The Game of Life

[realunoriginal]

Tortoise,

I have one message above all others to tell you. I’m 24. The singlemost important thing I have come to understand within the last 7 years of my life, growing up between ages 17 to 24, is that your mind physically matures and develops. Quite literally, you think in a different way at 24 than you do at 17. You think differently at age 40 than you do at 24, and on and on. In light of this discovery, many of the questions and issues I had at 17 have faded away and some of the answers became very apparent.

Now, I am not saying that you are not mature and intelligent–I am saying that although you are, you can expect your brain to think in a whole new way at 24 then it thinks now. It’s a good change though.

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about the meaning of life since I was 12. My best friend told me that the meaning of life was subjective, that it meant different things to different people. I accepted that conclusion at the time, but soon found it defective. In high school, I concluded that the meaning of life was to live, but I didn’t know fully what I meant by it. It was several years until I thought about the question again, because in the “adult world”, it is not a serious concern and it is even laughable to talk about to some people. It is can be seen as ‘childish’. Even during my philosophy courses in college, the meaning of life took a backseat to my coursework, although I always found it more important and crucial to think about than the stuff I was learning. It has only been recently that I have come to some revelations regarding my view about the meaning of life and how it interacts with the thesis I’m working on.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I say, “The meaning of life is to survive; the meaning of survival is to live.” I am actually stating a very large proposition. What does surviving mean? What does living mean? How does surviving and living fit together? What is the purpose of either?

There’s a lot of material within my explanation, but personally, I’m still looking for some answers… hopefully a definitive one.

[Oni_Omega]

@realunoriginal

Tortoise,

I have one message above all others to tell you. I’m 24. The singlemost important thing I have come to understand within the last 7 years of my life, growing up between ages 17 to 24, is that your mind physically matures and develops. Quite literally, you think in a different way at 24 than you do at 17. You think differently at age 40 than you do at 24, and on and on. In light of this discovery, many of the questions and issues I had at 17 have faded away and some of the answers became very apparent.

Now, I am not saying that you are not mature and intelligent–I am saying that although you are, you can expect your brain to think in a whole new way at 24 then it thinks now. It’s a good change though.

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about the meaning of life since I was 12. My best friend told me that the meaning of life was subjective, that it meant different things to different people. I accepted that conclusion at the time, but soon found it defective. In high school, I concluded that the meaning of life was to live, but I didn’t know fully what I meant by it. It was several years until I thought about the question again, because in the “adult world”, it is not a serious concern and it is even laughable to talk about to some people. It is can be seen as ‘childish’. Even during my philosophy courses in college, the meaning of life took a backseat to my coursework, although I always found it more important and crucial to think about than the stuff I was learning. It has only been recently that I have come to some revelations regarding my view about the meaning of life and how it interacts with the thesis I’m working on.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I say, “The meaning of life is to survive; the meaning of survival is to live.” I am actually stating a very large proposition. What does surviving mean? What does living mean? How does surviving and living fit together? What is the purpose of either?

There’s a lot of material within my explanation, but personally, I’m still looking for some answers… hopefully a definitive one.

You took how many years to work that out ? You need have only looked it up in the dictionary.

The one and only goal of sentient life is to gain as much pleasure and satisfaction as possible.

[Joker]

The matrix of life more like it.

[anon]

@Tortoise

I now percieve that conception of life as a misconception of life: After a long discussion with my father today about his post-highschool life, and considering a lot of the things shared with me by various other people, I’ve come to the conclusion instead that life is a series of adventures, or something along those lines. Instead of there being one ultimate goal, like a particular job, a particulare life style, or whatever it may be, life is instead full of a number of challenges, small and large, that one feels compelled to overcome. A good life is one in which most of the significant challenges are overcome, most of the significant goals are met. A bad life is one in which either too few significant goals are met, or in which few significant goals are even created or attempted.

Your shift in thinking simply reflects modern realities. It’s the same fundamental worldview - but with the recognition that jobs aren’t stable anymore.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation”. Does adventure fit into this worldview? Curiosity? Kindness?

[sage_leaf]

@realunoriginal

Tortoise, I have one message above all others to tell you. I’m 24. The singlemost important thing I have come to understand within the last 7 years of my life, growing up between ages 17 to 24, is that your mind physically matures and develops. Quite literally, you think in a different way at 24 than you do at 17.

Now, I am not saying that you are not mature and intelligent–I am saying that although you are, you can expect your brain to think in a whole new way at 24 then it thinks now. It’s a good change though.

I agree wholeheartedly, and think this is Very Well put (I even quoted you in another thread - ‘My retirement in philosophy’). While your core fundamental values might not alter a great deal, your the depth of your perspective is likely to change. It’s like the difference between seeing a interesting painting for the first time in an overview kind of mode, compared with spending time with it and developing a fuller appreciation for the subtleties - your view is altered, the meanings you draw are changed.

Also, I have heard it said that your brain cells are still developing until you’re 25…
I think there’s also another notable change between 25 and 32 (lol - maybe THAT’s where the idea of the 7 year itch Really comes from - tis the scratching the head as you marvel at the Change in thinkings.)

[Eclipse]

@Tortoise

I’m 17, for those of you who don’t know.
This is relevant to this thread because it is an explanation of my naivete.

My conception of adulthood and the course of my life used to be this:
I thought that one decided on a career or lifestyle or other ultimate goal, that one figured out how to get a job in that career or lifestyle or other ultimate goal, one achieved it, and then one followed it through until retirement, and that was that.

I now percieve that conception of life as a misconception of life: After a long discussion with my father today about his post-highschool life, and considering a lot of the things shared with me by various other people, I’ve come to the conclusion instead that life is a series of adventures, or something along those lines. Instead of there being one ultimate goal, like a particular job, a particulare life style, or whatever it may be, life is instead full of a number of challenges, small and large, that one feels compelled to overcome. A good life is one in which most of the significant challenges are overcome, most of the significant goals are met. A bad life is one in which either too few significant goals are met, or in which few significant goals are even created or attempted.

This is the most abstract thing I think I have ever said. “The meaning of life” has always, until now, been a meaningless statement to me, and I have percieved anybody who talks about the meaning of life to be horribly pretentious, naive, and ridiculous. Maybe now it is I who is pretentious, naive and ridiculous, or maybe I was wrong before.

Tell me about it.
Is this the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever said?
Or do you agree?

Down with monotony and tradition. Live for the moment, and do whatever makes you happy. It’s expected now amongst everybody that the meaning of life is to hop into a career and help this society keep moving. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I’m turning 18 in about two weeks so this is a big thought on my mind. I still have lots of thinking to do. I feel I need a complete change in environment for a while.

By the way, I listened to your radio station on lastFM for an hour or so tonight…got some really badass music on there.

[Joker]