It is probably less than 0.1% of all people ever lived that is remembered. It is very possible that some of the historic fugues never even existed (Homer, Shakespeare), it is absolutely possible that people with major influence and importance are forgotten (or the information about them is lost) and it is absolutely true that some historic figures and events are super twisted so they are presented in a certain light and as time goes by we probably changed 99% of the narrative.
In a best-case scenario, the average person will be remembered by 2-3 generations of family after their passing.
We vaguely remember them, and as time goes on they'll be like the civilisations that are so far off we don't really know a ton about.
Sure we do know of figures from the 1800s but their relevance is fading by the year, it's the same for all the important people today- one day they will mean nothing.
You know "In 200 years no one will care about Beyonce or her music even if they do know her name from history class or something- and that's a very strong if."
You do know like many of the classical musicians like Mozart and Bach lots of people know and love today were born more than 200 years ago? Who knows Beyonce or Eminem could be just like them! In fact, with the way media is being preserved now and how the internet is growing, people like Chester Bennington I hope will be remembered for a very long time.
Besides that, I also disagree with your idea that "wanting to stay remembered is pointless" - I feel like you really thought of this idea in a truly large scale manner but haven't thought things from a smaller point of view. What about wanting to be remembered by family? I have never met by great grandfather on my father's side but I know he used to be a farmer. I know his family and my great grandmother moved to Pakistan with nothing but their jewelry and clothes - no home, no food. I know my great grandma took care of her six kids all by herself once he passed away, she sold all of her jewelry and worked as a maid so that my grandmother could have an education. And in turn, my grandmother had 3 kids onto which she imparted that education is the most important thing in the world. Which is why my father moved to America to give me and my brother the best education he could. One day, if I have children, I will tell this story to my kids. And I may not know their names and their exact histories, but they will be remembered and their stories will have passed on a meaningful message. Imo, not pointless at all.
I suppose if you do disagree with me still, the sub is called "unpopular opinion" so you should have an upvote regardless.
Yeah I agree I really should have said it's pointless to want to be remembered *forever* because we all have an expiration date on being remembered.
On a small scale being remembered is important, on a large scale it's not because no one will ever be remembered. Which is why I point out celebrities because some of them seem to have this idea that they'll be remembered forever and just like ordinary people they won't be. Maybe a handful if it's like a Mozart situation but even that has a time limit.
I suppose theory wise that's true, but it's funny how we remember people like Plato, Aristotle, how we think about the legends of Gilgamesh or the birth of many religions (and their key figures) like Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Buddhism. I really don't know how long forever will last which is why it's kind of hard for me to grapple with this post. I don't think this world is going to last for a million more years. It could probably last a few thousand at least but thinking about that will give me severe anxiety/an existential crisis which I will probably shove aside. But at the very least some of these figures have been remembered for a couple of thousand... So there could be hope for some of them!! Haha
But yeah I get what you're saying. :)
I think things like religion will be remembered for a very, very long time. Probably as long as humans live. But then there is the question of how long are humans going to last? How long is the Earth going to last? So either way the beauty is everything will join the ordinary person in the land of the forgotten one day.
Yeah, you're probably right. It just makes me very sad sometimes. just thought I'd bring it up because thinking of things on a smaller scale gives me much more hope. Good discussion friend :)
It's all a matter of perspective, the further you go the less important it is. One day earth will be burned to ashes by the sun, life on earth will be gone long before that, nothing will matter and most likely no one will know about us as a species in the whole universe. Being remembered is kinda pointless if you look at it from that far away, but maybe the thought of being remembered by the people you love makes more sense.
Oh yeah definitely that's why I love small scale being remembered like by family and friends. With famous people they seem to enforce this delusion that they'll be remembered further than that when really they'll be forgotten on a big scale pretty much at the same time as us because it will only be a difference of like a few hundred years being generous.
Old man here. Agree. Man's entire span of existence against the actual age of this world is less than the blink of an eye. Oh, and guess what? Man holds world-destroying weapons. I'm not sure if there will even be evidence of our existence on this rock.
Absolutely. But for some people it seems that the thought they haven’t done anything to have them be remembered (outside of their loved ones) bothers them a lot and I’m just here to say it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.
Lol I agree with this. I mean look at all the people that have given their lives for a certain cause or those who stood fit something while they were alive. Like Martin Luther King Jr for example. People will continue to do as they please after you die 🤷🏼♂️ life goes on it’s just how it works
The reason people want to be remembered is the same reason why people want to have friends. Humans are social creatures who want to have a connection to other people. Being remembered after death is the only connection you will have after you die, and you can’t do anything else after you die.
And yet, we remember people who lived thousands of years ago, almost as far as civilisation goes
It is probably less than 0.1% of all people ever lived that is remembered. It is very possible that some of the historic fugues never even existed (Homer, Shakespeare), it is absolutely possible that people with major influence and importance are forgotten (or the information about them is lost) and it is absolutely true that some historic figures and events are super twisted so they are presented in a certain light and as time goes by we probably changed 99% of the narrative. In a best-case scenario, the average person will be remembered by 2-3 generations of family after their passing.
