Personally I've decided that life is absolutely meaningless, and I've found that to be incredibly liberating. It's helped me to not put so much pressure on myself to achieve (achieve what?) and live more in the present. It's a shame that people who don't find meaning in their life tend to take the opposite tack toward depression. Or others gravitate toward followership to anyone who will tell them how to live. If I could give advice, it would be to not do that. Half the fun is figuring out what's meaningful for you.
Otherwise, there are various clichés. People will say their family is most important and money is meaningless or some variation. I think those truisms are worth the amount of time it takes someone to repeat them, which isn't much at all.
And I love that scene in Fight Club where Brad Pitt is telling Ed Norton that he won't be truly enlightened until he knows, not just thinks, that he is going to die. I wouldn't risk your life or hurt yourself to figure this out, but if you're in your 20's and haven't had any near-death experiences, as you get older, you will DEFINITELY realize that your life is finite and it will change your perspective. There will be a thousand things that in the back of your mind you always have thought you'd have time to do, but then you turn 30 and start to realize that you probably won't. And that you need to start economizing and prioritizing.
Exactly. Sometimes, it pays to be detached. You can be passionate about something, but still be somewhat detached from it. The minute you let something/someone determine and define your life, you lose sight of the larger picture. And, the reality is that nothing lasts ever. Time and again, I have seen people surprise me - in both good and disappointing ways.
It's very difficult to find contentment in oneself - most people will call it a cynical and pathetic look at life. However, that's what life is. At the risk of sounding cliched - it's YOUR journey on the train. Everyone departs along the way. Some you will get to know more than others, but at the end of the day being aware that it's your journey and yours alone helps you not get attached to other things that might eventually end-up crumbling your world.
I feel the same way. Every single time I place a ton of importance on something, whether it's a relationship, or a project/career, it always comes back to bite me when I realize I can't have it all, and don't have 100% control of circumstances in my life.
To me, living life and always wondering whether I'm making the most of it every step along the way takes the fun out of it. Of course some introspection is good, of course, but I don't like to take life so seriously.
The conclusion that life is meaningless, is meaningless as well. That means you can live life however you want, without bearing much importance to that conclusion.
>> There will be a thousand things that in the back of your mind you always have thought you'd have time to do, but then you turn 30 and start to realize that you probably won't.
Absolutely! Start doing those things, pack them in. And when you're done with those, find some more and do those. This is the difference between living and waiting.
Comments
Personally I've decided that life is absolutely meaningless, and I've found that to be incredibly liberating. It's helped me to not put so much pressure on myself to achieve (achieve what?) and live more in the present. It's a shame that people who don't find meaning in their life tend to take the opposite tack toward depression. Or others gravitate toward followership to anyone who will tell them how to live. If I could give advice, it would be to not do that. Half the fun is figuring out what's meaningful for you.
Otherwise, there are various clichés. People will say their family is most important and money is meaningless or some variation. I think those truisms are worth the amount of time it takes someone to repeat them, which isn't much at all.
And I love that scene in Fight Club where Brad Pitt is telling Ed Norton that he won't be truly enlightened until he knows, not just thinks, that he is going to die. I wouldn't risk your life or hurt yourself to figure this out, but if you're in your 20's and haven't had any near-death experiences, as you get older, you will DEFINITELY realize that your life is finite and it will change your perspective. There will be a thousand things that in the back of your mind you always have thought you'd have time to do, but then you turn 30 and start to realize that you probably won't. And that you need to start economizing and prioritizing.
Exactly. Sometimes, it pays to be detached. You can be passionate about something, but still be somewhat detached from it. The minute you let something/someone determine and define your life, you lose sight of the larger picture. And, the reality is that nothing lasts ever. Time and again, I have seen people surprise me - in both good and disappointing ways.
It's very difficult to find contentment in oneself - most people will call it a cynical and pathetic look at life. However, that's what life is. At the risk of sounding cliched - it's YOUR journey on the train. Everyone departs along the way. Some you will get to know more than others, but at the end of the day being aware that it's your journey and yours alone helps you not get attached to other things that might eventually end-up crumbling your world.
I feel the same way. Every single time I place a ton of importance on something, whether it's a relationship, or a project/career, it always comes back to bite me when I realize I can't have it all, and don't have 100% control of circumstances in my life.
To me, living life and always wondering whether I'm making the most of it every step along the way takes the fun out of it. Of course some introspection is good, of course, but I don't like to take life so seriously.
http://zenpencils.com/comic/80-henry-david-thoreau-on-happin...
Great site. I had not seen that before
> Personally I've decided that life is absolutely meaningless
but then!
> I wouldn't risk your life or hurt yourself to figure this out
why not? life IS meaningless after all, unless you're trying to imply that there is something more important than life...?
The conclusion that life is meaningless, is meaningless as well. That means you can live life however you want, without bearing much importance to that conclusion.
Although life is meaningless, every person fears death and can enjoy their meaningless life.
I recommend you read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Fre...
I'll send you a copy if you like...
I had it in my wishlist for a while. You just made me buy it.
I'm with you for the meaningless part, the problem is the " live more in the present". It's as boring, empty and meaningless as everything else.
>> There will be a thousand things that in the back of your mind you always have thought you'd have time to do, but then you turn 30 and start to realize that you probably won't.
Absolutely! Start doing those things, pack them in. And when you're done with those, find some more and do those. This is the difference between living and waiting.
I believe you made a typo. I've fixed it for you.
>Personally I've decided that MY life is absolutely meaningless,...
You sound like Mersault from Camus' The stranger