21–30 of 58 posts
Death is the world's change agent. It's never pretty but it must happen.
At least reading this is a reminder to me to not stress too much, enjoy life and be good to your family and friends.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Man, imagine writing a memoir, pouring your heart and life into it. Then it's behind a goddamn paywall, lol.
It wasn’t paywalled for me. I just had to click “read full article” to expand it
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
I was born with multiple heart defect. I've had so many surgeries I wasn't sure I'd wake up from, in fact my first surgery was at 3 and is my first memory, for a couple weeks out of every year I practically live at a cardiologist.. it's funny talking about waiting for a package. Most things roll off my back but waiting.. for packages, waiting in line, etc. drive me nuts. I could die at any second, I want to experienc…
Trying to reach out for more is high risk high efforts and I believe our biology mostly tailored us to coast.
Less work more safety sounds like an obvious evolutionary benefit.
That said it's not necessarily the best way to live.
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
For me, blinding pain as an every day reality for decades of my life and a long period of unemployment after college makes everyday I’m painfree and employed sweet. I found a similar attitude reading Dostoevsky and “one day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (sp?)”. They epitomize what I call embracing the struggle and are sort of a take on existentialism. Ie realize you exist in every moment (until your death) as a give…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Day_in_the_Life_of_Ivan_Denisovich
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
Our habits seem to me to be like those of creatures who anticipate living forever, but don't really know what to do with all the time. It's interesting that suffering—not so much success—is what keeps this in our minds. A sibling remarked on Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn, both men of profound sorrows.
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
What you have described is simply life, life at it's best.
How do we behave better? It's pretty simple, alas simple doesn't mean that it's easy. Here we go:
1. realize that we are indeed powerful, and we can stop things from degenerating.
2. Forget meditating, too short and restrictive practice. Practice "mindfulness". We can all practice mindfulness 24/7; my mantra is simple: "One, Two, Three, Four" over an over, counting my breath, or counting seconds, or counting my steps (Kinhin). Do it long enough and when life throws you a curve ball (someone cuts you off, plumber is late...) it's almost automatic that after a few minutes (or seconds for those more advanced, but not me) 1,2,3,4 comes to mind; 1,2,3,4, come back to the present moment.
While #2 seems elaborate, #1 is actually the most important one, realizing that we indeed can do something. It got me out of decades of depression.
Also, related, probably not applicable to you, but it was applicable to me: I read an article linked here on HN or "stop being a victim", the implication there is #1 above.
YMMV
P.S.: writing this stuff helps me with my own garbage in my own head.
To actually read the text: https://archive.is/EwSWT
That was quite nice. The writer seems to be in relative peace about the whole situation, or at least as peaceful as one can be knowing that the end is near. Unrelated but related: How do we keep stories like this in the "middle" of our minds? I've noticed with myself--and many others--that we read articles and essays like this, contemplate them for a moment or two, think about how we should be more {appreciate, grate…
I heard Sam Harris talk about this, and his advice was something to the tune of: Think about something terrible that didn't happen to you today. You weren't diagnosed with cancer. Your spouse didn't drain yoru bank account and leave you. Your child wasn't murdered. There are myriad wholly life-altering things that could have happened to you but didn't -- and even if you do have a bad day, it can always be worse.
It's admittedly a sort of pessimistic/dark way to look at things, but if you think about how it could be worse, it seems easier to look at the guy that cut you off in traffic and go, "Well, at least I wasn't just run off the road into the ditch."