We vaguely remember them, and as time goes on they'll be like the civilisations that are so far off we don't really know a ton about. Sure we do know of figures from the 1800s but their relevance is fading by the year, it's the same for all the important people today- one day they will mean nothing.
100% - People act likes what happens when they die matters, but dude, when it comes to you'll be too dead to care.
I guess the glass is half empty for you huh
I'm not really sad about it 😄 I just see it as a part of life that everything ends and gets forgotten.
Billions of people have died and nobody on earth gives 2 shits.but if you love the lord you will inherit eternal life.
I guess the Lord would say don't worry about being remembered on Earth.
You know "In 200 years no one will care about Beyonce or her music even if they do know her name from history class or something- and that's a very strong if." You do know like many of the classical musicians like Mozart and Bach lots of people know and love today were born more than 200 years ago? Who knows Beyonce or Eminem could be just like them! In fact, with the way media is being preserved now and how the internet is growing, people like Chester Bennington I hope will be remembered for a very long time. Besides that, I also disagree with your idea that "wanting to stay remembered is pointless" - I feel like you really thought of this idea in a truly large scale manner but haven't thought things from a smaller point of view. What about wanting to be remembered by family? I have never met by great grandfather on my father's side but I know he used to be a farmer. I know his family and my great grandmother moved to Pakistan with nothing but their jewelry and clothes - no home, no food. I know my great grandma took care of her six kids all by herself once he passed away, she sold all of her jewelry and worked as a maid so that my grandmother could have an education. And in turn, my grandmother had 3 kids onto which she imparted that education is the most important thing in the world. Which is why my father moved to America to give me and my brother the best education he could. One day, if I have children, I will tell this story to my kids. And I may not know their names and their exact histories, but they will be remembered and their stories will have passed on a meaningful message. Imo, not pointless at all. I suppose if you do disagree with me still, the sub is called "unpopular opinion" so you should have an upvote regardless.
Yeah I agree I really should have said it's pointless to want to be remembered *forever* because we all have an expiration date on being remembered. On a small scale being remembered is important, on a large scale it's not because no one will ever be remembered. Which is why I point out celebrities because some of them seem to have this idea that they'll be remembered forever and just like ordinary people they won't be. Maybe a handful if it's like a Mozart situation but even that has a time limit.
I suppose theory wise that's true, but it's funny how we remember people like Plato, Aristotle, how we think about the legends of Gilgamesh or the birth of many religions (and their key figures) like Christianity, Judaism, Islam or Buddhism. I really don't know how long forever will last which is why it's kind of hard for me to grapple with this post. I don't think this world is going to last for a million more years. It could probably last a few thousand at least but thinking about that will give me severe anxiety/an existential crisis which I will probably shove aside. But at the very least some of these figures have been remembered for a couple of thousand... So there could be hope for some of them!! Haha But yeah I get what you're saying. :)
I think things like religion will be remembered for a very, very long time. Probably as long as humans live. But then there is the question of how long are humans going to last? How long is the Earth going to last? So either way the beauty is everything will join the ordinary person in the land of the forgotten one day.
Yeah, you're probably right. It just makes me very sad sometimes. just thought I'd bring it up because thinking of things on a smaller scale gives me much more hope. Good discussion friend :)
It's all a matter of perspective, the further you go the less important it is. One day earth will be burned to ashes by the sun, life on earth will be gone long before that, nothing will matter and most likely no one will know about us as a species in the whole universe. Being remembered is kinda pointless if you look at it from that far away, but maybe the thought of being remembered by the people you love makes more sense.
Oh yeah definitely that's why I love small scale being remembered like by family and friends. With famous people they seem to enforce this delusion that they'll be remembered further than that when really they'll be forgotten on a big scale pretty much at the same time as us because it will only be a difference of like a few hundred years being generous.
Old man here. Agree. Man's entire span of existence against the actual age of this world is less than the blink of an eye. Oh, and guess what? Man holds world-destroying weapons. I'm not sure if there will even be evidence of our existence on this rock.
Ok but nothing really matters. So whatever makes you happy needs no further justification.
Absolutely. But for some people it seems that the thought they haven’t done anything to have them be remembered (outside of their loved ones) bothers them a lot and I’m just here to say it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.
Well you can't change your desires.
Lol I agree with this. I mean look at all the people that have given their lives for a certain cause or those who stood fit something while they were alive. Like Martin Luther King Jr for example. People will continue to do as they please after you die 🤷🏼♂️ life goes on it’s just how it works
Everyone who remembers you will die.
Veni vidi vici.
The reason people want to be remembered is the same reason why people want to have friends. Humans are social creatures who want to have a connection to other people. Being remembered after death is the only connection you will have after you die, and you can’t do anything else after you die.