@Zinnia #205196
vicariously live through your children and grandchildren if you survived to be such an elder
This is interesting because in fact, being different individuals, each with their own consciousness and experience, it is only a type of comforting delusion, affirming a type of faith in the wellbeing of future generations (and that, no matter if it happens to be misery more than wellbeing, in some cases).
It's digression, but this now reminds me of those who hope to technologically "upload" themselves to simulated "heaven". Apart from all the technological and unrealistic energy management challenges, any "uploaded me" would just be a type of copy (and likely partial); if consciousness was really simulated, it might believe to be "me", but the real "me" would still be independent and mortal. Then imagine the implications of reuploading/synchronizing copies to prevent a population of lookalikes who all believe to be you and eachother, the "population control" to solve that... Because until the real "me" is not dead yet, I might want to preserve some of my recent experiences. But if I get old enough, perhaps that I want the copies to avoid my own suffering too and to stop the updates... But since they're not really me, is that empathy? Or narcissism where I think the future deserves "me", more than future people? :)
Anyway, to come back on topic, "living through others" is still a type of delusion.