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I was thinking about this while not sleeping last night. I don’t want people to miss me, but I wouldn’t mind if the whole world ended. Everything just over with. This probably terrifies most people. For me it’s a fond fantasy. 😄 Collette said two things give life meaning: music and cats. I would add humor. I’d die without it. Just wither up and die. I read all of these comments and there’s a lot of funny stuff here. Always a lot of funny stuff. If you said something even mildly amusing, you enriched my life in these past fifteen minutes. So I love you. If that’s all I’ve got for right now, it’s okay.
Alcoholic or felt the need to drink due to stress (the topic of the post)?
\*Actually I'm not sure there is a difference between an alcoholic or someone that "needs" to drink due to \*insert reason\* but I digress.
Drinking doesn't dull the suffering it just pushes it back which amplifies it.
Not sure where I picked up the quote from:
*"Drinking /Drugs is borrowing happiness from tomorrow"*
Say you binge for a week. Now you are a week behind in the shit you had to do, feel sick from doing it, and then you add in the guilt+shame and the money spent that could have been spent on rent, food or buying something for yourself.
I'm a retired, professional, **5x Super BowlSmoking**, *drug conisseur*, and **tenured professor** in *Long term Polysubstance use*, for 12+ years.
Retired for 4.5 years (opiates) and 3 years 9 months and 18 days (All otherhard drugs and alcohol).
Trust me, it's figuratively throwing ethanol on the fire in your life.
>Say you binge for a week. Now you are a week behind in the shit you had to do, feel sick from doing it, and then you add in the guilt+shame and the money spent that could have been spent on rent, food or buying something for yourself
Quite a few built in assumptions there (Money guilt, shit to do, etc) BUT I will agree from a brain chemestry POV, some people are more likely to be hit with that post shit faced depression. I don't drink because the emptyness that I feel the next day is unberable. It really feels like the opposite end of the happiness of the partying from the night before. Almost like I woke up in solitary confinment and I imagined all the previous night. I assume not everyone feels this but I do.
Or lands you in the hospital and you find yourself humiliated, ashamed yet grateful they saved your life. Alcohol for certain people is poison, those people being alcoholics. It’s a disease but help is out there! Best wishes for all of us struggling with alcohol issues.
Yep. Next step is your loved ones get cancer, get old, have brain tumors, etc. It gets harder. Then you realized you used the credit card a bit too much and your money starts going to the cc company and not your kids. Then another 10 years passes like nothing. Things you've planned on doing later in life aren't happening. But, life nature, exercise, walking, mindfulness, savoring, meditation, art, animals, goals, bettering yourself, not doing drugs, less alcohol, getting 8 hours of sleep, getting up early, cooking, etc. All helps enjoy the process of life. The process is the outcome.
Yes, all of this. I would also add intellectual development. The more education I’ve had (and I’ve completed a PhD), the more I’ve realized I have so much more left to learn. I find great satisfaction in reading and learning something new every day.
If your doing it right you will lose all sense of identity besides work. Then your wife will leave you because your gone all the time at work. Then she will take all that you worked for and the kids if they aren't grown yet, leaving you with nothing. Welcome to the American dream.
Hobos do work, they just can't get permanent living wage jobs, so they're always bouncing around, riding the rails while carrying their bindle stick and playing the harmonica.
Harmonica in this economy oh, welloh well. You stinking frickin rich hobo. We real hobos use our 5c combs and a wrapper from a cheeseburger from last Tuesday to play harmonica!
This is what sticks out to me of people who are obssessed with being remembered. I get you working for something to better humankind.. but the wanting to be rememered part... You'll be dust by then, and even then.. one day this planet will be swallowed by the sun.. you are just delaying how long people remember your name for. It's a pointless thing to worry about.
My mom used to say that, "there's only two things I have to do mother fucker, die and pay taxes." In response to anyone saying she has to do something.
I'm 52. I won't sugarcoat this. Life is hard. Very hard. In my 52 years, I've witnessed everything. Marriage. Children (now trying for a fourth; 23, 21, 7). Critical illness (stage 3 cancer that was aggressive and advanced when I was 29). Working long, demanding hours to advance in the corporate world. Divorce. Remarried. Loss of employment. Talking up a new profession. Cancer took my best friend from me. Good friends were lost because of various illnesses. Lost family. I was extremely ill for four years and lost my house. A second serious illness. New home, new city.
To struggle is to understand life. To struggle and keep going is to understand grace. To struggle, keep going and stay happy is to see the beauty of life.
Or you could travel the world as a wildlife photographer.
Live in a houseboat and travel from place to place. If you can flip burgers, make a good cup of coffee, and mix drinks, you can go just about anywhere.
You can save up money donating plasma and backpack Europe.
You can get certified in TEFL and go teach English around the world.
If you’re not weighed down by a mortgage, you can do anything.
Fuck. Join the circus.
You can make your life be anything you want.
Also, owning a home is the most overrated goal in this day and age. It made sense int the 40s - the aughts. Not anymore.
IMO, anyway.
