald Rumsfeld
“Men of broader intellect know that there is no sharp distinction betwixt the real and the unreal; that all things appear as they do only by virtue of the delicate individual physical and mental media through which we are made conscious of them; but the prosaic materialism of the majority condemns as madness the flashes of super-sight which penetrate the common veil of obvious empiricism.”
― H. P. Lovecraft, The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft
“But the years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion, and the final emergence into the light - only those who have experienced it can understand that.”
― Albert Einstein
Hope this gives you some insights into just how much information TRULY resides in TIME.
Doctor Strange - Open your eye (custom edit, 4K, re-colored)- ua-cam.com/video/FkXlKQS5Elo/v-deo.html
May the cognitive dissonance commence. Sorry in advance. If you survive the constantly periodic creations from old to new beliefs within this war of memory within you, then rest assured you will have emerged with such conviction that no one on the planet can deter you. Good Luck to you and all others who may be reading this, I hope you make it.
Indeed. Prophets of new law.
In the mountains of thought, rare air draws rare minds.
I... I think I need to watch this again
No my fellow human, you need Jesus, I'm sure this video can help though, but still!
@johnpeiredaquavoii2213stop preaching to people that don't want it. It's just rude and puts ur religion under a bad light. You may be trying to help but you're doing more harm than good
I'm confused
@@Floatyyy Oh really? Doing more harm than good huh? If I didn't love God I'd be chewing you out rn. God bless you
Honestly, it isn't worth trying to understand at face value.
It is the 'intellectual' equivalent of a Rick Roll. It isn't supposed to inform you of anything useful directly, but it is quite funny. 😂
93/93
I think you’ve already found your “autotelic substance”; it is “to aim”. To say that we are all aim-ers (by your own logic of “identity through behavior”) defines us through our behavior of aiming. The ultimate aim to simply just to aim. At anything. For any reason. No amount of thought or philosophizing will provide you with any other “higher purpose of being”. If what you are is something that aims, then submitting to that nature of behavior is the ultimate freedom. If you stake your well-being and happiness on any one target, you will find yourself ultimately unfulfilled. Rather, you must always remind yourself that: every time you shoot an arrow (regardless of what your target may be), you ARE fulfilling your autotelic purpose.
If the autotelic substance is "to aim/choose" then how are you heterotelic, since aiming is within yourself, the anchor points inward, thereby making you autotelic. If you exist for the sake of aiming basically for the sake of doing activities then what purpose does your death serve?. It prevents you from further aiming or doing.
According to what I currently understand from the video (I'll proabably need to read the written version to digest it wholly), the autotelic substance is something outside of your existence so it can't just be "to aim".
Let me know if I'm wrong with my line of reasoning.
Awesome. Waking up to a good brain pickle. The conflict between being a human being and a human doing. As Neo realises in the Matrix during his discussion with the Architect, the problem is choice. Thanks
Thank you so much man!!
Made my day 🙏🙏
So happy I am not the only one who will have to rewatch this. Been actually taking notes and lot of things clicked for me, but I really want to learn more about it and really looking forward to part 3
Very helpful explanation, thanks a lot mate! Only one critique from a statement made near the end that "entropy is the death of action, and we are therefore soldiers against entropy" - in fact organic life, us included, is a driver of entropy in the universe - the sun provides our planet with low entropy photons of light, which are utilised by organic life as energy to do stuff - i.e. action - and eventually radiated back out of the Earth's atmosphere as low entropy thermal energy. Therefore we are not soldiers against entropy as organic creatures, but driver of entropy, toward the theoretical heat death of the universe. Thanks again for the discussion!
Damn, amazing video Angelo
Essentially:
- there is no 'good' for the sake of good - good comes from existence not the other way around.
- 'good' is a means of aiming and shooting at our goals - the bowman, bow and arrow is what we are for the sake of being.
- We are not autotellic -> our existence is not atop the hierachy of actions around us. Rather, our actions contribute to the autotellic substance.
- Once we see ourselves as simply an actor that shoots goals, equally focussed on the goal, the current and actions to acheive it, as part of existence - the 'means', rather than being the autotellic - the 'end' of what existence means, we are free from our selfish view of the world and subsequent confusion of meaning.
