This misunderstands the motivations of real-life evil people.
Once you accept there is no afterlife, that your legacy means nothing, and that you’re a piece of shit who has no desire to contribute to society or help others - only your personal success and self-pleasure while living matter.
I’m an atheist, however my personal interpretation of the afterlife is how people remember you. That way you’re judged by your peers (all of humanity).
So arguably being famous is a very good deal, as many more people will remember you. However if you’re a shitty bastard, like Limbaugh, you’ll be remembered as a greedy count for quite some time before forgetfulness sets in.
Even if you cared about legacy, realistically, how many people are remembered for more than a few generations, if they are remembered at all?
Even the majority of the leaders of nations are only remembered by historians, people with a high interest in history and briefly by some students studying for their next test, and these will be mainly the leaders of their own country. Unless they did something exceptional good or bad.
And then there are a few exceptional high achieving writers, inventors, scientists and academics. Even within their field most become irrelevant and forgotten after a few decades.
Some ordinary people who did extraordinary things might also be remembered.
But if you compare that to the enormous amount of people who have lived and died, basically no one will be remembered after their death. I’m not making excuses for the bad behaviors of horrible people, I’m just saying that losing all relevance and not being remembered after death isn’t special.
I don’t think that most of the people we might consider evil have that level of self-awareness. Certainly those with a pathological lack of empathy are overrepresented in the highest echelons of power. It doesn’t logically follow that they see themselves as bad.
Just to clarify your answer a little bit: this has nothing to do with atheism, nor that atheists think like this. Many of these asshats actually are religious and somehow with mental gymnastics tell themselves they’re righteous and good and that they’ll get into some imaginary heaven because of their hateful behavior.
This has more to do with mental illness like narcissism, and psychopathy than them being atheist
This misunderstands the motivations of real-life evil people.
Once you accept there is no afterlife, that your legacy means nothing, and that you’re a piece of shit who has no desire to contribute to society or help others - only your personal success and self-pleasure while living matter.
Tarquin says it best, though much more humorously, here: https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html
By Rush’s personal measure, he absolutely won. So did Kissinger. So did Reagan. Trump and Jones and Rogan are on track.
You don’t beat such people with legacy.
Here’s the comic. Thanks, it was a good read.
You can either make somthing for younger generations. Or burn what’s been built for your own pleasure.
Boomers made thier choice
Boomer defines a very large group of diverse people that were born in the US between certain years. Stop using it as a anthropomorphic term.
Found a boomer
I’m an atheist, however my personal interpretation of the afterlife is how people remember you. That way you’re judged by your peers (all of humanity).
So arguably being famous is a very good deal, as many more people will remember you. However if you’re a shitty bastard, like Limbaugh, you’ll be remembered as a greedy count for quite some time before forgetfulness sets in.
Deservedly so imho
Even if you cared about legacy, realistically, how many people are remembered for more than a few generations, if they are remembered at all?
Even the majority of the leaders of nations are only remembered by historians, people with a high interest in history and briefly by some students studying for their next test, and these will be mainly the leaders of their own country. Unless they did something exceptional good or bad.
And then there are a few exceptional high achieving writers, inventors, scientists and academics. Even within their field most become irrelevant and forgotten after a few decades.
Some ordinary people who did extraordinary things might also be remembered.
But if you compare that to the enormous amount of people who have lived and died, basically no one will be remembered after their death. I’m not making excuses for the bad behaviors of horrible people, I’m just saying that losing all relevance and not being remembered after death isn’t special.
I don’t think that most of the people we might consider evil have that level of self-awareness. Certainly those with a pathological lack of empathy are overrepresented in the highest echelons of power. It doesn’t logically follow that they see themselves as bad.
Tarquin ! What a beautiful reference. Sadly still as pertinent as ever.
Just to clarify your answer a little bit: this has nothing to do with atheism, nor that atheists think like this. Many of these asshats actually are religious and somehow with mental gymnastics tell themselves they’re righteous and good and that they’ll get into some imaginary heaven because of their hateful behavior.
This has more to do with mental illness like narcissism, and psychopathy than them being atheist
What exactly is legacy, right? genghis khan had a legacy, but what is beyond his crazy libido?