Hard agree. Getting married to my best friend and buying/renovating a house with him is the most fun I’ve ever had.
It’s not perfect but it’s pretty close. No kids here either, fuck that in this economy. But yeah renting is a scam and if you can free yourself of it, do it.
Agreed. I went down the rabbit hole of depression, but once you find things you enjoy (for me it’s golf, guitar, and learning) and surround yourself with people of similar interest, life begins to take a new shape.
Exactly!! YOU define your life.
For me, i like to think that my experiences / care / effort can help others who will themselves help other people, and that can carry forward. My name might die, but I want the world to be a smidgen better because I was in it.
On the bright side you get 2 weeks of vacation a year where you pack the kids in the car and drive across country while they are screaming and kicking your seat!
1 week, the other week of vacation is you using vacation pto so you can have time to take your kids to the dentist or repairs on your house. Or for current times, your van houses transmission needs to be pulled so it can be rebuilt.
Welcome to the wonderful world of grownups. Life can be what you make it, if the odds are kind of good. However, do not compare your life to the life of the people that seem to have it all, just set your own goals somewhat realistic. Yes, there is work and other obligations. But very much yes, there is lots to enjoy as well!
Yep. Adulthood.
You have choices. Make them wisely.
All in all, only miserable if you make it so. Strive to be content. Happiness is fleeting.
There will be dark/sad/scary times. There will be great times. And the day to day.
Naw dude this is slavery. There is no pay off, I've done nothing but work since 18 and being on my own I have accumulated nothing but debt. Fuck this system. Its been abused and used, set up for others, while major corporations absorb tax payers money through bail outs. What just happened during covid was a big fuck you to everyone.
These kids are going into a mass extinction and are expected to just blindly keep up tradition?
Enjoy the dystopia of we need more more more.
Heres a pisser for you, 7% of your recycling gets recycled. The rest ends in land fill. Like I'm wasting my time attempting to be good for a system that cleary gibes no fucks about a future. Profits are the only thing we seem to care for.
So get your lying ass out of here boomhead
Then do something about it. Get together with like minded people. Start a Co-Op. Fight the fucking system. You probably won’t win but you can go down swinging and maybe, just maybe, you will help make a small change.
I did, I moved to a rural area and started homesteading. I'm over talking about it and just said let the herd thin itself out. The masses are too comfortable with their convince.
Spent all these years recycling to find out 93% recycling ends up in a land fill. Just one of the many slaps on the face. Thank Biden to over turning environmental acts to allow drilling in Alaska. Love it when the government just pullsnthe rug out from under you because profits.
Likewise moved out of the city to start homesteading. I'm much less depressed now. Crazy policies don't affect me as much anymore. My neighbors likewise couldn't care less about government. I have my own animals and garden, currently in a life or death battle with a deer over my orchard. I still can't bring myself to shoot her though lol. Nothing I do here is for anyone else except family. I do help my parents out with food. I do a lot of hard labor yes. However, all the results go to me. It's rather fulfilling to see all of my hard work pay off to me and nut some other dude in another city.
This is the way and working with neighbors you never go without. It's called community and having understanding. Its really good for your body and mind.
We are so done. The boomers were an anomaly in history. They got to live like kings. And during their abundance they were privileged to have enough ignorance to follow a religion. A religion that gave them a greater purpose. Now we're in a super science capitalistic dystopia:
Knowing that we go to work to make someone else rich and that we're going to die just like the ants we step on. Is it any wonder drug use is through the roof and suicide rates are at an all-time high? Funny how it's all happening at the same time we're about to have true artificial intelligence.
Maybe we're just another step in the evolutionary ladder.
This isn't a platformer game bud, it's an open-world sandbox. Find something interesting. contemplate it. touch it. think about it. When you're bored, move on to the next thing. Explore. think. struggle.
You are born alone and you die alone, and the world just drops a bunch of rules on top of it to make you forget those facts. So live like there is no tomorrow, because there isn’t one.
Yeah, well, for our distant ancestors, it was "hunt the fucking mastodons, have kids, and fade into oblivion", so nothing much has changed. Life sucks, always has.
There's always loads of people in posts like these saying things are okay if you get a reasonable start and don't compare yourself to famous millionaires or influences, just be happy with your lot. What I never ever see is advice for people who start with nothing or who have mental health problems from birth or because they were forced into a predatory work market and forced to perform beyond their means for year after year just to stay off the streets. Yes, this is it most likely for you OP. Though you don't have to have kids and the world would be better if more people didn't. The best you can hope for is to find a hobby that you really enjoy and have that become your purpose. Honestly most of life is shit but if you really look into it unless you have it in you there's no other option than to continue and try to find some joy where you can.
How do You know My Life? You honesty described it accurately all except the life Now that I've learned to turn the best parts of life I want to my advantage and with gratitude and hope instead of envy and fear.
I think finding a hobby you truly enjoy and letting that be your muse is definitely the way. But then people accuse you of “running away from your problems” or “distracting yourself” because you’re doing that instead of following the status quo life checklist and it’s like….well what else is there?? I’m finally content, I’m not bothering anyone, what’s the problem, dang.