Please correct me if I am wrong or misunderstood!
tysm!🙏🙏
You guys are in for a GEM with this one!
"Talent hits a target no one else can hit, Genius hits a target no one else can see." -Arthur Schopenhauer
"Aasan hai" -Sandeep Maheshwari
@ Very easy. :)
Holy shit dude, as a 15 year old who has gone through the self-improvement rabbit hole is currently going through the philosophy pipeline, you are the wisest person I have ever witnessed on this platform.
Thank you for this video. I always was sceptical about philosophical/self-improvement(i know that you probably dont see yourself as self-improvement creator) youtubers, but you really made my inner world better more thank I would like to admit. You fascinate me every time, and im really am thankful, because your ideas and stories generally make me stronger and resistant to the world, while still being a good human being! Your videos help more than you think (probably), especially the ones about pain, because of the ideas that started growing in me after your videos, I`ve came to like almost any negative emotion I experience during the day, and hopefully this idea will evolve into something bigger and better.
Very interesting philosophy communicated in a captivating video. Good job Angelo!
I would love to hear your perspective on the issue of free will (specifically concerning choice since it came up in this video), as that's been an issue that I've been thinking a lot about in the past months. Wish you all the best mate😃
I tried moving to Bali in 2023, after about 8 years of digital nomadship (moving every 2-5 months). I felt starved for a community of writers, thinkers, etc. I have come back to the west and am trying to figure out a long term base with enough networking possibility along my interests. I do believe I could have done it better! Taken more initiative in finding friends, etc. I was a bit of a hermit, just writing all the time--and going through some chaotic personal stuff as well. If I went back with more discipline and outdoor time, I think I would do better. I will watch your journey with curiosity.
Anyway fantastic vid as always. Your "Life isn't meaningless, the question is" is one of my favorites of all time
I think that's the first video I actually understood and that shifted my view on reality. I fckin love it and I hope that there will come the day when I learn to think in ways like these by myself.
This is amazing my friend. But I will give you a word of advice from the perspective of a viewer and that of a content creator. Make your scripts easier to understand. You are just giving out information, but it is too much to handle, you do not give us the viewers breathing room to understand it, digest it and be able to use it as context for the next point
The core message of this video is that we humans don't exist for our own sake (we're not autotelic), but rather we exist to serve a greater purpose (we're heterotelic) - and understanding this can help resolve existential anxiety and give our lives more meaning.
Incredibly interesting stuff, thank you
Will have to ruminate on this for a while
Yeah, I will repeat this one
Here are the main theses :
1. The question of "who/what we are" is fundamental. The author argues that we are not just a body or brain - these are merely descriptions of behaviors, not our essence.
2. He presents the concept that we are all "doers" - beings who make choices and cause effects in the world.
3. He introduces a distinction between "autotelic" actions (done for their own sake) and "heterotelic" actions (done for other purposes).
4. Key thesis: we don't exist for ourselves (we are not autotelic), but we are part of a greater purpose (we are heterotelic).
5. The author argues that the mistake of modern consciousness is seeing ourselves as autotelic beings (existing for ourselves), which leads to existential problems.
It's a rather deep philosophy that tries to find an answer to existential problems by changing the perspective on the purpose of our existence.
Wow, amazing stuff!
Just to try to state it simply: The purpose of your life is not to serve yourself, the purpose of your life is to serve "life", or the ultimate. The ultimate purpose is valuable in it of itself because it is ultimate. Its value requires no justification. Your existence serves that purpose, and effectivisim helps you serve that purpose more effectively and will be explained in part 3.
Did i get it right? Excited for part 3!
What do you mean by part 2 and 3? Could i get the video names?
Effective Acceleration. I am now many years older than I was only a year ago, in mind and soul at least. Every moment is a frame, every frame is a painting, every frame has infinite detail and infinite potential for us to expound upon the more is done in each moment, the longer each moment is. To the outside observer, this looks like you are living life in rapid, survivalist fashion, yet you are enjoying every moment of it, even the hardest moments. Every tear is like a hug from the cosmos. Every breath means something. Every person is a universe of their own.
