viscousmemories

First, I'm annoyed that this thread was moved. I thought it belonged in "Lifestyle Support".

There, I said it and now I'm over it.

captpabst wrote:
There are a lot of things I place value on because I am alive. After I die, those things will lose their value to me.

captn kidd wrote:
Good questions. Hard to answer in certain contexts, though. Like, is getting drunk on Thursday preferable to getting drunk on Wednesday?

admice wrote:
Without my devil's advocate hat on, I reiterate that it will become irrelevant to me and is therefore not a concern of mine. I try to do right by people while I'm alive because of the "golden rule". My life is positively enhanced by the good I put out. After I'm dead, I won't care what happens to the rest of y'all. Sorry, but such is the nature of death.

buddrow_wilson wrote:
Good point. Unfortunately, it only works on the small scale issues like getting drunk. What about investing money for years, or other long-term emotional, financial, or other investments?

keith russell wrote:
I'd be interested in hearing what some people's long term goals are. I have no desire to procreate, I'm not materialistic and I don't care about much. It's hard to imagine a goal that would motivate me to give up the rather efficient process of wasting my life that I have constructed.

Keith Russell

Viscous:

How do you define 'wasting your life'? What do you do that you consider 'wasteful'?

Waste implies that a better, less 'wasteful' alternative exists by comparison.

If you don't know what such an alternative might be, how can you say for sure that your current behaviour truly is 'wasteful'?

Keith.

viscousmemories

I confess I was being somewhat facetious with that remark. In one sense, it's impossible for me to "waste my life", because I would rather not wake up tomorrow than wake up and plod through another day of this miserable existence.

On the other hand, because I haven't yet taken the plunge out of this realm, I regret that I haven't invested more time and energy into learning things that would make my current existence more entertaining.

Like, I wish I could play the piano, speak several languages, travel around the world, etc. but I'm way too cynical to expend the effort to accomplish those things.

Guess I'm just rambling.

If I had done much else besides get drunk and play with my computer in the last 10 years, I'd probably be happier today. I just don't know that I would've been happier then.

-Tom

sweep

not only that, but what you do affects other people deeply, especially if you have a mother and father.

Death and pain is loves greatest teacher: learn from them; if you aren't happy then you know drinking doesn't solve this problem.

Death and pain will visit you soon if you don't start to care. When it visits you make sure that you have cherished others; you will want your mum at the final moments. By not caring you are hurting others and making their lives less valuable.

IF you do have parents that live, know that they are dying, and although you have time on your side, it passes quickly in the raptures of drugs and sex.

If they are troubled, they are trapped by their own ignorance, and you, the next generation, are their legacy. You are their hope of salvation.

I know this, and it might not apply to you viscousmemories, but I know I am not alone, so if it does apply to you, I hope that you can benefit from my words

Keith Russell

Viscous:

It's never to late to begin learning to do something.

If you wish you could play the piano now, you'll probably still be wishing that in ten years time--if you do nothing about it now.

On the other hand, if you begin learning now, in ten years time you won't be wishing, you'll actually have the ability...

Keith.

Buddrow_Wilson

I wouldn't know, personally my net worth is very much in the negative, so investments are the last of my worries. BTW He who dies with the most toys wins? nope. He who dies with the largest debt gets the last laugh? indeed...

If life is so meaningless, what do you lose by trying these things? I find it odd to have such wishes or regrets in a meaningless existence. Perhaps what is really troubling you is your increasing awareness of your future obliteration, while 'wasting' the short life you currently have. To me this is about as sad as devoting your life to the sky-fairy, but I must admit to having the same issues at times.

Perhaps, or maybe you would be much worse. There is no way to tell, and these thoughts are rarely constructive. I'm sure there are many people out there who would think it a dream come to true to wile away 10 years on booze and computers .

Here's a bit of truth. We all know that our emotions and perceptions are largely or completely dependant on the chemical-electrical interactions in our bodies. For some of us no matter what we do, we will not be satisfied because of a genetic predisposition. Self-medicating through alcohol and other drugs is a good sign that this exists within oneself.

I would suggest visiting a psychiatrist to discuss anti-depressants. Whatever adversions you have to doing this, I would ask why? These drugs are much safer than drinking, etc. and actually lead one to stability and the courage to try new things. Perhaps you fear it wouldn't really be you anymore? Possibly, but not anymore so than the drunk version of you isn't the real you. If you had a chance to feel generally happy about existence, wouldn't it be worth trying?

Kharakov

The point of being depressed is that you do not try to stop being depressed even though you hate the depression (or life). To the individual who identifies with hatred of life (misery) it represents a defeat of character to embark on a positive course such as antidepressants. The individual who hates life while sober "knows" that alcohol or drugs will provide them with a brief escape from the harshness of 'reality' while still affirming their view that life sucks (because the only way to feel better about life is to ruin it with drugs and alcohol). Even if an individual knows that they are bullshitting themself (?) they are probably too stubborn to change the way that they act. A depressed person is like a fundie in many ways....

Eudaimonist

Find activities that produce a longer lasting satisfaction. Indulging bodily appetites usually produces only a brief satisfaction. Find some creative actitivity you can be proud about long after the accomplishment is over. Find some activity that you love that draws on some productive talent, and then develop a skill. Enjoy the process, the achievement, and give yourself memories that will make you look back with pride.

viscousmemories

This sounds like a fairly accurate description of chronic depression, but with a flaw. When you suggest that "A depressed person is like a fundie in many ways", you seem to be implying that the person in question chooses to be depressed. Chronic depression occurs as the result of bad brain chemistry. While I personally feel that belief in religion and/or supernatural beings is also indicative of bad brain chemistry, I don't think there's data that backs me up on that yet. So, for the time being anyway, we have to assume that people are religious by choice, and depressed by nature. A pretty big difference, IMHO.

viscousmemories

Good advice. Thanks.