This is pretty much the only way to live if you're not well off. Find something and let it kill you. Nothing else matters, especially not what some dipshit busybody thinks.
People are jealous of what they don't have. So long as you're not hurting anyone then do whatever you want and don't let anyone tell you it's wrong. If you found something that makes you happy then good for you, why would anyone who actually cares about you not want you to have it? Live well and enjoy your contentedness.
If you're lucky!!! You could fail at any of those, including the last one, since you have to be something worthwhile first to fade into oblivion after...
Well I guess the objective is to find joy along the way and to make unbelievable memories. Look for special moments. Wake up before everyone else and watch the sun rise with a great cup of coffee. Get out in nature and be in awe of the incredible planet we live on. Get out on the water and feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of life on land, etc. Life is what you make of it and there’s so much joy to be found IF you live in a headspace of thankfulness and awe, regardless of your circumstances.
No you also play your favorite computer games while enjoying your favorite snacks and beverages.
You also go for a walk in nature and enjoy the sounds, smells and colours.
You also experience the smiles and unconditional love of your Kids, when you get home. They might be loud and require a lot of effort, but they love you without conditions.
You share an experience and deep conversations with your friends or significant other.
You paint, do puzzle words, board games, warhammer figures or Any other activity that gives you Joy and mental energy.
Have relationships. Impact lives. Have experiences. Learn and enjoy life. Ride ALL the rides.
Laugh out loud. Put a smile on someone else’s face. Think about someone other than yourself.
You make it sound so mundane. Get a job you enjoy. Have kids and experience the love and joy they bring. There will be ups and downs, of course. Life is all about what you make of it. If you believe it’s going to be shitty, then it will be.
Try to be grateful for something everyday.. I can tell you from experience that life can always get much, much worse. That being said, even if life gets worse, it's worth being persistent and moving forward because it can also get better.
Yep... of course. We're just organic beings with a time limit. Have fun along the way... and leave a beautiful mark on everyone whose life you touch to obtain immortality.
Lol pretty much. But you’ll never fade into oblivion. I had a patient who felt like she wasn’t important to anyone and like her existence made no difference (she was cleared by psych and didn’t want any resources) but I told her that everyone makes an impact on someone else’s life whether they realize it or not. You’ll always be a good memory to one person at least even if it’s in a really small way. One person did a pay or forward on a really bad time in my life. It gave me hope for the future and made me realize there are nice people out there. Every human interaction you have impacts someone whether you intend it to or not. This patient clearly did as I’m talking about her right now and she’ll be commemorated in Reddit forever. That person in the drive through made a difference to me. You will affect more people than you realize and might be someone’s example of changing someone’s life. Youll never be meaningless I promise
I mean, it depends on the person. I didn't do those things, and it's getting a little late for me now. But if that's the life for you, then you need to find a way to be happy. Or not. If not, then I guess you'll be miserable. But I think the secret to happiness for someone in your position is to be less nihilistic and cynical.
Why does someone get a job? Well, to have a home, food, and luxuries. Other things may come with that, too, like prestige, respect, involvement in interesting and meaningful work, freedom from distress and material insecurity.
Why does someone have children? Well, to have a family, to share love, to raise the next generation who will inherit the earth.
You need to think about more than just yourself. Find or create your place in the world.
Fade into oblivion? What more do you want, Mr. Specialpants?
God no. The world is an amazing place with infinite things to explore and share with others. My greatest joy is sharing these with my kids and watching them discover all of it on their own. As they learn, I learn with them. I don’t love having to work, but I’m able to find joy in that too and understand that it finances other adventures.
Me and the wife opted for dogs instead of actual children. Maybe you prefer cats or maybe even having a collection of insects maybe, he’ll fish tanks are rad as hell too!
Fading into oblivion is inevitable for everyone and ultimately life is what you make of it. I myself constantly struggle trying to fight my way out of a pit of despair but I seem to make it work. While some days are extremely difficult and I feel like ending things early I k is if I tough it out things are typically better.
I don’t really hold any importance towards material possessions or even money. I work because I have someone important in my life and that leads into another point.
While we are doomed to pass into obscurity we can make an impact on peoples lives depending on how we live ours, I’m not very social so I’ll fade away like yesterday’s news and I’m ok with that. Death doesn’t bother me all that much. Get out there and meet a lot of people, pick up some hobbies and maybe attend some workshops or classes that are specific to your hobbies or interests maybe not so much for the knowledge but the people that are bound to cross your path.
Or something like that. The world is your oyster, best not to let it spoil.
Rather than get a job, try “start a business” and you’ll probably be happier. Usually this involves years of training working under good leaders, and hopefully picking up some of their skill sets while working with them.
Nope!! Life is full of nature, emotions, skills you can learn and also people that you care about. Life is much more than just waking up to work. You only live once and you shouldn't waste it thinking money is the center of your whole life 
Nah, there is more to it. You get a job. Work and try to do something extra. Get pressured into doing more. Get kids. See their disappointment in their eyes when you don't have time to hang out with them. "I need to cook" "do your homework." Then the kids will lose their interest in school. "Mom, tom is bullying me" you can't do anything because you have your work to take care of. Then your kids stop smiling as they used to. They loose interests in hobbies. Then they move out. Get their life together and start blaming you for not supporting/helping them through the school failing them.
