TL;DR: Finding the correct path to take in life, is the correct path to take. Cleverly self-referential, yet not impossible. Succint.
Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
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Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you not desire to write this comment?
It's more of a neurotic addictive compulsion and ego seeking behavior than something that is desirable as a sense of fulfillment. These neurotic addictive behaviors (checking social sites, compulsively reading random things, chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol, sleeping) dominate most of my non-mandatory, un-allocated time. Everything else is just a yawning void of nothing, including my wife and 3 kids. Not for lack of…
Try getting good at something you're bad at, like, for example, appreciating your life and the lives of those around you. "Yawning void of nothing" is a pretty hilariously inaccurate description of a family and all the life experiences you describe.
I would experiment with the hypothesis that perceiving value and experiencing it as such are skills you lack but others possess, that may be improved through deliberate practice.
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you might want to step back and ask yourself what you expect life to offer you and if those expectations are too high. Sounds like a great life, and you seem to be letting the beautiful things slip through the cracks, because you're judging them not good enough .
At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.
In a finite physical universe, nothing has intrinsic meaning. The only meaning anything has, is the meaning that you attribute to that thing. Thus, anything that is meaningful to you, is the most meaningful thing in the universe.
No goal is better than any other, because there is no universally defined "better", everything just "is". Therefore, you are free to say that the goal you have chosen is better than any other, and you would be correct, because just by choosing it, you have changed the balance.
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you might want to step back and ask yourself what you expect life to offer you and if those expectations are too high. Sounds like a great life, and you seem to be letting the beautiful things slip through the cracks, because you're judging them not good enough .
At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.
terryf has a fantastic comment, but what end are you talking about, death?
A good way of figuring out what you value is considering if you die tomorrow, why wouldn't you (assuming you aren't suicidal). If you really don't matter either way then why not just do the thing that feels good?
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.
In a finite physical universe, nothing has intrinsic meaning. The only meaning anything has, is the meaning that you attribute to that thing. Thus, anything that is meaningful to you, is the most meaningful thing in the universe. No goal is better than any other, because there is no universally defined "better", everything just "is". Therefore, you are free to say that the goal you have chosen is better than any othe…
>In a finite physical universe
I am pretty existential too, so I agree with you generally...but I'm not sure what this clause has to do with the rest of what you said.
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you might want to step back and ask yourself what you expect life to offer you and if those expectations are too high. Sounds like a great life, and you seem to be letting the beautiful things slip through the cracks, because you're judging them not good enough .
At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.
'Realize' is a strong claim, experiences may indeed be meaningless or they may not be. How could anyone ever prove one way or another? But if one could be convinced they were indeed meaningful, it might provide an avenue for happiness.
May I ask is it possible you desire something to desire?
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#37For those not familiar with Hunter S. Thompson and looking to get an understanding of his outsize personality and cult following, I highly recommend watching the 2 movies in which Johnny Depp played his character: * Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120669/ * The Rum Diary (2011) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376136/ If you are not already a fan of Johnny Depp, these movies should do i…
Yeah, nice movies. But damn, read the books! Adding to those two, I'd definitely read:
* Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (1973) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_and_Loathing_on_the_Campa...
* Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (1967) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell%27s_Angels:_The_Strange_a...
His ability to just push himself into the situations and into what he was writing was outstanding. He saw and he wrote, one of the best writers from U.S.
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#38"In short, he has not dedicated his life to reaching a pre-defined goal, but he has rather chosen a way of life he KNOWS he will enjoy. The goal is absolutely secondary: it is the functioning toward the goal which is important." I find this is quite new & profound.
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams has recommended the systems approach vs. a goal-oriented approach. I think he explains it in a more accessible way. Here's his presentation pitching his book: Passion is Overrated and Goals are for Losers http://www.slideshare.net/Scottadams925/goals-are-for-losers...
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you might want to step back and ask yourself what you expect life to offer you and if those expectations are too high. Sounds like a great life, and you seem to be letting the beautiful things slip through the cracks, because you're judging them not good enough .
At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.
This is exactly what I'm talking about. We are just biological organisms evolved over millions of years to simply continue the human race. Why would you expect to find meaning?
Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)
#40"In short, he has not dedicated his life to reaching a pre-defined goal, but he has rather chosen a way of life he KNOWS he will enjoy. The goal is absolutely secondary: it is the functioning toward the goal which is important." I find this is quite new & profound.
"It's not about the destination it's about the journey" is extremely cliche in my experience, though it may be good advice.
Yes, banality to an embarrassing extreme. That someone would comment "I find this is quite new & profound" gives me a philosopher's wince.
Oh well, maybe said commentor is 10 years old.