Meaning of Life | Niall Ferguson and Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: • Niall Ferguson: Histor...
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GUEST BIO:
Niall Ferguson is a historian at Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is the author of 16 books on the history of money, war, power, and catastrophe.
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[@devmanify]

"A man that plants trees knowing he'll never sit in their shade has began to understand the meaning of life."

[@treeladder5338]

Who is this by? may I ask

[@brandonmay3094]

Some Asian afforded the privilege of homogeneity as others are ridiculed for such, that literally gave them the opportunities afoot.

[@alexswartz5492]

This is one of the better answers to this question I’ve heard

[@xxdaggerxx5]

u mean its the same answer all scientists give.

[@brandonmay3094]

@@UniverseSpeck THAT is the main deception. Jesus did little in comparison to others. His followers did most everything. Jesus may have shared an idea, maybe, but it is others that enacted such. This world will fall in due time as should.

[@au10666]

Lazy ass answer. Basically saying he doesn't know. There is more to life, we are hee for a purpose. & No it is not just 'random'.

[@bigbobabc123]

@@au10666 what is your theory

[@GASmotorsports]

This was an incredibly comprehensive answer to an impossible question. I still don't think his answer is objective meaning but I like his meaning.

[@neight123]

Brilliant answer! Best I’ve heard!!

[@fireteammichael1777]

Beautiful answer to this question!

[@medericdelvaulx7358]

The meaning of life... is life. You don't have to look any further than that. Look at the animals and you will see that it's just about living. Humans try to find meaning behind everything, but it is in everything, life.

[@lavabender_taku]

that's literally my take on it too. Every creature on the planet is just being while we're over here pondering. It really is as simple as just being

[@dmalysiak]

Great clip!

[@gtp65]

The best answer to that question yet!

[@AquanautSt1]

The spontanous laughter whilst thinking it over says it all !

[@alpyoruk]

Whenever Mr Ferguson speaks, I feel more than ever to stop talking and start listening, focusing... Such a content!

[@antaripkataki6491]

Loved it

[@sotcmultimediagroup6784]

Very well put 👌

[@raydurka]

Wow! Incredible!

[@joeincognito8940]

I can’t tell if Niall is mad, or just being Scottish.

[@ia303]

Trust me he’s a lot more thoughtful and eloquent in his speech than most Scots are 🤣

[@spacedome3171]

Amazing in every way....

[@carteralexander8364]

Ether I’m too high or this audio is good as hell !!

[@anewperspective247]

He meant to say, "out of my experience, the meaning of life appears to be the transfer of intergenerational knowledge, honor, wisdom and understanding of how best to survive in a world without meaning... you know, evolution, baby."

[@bpalpha]

First task in preserving "civilization" is making it civil.

[@that1monk]

as a fellow atheist, i found niall's meaning of life to be honorable and wise.

[@fastquick4266]

Interesting stuff

[@simonlooms6206]

Wise words spoken

[@beth3011]

Bravo

[@federiconicolaslema6334]

Lex you really need to talk with John Vervaeke

[@alexroberto6353]

To live a life with meaning.

[@aroemaliuged4776]

Niall as we say in Glasgow Niall… will always be to the right

[@HigherPlanes]

Whatever you want it to be. All meaning is subjectively assigned anyway.

[@redberries8039]

There are limits, bounded by our human condition. When one bangs a drum. We can play a variety of rhythm, but the note is bounded by the construction of the drum.

[@noahneon]

@higherplanes or it’s not

[@HigherPlanes]

@@noahneon what do you mean?

[@noahneon]

@@HigherPlanes either meaning is subjective or it’s objective. All three big religions believe in the Old Testament aka the Torah. Perhaps there’s an objective truth called the Torah.

[@HigherPlanes]

​@@noahneonRight, but being able to distinguish between objective and subjective is the difficult part, although proving that it's subjective might require less validation.

[@barshalen99]

We could technically be those people in history and thus probably are as consciousness is fluid

[@skywalkeracademyteam8831]

Truth speaks to God. When we hear it, we enter the realm of forms.

[@amirhussain3028]

How do you define life lex? Life as in all organisms, including historically? Or just humans, humans as a whole or the individual. What about life across the universe, if it exists? All these factors alter the perspective

[@fingerpickinggood]

Lex. Can you have the philosepher Dan Kaufmann on?

[@thatguyytyy]

What did Niall mean at the end when he said "Good luck with Putin"?

[@arvinmartinez4878]

Maybe next guest

[@larrpan]

💯‼

[@babydragon2047]

The Connected Thread by Pietro Saldi

[@brandonmay3094]

My meaning of life is now to expose the destruction of my own by my own and others, that choose to view my own as sacrifice for others. Didn’t want it, but it’s so.

[@iamTrylux]

The meaning of life is to achieve an endless dopamine rush

[@bassiebassie3417]

Please listen to J Krishnamurti lex very epic

[@iamTrylux]

When I think '' meaning'' I think of a set objective made by the creator whoever that may be. . Maybe we are missing the objective as humans and we a going into the wrong direction. If as of now our purpose is to delay human extinction yet we will die out eventually then isn't that a sign we are doing things wrong?

[@SouthernOregonOrgani]

The Island Boooys

[@aroemaliuged4776]

Plenty of neils in Glasgow

[@user-yk9sk7pg6v]

(wonderful)

[@aroemaliuged4776]

The only person in Glasgow that was a libertarian was Niall… there are very few of us

[@bayramtounsi2982]

life.

