Perspective

[cougarjake13]

Life and just about everything can be widdled down to perspective




for me as a 31 yr old, to live to 85 seems like forever, thats 54 yrs from now, almost me living what i have lived up to now another 2 times, so from that point of perspective it seems like a lot of time to be alive





but here's the other perspective


there was a yr 1208, which was 800 yrs ago and there will be a 4008, 2000 yrs from now,so those 85 yrs you lived dont seem like much




i always think about stuff like this, certain times in history that i wasnt around for and feel cheated as well as future history that i will no longer be alive for


you could prob sum up my thoughts as being afraid to die, not in the actual death itself but what it represents, me no longer alive to see and absorb whats around me

this also ties in to me not believing in a god or afterlife so i feel like i have to accomplish everything i want to now in this life b/c it's the only one i have


problem is i see no solution to this and try not to think it about too much or else i wouldnt be able to function on a day to day basis as a robot drone doing work thats ultimately meaningless

i suppose being rich would help somewhat but then eventually i'd visit everywhere there is to visit and see everything there is to see, what would i do then ??


ultimately after driving myself crazy thinking like this i revert back to being the mindless drone until a few months down the road the fog lifts and i think these thoughts again

[Gvac]

you could prob sum up my thoughts as being afraid to die, not in the actual death itself but what it represents, me no longer alive to see and absorb whats around me

this also ties in to me not believing in a god or afterlife so i feel like i have to accomplish everything i want to now in this life b/c it's the only one i have


Why accomplish anything if it will have no meaning after you're gone? Just so you can say "I did it" on your deathbed? Seems like small compensation.

No one knows if there's an afterlife or not. We do know we live on through others, though, and the things they learned from us will profoundly impact their lives and their children's lives.

Touching those around you in a deep and meaningful way is the greatest accomplishment you can have in this life. We have no idea how many years we get to learn from others and in turn influence those close to us, so might as well start ASAP.

[johnniewalker]

I know it's kind of a cliche, but I always loathe the kid who acts self important and has to distinguish them self through some great act and at the same time acts really condescending to the parent who sacrifices and is ok with life being "dull". I always wondered what age it was when you make that transition or if you have to be a parent to enjoy life more. Maybe at 31 your going through the transition of being tired of having to achieve something great to be satisfied and are ready to just enjoy everyday life.

[cougarjake13]

Why accomplish anything if it will have no meaning after you're gone? Just so you can say "I did it" on your deathbed? Seems like small compensation.

No one knows if there's an afterlife or not. We do know we live on through others, though, and the things they learned from us will profoundly impact their lives and their children's lives.

Touching those around you in a deep and meaningful way is the greatest accomplishment you can have in this life. We have no idea how many years we get to learn from others and in turn influence those close to us, so might as well start ASAP.



i guess the fact that i can say i did it is the meaning or compensation

otherwise why live or do anything at all ??


im too selfish and i want the experience myself so the handing down to your kids or touching others doesnt help me much

[cougarjake13]

I know it's kind of a cliche, but I always loathe the kid who acts self important and has to distinguish them self through some great act and at the same time acts really condescending to the parent who sacrifices and is ok with life being "dull". I always wondered what age it was when you make that transition or if you have to be a parent to enjoy life more. Maybe at 31 your going through the transition of being tired of having to achieve something great to be satisfied and are ready to just enjoy everyday life.



no im def not there yet

[Gvac]

im too selfish and i want the experience myself so the handing down to your kids or touching others doesnt help me much

Well then, you'll never be happy.

Unless you learn to look outside yourself, you're destined to live a lonely and unsatisfying existence.

Sorry.

[CHUCKWAGONCOOK]

I like this perspective.

http://www.netscientia.com/images/eyechart.jpg

[midwestjeff]

i guess the fact that i can say i did it is the meaning or compensation

Or just the simple act of doing anything at all is compensation in itself.

Being now is the gratification, not looking back on it later.

[CHUCKWAGONCOOK]

I enjoy the before aspect more than the doing or post aspect.

I.E. I like the anticipation of eating the Chocolate Sprinkled Black Berry Ice Cream more than the ice cream itself or the fullness from the eating.

[jonyrotn]

Maybe you're right...:down:

But I see it a little differently..I feel like if you can make someone else's life better you can live happy forever..

I have, in the past, saved people's lives..
In other words, if I had not been walking this earth those individuals would be dead right now and that's something that many men that history recognizes as "Great" can't ever say they've done..
And having effected those peoples lives so deeply is more then enough for me to feel like I've contributed to the history of the universe..

It's a hugely rewarding experience, I recomend everyone try it, even if you just play the home version of "Flatliners"..
You could go thru life feeling like this---->:happy:

[RoseBlood]

You're right, life IS about perspective, and that makes a huge difference in how you live and view your existence.

You are free to believe whatever you wish in your world. I'm still figuring things out and that's how it'll be until the day I die. I'm not very religious, but I do have some foundation to base my current spiritual beliefs on. And even though organized religion pisses me off sometimes, I think having something to believe in is important, especially if you're prone to bouts of depression which is partly a result of not feeling you have a purpose in life, which I also believe can be traced to a lack of faith (and i don't mean religion).

May I ask what you do for a living? Do you know what you want out of life? Alot of people say that having a positive impact on other peoples lives is the ultimate reward, this is true, but if you're just not feeling it, then you need to figure out what it is in this world that brings you joy? It doesn't have to be inter-personally related. Even if you're the type of person who likes to work in solitude, there is great significance in even the most simplist of tasks.. so long as it's what YOU want to do and you're able to see the long term significance. Personally, what brings me the most happiness is when I can trace anything I say or do down to another person/people.