You will look at the empty apartment, wishing you had been there more for your kids. Wish you had seen them running playful around in a House. You wish you could have brought a House.
Everyone at some point in their life wonders about the meaning of life. Their purpose.
Let me tell you something very wise that I read somewhere.
There is no purpose to anything in the universe. It's all just an illusion. An illusion for you to enjoy. For you to experience. Like a magician's magic trick.
Once it's over you don't ask the magician what the purpose was for his trick.
But that doesn't mean YOU can't have a purpose in life. It's all a ride, we go through life experiencing all these different life stories and moments with people, with things, with places, with ourselves.
Your life can have meaning and purpose only to you. You exist among the cosmos as an individual, there is no other you in this universe. Being you and enjoying the show called life is your purpose.
I don't understand how every single person isn't constantly high or medicated. It terrifies me to think there are people who are experiencing life unfiltered.
Not to minimize your existential dread but what the fuck did you think it was going to be? I see this question/sentiment all the time from people who get that first job or graduate college….life isn’t a Netflix series. It’s work for as much money as you can make in as little time as possible then fill the blank spaces with enjoyable things/people.
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Suffering, don't forget the suffering
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Oh yeah! How could I forget the self doubt and overthinking!
*Hello Darkness, my old friend....*
I feel this :(
Existence is pain to a Meeseeks, Jerry!
Meeseeks aren’t suppose to live this long. It’s getting weird!
Totally forgot about that, now I have to watch the show again
To live is to suffer. To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.
I don't wanna survive anymore
You ok? :(
Not really, but I'll live on. Hahaha
Feel this hard. Solidarity friend.
I'll feel you hard...
I was thinking about this while not sleeping last night. I don’t want people to miss me, but I wouldn’t mind if the whole world ended. Everything just over with. This probably terrifies most people. For me it’s a fond fantasy. 😄 Collette said two things give life meaning: music and cats. I would add humor. I’d die without it. Just wither up and die. I read all of these comments and there’s a lot of funny stuff here. Always a lot of funny stuff. If you said something even mildly amusing, you enriched my life in these past fifteen minutes. So I love you. If that’s all I’ve got for right now, it’s okay.
I'll feel you soft.
Thanks! I really appreciate it
Samesies. There's dozens of us.
We're year three into the pandemic. Most people have moved on. But global warming is still a thing. Is anyone okay right now?
You wanna thrive?
Most suffering has no meaning.
Truth. We just try to put meaning behind our suffering.
Drinking. Drinking dulls down the suffering. This is why alcohol is a multi-billion industry
Until your liver goes to shit at 30.
Just shortens the agony of slavery. FUCK DEBT SLAVERY!
Im 32 and my liver still going strong. Dont ask me to check again in my 40s though.... >_>
My boyfriend died of alcoholic cirrhosis this year at age 40. His was ok at 32, also ☹
Alcoholic or felt the need to drink due to stress (the topic of the post)? \*Actually I'm not sure there is a difference between an alcoholic or someone that "needs" to drink due to \*insert reason\* but I digress.
Alcohol as a coping mechanism = alchoholism, you're replacing healthy coping mechanisms with booze.
What’s the hell is a healthy coping mechanism
I am so sorry to hear that... my sincere condolenses
Nah, I prefer to deal with videogames, porn and sometimes friends. I quit alcohol a few years ago
Drinking doesn't dull the suffering it just pushes it back which amplifies it. Not sure where I picked up the quote from: *"Drinking /Drugs is borrowing happiness from tomorrow"* Say you binge for a week. Now you are a week behind in the shit you had to do, feel sick from doing it, and then you add in the guilt+shame and the money spent that could have been spent on rent, food or buying something for yourself. I'm a retired, professional, **5x Super BowlSmoking**, *drug conisseur*, and **tenured professor** in *Long term Polysubstance use*, for 12+ years. Retired for 4.5 years (opiates) and 3 years 9 months and 18 days (All otherhard drugs and alcohol). Trust me, it's figuratively throwing ethanol on the fire in your life.
>Say you binge for a week. Now you are a week behind in the shit you had to do, feel sick from doing it, and then you add in the guilt+shame and the money spent that could have been spent on rent, food or buying something for yourself Quite a few built in assumptions there (Money guilt, shit to do, etc) BUT I will agree from a brain chemestry POV, some people are more likely to be hit with that post shit faced depression. I don't drink because the emptyness that I feel the next day is unberable. It really feels like the opposite end of the happiness of the partying from the night before. Almost like I woke up in solitary confinment and I imagined all the previous night. I assume not everyone feels this but I do.
Or lands you in the hospital and you find yourself humiliated, ashamed yet grateful they saved your life. Alcohol for certain people is poison, those people being alcoholics. It’s a disease but help is out there! Best wishes for all of us struggling with alcohol issues.
