The Thought Experiment That Changes Your Life

The Existential List #77

Friends,

I think we can all agree that philosophical thought experiments tend to get a bit… indulgent

And while these sorts of scenarios can be fun and thought provoking, they don’t really require commitment. The answers may even have practical applications, but more often than not… we carry on with our usual intuitions in the real world, unchanged by the conclusions we cleverly reached.

The thought experiment I’m going to explain in this essay isn’t like that.

It requires commitment. It demands the best of you.

You can't engage with it honestly without revealing something about your values, your priorities and the kind of life you believe is worth living. And once you've taken it seriously, it's pretty difficult to return unchanged.

Ready? Let’s dive in.