# You're a winner



## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

"Every living thing is, from the cosmic perspective, incredibly lucky simply to be alive. Most, 90 percent and more, of all the organisms that have ever lived have died without viable offspring, but not a single one of your ancestors, going back to the dawn of life on Earth, suffered that normal misfortune. You spring from an unbroken line of winners going back millions of generations, and those winners were, in every generation, the luckiest of the lucky, one out of a thousand or even a million. So however unlucky you may be on some occasion today, your presence on the planet testifies to the role luck has played in your past."

― Daniel Dennett, from "Freedom Evolves"

It's always nice to remember this when life is taking a **** in your face.


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## ctguy130 (Sep 14, 2013)

Yes, we're often ingrates. The mind is trained to latch on to the negatives as a survival mechanism. The fact that we're surviving, have a roof over our head, and for many a good deal more. It feels sometimes like your mind is the boot on your neck, rather than being properly applied to ***, a misuse of the mental footwear. That sounds a bit on the coercive side. Fear can be a powerful motivator, but seems to me tainted. It would be all the better to stand on faith that we'll make a good go of it in the end. Even if we don't quite pull it off, not for lack of trying. A secular Pascal's wager from an agnostic. The value of faith that impels action (Reading a biography of William James. I feel a kindred spirit.). Now to action myself, if only up and to the shower!


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## shadeguy (Mar 28, 2013)

And consider that unlike your ancestors you are still alive then you're the real winner.


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## TicklemeRingo (Jan 11, 2013)

I agree, always worth remembering.

In the immortal words of Hot Chocolate: "Everyone's a winner, baby that's no lie!"





 :boogie


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## MuckyMuck (Oct 15, 2013)

Not only that, but when you look up at a starry sky just imagine, we come from those stars. You, me, even that fat kid over there.


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## WTFnooooo (Mar 27, 2010)

shadeguy said:


> And consider that unlike your ancestors you are still alive then you're the real winner.


That would be a temporary victory though...


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## Jaxosix (Jun 27, 2013)

Yep, We're all winners because we won the sperm race. We're the Usain Bolt's of the sperm race.


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## shadeguy (Mar 28, 2013)

WTFnooooo said:


> That would be a temporary victory though...


You will never live to see yourself lose so you are an ultimate winner.


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## WTFnooooo (Mar 27, 2010)

shadeguy said:


> You will never live to see yourself lose so you are an ultimate winner.


So you shouldn't be saying your ancestors are unlike yourself, i.e. winners.
Capisci?


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## probably offline (Oct 8, 2012)

TicklemeRingo said:


> I agree, always worth remembering.
> 
> In the immortal words of Hot Chocolate: "Everyone's a winner, baby that's no lie!"
> 
> ...


dem striped pants


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## TicklemeRingo (Jan 11, 2013)

probably offline said:


> dem striped pants


 lol and the moustache.

They go into full 70's-porn mode on this one:


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## Zack (Apr 20, 2013)

I want hot stuff literally as I'm too poor to put the heating on this year; well, not until it is like minus ten outside. I need a cheap onesie or something like that.


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## Levibebop (Feb 15, 2013)

Where are those organisms now? Maybe they're floating on clouds and pondering upon our inconvenient existence.


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## Kakumbus (Mar 27, 2012)

Yeah, too bad that's bs.


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## extremly (Oct 25, 2012)

I never visit this part of the forum but the title made me curious. Nice quote


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## AnotherGuy (Aug 5, 2013)

I really needed that right about now.


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## dal user (Dec 25, 2012)

Im not a winner im a dumb ****ing loser. I wish I wasn't even alive and most of the time I just dont wanna wake up because I have a **** life and always will have.


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## burgerchuckie (May 31, 2012)

Ikr. Let's claim it!


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## smallfries (Jun 21, 2013)

Aww shucks thanks


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## JakeBoston1000 (Apr 8, 2008)

probably offline said:


> "Every living thing is, from the cosmic perspective, incredibly lucky simply to be alive. Most, 90 percent and more, of all the organisms that have ever lived have died without viable offspring, but not a single one of your ancestors, going back to the dawn of life on Earth, suffered that normal misfortune. You spring from an unbroken line of winners going back millions of generations, and those winners were, in every generation, the luckiest of the lucky, one out of a thousand or even a million. So however unlucky you may be on some occasion today, your presence on the planet testifies to the role luck has played in your past."
> 
> ― Daniel Dennett, from "Freedom Evolves"
> 
> It's always nice to remember this when life is taking a **** in your face.


living the life ive been forced to live that sounds like the dumbest thing I've heard in quite some time. (no offense)


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## Kiwong (Aug 6, 2010)

Oh dear, I'm the end of my line. But I enjoy life anyway, and feel lucky at times.


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## minimized (Nov 17, 2007)

Me, winning at losing. Last in the line of genetic runoff.


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