I think I want a little more out of life, but I’m not willing to work my butt off for it.
it was about the same time that i recognized the problem posed in the OP in its full gravity (approx nine years ago) that i finally began to enjoy life in a different way. this wouldn’t make sense unless one understands what being forced to wear a mask of sanity does to the soul. what new powers and privileges it gives. it’s not that the problem of life has vanished… but that i simply am not there in that ‘problem’ any longer.
but good luck to everyone who’s struggling with it in their own way.
That’s how I’ve felt most of my life, half present, and half absent.
Gloominary:I mean is surviving in a fair state of physical and mental health enough reason to live, or do many, most or all of us need a lot more reason to live than that?
And if need a lot more reason to live than that, why, and what else is there?
Personally Survival is enough to keep me going, but not enough to feel like I’m fulfilled or accomplished anything of significance.
Human beings have evolved a need for meaning as a source of motivation and drive to further better oneself and/or others in their life. Since meaning is subjective, it differs from person to person as well as it could be stronger or weaker. An example is one man could have more than enough meaning to drive him to better himself and/or others around him simply by having a kid, while another man could need a lot more than that and actually could do the opposite (Such as leaving the kid or falling into bad habits).
We’ve also evolved a need to communicate and help others. Those two things right there supply a lot of meaning for a lot of people, and if neither of those two things have been satisfied at least to a fair amount, living could seem more like a chore, one could become depressed along with other potential mental disorders, and then would need much more motivation to get out of that state of mind, specially if the individual is content with their lifestyle.
For me personally, the meaning of life is survival. With survival comes everything else. It’s enough to keep me from suicide, but not enough to feel fulfilled or that I have a meaningful life. I hate feeling content because I know there is much more out there to explore and learn. Maybe I’ll find out why we are here, what this place is, can we leave this place we call the universe, or are we trapped here? If I died not even attempting to answer these questions it would be a bad story in my eyes. Plus, we only get one shot at this as far as we know, so why not see what the world is about?
I love learning about ways to prolong life and end the aging disease we all have. I personally realize survival is of the most importance (Even though I suck at it) but what comes from surviving (Potentially) is even bigger. What I’ve learned in 10 years has changed my thinking drastically since I was a teenager. Perspective is key, learning and understanding how others view a topic, even if you disagree or hate the person, will open your eyes to other possibilities. I was a nihilist for the most part when I was younger, anti-social in that I hated most people, but I really took the time after my first girlfriend to try and see things from another way. Like in the first example of the two different men, I would have immediately called him a POS for leaving his kid when I was younger, but now I would at least try and understand him first. Maybe he has mental problems or something happened to him I couldn’t possibly understand. I found a post on here from about 2010 I think where I was saying addiction is a choice and if you can’t quit smoking, for example, you simply lack willpower. Now, I smoke tobacco and understand the other side of tobacco addiction way better than before. I never thought it was like this.
Anyways I feel like I’m ranting at this point. It’s been 10 years or so since I’ve talked about philosophy or science or anything mind stimulating so forgive me if this all sounds… stupid or something. I hope I at least attempted to answer the OP. Oh and I used the word meaning to mean reason or purpose, so if I used it wrong… my bad.
Interesting thoughts.
Life is meant to be lived adventurously.
Go to foreign lands, climb mountains, and sail the open seas. Most importantly, venture the landscape of your inner being. Look within yourself, with complete and radical honesty. Discover who you are.To know yourself is a great adventure.
Summon your best qualities and strive for the ideal of virtue. Do what you can to help out others, to make a better world. Traverse the loftiest mountain, reach the summit and affirm your Olympian selfhood.
I think life is meant to be lived contemplatively, peacefully, harmoniously, temperately and tranquilly in acceptance, but like Karpel said, there’s no single answer to this question.
Well yeah, I don’t know how it is down there in the US or wherever you are, but getting a licence here in Canada is like hunting a Mammuth. You gotta go to school for a year. And drop 2 grand. To drive a fucking car.
I live up in Canada, and yea, modern life is annoying, they make you jump through all these hoops.
They don’t even pretend. They openly admit it’s to make it hard and annoying so because the planet.
Soon enough, we’ll need to file for permission to get a plumber.
But now that you have it, maybe drive a cab for a while. The soul breathes and the money ain’t terrible.
Well, if it’s good for the planet, than it’s good I suppose.
We need to leave room for nature.
Yea I’m going to look into driving jobs soon, right now I’m a groundskeeper/janitor.
