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>Because they produce value in the real world by producing something or making you more knowledgeable or capable.

So there's no value in happiness and joy according to you? If something doesn't produce something or teach you something it is worthless?

If your view on life is that bleak then I don't know that there's anything I can say to help you.



Certainly there is value in "entertainment". But if that's all we do then it's like always eating ice-cream :-) Does entertainment bring lasting joy? Yes if it teaches you something valuable. A great book a great play. Maybe in the future we have "great games". But a point about a great book is you don't keep reading it over and over again. That brings diminishing returns. Game addiction benefits game merchants. Heroin addiction benefits heroin merchants.

Books? They benefit the author of the book but you don't get addicted to a book. You may learn something from it about joy and love and life and once you acquire that learning you have it you don't need to read the book again every day.


I think you're engaging in the kind of argument my happiness and joy would be greater without.




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