I like to believe there's an afterlife and when I'm gone, what I've done in my living years will have mattered in some small capacity. That is the only way I know how to stay motivated. Money and showmanship are fleeting, so I use those only for my short-term goals.

I don't know, I'm droning on but your current mind set is spiritual suicide. Look towards your future, enjoy the present and try not to take the everyday mundane events for granted. Don't take them at face value, every little thing you do in a day adds up to a week adds up to a month and so on.. and by the end of a year can you look back and see if your life has influenced others in the way you intended. Am I making any sense? Probably not.. :unsure:

So yeah, basically don't underestimate "Purpose".. You know Senior Citizens have the fastest or highest rate of depression.. giving teens some swift competition (i'm not sure of the statistics, don't quote me on this).. It's not surprising though really, these two demographics are at the biggest cross roads of their lives.. they are both trying to realize their purpose in life. Ok, I'll end this because I sound like friggin Oprah Winfrey.. :dry:

[cougarjake13]

Well then, you'll never be happy.

Unless you learn to look outside yourself, you're destined to live a lonely and unsatisfying existence.

Sorry.

im quite happy

i enjoy all that i get to do


im just upset that at some point it will end

[Ritalin]

im quite happy

i enjoy all that i get to do


im just upset that at some point it will end

Why be upset about the one thing that you absolutely can't control?

You're going to die. Me too.

So what?

[cougarjake13]

May I ask what you do for a living? Do you know what you want out of life? Alot of people say that having a positive impact on other peoples lives is the ultimate reward, this is true, but if you're just not feeling it, then you need to figure out what it is in this world that brings you joy? It doesn't have to be inter-personally related. Even if you're the type of person who likes to work in solitude, there is great significance in even the most simplist of tasks.. so long as it's what YOU want to do and you're able to see the long term significance. Personally, what brings me the most happiness is when I can trace anything I say or do down to another person/people.

I like to believe there's an afterlife and when I'm gone, what I've done in my living years will have mattered in some small capacity. That is the only way I know how to stay motivated. Money and showmanship are fleeting, so I use those only for my short-term goals.

I don't know, I'm droning on but your current mind set is spiritual suicide. Look towards your future, enjoy the present and try not to take the everyday mundane events for granted. Don't take them at face value, every little thing you do in a day adds up to a week adds up to a month and so on.. and by the end of a year can you look back and see if your life has influenced others in the way you intended. Am I making any sense?



work is prob one of the things that formed my way of thinking
i went to college but dont use the degree
i work b/c its a necessity to survive in this world but i dont want to do what i am doing

the jobs that i would like to do i prob cant get into b/c of lack of experience or talent
a lot of things i like to do i couldnt as a job b/c either it doesnt exist or doesnt pay well


everyday mundane events are just that, theres nothing to gain from it
if nothing else im all about experience and knowledge and whatever i do should be one of those otherwise why do it, i see it as the betterment of me

for example i really dont care much about holidays, birthdays, and other relatively unimportant milestones, but my wife and other family members are, so i have to go to these things or be a part of it in some way when it means nothing to me, esp since it doesnt accomplish the experience or knowledge part


another problem is i always planned on being alone, i don't believe that there's some magic thing called love , you dont love that person, you love what they do for you or give to you, everybody uses everybody for some reason, whether it monetary, emotional needs, or whatever else you can come up with, you're using that person for it

so i planned on being alone, doing whatever i felt like , when i felt like, having no responsibilities other than what i needed to in order to keep on living, some days it would be reading books, doing research on something i wanted to learn more about, watching tv or sports

but eventually i got married and the marriage is great but every once in awhile i long for being all alone and at no fault of my wifes just cause thats how i feel that day

[Fez4PrezN2008]

A wise man once told me "life's a bitch, then you die".
Words to live by.

[cougarjake13]

but if you're just not feeling it, then you need to figure out what it is in this world that brings you joy? It doesn't have to be inter-personally related. Even if you're the type of person who likes to work in solitude, there is great significance in even the most simplist of tasks.. so long as it's what YOU want to do and you're able to see the long term significance. Personally, what brings me the most happiness is when I can trace anything I say or do down to another person/people.


Why be upset about the one thing that you absolutely can't control?

You're going to die. Me too.

So what?



thats the thing i dont want to die ever

if the technology exists some day to put my body or my brain into a cyborg or terminator type thing but i still know i am me and have all my memories and can keep on existing i'd do it in a heartbeat

[cougarjake13]

A wise man once told me "life's a bitch, then you die".
Words to live by.

i dont see life as a bitch

there are many great things, there are conversely many shitty things as well

[Snoogans]

Maybe this will help Jake:

http://www.senia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/perspective.jpg

[cougarjake13]

Maybe this will help Jake:

http://www.senia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/perspective.jpg



are those the lockers from men in black ??

[Fez4PrezN2008]

i dont see life as a bitch

there are many great things, there are conversely many shitty things as well
I don't have any good answers for ya budday. I wonder the same things too and how life at times seems like an exercise in futility but then sometime I wonder if maybe its not about us and there something higher up the food chain that it is about. I dunno. Sure does seem like you get to live a little while, have some fun, have troubles and then before you know it you're worm food.

[Snoogans]

are those the lockers from men in black ??

i dont know, its just a perspective picture