The GOAT
really liking this channel
I have no idea why the idea that “a bowman, though he might enjoy making arrows, is making them for a purpose, not for joy of making them itself” makes you conclude that “you are a heterotelic being”.
15:28 You’re assuming that just because there’s an objective to an activity, it couldn’t be performed for its own sake,
15:50 then based on that assumption you claimed that “you don’t exist for your own sake but to bring about that which does”, so you essentially claim that people don’t exist just to exist, but to do something (more). I thought that was interesting cuz that notion seems to oppose all the ancient philosophies that tell us that life / happiness is just about living itself, and that existence is there for its own sake. Moreover it feels like I should mention that “a heterotelic being” literally wouldn’t work because it wouldn’t have a reason to, unless it is subject to an external force that dictates its actions and therefore doesn’t need to feel motivated on its own, like a computer.
But then you seem to directly contradict this previous statement by explaining that “the ultimate Autotelic activity is the purpose of subject object duality itself” - so after all you say that existence is there just to exist, that’s the “ultimate autotelic activity”.
Despite this contradiction, until here I thought that this video makes sense. But then you go on to say “activity precedes actors” and a bunch of other stuff with no apparent connection to all that was said previously. So there you just lost me and I honestly don’t get what you’re trying to say in this video. It felt like you were trying to say that “the dichotomy between heterotelic and autotelic activity is a false one, as all activity is ultimately aimed at the same sense of goodness that transcends the actor and motivates him to act in the first place” but then you make this point that “activity precedes the actor and therefore the value of the action is neither extrinsic nor intrinsic” - ????
if by now you’re confused and have to try hard to understand what I’m saying or if there’s even a point in trying to understand then you’ll know what it’s like to watch this video. This comment is a reflection of that
I literally have no idea what point you’re tying to make or why. I thought of sex as an example. It’s definitely a valuable activity, no matter if viewed subjectively or objectively, but so what? What does this have to do with whether the actor precedes the activity or vice versa?
Edit: after watching the rest of the video the point becomes obvious, but it doesn’t really explain why you talked about this stuff I mentioned here (and I’d argue that this whole philosophy is just a very overcomplicated way of saying “you’ll die anyway so making yourself the most important thing in life will make you miserable”).
I had a similar response when listening to the video. Was all good until near the end, then it almost started sounding vaguely religious to me.
I feel like adding my own perspective on it:
"The purpose of life is to beget life. If any given life is capable of giving itself more purpose than that, then whatever purpose it happens to decide upon, is its purpose. Purpose beyond reproduction and survival, is subjective to the individual."
Or in simpler terms
"Life is meaningless, so make your own, and find happiness, don't give up early."
I had a similar thought to @JustinMorphius. The enquiry into 'the meaning of life' that I have embarked upon has discovered that the entire meaning is just existence itself. There is no further 'purpose' to life. Happiness and suffering seem to be part of this process of existing, not an objective purpose of existing. I don't know, I'm just out here existing y'know.
I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to attempt an understanding 3 minutes into the video. If you want to convey an idea and have it accepted by others, it’s in your best interest to make it as easy to understand as possible. There’s no need for this complexity.
Good to see people criticizing (constructively ofcourse) content which can be deeply misunderstood by especially the younger people watching these
Feels good to see highly intellectual people like you on the internet.
this video is incredibly helpful
I love this concept, and it aligns well with many other ideas I've found myself exploring as of late in more spiritual areas. I appreciate how it breaks it down into a well-considered philosophical argument. It brings to mind Plato and Aristotle's observation that we are all teolological beings, with purpose, and I believe they use the metaphor of the arrow and target to describe that idea as well. I look forward to exploring more of these ideas!
However, I am having difficulty with your website. It is not secure so my systems will not allow me to access it. You might want to look into that. Once it is fixed though I'll happily subscribe! Cheers!