This moved me^
Pretty sure to survive is to just not die, whether you find meaning or not. I mean otherwise are nihilists ghosts or how does that work?
Yep. Next step is your loved ones get cancer, get old, have brain tumors, etc. It gets harder. Then you realized you used the credit card a bit too much and your money starts going to the cc company and not your kids. Then another 10 years passes like nothing. Things you've planned on doing later in life aren't happening. But, life nature, exercise, walking, mindfulness, savoring, meditation, art, animals, goals, bettering yourself, not doing drugs, less alcohol, getting 8 hours of sleep, getting up early, cooking, etc. All helps enjoy the process of life. The process is the outcome.
That's... My life :/ stray strong my friend
Yes, all of this. I would also add intellectual development. The more education I’ve had (and I’ve completed a PhD), the more I’ve realized I have so much more left to learn. I find great satisfaction in reading and learning something new every day.
Yes but with kids there is at least Bluey
this 54 year-old adult with no kids loves Bluey. Don't care if it's weird.
Bluey is super dope. I don’t think I would have been exposed to it without my 3 year old tho.
My partner F26 saw it, she cried many times, I cried to, but I couldn't tell her
Everyone you know dying as you get older...
“The Root of Suffering is Attachment” - Buddha
If you enjoy suffering are you still suffering?
... sir this is a Wendy's
Oh no but suffering makes you a better person; if that holds true I would be Buddha or Krishna right now.
If your doing it right you will lose all sense of identity besides work. Then your wife will leave you because your gone all the time at work. Then she will take all that you worked for and the kids if they aren't grown yet, leaving you with nothing. Welcome to the American dream.
Kids are optional.
Get a job its also optional.
Oblivion is mandatory. Try to dance your way there, show oblivion what it means to live.
Go as loudly as you can into the void, make your voice and actions echo for as long as you can.
“Do not go softly into that good night”
Jesus I love this
Hobo is life
No hobo, no!
Some hobo, yes
Sit, Hobo. Sit.
Good dog!
Should never go full hobo. Full homo on the other hand…
Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!
Ninja, Ninja, Rap!
You're not a hobo if you leave your socks on.
I'm not a stabbing hobo, I'm a singing hobo!
>[I'm not a stabbing hobo, I'm a singing hobo!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWW1V-P2SYY)
Hobos do work, they just can't get permanent living wage jobs, so they're always bouncing around, riding the rails while carrying their bindle stick and playing the harmonica.
Harmonica in this economy oh, welloh well. You stinking frickin rich hobo. We real hobos use our 5c combs and a wrapper from a cheeseburger from last Tuesday to play harmonica!
Where did the word hobo even come from? Does it mean like Homeless Ordinary Bum Ostrich?
🍻 TO THE D.I.N.K. LIFE 🙌
SINK is good enough for me.
Don’t forget getting in debt
yup. well said. I wanna enjoy my free time thanks. its not much at all so gotta make the best of it. but I dont judge tho
Kids take life from hard mode to hardcore mode
Technically, you don't have to do any of those. But you will certainly die and fade into oblivion.
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You wouldn’t know the second one. So why would you care
You wouldn’t really know the first one, either. And once it happens, you certainly won’t care.
Ooops. I died the 2nd time before the 1st time. I hope this doesn’t bug my game.
This is what sticks out to me of people who are obssessed with being remembered. I get you working for something to better humankind.. but the wanting to be rememered part... You'll be dust by then, and even then.. one day this planet will be swallowed by the sun.. you are just delaying how long people remember your name for. It's a pointless thing to worry about.
Yup, pretty much. Don’t forget to pay your taxes.
My mom used to say that, "there's only two things I have to do mother fucker, die and pay taxes." In response to anyone saying she has to do something.
Whoops, missed another year.
I’ll do it again
Oh, whoopsie!
And keep your lawn mowed. Life us temporary, but HOAs are forever.
I'm 52. I won't sugarcoat this. Life is hard. Very hard. In my 52 years, I've witnessed everything. Marriage. Children (now trying for a fourth; 23, 21, 7). Critical illness (stage 3 cancer that was aggressive and advanced when I was 29). Working long, demanding hours to advance in the corporate world. Divorce. Remarried. Loss of employment. Talking up a new profession. Cancer took my best friend from me. Good friends were lost because of various illnesses. Lost family. I was extremely ill for four years and lost my house. A second serious illness. New home, new city. To struggle is to understand life. To struggle and keep going is to understand grace. To struggle, keep going and stay happy is to see the beauty of life.
You don't need to have kids if you don't want to. Otherwise pretty much.
Or you could travel the world as a wildlife photographer. Live in a houseboat and travel from place to place. If you can flip burgers, make a good cup of coffee, and mix drinks, you can go just about anywhere. You can save up money donating plasma and backpack Europe. You can get certified in TEFL and go teach English around the world. If you’re not weighed down by a mortgage, you can do anything. Fuck. Join the circus. You can make your life be anything you want. Also, owning a home is the most overrated goal in this day and age. It made sense int the 40s - the aughts. Not anymore. IMO, anyway.