[@RussellThomason]

I've always thought the meaning of life is to find meaning in life.

[@namchung1863]

when that thought stops, I guess you just found meaning of life.

[@brandonmay3094]

Seems like self fulling self sacrifice, and sacrifice of anything that follows

[@Soluchi-InfiniteCoCreatorGod]

The meaning and purpose of Life, is the Evolution of The Soul through Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding. Nothing Else. - Soluchi, a 3rd Density Being, Wanderer and Messenger of RA. Wishing you all Love and Light, in the Power and Peace of the One Infinite Creator. 💚💚💚💚

[@BoundlessRoamad]

Honor the dead. Be mindful of the unborn.

[@detailin_dave926]

“Good luck with Putin”... What is that all about?

[@RockyChomps]

My question too...

[@Sich97]

Lex is part-Russian. Putin is the president of Russia - which has seen a decline in freedom for while now, but especially lately. Also there is currently very high potential for serious escalations in Europe. I bet Niall was referring to one of those two things.

[@RockyChomps]

@@Sich97 right, I also know Lex wants to moderate a discussion between Putin and Elon Musk. Maybe Niall is predicting this 🤔

[@Sich97]

@@RockyChomps In that case I think the "Good luck" is meant sarcastically. Musk might agree to it. But Putin does not have time for these things.

[@detailin_dave926]

@@Sich97 Oh ok I see now. Didn’t know if Lex had landed an interview with Putin... That would have been an epic interview for Lex.

[@tomkarren2473]

Life is about learning and growing, and the tie to our ancestors and offspring is the key to our progress. PS, our existence here is not just a happy accident. Planet earth is a creation as are we. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[@timandmonica]

Hi Tom. I was wondering if you think that being a creation of something necessarily gives that thing meaning?

[@tomkarren2473]

@@timandmonica my parents sure think so.

[@dwalsh5925]

I love the parting shot good luck with Putin LOL yes standing here today do you think about where the United States has been and where it is going and you wonder have democratically elected officials with no term limits the problem with our society and the Socio economic state that we are currently in. Everyone who has watched this video and reading this post has only known a United States of dominance and one success after another for the most part. I am a glass 1/8th full type of person and I am shocked that my pessimism towards the future for my children can we endure the hardships required to get back on the path of economic security public safety and individual freedoms?

[@lynnlynn1689]

no..we need VR, dont be dropping shade on great fun things

[@camkazi3650]

No we do not

[@lynnlynn1689]

@@camkazi3650 you are in VR right now though...

[@mlworks]

Waiting for Gangsta, Putin!

[@smartbart80]

Fun fact: that dude is married to Ayana Hirsi Ali :) You’re welcome.

[@fideltrujillo5012]

The modern ideology of lost

[@LuisC-xo9io]

Wait what does he mean "good luck with putin"?

[@kevind.shabahang]

a void question

[@kimetsunomama9092]

Mike drop.

[@brodelicious]

It seems strange that individual lives have no meaning yet obtain meaning in some sort of way analogous to an emergent property. It all sounds cool but there’s not much real justification for it. This is a classic type of philosophical explanation in the vein of the “continental” school. Informed but not very rigorous and waiting to be swallowed up by the next great leader who takes the conclusions of this way of thinking to it’s natural conclusions. I hope we get some more analytical guests to rigorously smack the sh@$ out of this way of thinking and it’s actual absurdity.

[@sunset2.00]

We need another cosmic accident to end this . Why ? Meeehhh...

[@laertesindeed]

I'm sorry but.... I have to say it. Atheists don't tell eachother that the existence of life is an accident. Let alone tell their children any such thing. I flat out don't believe anybody like Niall when they lie like that. It is a false dichotomy to say that everyone is required to either think events are "an accident" or "all of this exists so that sky daddy can drink blood and assuage his anger" ....as if that was less accidental than the made up alternative of an accident. No, we just acknowledge that life exists here because of psychology and biology and chemistry and physics....roughly speaking in reverse chronological order. There isn't a single person who has "EVER" answered the question about a supposed meaning of life that has ever approached anything relevant or persuasive for any meaning to me.

[@jffryh]

For future generations, we need a tax on carbon, to stop the global warming.

[@fastsavannah7684]

Woke professors in the future 🤣🤣🤣

[@ericblack1127]

Niall Ferguson seems a bit damaged as far as conservatives politics goes. I am friends with at least a couple blue-check mark conservatives and I am pretty sure we would all agree that Ferguson is somewhat of a nincompoop as far as his political instincts go.

[@octaviodovalle6550]

How does self awareness and know who you are not come out of his mouth when talking about meaning of life? Sad

[@spaceaddict5484]

Because there is no objective answer to the question. But it appears you have found your own subjective answer to it.

[@Skurge]

@@spaceaddict5484 The objective answer is that there is no meaning.

[@ColinDrane]

If I talk slowly enough with a British accent and a catalogue of quotes from the books I’ve read, I can make grand negative assumptions about woke-ism and the metaverse. But I think there are more things in heaven and earth then are dreamt of in your philosophy.

[@chapter2202]

Didn't connect with me at all. He seem super intelligent. But hasn't evolved past his childhood teaching from his atheists parents. I recently heard Elon Musk state that he believes God is real.

[@ceceroxy2227]

Get someone like WIlliam Lane craig or Ed feser to get the philosophical evidence for Gods existence rather than all these atheist scientists

[@AgentOfLogos]

This guys lost