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Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

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Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#61

Post by dawson »

firstworldman wrote: post #55
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Can you imagine what it's like to be on the other side of you? I don't know you, and I wouldn't presume to know anything about you other than what you've revealed in your comments, but what I can say is that you've been handed enough lego blocks to build anything you want to, and it seems like you've set them aside because they're not the specific blocks that you had in mind to build the thing that you envisioned at…

This was an awesome response, and piece of writing.

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#62

Post by dawson »

nazgob wrote: post #49
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.

Could you elaborate? I'm in a place where stuff does not matter anymore (never did actually) and I try to focus on experiences. Is that path also a mistake?

If nothing matters to you, there are no mistakes.

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#63

Post by AndrewKemendo »

firstworldman wrote: post #55
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Can you imagine what it's like to be on the other side of you? I don't know you, and I wouldn't presume to know anything about you other than what you've revealed in your comments, but what I can say is that you've been handed enough lego blocks to build anything you want to, and it seems like you've set them aside because they're not the specific blocks that you had in mind to build the thing that you envisioned at…

Oh, yea those close to me hate it. Everyone else seems fine cause they only see the professional side, so as far as they know, everything is just A OK Great!

Not only family but I have a high stress business to run and people counting on me! Thanks for taking the time to write that out though.

In reality, all you write is correct generally. This wasn't intended to be a mini-therapy session, but for what it's worth the same message you state: "Happiness comes from inside" has been repeated to me literally as far back as I can remember. It's not practical though.

I've had probably a dozen therapists over the years, found mentors I looked up to, tried to find meaningful relationships with peers, studied what fulfillment is etc...A few years ago I came to the conclusion that searching for "happiness" in all of these things was just not working. And beyond that the fact of the search turning up dry is a compounding problem.

I'm not sure what happened, but as Rodney Dangerfield called it "The Heaviness[1]" is getting bigger.

But I've spent some time on the road you're describing, and I know it's a dead end road.

I'm curious what "road" that is?

waste all of the time and beautiful experiences and memories that you could be accumulating

Is there value in accumulating experiences? I mean I've accumulated a shitload of them, the problem is there isn't anything to do with them. It's like saving Polaroids. Is there a reason to other than looking at them again for a serotonin bump?

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zdjYmhrA-A

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#65

Post by AndrewKemendo »

nazgob wrote: post #49
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At a certain point you realize that experiences and stuff are equally as meaningless in the end.

Could you elaborate? I'm in a place where stuff does not matter anymore (never did actually) and I try to focus on experiences. Is that path also a mistake?

Dawson had an interesting response. I can't give you an answer. Maybe it will for you, maybe it won't. Beats not trying I suppose.

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#66

Post by AndrewKemendo »

terryf wrote: post #59
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree in principal, Hence, why I suggested Camus in my original comment. But what happens when you can't attribute meaning to anything? Do you revert to religion or suicide (Those were the three options for camus)?

Yeah, I know that feeling - it is hard to get past it when it happens and it certainly takes a while for me every time it happens. This is certainly not a universal cure, but for me the ideas presented in this ted talk have helped: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy?... So, set a goal and work towards that - but, looking at your profile that suggestion seems trite and silly, because you are a…

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it!

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#67

Post by k-mcgrady »

pimeys wrote: post #37
e15ctr0n wrote: post #23

For 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…

Agreed on books over the movies. First time I watched F & L I turned it off. Eventually I read the book which is fantastic. I did go back and watch the movie then and liked it more but the book is much, much better. As for The Rum Diary I'd suggest the book first because there are a few major character changes between it and the movie and it was harder to follow the book after seeing the movie. Unlike F & L the movie for Rum Diary is on par with the book in my opinion.

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#68

Post by NhanH »

oasisbob wrote: post #47

I'm away from my well annotated copy* of _The Proud Gentleman_ but this letter has almost certainly come from that collection. It makes more sense in context of his other writings from the time. Another quote, from the same, which I remember as vividly as (and juxtaposed with) this letter: "Everybody is looking for someone who can stand up in the wind. It is lonely standing up and crowded lying down. I refuse to be a…

I can't seem to find that book (The Proud Gentleman) on Google. Any chance you have a link to it?

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#69

Post by nes350 »

NhanH wrote: post #68
oasisbob wrote: post #47

I'm away from my well annotated copy* of _The Proud Gentleman_ but this letter has almost certainly come from that collection. It makes more sense in context of his other writings from the time. Another quote, from the same, which I remember as vividly as (and juxtaposed with) this letter: "Everybody is looking for someone who can stand up in the wind. It is lonely standing up and crowded lying down. I refuse to be a…

I can't seem to find that book (The Proud Gentleman) on Google. Any chance you have a link to it?

I'm pretty sure oasisbob refers to "The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967 (The Fear and Loathing Letters, Vol. 1)".

Re: Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)

#70

Post by taurath »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #43
jknoepfler wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 p…

I would experiment with the hypothesis that perceiving value and experiencing it as such are skills you lack but others possess No experimentation necessary, it's blatantly clear that's the case. that may be improved through deliberate practice Perhaps. Or maybe it's just trying to distract yourself from reality through what are commonly accepted "values." Hard to know. I read all those studies about "happiness" comi…

One could look at it as a loss or lack of a sense - would incredibly tasty food seem all that worthwhile to someone with no taste buds? Does the fact that people can taste good food mean they will automatically become obese?
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