Stoked for part 3
You gotta write a book or paper on this, very interesting solution to the death of god
I need to watch this 10 times
According to Alfred Adler the most valuable thing there is is the community. Also Marcus Aurelius have seemed to come to the same understanding as he said „people exist for one another“, as Stoicism often talks about the common good. So if the highest goal is community it would make sense that we are heterotelic in the sense that our highest goal is to make our community thrive. But then you would have your answer to this autotelic substance. Even biologically this makes way more sense because we as humans are deeply social animals.
People don't consider what their consciousness expects them to accomplish. They can't make a distinction, between themselves and their consciousness. They can tell what their body wants but the human condition as it is ordinarily, is unable to ascertain or comprehend what their own consciousness wants or needs, from them.
I'm fascinated by people's ability to reconcile ideas and compile a philosophy like this entirely independently of others doing the same thing, and for many groups to reach the same conclusions using radically different words. I think I agree with everything in this video, even though my personal philosophy sounds so different if I were to explain it.
thank you
My Welsh twin, your content and curated perspectives are premium. Might I ask if you find a relationship or difference with Effectism with Consequentialism? Thank you for your excellent contributions.
Dependent origination, investigation of cause en effect. That’s Buddhist perspective as well. Great news because Buddhism is dope!
You still are, you just want money now
So in conclusion what do you mean? I couldn't understand 75.45% of the video
The problem is that it covers a massive number of topics, defines things in a certain way, and then moves on. It could have been an hour longer if it wanted to make the viewer have a good understanding of what this man is arguing for, of which I have no clue. If you so desired, you could re run the video, take notes, look up definitions where necessary. Any grey area in this video could cause a huge amount of ambiguity and confusion.
"Here are the main theses:
1. The question of "who/what we are" is fundamental. The author argues that we are not just a body or brain - these are merely descriptions of behaviors, not our essence.
2. He presents the concept that we are all "doers" - beings who make choices and cause effects in the world.
3. He introduces a distinction between "autotelic" actions (done for their own sake) and "heterotelic" actions (done for other purposes).
4. Key thesis: we don't exist for ourselves (we are not autotelic), but we are part of a greater purpose (we are heterotelic).
5. The author argues that the mistake of modern consciousness is seeing ourselves as autotelic beings (existing for ourselves), which leads to existential problems.
It's a rather deep philosophy that tries to find an answer to existential problems by changing the perspective on the purpose of our existence."
Great content
I noticed you mentioned Bernardo Kastrup in the beginning who actually has the answer to your question which is essentially the "ultimate why". Bernardo essentially claims that we are God's/nature's way of becoming meta-conscious of themselves and in achieving this awareness we can bring an end to all suffering and evil that is being self inflicted. Curious what your thoughts on that are.
Two questions:
Doesn’t your conclusion anthropomorphize reality - in other words, imbue it with rational logic/intelligence (e.g. “this exists because”)?
And
Can’t we exist just cause? Not for the sake of something else or for the sake of ourselves?
@@nowuc it anthropomorphises the mind, the source of your sense of seperate self, which is as much a part of reality as anything else
Also not sure how to answer the second question, if you’re asking whether that’s theoretically possible I’d say yes? But i don’t believe it to be the case
@@AngeloSomers I'm very new to all this stuff, but it seems odd to me for us to be saying we belive or disbelieve stuff like that when we're so ignorant of reality. Like it seems silly to me to suppose we could really know anything that deep. Idk
For that second question, all of these ideas are still on the table and it's really about picking the one that allows you to live how you inherently want
idk don’t u think the ultimate aim of life is intimacy? Like forming connections and relationships? The attempt to bridge Self & Other? Isn’t that why we developed music, language and art? Why we have sex? To experience or create something other than ourselves as a medium to bridge the gap between us?
It could be that differences aren’t illusory. Maybe we’re all just a particular organization of activity.
idk maybe I’m just misunderstanding what ur saying. If that’s the case, I apologize.
This was... refreshing
This seems influenced by Eastern fate beliefs. I found that train of thought to be extremely liberating. It's much more supported by zoology or even ecology in general that we're part of a network reacting to unknowable ripples in time and space.
I have to rewatch this a couple of times
badly articulated
@@evanevans77 To a degree. I think it's just unfamiliar, since I can see there is a logic to his words.
