Comment I'll return to Paris Review. As for Lem ... (Score 1) 196
Its an excellent article, enjoyed it.
I think it unlikely that the majority of civilizations would converge to a state of idleness and pursuit of bliss. First, there are too many physical forms of life and ours with our needs of physical pleasure and/or need for idleness, at times, is probably not common to all. Second, regardless of the physical form, there are too many paths that civilizations could take. Some could certainly enforce a specific lifestyle - by bio-engineering, medication or by law and enforcement but there remains individuals always in our cultures that choose to be different. As with a more robust nations, there are always some who pursue travel and exploration as a hobby and a means of pleasure.