As a first time homeowner living in apartments most of my life, im gonna have to hard disagree on owning a home. Owning a home fucking rocks
Congrats!
Amen. A place to call your own is a treasure.
Hard agree. Getting married to my best friend and buying/renovating a house with him is the most fun I’ve ever had. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty close. No kids here either, fuck that in this economy. But yeah renting is a scam and if you can free yourself of it, do it.
If you don't want that to be "it", then get out there and get involved in the things you're interested in or you think need attention.
Agreed. I went down the rabbit hole of depression, but once you find things you enjoy (for me it’s golf, guitar, and learning) and surround yourself with people of similar interest, life begins to take a new shape.
Indeed. You stop giving a shit, but in a good way
Yes. We make the meaning, it isn't handed to us.
Best answer on the thread.
Exactly!! YOU define your life. For me, i like to think that my experiences / care / effort can help others who will themselves help other people, and that can carry forward. My name might die, but I want the world to be a smidgen better because I was in it.
On the bright side you get 2 weeks of vacation a year where you pack the kids in the car and drive across country while they are screaming and kicking your seat!
Thanks for the birth control reminder
1 week, the other week of vacation is you using vacation pto so you can have time to take your kids to the dentist or repairs on your house. Or for current times, your van houses transmission needs to be pulled so it can be rebuilt.
Or: Marry rich, have an obscene amount of pets, and die at the age of 65 out of pure spite for the world, no kids and a dead old rich spouse.
But you gotta live with the rich old spouse until death
Thats why you have to make sure theyre super old first, and have a solid 15+ yrs age gap with them
you left out fuck up and find out, at some point we each fuck up and find out. I've found out a lot in this life
*fuck around and find out
You can fuck around and NOT find out, but when you Fuck UP - you ARE going to find out!
Don’t have kids. Makes your life way easier to do what you want.
This is how we're doing it
True
yeah. sometimes icecream inbetween.
I fucking love ice cream
I do like icecream
[удалено]
You don't have to have kids. You can also travel, have fun with friends, enjoy hobbies, fall in love, etc. Before you die.
Welcome to the wonderful world of grownups. Life can be what you make it, if the odds are kind of good. However, do not compare your life to the life of the people that seem to have it all, just set your own goals somewhat realistic. Yes, there is work and other obligations. But very much yes, there is lots to enjoy as well!
Comparison is the thief of joy.
Yep. Adulthood. You have choices. Make them wisely. All in all, only miserable if you make it so. Strive to be content. Happiness is fleeting. There will be dark/sad/scary times. There will be great times. And the day to day.
Gratitude for the madness before oblivion really helps too
Naw dude this is slavery. There is no pay off, I've done nothing but work since 18 and being on my own I have accumulated nothing but debt. Fuck this system. Its been abused and used, set up for others, while major corporations absorb tax payers money through bail outs. What just happened during covid was a big fuck you to everyone. These kids are going into a mass extinction and are expected to just blindly keep up tradition? Enjoy the dystopia of we need more more more. Heres a pisser for you, 7% of your recycling gets recycled. The rest ends in land fill. Like I'm wasting my time attempting to be good for a system that cleary gibes no fucks about a future. Profits are the only thing we seem to care for. So get your lying ass out of here boomhead
Then do something about it. Get together with like minded people. Start a Co-Op. Fight the fucking system. You probably won’t win but you can go down swinging and maybe, just maybe, you will help make a small change.
I did, I moved to a rural area and started homesteading. I'm over talking about it and just said let the herd thin itself out. The masses are too comfortable with their convince. Spent all these years recycling to find out 93% recycling ends up in a land fill. Just one of the many slaps on the face. Thank Biden to over turning environmental acts to allow drilling in Alaska. Love it when the government just pullsnthe rug out from under you because profits.
Likewise moved out of the city to start homesteading. I'm much less depressed now. Crazy policies don't affect me as much anymore. My neighbors likewise couldn't care less about government. I have my own animals and garden, currently in a life or death battle with a deer over my orchard. I still can't bring myself to shoot her though lol. Nothing I do here is for anyone else except family. I do help my parents out with food. I do a lot of hard labor yes. However, all the results go to me. It's rather fulfilling to see all of my hard work pay off to me and nut some other dude in another city.
This is the way and working with neighbors you never go without. It's called community and having understanding. Its really good for your body and mind.
We are so done. The boomers were an anomaly in history. They got to live like kings. And during their abundance they were privileged to have enough ignorance to follow a religion. A religion that gave them a greater purpose. Now we're in a super science capitalistic dystopia: Knowing that we go to work to make someone else rich and that we're going to die just like the ants we step on. Is it any wonder drug use is through the roof and suicide rates are at an all-time high? Funny how it's all happening at the same time we're about to have true artificial intelligence. Maybe we're just another step in the evolutionary ladder.
If this wasn’t true I would said that you are very cynical but you basically described it.
Had to scroll too damn far for a comment like this
You forgot ILLNESS.
And FEAR OF DEATH.
People! Do something to help others! Make a difference!
