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Children and Helical Time

moultano.wordpress.com

91–100 of 130 posts

Re: Children and Helical Time

#91
post #58
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I, of course, have plenty of vivid memories from childhood. But I've also been fortunate to be able to travel in all senses - quick tourist vacation, a few months backpacking, and multi-year slow travel where I mostly just lived in different places (different nature settings, towns, cities etc). Tourism is generally forgettable and I don't recommend it to anyone - save the money and do something where you live. Backp…

> Backpacking feels meaningful in the moment, but is also largely forgettable. Was your schedule oversubscribed in these ? I ask because my experience of pleasure travel is very different. More so when there were (i) very little schedule to speak of, other than start and end dates, (ii) had a partner to share the experience of unplanned discovery to share with. Both, I think, make a significant difference to the expe…

> Was your schedule oversubscribed in these ?

I dont have any idea what this means. Could you try again in plain english?

Yes, not having a schedule makes for better travel, as I described in my later multi-year experience. I think most things could probably be made better by having a genuine life partner to share it with. But doing things solo absolutely does not preclude you from meaning. (moreover, I wouldnt describe most romantic relationships as anything resembling a genuine life partner).

Photos and writing are also not inherently meaningful. I did plenty of both and, again, I thought it was all meaningful in the moment, but since realized it was all largely misguided.

If someone were to travel in a genuine manner - where you integrate with local communities, get involved with their traditions, problems etc, then that's an entirely other thing. But just roaming (let alone an itinerary) is largely not actually useful, unless you put it towards something meaningful (eg genuine reflection and improvement, which would largely lead you to realizing that travels themselves are not necessary or even important).

Re: Children and Helical Time

#92
post #23

This was a both a nice, and extremely depressing, read. It sounds like the author has had a good childhood and is a good parent to their kids. Wonderful. But the whole article is appropriately summarized by their final sentences > You recreate your memories in them. They recreate childishness in you. Life folds back on itself, but not quite the same. It loops, but continues. A helix. > > Life, then, is the creation o…

> We must do as nietzsche described and progress from a camel, to a lion, to a child again Nietzsche's ideas where not for producing self-help advice on having hobbies.

nor was what I wrote... Try reading it all, and him, again

Re: Children and Helical Time

#93
post #82
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you nailed it. This person is not living, and may never live. When their birds fly the coop and, worse, when they themselves retire, they're in for a whole world of emptiness.

This is something more dangerous that people realize, especially those “working for retirement” - if you only live to work, and then retire, you may find you retire from living, too. Seen it a few too many times. Live life today, people! “ So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” “ And don't worry 'bout tomorrow, hey Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for…

I was absolutely not advocating for not having any thought for the future, nor for "living in the moment".

I was saying that you must do both - dont just slave away and expect that you'll live when you're retired (a lifestyle which makes it less likely that you would even live until retirement age, let alone be physically or even mentally capable of enjoying retirement).

Instead, live in a way such that there it is meaningful while you do it, and it also prepares you for the future. Again, this would also have the benefit of showing your kids and others how to do this themselves.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#94
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s fine, but the incongruence comes when one expects unlimited supply of healthcare and a cash payment for decades in old age. Especially if one didn’t raise enough productive kids to pay for it, so then the question becomes if you’re not planning for tomorrow, why are others who are planning for tomorrow paying for your tomorrow?

nice try ron paul

Puzzling reply (assuming ron paul is being used as a pejorative), considering your adjacent comment seems to agree with my sentiment.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#95
post #6

> This is a depressing thought to consider in (linear) middle age, but it is hard to escape the feeling that it is essentially true. Childhood memories have an intensity and a vibrancy that it is difficult for the rest of life to match. Could anyone who is extremely fortunate and never had to work for money share their experience on this? I find that the years that I spent on art (playing around, learning new things,…

Art can turn into work too. Spending ~4-5y on a solo graphic novel[1] was mostly about finding that routine of making sure to spend a few hours of every workday working on the comic instead of just faffing about aimlessly. 1: http://egypt.urnash.com/rita/

What gave you the idea to write a graphic novel in the first place? What's your workflow?

Re: Children and Helical Time

#96
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are on to something. My theory is that the brain is good at compressing memories, so if you do mostly the same things every day it's not stored as a separate memory. I actually felt my 30s as one of the longest periods in my life, because of things that happened in my life

It seems so obvious to me. It's all about what you do with your time, if you're stuck in a boring routine of commute, repetitive work, and a few soulless vacations here and there you'll build virtually no memorable moments and it will all feel like a blur Move to a new city, get a radically different job, get a kid, switch up your routine, pick up unusual hobbies/interests and every year will feel like a new life. Ch…

.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#97
post #68

Childhood is only half of subjective life if you stagnate as an adult. If you keep changing your routine, you'll find each year has just as much subjective experience as the previous. Start a company in an industry where you have no experience. Move to a country where nobody speaks a language you understand. Find a new sport and commit to being a top 0.1% participant (for most sports that don't air regularly on natio…

My life has had a 5 year event horizon since I left my family home. I.e. every 5 years has seen major changes I could not have predicted.

For much of that there have been critical pressures making most days important. Which makes them memorable.

Subjectively and objectively, things have changed so much, and so many times, I feel like I have had several lives, so far.

Right now I am in a “make” or “break” situation going three productive years. I solved some very difficult problems that I put myself in a “must solve” position. Each problem solved had significant life impact.

The indicators for “make” are going up month-to-month now, making it a tough but intense and wonderful time. Feels a lot like my early 20’s when I started a dream business (for me) while in school.

Definitely don’t experience time as indicated by those graphs.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#98
post #6

> This is a depressing thought to consider in (linear) middle age, but it is hard to escape the feeling that it is essentially true. Childhood memories have an intensity and a vibrancy that it is difficult for the rest of life to match. Could anyone who is extremely fortunate and never had to work for money share their experience on this? I find that the years that I spent on art (playing around, learning new things,…

I always took it sort of that your mind, duplicates memories, and in your adult life almost every day is more or less the same and it just compacts all those memories and time goes quicker because you don’t remember doing the 9 to 5 thing day after day after day, your brain has no reason to remember that, in childhood significantly more items that pop up throughout the year that are extraordinary that your brain remembers. Also brain elasticity etc.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#99
Life with young children is actually mostly dreary and stressful; the fun and excitement and reliving of childhood memories is 1% or less of life, in my experience. By time I realize I am having that <1% experience it is over. I still feel as though I am chasing after something vanishing and never catching it.

Re: Children and Helical Time

#100
post #2

I think time perception is contingent on cultural and lifestyle factors, I don't recognise it in my own life. My twenties (chaotic) lasted forever, now in my 30s, this last year in particular felt incredibly long (it was eventful and full of change). I rarely find myself on "autopilot". Is that why?

Autopilot is a choice- most people are on it, some aren't. Society has always been like this. Society is attacking self aware and fully conscious people more than ever now though :(

Everybody, looks like we got one. Attack!
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