I got high as fuck yesterday and realized this myself. For the first time since I was 15 I feel alive
I'm your oldest follower. If you want to come back to life, try a neuroscience based meditation. It took many years, but I was finely able to answer and EXPERIENCE..."Who Am I?" My answer is also compatible with emerging neuroscience. Best wishes
So who are you? I'm curious 😅
Can you elaborate ? Never heard of what u r talking about
Huh
Jewish idea of YHWH(YahWeh, I Am, he that is, absolute existence, totality of existence) or as the Chinese Classic Tao Te Ching begins "The Way that can be told is not the eternal way, the name that can be named is not the eternal name." Our essence can't be fully comprehended and labeled, it can only be experienced. We do have to play different roles throughout our lives because we are individual expressions of the whole. Everything is in constant motion, so we are forced to react. Tao Te Ching-"Stay with the ancient Tao, move with the present." Man's search for meaning by Victor Francl -“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Maybe that ability to choose our response to the external is our essence as humans.
You can try and figure everything out (an impossible task I would argue) or you can SURRENDER to life, the universe and everything and let the answers (if there are any) - come to you.
Angelo,have you ever thought about writing a philosophical book? It would be a great idea!
interesting stuff, but can someone dumb it down even by a bit for me😢? Id need to rewatch this like 10 times to get it
Finally
This is it.
this was a lot to digest
Yeah, It's good but I feel like I already know this and you just explained this in your own way. It's interesting to hear another concept but the conclusion is still the same as far as I understood it. You mean that we have to live for our purposes? That we should be our activities? I agree that living for your own sake is pointless and has many disadvantages, "therefore I am a goal driven person, my goals are my life, I associate myself with my goals and those goals should be infinite", is that what you meant?
Amazing🎉
Angelo, great video i learnt a lot here is what i learnt. I also have criticism. (ik the idea is young and it completly changed my paradigm) Thanks.
*Autotelic effectivism presents a thoughtful synthesis of ideas about motivation, identity, and action. Its strengths lie in encouraging self-awareness, intrinsic satisfaction, and a balanced approach to achieving meaningful goals.
*However, its abstract nature, potential challenges in application, and the risk of neglecting necessary discipline or external validation are important considerations. Can you please develop your philosophy more to fit these conditions.
*As with many philosophical systems, the value of autotelic effectives will depend on how individuals interpret, adapt, and integrate its principles into their unique lives.
*So i probably think we will need a way to implement this. This philosophy is very abstract and i had to ponder for two days to totally understand this. And how do we find the balance between the heterotelic and autotelic motivators?
In other words, does heterotelic mean "faith" or commitment toward some higher power ergo God/nothing/infinity/the absolute/Truth etc...?
This was an very good take, is there anyway you could link a transcript of everything you said? I would love to be able to read your argument and annotate it.
I am what I am
Good shit.
Does put a new perspective on why religions are more effective at bringing solace than modernism. Strange that answer to modern meaninglessness is just humility and good external purpose.
Wait how did you conclude from nothing but your own existence that there is only one autotelic substance?
Is this like an elaborate description of absurdism?
I see it as a necessary upgrade to the idea of absurdism, in my eyes camu planted a seed and we are obligated to nurture it
@@wardslayer3467how is this an upgrade to absurdism? Ultimately we cannot answer these questions. In my mind absuridsm would answer to this essay with „so what? Enjoy your coffee.“
@@paulbrecht926 its not really about answering anything, in my personal opinion absurdism put in action kinda looks like the idea explained in the video, yet absurdism lacks the anchor mentioned since it's based entirely on existing for the sake of existence and not wishing for a life other than the one we have, also i should mention the fact that in the earlier works of camu on absurdism the necessity of having a community was neglected. In the end it's all my personal opinion, i personally lack the knowledge to criticize these different philosophical approaches on life.