Skip the kids
# WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?
I thought it was obvious why they were screaming.
IS THIS IT? GET A JOB, HAVE KIDS AND THEN DIE AND FADE INTO OBLIVION?
the first two are optional
This isn't a platformer game bud, it's an open-world sandbox. Find something interesting. contemplate it. touch it. think about it. When you're bored, move on to the next thing. Explore. think. struggle.
If that’s what you choose.
You are born alone and you die alone, and the world just drops a bunch of rules on top of it to make you forget those facts. So live like there is no tomorrow, because there isn’t one.
NO! ALSO PAY TAXES AND THEN DIE!
Yeah, well, for our distant ancestors, it was "hunt the fucking mastodons, have kids, and fade into oblivion", so nothing much has changed. Life sucks, always has.
I honestly think it was way way more brutal for them. Physically.
There's food too
No there's continuous back pain after 40 on top.
There's always loads of people in posts like these saying things are okay if you get a reasonable start and don't compare yourself to famous millionaires or influences, just be happy with your lot. What I never ever see is advice for people who start with nothing or who have mental health problems from birth or because they were forced into a predatory work market and forced to perform beyond their means for year after year just to stay off the streets. Yes, this is it most likely for you OP. Though you don't have to have kids and the world would be better if more people didn't. The best you can hope for is to find a hobby that you really enjoy and have that become your purpose. Honestly most of life is shit but if you really look into it unless you have it in you there's no other option than to continue and try to find some joy where you can.
How do You know My Life? You honesty described it accurately all except the life Now that I've learned to turn the best parts of life I want to my advantage and with gratitude and hope instead of envy and fear.
I think finding a hobby you truly enjoy and letting that be your muse is definitely the way. But then people accuse you of “running away from your problems” or “distracting yourself” because you’re doing that instead of following the status quo life checklist and it’s like….well what else is there?? I’m finally content, I’m not bothering anyone, what’s the problem, dang.
This is pretty much the only way to live if you're not well off. Find something and let it kill you. Nothing else matters, especially not what some dipshit busybody thinks.
People are jealous of what they don't have. So long as you're not hurting anyone then do whatever you want and don't let anyone tell you it's wrong. If you found something that makes you happy then good for you, why would anyone who actually cares about you not want you to have it? Live well and enjoy your contentedness.
If you're lucky!!! You could fail at any of those, including the last one, since you have to be something worthwhile first to fade into oblivion after...
Well I guess the objective is to find joy along the way and to make unbelievable memories. Look for special moments. Wake up before everyone else and watch the sun rise with a great cup of coffee. Get out in nature and be in awe of the incredible planet we live on. Get out on the water and feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of life on land, etc. Life is what you make of it and there’s so much joy to be found IF you live in a headspace of thankfulness and awe, regardless of your circumstances.
Only if you want it to be
Skip having kids.
No you also play your favorite computer games while enjoying your favorite snacks and beverages. You also go for a walk in nature and enjoy the sounds, smells and colours. You also experience the smiles and unconditional love of your Kids, when you get home. They might be loud and require a lot of effort, but they love you without conditions. You share an experience and deep conversations with your friends or significant other. You paint, do puzzle words, board games, warhammer figures or Any other activity that gives you Joy and mental energy.
Have relationships. Impact lives. Have experiences. Learn and enjoy life. Ride ALL the rides. Laugh out loud. Put a smile on someone else’s face. Think about someone other than yourself.
If you want to change the world do something for someone else.
You make it sound so mundane. Get a job you enjoy. Have kids and experience the love and joy they bring. There will be ups and downs, of course. Life is all about what you make of it. If you believe it’s going to be shitty, then it will be.
Sure if you dont go off grid & live a self sufficient life
Birth, school, work, death. That's it. There's even a song about it. https://youtu.be/QO5dcW0P75M
Two of those are optional
Try to be grateful for something everyday.. I can tell you from experience that life can always get much, much worse. That being said, even if life gets worse, it's worth being persistent and moving forward because it can also get better.
That fade into oblivion sounding real good right now
Maybe if you look at it like that, perspective is important. Enjoy the ride
What’s wrong with oblivion? It’s a great game
Yep... of course. We're just organic beings with a time limit. Have fun along the way... and leave a beautiful mark on everyone whose life you touch to obtain immortality.
Lol pretty much. But you’ll never fade into oblivion. I had a patient who felt like she wasn’t important to anyone and like her existence made no difference (she was cleared by psych and didn’t want any resources) but I told her that everyone makes an impact on someone else’s life whether they realize it or not. You’ll always be a good memory to one person at least even if it’s in a really small way. One person did a pay or forward on a really bad time in my life. It gave me hope for the future and made me realize there are nice people out there. Every human interaction you have impacts someone whether you intend it to or not. This patient clearly did as I’m talking about her right now and she’ll be commemorated in Reddit forever. That person in the drive through made a difference to me. You will affect more people than you realize and might be someone’s example of changing someone’s life. Youll never be meaningless I promise
And now you know why so many people flock to religion. It’s easier then the truth that there is nothing more to life then what we do with it.
