elon musk & future excitement

on dreaming up a future that inspires you to live

I realized today that Elon Musk is the kind of crazy that I’d like my mind to be around — (and thank you internet, for making this possible). I watched this video today (from 2017) and I’m struck and inspired by his vision of reality — which others would call far-fetched and crazy — in which underground superhighways, autonomous car-sharing economy, trucks that drive like sportscars, and space travel to Mars — is very much a real, tangible thing. he dreams up of a reality in his head, and chases it.

“why, elon, why? why do we need to build a city on mars — with a million people — in your lifetime? (34:30)”

“it's important to have a future that is inspiring & appealing — there has to be reasons where you get up in the morning, and you want to live.

why do you want to live? what's the point? what inspires you?

what do you love about the future?

if the future is not about getting out there and being a multi-planet species, I find that incredibly depressing, if it's not the future that we're going to have

I'm just trying to think about the future and not be sad.”

I’m struck by the way he speaks about “wanting to live” — his drive to go to Mars as a way of avoiding sadness and depression — as if avoiding a nihilism, a pointless to being human, to existing, in the face of evitable death. there must be a dark force chasing brilliant minds into the light of brave new worlds— why else run so hard? what is the point of existing on this earth — if not to pursue and chase the boldest vision of reality that you can dream up of?

his pursuit of this reality, his truth — is all the more powerful given that he sold all of his property and maintains a cashless wealth. what is wealth, but numbers on a screen??? true wealth is the breadth and daring of his mind.

the future is in the here and now of the mind

there is some balance here between the focus on a “future that inspires me” and living for the here and now. without this here and now, there is no future. otherwise, you run into the danger of neverending dissatisfaction, a suspension and tension that is forever unresolved. there is always a braver, grander, bolder place to go — even after Mars.

but I think the future actually already exists for him — in that infinity space of his mind. here and now. what remains is simply technology catching up to his imagination. this is what it means to be a visionary.