@@wardslayer3467 I’m also no expert 😂 But afaik Absurdisms premise is that humans try to find meaning, yet the universe refuses to provide any. So we try to give meaning to our life by subscribing to different ideas (even our own) of meaning instead of accepting the ultimate outcome that we will never know what it all was for. In that sense I don‘t think it matters if our actions are autotelic or heterotelic. What is autotelic for one might be heterotelic for another. There is no ground for saying something is definitely autotelic or heterotelic in my opinion.
Goated
My main question now is would an action that could be defined as endocretic become heterocretic based on intention or will.For example listening to music was stated to be an endocritic action only serving for itself but what if you are trying to escape using music.If you have negative thoughts and you listen to music to silence your brain wouldn’t that make listening to music a heterocretic activity to a endocretic value of avoiding pain.
If I'm not wrong about you saying to become "God" is the ultimate desire, I think the "heterotelic" view of reality has something in common with "The Egg" by Andy Weir. I also came to a somewhat similar thought after realizing that no amount of materialistic achievements will fulfill someone because everyone is doomed to die and to bypass this essentially means to overcome "Death" himself.
Some feedback. I think the music was supposed to enhance the profoundness and depth of the moment, but it is distracting and anxiety inducing if I am completely honest.
Meditation is autotelic and heterotelic at the same time, that’s why it’s a genius activity
16minutes ago is absurd😮😮😮
My god, that’s so interesting!
@abcdefzhij mindboggling stuff wish i wasnt so fried so i could digest it
Can you link the first part?
Is this AP self improvement
This would be a great way to look at the world, finding meaning outside of oneself. But how o how do you know it actually is this way? Aren't you just assuming that we are heterotelic in the pursue of autotelic values?
im not very good at english. so can youexplain it in simpler words
i used chatgpt to analyze, here you go:
The core idea in the video is about **autotelic vs. heterotelic actions** and how they shape our purpose and decision-making. Here's an explanation with an example:
### **Autotelic vs. Heterotelic Actions**
- **Autotelic** (Auto = Self, Telos = Purpose): An activity done for its own sake, without needing an external reward.
- **Heterotelic** (Hetero = Other, Telos = Purpose): An activity done for the sake of something else, often as a means to an end.
### **Example: Playing Music vs. Studying for Exams**
Imagine two people:
1. **Alice plays the piano because she loves music.** She enjoys the sound, the rhythm, and the experience of playing. Even if no one listens, she still enjoys it.
- This is **autotelic** because she does it for its own sake.
2. **Bob studies hard for exams to get a high-paying job.** He doesn’t enjoy studying itself; he only does it because he wants money and status in the future.
- This is **heterotelic** because it serves another purpose (getting a job).
### **Why Does This Matter?**
- If someone’s life is dominated by **heterotelic** actions (always working toward something else), they might never feel truly satisfied. They are always chasing the next goal.
- If someone is more **autotelic**, they find joy in the present moment, making their life inherently fulfilling.
The video suggests that true meaning comes from **being more autotelic**-finding value in the things we do rather than always chasing an external reward.
### **1. How to Be More Autotelic**
To become more autotelic, you need to:
- **Find joy in the activity itself** instead of focusing only on the outcome.
- **Be present** and immerse yourself in what you're doing.
- **Reframe necessary tasks** to make them more engaging.
- **Set intrinsic goals** that make the process itself fulfilling.
### **Example: Studying**
- **Heterotelic Approach:** "I have to study to get good grades so I can get a good job."
- **Autotelic Approach:** "I'm studying because I love learning new things and understanding the world better."
Even if the external goal (grades) still matters, shifting your mindset can make studying more enjoyable.
---
### **2. How to Balance Drives (Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation)**
Life isn’t just about pleasure or just about external achievements. You need a **balance** between:
- **Intrinsic Drives** (what you love doing)
- **Extrinsic Drives** (what helps you survive and progress)
The best way to balance them is to align them. This means finding ways to **pursue external goals while making the process enjoyable**.
### **Example: MMA Training**
Imagine you train in MMA.
- **If you're too autotelic** → You only spar for fun and ignore structured training, so you never improve.
- **If you're too heterotelic** → You train only to impress others, and it becomes a burden.
- **Balanced Approach:** You focus on enjoying the process of learning, improving techniques, and feeling stronger while still aiming to get better at MMA.