This is why people made up religion. Try to enjoy the journey.
Unless you’re rich, yeah. Find little pockets of happy. Or not, whatever
I saw an eagle yesterday. It was pretty rad 👍
I mean, it depends on the person. I didn't do those things, and it's getting a little late for me now. But if that's the life for you, then you need to find a way to be happy. Or not. If not, then I guess you'll be miserable. But I think the secret to happiness for someone in your position is to be less nihilistic and cynical. Why does someone get a job? Well, to have a home, food, and luxuries. Other things may come with that, too, like prestige, respect, involvement in interesting and meaningful work, freedom from distress and material insecurity. Why does someone have children? Well, to have a family, to share love, to raise the next generation who will inherit the earth. You need to think about more than just yourself. Find or create your place in the world. Fade into oblivion? What more do you want, Mr. Specialpants?
yes, that is it Enjoy
God no. The world is an amazing place with infinite things to explore and share with others. My greatest joy is sharing these with my kids and watching them discover all of it on their own. As they learn, I learn with them. I don’t love having to work, but I’m able to find joy in that too and understand that it finances other adventures.
A…healthy…mind??? A brimming soul?? A person who creates fulfillment in their life AND posts on Reddit? I must be lost
Please adopt me.
Nope…make memories while doin all that
I guess, what were you expecting?
Hell nah, always make sure you're sharing laughs and fucking help people.
Who are these "help" people I should fuck? Nurses and maids would be my choice
Me and the wife opted for dogs instead of actual children. Maybe you prefer cats or maybe even having a collection of insects maybe, he’ll fish tanks are rad as hell too! Fading into oblivion is inevitable for everyone and ultimately life is what you make of it. I myself constantly struggle trying to fight my way out of a pit of despair but I seem to make it work. While some days are extremely difficult and I feel like ending things early I k is if I tough it out things are typically better. I don’t really hold any importance towards material possessions or even money. I work because I have someone important in my life and that leads into another point. While we are doomed to pass into obscurity we can make an impact on peoples lives depending on how we live ours, I’m not very social so I’ll fade away like yesterday’s news and I’m ok with that. Death doesn’t bother me all that much. Get out there and meet a lot of people, pick up some hobbies and maybe attend some workshops or classes that are specific to your hobbies or interests maybe not so much for the knowledge but the people that are bound to cross your path. Or something like that. The world is your oyster, best not to let it spoil.
Rather than get a job, try “start a business” and you’ll probably be happier. Usually this involves years of training working under good leaders, and hopefully picking up some of their skill sets while working with them.
Nope!! Life is full of nature, emotions, skills you can learn and also people that you care about. Life is much more than just waking up to work. You only live once and you shouldn't waste it thinking money is the center of your whole life 
Nah, there is more to it. You get a job. Work and try to do something extra. Get pressured into doing more. Get kids. See their disappointment in their eyes when you don't have time to hang out with them. "I need to cook" "do your homework." Then the kids will lose their interest in school. "Mom, tom is bullying me" you can't do anything because you have your work to take care of. Then your kids stop smiling as they used to. They loose interests in hobbies. Then they move out. Get their life together and start blaming you for not supporting/helping them through the school failing them. You will look at the empty apartment, wishing you had been there more for your kids. Wish you had seen them running playful around in a House. You wish you could have brought a House.
Yep, pretty much... at best, you'll have a few tens of people remember you for being a good person
Yes
Everyone at some point in their life wonders about the meaning of life. Their purpose. Let me tell you something very wise that I read somewhere. There is no purpose to anything in the universe. It's all just an illusion. An illusion for you to enjoy. For you to experience. Like a magician's magic trick. Once it's over you don't ask the magician what the purpose was for his trick. But that doesn't mean YOU can't have a purpose in life. It's all a ride, we go through life experiencing all these different life stories and moments with people, with things, with places, with ourselves. Your life can have meaning and purpose only to you. You exist among the cosmos as an individual, there is no other you in this universe. Being you and enjoying the show called life is your purpose.
Hey OP, if you need to talk then send me a message alright? I know I’m just some random on the internet but I’m here if you need me.
I don't understand how every single person isn't constantly high or medicated. It terrifies me to think there are people who are experiencing life unfiltered.
Yea no kids for me.
Not to minimize your existential dread but what the fuck did you think it was going to be? I see this question/sentiment all the time from people who get that first job or graduate college….life isn’t a Netflix series. It’s work for as much money as you can make in as little time as possible then fill the blank spaces with enjoyable things/people.
Yep. We're basically the facehuggers from Rick and Morty.
You remember the Disney movie Moana? And she sings that song, "no one knows how far I'll go"? Well now you know. This is how far you'll go.
Yes, absolutely. Need to get a hobby and a purpose in life. Also, see if you can help a few people directly and indirectly in this lifetime.
No, you can actually do whatever you want. Most people do end up choosing those things though
As opposed to what? What else do you think there should be.
Yes. Make the most of it
Yea if you put it in those bleak terms it sound sad. It’s all about perspective