I don’t think cab driver is for me, unless it’s in the day time, because I don’t want to deal with drunks and junkies (perhaps a courier).
I don’t want to be a security guard either, I don’t like conflict, confrontation or enforcement, it’s nowhere near worth the pay.
Some people pay good money for cross country drives.
Shit I’d do if I had a licence.
I keep asking, where can you buy one? People look at me all confused. It’s hopeless.
Yea, having a license and a car opens up a lot of doors.
all you, gloom. you’ll love it. there’s no continuity of plot… just random interactions between disconnected people. one of my favorite b-movies. philosophical too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-U_I1DCGEY[/youtube]
That’s totally fucking me, thanks for that.
I don’t think cab driver is for me, unless it’s in the day time, because I don’t want to deal with drunks and junkies (perhaps a courier).
I don’t want to be a security guard either, I don’t like conflict, confrontation or enforcement, it’s nowhere near worth the pay.
Courier is fun too. Delivery guy even. There’s also plenty of cabbies that work the day time. Airport rides and such. For a contemplative man, there is more than one gratifying conversation to be had.
promethean75:all you, gloom. you’ll love it. there’s no continuity of plot… just random interactions between disconnected people. one of my favorite b-movies. philosophical too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-U_I1DCGEY[/youtube]
That’s totally fucking me, thanks for that.
this is great.
Gloominary:I don’t think cab driver is for me, unless it’s in the day time, because I don’t want to deal with drunks and junkies (perhaps a courier).
I don’t want to be a security guard either, I don’t like conflict, confrontation or enforcement, it’s nowhere near worth the pay.Courier is fun too. Delivery guy even. There’s also plenty of cabbies that work the day time. Airport rides and such. For a contemplative man, there is more than one gratifying conversation to be had.
I always forget I can consider that as a contingency plan. Seems very enjoyable.
Existence without inspiration is simply killing time on the clock.
Existence without inspiration is simply killing time on the clock.
It’s good to have balance I think, it’s good to be inspired, driven, but it’s also good to relax, take it easy, enjoy the simple things, not overreach.
Well I didn’t say anything about being driven, simply inspired by whatever or to do whatever, otherwise your biding your time until death going through the motions of living without anything to really make mention of. Perhaps inspiration and appreciation are somehow tied together, a mixture of what makes life feel great, but being a ghost in your own life blows.
That’s dependent on you. I myself am easily amused and enjoy the ride even if it is eternally painful.
I mean is surviving in a fair state of physical and mental health enough reason to live, or do many, most or all of us need a lot more reason to live than that?
And if need a lot more reason to live than that, why, and what else is there?
Having had to do the former for the last few years, and now not so much having to, the capacity for a sense of self opens up of wanting to do… along with the capacity to be able to now do.
I don’t think it’s essential, but personal pursuits fill a void of purposelessness.
Couriers make very good money… well they do here, or another good money-maker… and I know plenty of people in this field, is chauffeuring: film studios, diplomats, the rich, special needs schools… they all use em.
I agree with Mags that having a purpose is important.
Well I didn’t say anything about being driven, simply inspired by whatever or to do whatever, otherwise your biding your time until death going through the motions of living without anything to really make mention of. Perhaps inspiration and appreciation are somehow tied together, a mixture of what makes life feel great, but being a ghost in your own life blows.
Can ataraxy, or hedonism be inspiring?
Can existence alone, or taking part in the simple things in life?
Is not enjoying what one has, constantly thinking about and pursuing what one does not have, appreciation, or its antithesis?
That’s dependent on you. I myself am easily amused and enjoy the ride even if it is eternally painful.
I go up and down a bit, but overall, I feel fine these days, even tho I don’t have much by our civilization’s standards.
I think it’ll be interesting to stick around even just to see this how this civilization will play itself out.
WendyDarling:Well I didn’t say anything about being driven, simply inspired by whatever or to do whatever, otherwise your biding your time until death going through the motions of living without anything to really make mention of. Perhaps inspiration and appreciation are somehow tied together, a mixture of what makes life feel great, but being a ghost in your own life blows.
Can ataraxy, or hedonism be inspiring?
Can existence alone, or taking part in the simple things in life?
Is not enjoying what one has, constantly thinking about and pursuing what one does not have, appreciation, or its antithesis?
All your questions have to do with perspective and whether or not one’s perspective can bring about inspiration or is inspiration an epiphany of sorts that brings about a new perspective?