Does she ?

That’s all a bit tongue in cheek- but to be serious; this assumes there arent others with struggles who are doing things for society. That parent may be raising the future- but the college student in line is studying so that child will have a teacher or doctor or a clean beautiful world or new exciting technologies. They too are a critical part of the future. Mommy getting coffee has arguably little bearing on the child’s survival or quality of upbringing- unless mommy is a substance addict who can’t function without her fix. In which case I would suggest that if a lack of coffee would put the child in danger that CPS get involved.

I mean- how do you weight this intangible social value? A mom, a surgeon, a teacher, a college student and a sanitation engineer are all in line. Who is contributing most to society? Without babies society stops in several decades. Without education or educated professionals it stops sooner, and without sanitation... anyone’s guess. But society needs all of them to function, some now, some later. As far as “jobs you wouldn’t want to do...” most parents wanted the job. They didn’t jump on a grenade so you didn’t have to- they WANTED to wether you do it or not.

Ps: I didn’t dv you. As said- I don’t agree with the logic but can see validity in it.

To me it has always seemed self-evident that it is a person's priority to keep the delicate flame of human existence alive. Is it not like that for everyone?
Also you're right about others struggling who are contributing to society, I can however easily identify a parent (with it's child with it) and am always happy to help them with whatever.
Life for most species is purely competitive, but isn't the ability to emphasize, even with complete strangers, what sets us apart from all other animals?!

Not at all. Many animals are quite social- perhaps no greater example of “species above all” exists than in many colony insects like ants or bees- where any one individual has a defined function and value, and is for all outside observation merely a part of a greater machine of survival and expansion. Very likely the reason for the success of species like ants in nature. We can’t really say if ants create “art” or appreciate it or anything like that. Does any individual ant ever feel ennui? Who knows. It doesn’t seem so. It would seem the value and desires of an individual have little or no priority over the whole.

Humans have created a hierarchical society in which we rely on each other for survival and the like- but distribute benefits based upon whatever the prevailing social tiers are- the most basic of which being ones ability to create physical threat. Therefore we cooperate towards common goals while using game theory and other means to attempt to compete to maximize our individual gains. This is why individual contribution to an effort isn’t directly linked to reward for example. A person can have a job like field hand that is vital and difficult labor for long hours, but make far less than a person who does part time reselling of goods they didn’t create or contribute to other than to convince a person they should buy them perhaps over leisure activities and casual banter.

The globe is- for all intents and purposes- a sealed system. Very little material of limited types is deposited from space. Everything else is already here. Thusly, anything that is finite only has a certain maximum possible distribution, and certain factors limit what is available at any one time. Thusly- everything we take is something someone else cannot have. A company has 4 jobs, 10 candidates. You take one. That is one less for the other 9. Eventually 6 people will go without and 4 will have. That is competition.

You want a home in XYZ town/city. That area only has a finite amount of real estate. You get the home- that means someone else does not. Eventually all the homes are gone. Anyone who wants one must pay more than you. That means they must earn more than you or live with less in other areas just to afford said home. So if two people want it- one must do better than the other. Competition.

I don’t need to outline the competition in mating- but that one is a constant competition for selection of the mate one finds most desirable and the keeping of said mate. Then you perhaps have kids, and people tend to want “the best” or “good” schools and food and all of this. The best schools or good schools only have so much space, only so many teachers, yadda yadda.

For your child to sit in that class, another must be left out. Otherwise they could “give up their seat” as you would give up your place in line. And of course- you and I sit here. I know not where you are from, I’m in the USA. We both have internet and a device, so we are already doing better than much of the worlds population.

So for us to have these things we take for granted- someone else does without. The guy that makes the phone can’t afford the phone. The guy that makes the Mercedes can’t afford the Mercedes and so on. Much of the developed world was mortified at the loss of home ownership- losing a second home or having to perhaps even rent... loss of fancy cars and the like from the “financial recession” some years back. But... around that time many millions were getting running water or the ability to own a car for the first time in history for their location.

Wealth and resources are just passed around. Economics is a system to manage this and float collective debt- but the fundamental truth is that resources and labor underpin all economics and the things we enjoy. Labor can be created (but devalued as scale increases and costs go down,) resources cannot. Thus- all things are ultimately tied to the tangible and the tangible is finite. To have- another must go without.

Therefore- we are always competing even when we don’t realize it. In fact- much of history has been spent trying to shield people from the horrors and costs their decisions make. Our daily lives- the coffee and shop itself- function upon the suffering of others. But the basic question is always: do you want to have them suffer and you benefit; or do you want to suffer and they benefit? The nature of parenting is such that a successful blood line is one which historically chooses their own best interest over others. To endure a family must provide for its own. Even us enlightened humans have yet to escape the brutality of our circumstances. It’s a competition to decide who gets screwed. That’s most of life for a spider, a fly, a human.

I didn’t read all that but just wanna chime in that I give zero fucks about society dying out.

Sorry, took me some time. I've been busy the last couple days.I believe that an Individual in an ant or bee colony works in it's function not because it wants to help the colony survive but rather because it follows most basic instincts. It doesn't think : Hey, if I don't pollinate that flower our colony is gonna be worse off. It doesn't conciuosly think at all.
Your ideas about human society are true I believe. Sadly. I try to escape to escape this circle of suffer and benefit by consuming as little as possible and working much. I grow my own fruit, veggies and spices so that they don't get taken away from someone else.
Also if you're interested in this, read up on "the tragedy of the commons". It is very much related to what you are talking about.

I appreciate it. And no worries on the lag. Life takes precedence. The truth is (not being combative or anything) we can’t escape. The land, the water used, etc. etc. there’s always someone who doesn’t have it- who can’t have it if we do. The reconciliation is life. Even the tomato itself. You could grow them and give them all away, but then you’d have no food. You’d die. By the same token that we can say “why should you live and another starve?” We can of course say: “why should you die so another can live?” If the inherent value of life is equal, then beyond virtue or philosophy there isn’t a reason that you are less worthy to have than anyone else.

It just so happens that the better you do in a competition- including survival, the less you will tend to notice it is a competition. A rave stops being a race when you are so far ahead you could do anything you want and still hold the lead. So we often do not notice nor have reason to dwell on the fact that we are engaged in a competition of survival. “Competition” doesn’t inherently mean one against all. Basketball, Football (any of em,) etc. are competitions where players have teams. All win or lose together- some just win or lose more. For every Michael Jordan or Pelé the team has many more who won’t reap the same level of reward from shared victory. So while the team is winning- there is still competition there.

As for instinct- the instinct evolved through use, success, adaptation. Human instinct is quite different.

But it’s ok. As you are doing- we can try to mitigate are impact. We can’t erase it without erasing ourselves. And you know what? To help someone tomorrow you have to be in business tomorrow. A world with lots of living people who are good but far short of perfect paragons is better than a world where all the “good” people were perfect paragons who are dead- and all that’s left are people who just don’t care. Do you my friend. The world needs thoughtful people. I shall look into tragedy of commons and appreciate the recommendation.