---
### **Conclusion**
Being autotelic doesn’t mean ignoring external goals-it means **learning to enjoy the journey** rather than always waiting for the end result. The key to balance is **aligning what you enjoy with what helps you progress**, so you're both happy and successful.
I think the reason why this video is confusing is because he has nothing new to say
18:10 the very first thing that popped into my head when you described that part about how people's frustration with the structure of life and wanting revenge against it got me thinking about how that thought process could be immediately exterminated upon the realization that reality was there PRIOR to you being born....therefore you ARE NOT the center of everything, and never were. Its pretty simple common sense logic if you ask me.
A large part of who you are now was there prior to you being born.
@ indubitably.
@@thepooaprinciple5144 if people ignored their need for food like they ignore their need for consciousness, they would not get very far.
@ I've done pretty damn good if you ask me. But im an extremely rare person so I'd say im an exception not the rule.
I agree, Very much. With elegance and grace, well done.
i wish you would phrase things more simply, the topic is already complex in and of itself.
3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 minutes without air.
3 degree shift in core body temperature.
@ DIdnt know that....interesting. Thank you for the info.
I love listening to you think, and you certainly pose very interesting points. Thank you for writing out your thoughts and posting them online. I am a little confused as to why you seem to deny the existence of any supernatural and then go on to define the "autotelic substance." If such a substance exists, doesn't it have to exist in a realm above the physical? For if it is in the physical, and the physical comes to an end (heat death), then it is like the 'autotelic' man - it has no value. Well, many western religions define God as the source of such an autotelic substance which preexists and predefines actions. I'm curious then about why you deny the existence of a god.
I’m confused can I have a short summary
Interesting....
How to apply in real life its confusing
To become more autotelic, you need to:
Find joy in the activity itself instead of focusing only on the outcome.
Be present and immerse yourself in what you're doing.
Reframe necessary tasks to make them more engaging.
Set intrinsic goals that make the process itself fulfilling.
FOR EXAMPLE:
1)Heterotelic Approach: "I have to study to get good grades so I can get a good job."
2)Autotelic Approach: "I'm studying because I love learning new things and understanding the world better."
POTENTIAL DRAWBACK AND IMPORTANT NOTE: Do things cause you love them, of course with boundaries. Fix your values and solidify them THROUGH ACTION. So you will naturally love doing x.
Philosophy helps you realise you need one
Nice haircut 👌
Dr. of Illogical Rhetoric Angelo
Swearing to uphold his Kakistocratic oath to obey the heterotelic oaf to "last, do no harm .!. 🤣🤣🤣
F'ing Sistine Chapel Ceiling WTF was this supposed to be? .!.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
93/93
The Compass button... 👉
Who am I? I am the watcher at the end of time to stop time from ending.
your ideology is so stupid that I wont even point out its flaws I'll just let it ruin your life.
Also bros trying to rebrand himself as The Daily Stoic for his stupid ideology 💀
? I felt the same but i request you to please ponder upon what he is saying.
Nooooo I liked the old thumbnail
Sorry if I misunderstood your video but, doesn't the message in this video "Your existence is heterotelic" contradict your video about the meaning of life? "Life isn't meaningless, the question is" Still, love you mate. Thanks ❤️
@@John-du5kr “at the layer of abstraction in which you live your daily life” - in other words, the “david” identity (which is illusory) this illusion exists for heterotelic reasons, but it’s formed entirely of an Autotelic substance (existence itself)
@@AngeloSomers I think I understand. Your identity Like "John" for example exists for something else. But it's essence exists for the sake of itself. I'll still give it a rewatch though. Man, I hope you make it far in life. It's nice to see thinkers within all this AI slob.
In religious terms, love God and love other people.
I seem to discern that you have the wisdom to understand what you say, but I'm not sure if you can see what it means.
Every philosophy that brings people back to life mimics religion.
m here
great video cutie
Grifters gunna grift
10:30 this dude 💀
U lost me at arrows
13:33 👂the SOUND of those syllables
...
🔈🔉🔊
🎵SOUND TRUE🎶
Sorelle! 6:39