This is a heavy discussion…
- We all die
- We will each be history
- We will not witness how we are remembered, and we will not witness the effects of our actions made when alive
So, aside from day to day, living in the now experience…
And aside from, while living, seeing the consequences of our actions….
And beyond the actions we take (like eating food) to simply stay alive…
Why do we do what we do? Is legacy an illusion?
Your great-great-great grandchild is only 1/64th you. Negligible. Your genes dissipate.
With time, unless you a were a super-famous-person, your legacy fades away. In terms of family. So, to me, as much as family is wonderful and important, legacy is a societal thing. And it is paying forward. You may never witness the results, but society is an accumulation of inputs from everyone, and society is what prompts us to do more/better.
Animals do this instinctively. Be the ant that forms the raft that saves most ants from drowning. Be the Momma Duck who counts her babies every minute. Be the soldier fighting for what you believe is best.
The digital age means more content of deceased people. More confronting, more real, and more lingering. I think how we remember people will be one of the biggest changes of the next few decades.
We will leave behind data, and maybe influence. Imagine being able to vote 100 years beyond your death? Rights for dead people!