An average-ish human lifespan of 80 years is approximately 1000 months, or 4000 weeks, or 10,000 days. It's frightening,but my memento mori is to remind myself of this periodically.
Life Is Short (2016)
231–240 of 310 posts
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#232Earlier quoted context omitted.
The one I never forget is how PG describes his mother's death. "I lived as if she'd always be there. And in her typical quiet way she encouraged that illusion. But an illusion it was." I read this the last time it was posted and this scared the living hell out of me. It has reminded me to never take people, especially my family, for granted. I used to be much more reluctant to go home, but as I've grown older I now a…
Another line from that part: > After my mother died, I wished I'd spent more time with her. Sometimes I wonder this about my own parents. I haven't seen them in over a year. I have no desire to see them either, and am dreading the obligatory Christmas call. I see a ton of advice floating around these days about "make sure to visit your parents a lot, because you'll regret it after they die if you don't". But there's…
It’s definitely context dependent. But I spent the last few years of my dad’s life not really speaking to him much, and when he died - suddenly at the age of 53 - I realized it had been for really petty reasons. The things I disagreed with him on blinded me to what really mattered: he was still my dad.
This year I sold my company, and as exciting as that has been, I wish I could have told him about it. :(
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#233Earlier quoted context omitted.
If everyone behaved like that, our society wouldn't have the wealth needed to make anyone's lives comfortable and secure, except for the lives of the rich. A job that provides an income to a worker, and generates wealth for society, is not bullshit -- even if all it involves is making crappy consumer products, or working on an assembly line, or doing paperwork all day. In fact, such jobs are the reason the majority o…
Yeah beacause the system we live in does provide wealth and security for the poor, for sure!
It provides more than they ever had in the past.
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#234An average-ish human lifespan of 80 years is approximately 1000 months, or 4000 weeks, or 10,000 days. It's frightening,but my memento mori is to remind myself of this periodically.
4000 weeks is 28,000 days :) Otherwise, you are right and we don't even have this granted.
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#235An average-ish human lifespan of 80 years is approximately 1000 months, or 4000 weeks, or 10,000 days. It's frightening,but my memento mori is to remind myself of this periodically.
80 years = 29,220 days
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#236At 51, I am trying to come to grips with wasting my life in my 20s, 30s and 40s. I don't remember doing anything memorable during that time. I spent too much time doing bullshit programming or doing the same old comfortable things with friends. I wish I dated more. Tried more things that young people can do. I was too scared to make mistakes. Now I can't go back. It's driving me nuts.
For bad (and for good), what you did in the past does not matter that much. Good memories can help your current moment, but only a little if you can't do the same now.
For example, if you dated more and had more good relationships can do some good for your self esteem, but you'll still miss these things now if you don't have them.
And the end of the day only the current moment really matters.
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
It hasnt been proven but those who live in Europe see families that get: -free housing -free money -money for children (that they use for themselves) -various other help (clothes, coal, christmas packages) This had an unfortunate effect of creating a group of people who never worked and all they did was raise 3-5 children. Despite the parents not working (so having time to take care of their children) those children…
> This had an unfortunate effect of creating a group of people who never worked and all they did was raise 3-5 children. You dont seem to be aware that such programs are designed to have people raise such 5-6 children while doing nothing else in order to bump up the declining population. And if you think raising 6 children is not work... boy...
The problem is that (1) those programs seem to "produce" (as awful as it sounds) undesirable people who dont work nor contribute to society. There are entire families (grandparents, parents, children) who lived their whole lives on benefits. So for the society they are a net loss. And on top of that they often do petty theft.
(2) if you are in middle class, or low class (but still working) you are contributing for others and dont get anything in return from them. I would argue that if you didnt have to contribute so much then those middle/low class families would have 2 children instead of 1. Children of parents that work and will raise them right.
You seem to think that those low life people work hard raising their children? Lol, they dont care about their children.. those kids are raised by the streets.
It is the same in UK where some families mass manufacture inbred children (seriously read about it) and same in Slovakia where alcoholics get more kids since they dont use contraception and having a kid allows more money for vodka.
You assume that everyone wants the best for their kids, nope those people just have a strategy to pump few kids, who maybe will pump more kids. At thr expense of taxpayers.
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don’t understand how anyone can call “various religious constructs” absurd. It’s a very “Reddit moment” thing to do. Religion has existed since the dawn of man. The internal feeling that there is something more out there - something that created us, is something almost all of us have. As for the feeling that life is too short; I’ll offer a comparison to the early biblical figures: Adam and his sons lived almost a t…
That’s why he said “religious constructs” and not “religions”. I believe religious systems are useful, but I agree with the parent that concepts like the afterlife are absurd concepts used to alleviate existential dread. Maybe this utility means it isn’t absurd, but I would say that many religions don’t have the concept of an afterlife, so other less-absurd concepts may provide the same functionality without the same…
As you're portraying believing in the hereafter as a cope for existential dread, you could say the opposite.
The disbeliever tries to ridicule the concept of an afterlife as to allievate the dread of being held accountable for their deeds on the day of judgement which would likely lead them to an eternal and painful hell.
In Islam, it's very clearly mentioned that each individual will be judged according to their deeds. There are two destinations possible paradise or hellfire.
Other religions that came before have often tried to tone down this reality by either removing accountability like Chrisitanity with the concept of Jesus (peace be upon him) having died for our sins or by simply removing the concept of an afterlife all together.
The Quran clearly tells us that many prophets were sent in the past with revelation but as time passed on they were falsified by people. In light of this, one could easily see how polytheistic religions came about.
In the end Islam is the last religion and it was intended to be preserved which makes it unlike any other religion in the world today. It has one book there a no multiple different versions. It is perfectly constructed and there are 0 inconsistencies and errors. No arab linguist can deny that.
Allah sent the previous prophets specifically for their nations however the last prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was sent for all mankind until the end of times.
Give the quran a read. https://quran.com Do some research on the topic. YouTube is a great ressource for this. Make your own opinion.
In light of this, I still want to invite you to become muslim. Islam answers all the questions Chrisitanity and other religions couldn't. Most importantly it will save you in the hereafter. I'd suggest putting your hand on a hot stove (not too hot) and ponder. Do you really want something like this for yourself and for eternity?
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#239I really like this, but to to add an alternate perspective: I’m skeptical of deathbed regrets, and regrets in general. I don’t think your present self actually knows what your past self went through. We remember events but are bad at remembering emotions except in very broad, general ways. You might say “I wish I had spent more time with my kids and less time at work”. But you won’t remember the feeling of dissatisfaction you had with your home life and the pride you felt when you delivered on a difficult project. You could say “I wish I was more satisfied with my home life” but how much control do you have over that, really?
I don’t remember where I heard this: “every person you see is fighting a battle that you know nothing about, so be kind, always”. I think we can extend that same kindness to ourselves.
Re: Life Is Short (2016)
#240I really like this, but to to add an alternate perspective: I’m skeptical of deathbed regrets, and regrets in general. I don’t think your present self actually knows what your past self went through. We remember events but are bad at remembering emotions except in very broad, general ways. You might say “I wish I had spent more time with my kids and less time at work”. But you won’t remember the feeling of dissatisfa…
I'd say you have about as much control over your career trajectory as you do your home life (arguably more control over how your home life turns out). And I agree that memory is fickle and weird but I think there is a reason you so rarely hear someone say, they wished they had spent more time on their career rather than family. They recognize what brought/brings them happiness.