How do you figure? Suppose they're just like us. There would still be twice as much media and history to look into.
this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
78 points (96.4% liked)
Showerthoughts
30550 readers
455 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- No politics
- If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
- If you feel strongly that you want politics back, please volunteer as a mod.
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.
Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report the message goes away and you never worry about it.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
I literally cannot imagine that.
Even being boring would be fascinating. If their society was identical to ours it would be fascinating and we could learn from that. If all they did was watch TV all day, we could still learn from that.
We'd also want to study their DNA, their evolution, their planet.
What if it was a cognitive phenomena scp style where it's like forced ADHD when interacting with the other species?
Wait, no... That's still interesting
Stargate SG-1, S05 E10, "2001"
The Aschen have all the tech that humanity needs to fight the Goa'uld but they are super boring. Also secretly genocidal.
Unless we have a way around general relativity, boring will describe any conservation with another civilization.
Hello.
wait 1000 years
Hi. How are you?
wait 1000 years
Who the fuck are these guys?
Space is really, really, really big. And by comparison any form of communication we have yet discovered is very slow.
I think this says more about you and your mindset. When I was a kid and the internet was a big new thing, I was blown away that I could play chess with someone from Poland, or Venezuela, or India. I did nothing but explore as a kid on the internet. I know this feeling you're talking about because I get it now in middle age quite a bit. This feeling of bored. Why go on vacation and spend all this money, I know what a beach is, there's nothing novel. Even visiting monuments or going to concerts. Eh the music sounds better on my stereo anyways. For a revelation like this to actually be... not boring, I think access and curiosity need to be strong. If they are individuals like us and we can communicate, wouldn't you want to talk to them? Ask them how they think? What their history is? Someone else mentioned in this thread, and I think it's likely, that they would be so different thatcommunication or common ground like this is probably not likely. But I don't think it makes it boring, just different. Even to be able to talk to another species and communicate complex ideas would be mind blowing. Honestly, I think the vast majority of people would take your stance, and actually, technically already do. There are other species on this planet like dolphins and whales that regularly talk to each other. They have names and make sentences. The fact that humanity largely doesn't care, and proceeds stomping on them and their habitats makes me think that the ridiculous unobtainium plot line from avatar is actually more likely than I think it is. In my mind, life and intelligence is rarer than any mineral we could ever use, but we don't recognize its value. It's fucking sad. We're all on this rollercoaster called life for a short time. I'd rather talk to dolphins than wear shiny golden Prada bags.💀
Bold accusation.
Sure it would be mind-blowing, but society-wide awe about other(ed) societies on this planet has largely waned off and many people do not care about the lives of people deemed other.
I hear you, I don't mean to accuse or project anything on you. It is a valid question. But boredom by its very definition is something to do about our internal state and feelings, and not about the external object (or sentient race) in question. To some extent, we decide whether or not to be bored with something. A rock outside my house appears boring, but that is my lack of creativity. Maybe it is useful as a firepit stone, maybe I can split it open and there is a fossil inside, maybe I can study it and find out what type it is, maybe I can gather enough a make a pulley system to the roof. But boredom is a decision.
But what if they taste delicious?
I’m pretty sure humanity in space will go full dog mode, meaning we will have two basic questions:
- Can I eat it?
- Can I fuck it?
Or even just smell nice?
Yes to both.
That's when the deep philosophical questions are asked.
Beyond lies the Wub
Flip them and you've got essentially humanity's history
I think the truth would be that they would be so utterly alien that we would never be able to truly communicate with them and also we would never find them not terrifying.
We bond with inanimate objects and people can find the ugliest animals we can and try to keep them as pets.
We’re such an overly empathetic and social species that I don’t think we will have too much issue wanting to befriend aliens if we could communicate.
we can and try to keep them as pets
more like the aliens will keep us as pets
So District 9?
That movie for a lot of flack, but it's one of my all-time favorite movies.
It took flack? Never heard anyone complain about it before.
Yeah, it has some very low reviews and it wasn't very socially accepted as the great movie it actually was. People who understood the underlying issues the movie was putting in the forefront, understood how amazing the movie was.
Kinda, but preferably with less discrimination.
This is humanity, we're talking about, right? All we know, is discrimination...
That's what you people would do, but my glorious group would be much more enlightened!
You people start at a glowing slab of glass all day?
Invitation to the Galactic Federation is recinded, ya boring dumbfucks.
I know you're being blithe, but I'd question any galactic federation representative that couldn't comprehend that the slab of glass just happens to be the most efficient method of sharing information we as a species ever devised.
Oh you sweet summer earthling. He doesn't even know about Quasithought Injection yet
Futurama did it. Was used for ads
God dammit Steve! Stop trying to help the humans. Theyre boring, now let's go home, this vacation sucks.
/c/dull_mens_club is ready
Newness is always exciting, but ongoing friendship requires common ground.
Nah you can just rely on a revolving door of new shiny interests and peer pressure your friends into picking up the fad too.. because that’s healthy