Comment by anal_reactor
4 days ago
Well, instead of someone keeping you busy, choose the thing you'll keep yourself busy with. Grow a few plants, for example. This has literally zero economic or artistic value or anything, but could be a fun thing to do.
The point is, the things you do don't need to serve some bigger goal. Your entire life doesn't need to serve some bigger goal. Just keep yourself occupied until you die.
And what will you live of, until you die?
People will respond to this in different ways, some will accept, some will transform, some will rebel, some will opt-out.
I've never been under impression that mathematicians chose their careers based on payout.
Yes, they all live like Erdos on other people's couches. None of them have kids or a mortgage.