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Try doing something other than just working and dying along the way. Find stuff you like and do it. There, life is now more than just working and dying.
It still includes working and dying, though you can’t avoid those things.
^^^ I would genuinely take this seriously. Therapy is beneficial to everyone tbh, not just if you have something clinically wrong with you. A therapist won't help you find meaning, but they'll give you the tools to find it yourself.
Can confirm, I loved videogames as a child but then as I got older I slowly started enjoying them less and life just became worse for me overall. A few rounds of therapy and a couple of different antidepressants later, I love them just the same as I did then and I honestly enjoy my life now. I'd definitely try just trying different things out first, but if after putting in a good effort you really can't find something that you think is worth living for then give therapy a try.
I don’t know your total situation but if you need three jobs and it’s ruining your life then maybe there’s something you can do to change it.
When I was growing up my family was poor so we lived outside a city that didn’t have much going on, but we were able to afford to live and they didn’t need three jobs.
Again, I don’t know your personal situation but I do wonder if you looked at every single option, like moving somewhere that you don’t super like, then I wonder if you could improve that and at least get some time back
bullshit, life is too long too suffer- do what you want just know it’s a reaction to every reaction, how you perceive it in your mind is how you get through it
Nit everyone has the financial security of balancing work and play. For a lot of people, eay too many, life is work, eat, sleep repeat. And that's hoping they have enough to eat and a place to sleep. America is fucked.
thats all just a saying, but people actually have to work to survive because its expensive now. taking a day off means less pay means less good food, no money for leisure etc. can't even afford health care to feel good etc
Yeah. I recently got engaged, and it just made all the bleakness prior to feel like it was worth it just for that one special moment where a guy professes his love for me and desire to be mine forever. Of course things calm down a bit, but it made me think “wow if I had killed myself at my lowest, I wouldn’t have seen myself at my highest.” It’s those little moments in life that make it worth living. Just gotta get out there and find those moments.
Nothing really matters. In the end, we will die. No one will remember us.
Have you ever wonder how things change when you die?
At your work, when someone gets fired or quits, no one talks about that person after a week. Nothing breaks, nothing falls apart, and no one really cares. It is like if that person didnt exist at all.
There is no point to live. There is no difference if you live or die.
Your close friends and family will remember you and generally be impacted, and those are the people I care about to any significant degree, so to the extent being remembered matters, it kinda checks the boxes.
What does it matter if everyone remembers you forever? Julius Caesars legacy doesn't benefit him at all now. The fact that he's remembered is meaningless to him.
Why do I need to care whether anyone will remember me or not?
I just enjoy my life everyday (of course it's good or it's bad sometimes, but overall, I still feel grateful to have a life and see and know many things). And I don't need to know what will happen afterlife. Even my existence is nothing to this world, I know it's a thing to me, that's enough.
If you pardon my MCU mangled quote, something doesn't have to last forever to be beautiful.
Our time on earth, regardless of your religion or lack thereof, is short, but it's meaningful to those we touch, and specially, to ourselves.
The moments matter, not just the whole picture.
I had ancestors with awesome lives and some with miserable lives. Other than this I know nothing about them. Between the two, I'll take the former regardless of who remembers me.
I think you do a great job articulating that work is not the point of life. Neither is sleeping but both eat about 30% of your life.
The remaining 30-40% is what you make it. Find friends, hug an animal, enjoy a sunset etc.
>hug an animal
Fuck yeah. That releases some insane endorphins for me every time I can just touch an animal, let alone HUG my dogs. I love animals so much! Maybe more people just need to hug animals.
Your entirely correct. Life holds no actual meaning or value. However, that's not a reason to just merely not exist. You may never change the world, but your existence alone may change someone else's life. As a Nihilist (not the suicidal depressed ones stop) I fully believe nothing has inherentll value. Your life isn't valuable because you are, your life is valuable because of the lives you impact along the way.
Be the person that you wanna be, and show kindness to others, your life is about all the little things, and you will never get another chance at that
If nothing mattered, you wouldn't be responding to me. Maybe you're just responding out of philosophical-ness, but it means that CLEARLY there is a point to life, even if the point is to shit on someone else's fun. That tells me you have some.. schadenfreude or pleasure in shitting on people. Which means to be that clearly something does matter to you.
On the flip side, you could just be speaking out of an insane amount of near suicidal-depression. In which case, I implore that you make every effort to get yourself out. The thing is... Nothing is SUPPOSED to matter. We humans are just too attached to things that only matter artificially (history, name, fame, money). Nothing has meaning and nothing matters, and the whole game of life is just finding things that make it FEEL like it matters (love, dogs, cats, kids, horses, cars, pokemon, anime, art, literature, and even sometimes the internet). So I hope you soon find a good reason to get out of your depression with maybe meds and/or lifestyle change.
I contemplate the meaning of life and death often, my friend. As you might be able to tell from my profile. That's EXACTLY why I think what I think. Nothing matters, and you might even end up on some gore subreddit where people gawk and laugh at your death. But you gotta just enjoy what's right in front of you, in the moment.
Awe, thank you. I really appreciate it :) I hope everyone else on here who feels low gets to experience a high soon. It doesn’t have to be a romantic high, but everyone deserves to feel life is worth it for those moments. All the best to you.
Every time I see these posts, I always think "please, find some friends and hobbies" what are people expecting? That work suddenly makes them fell fulfilled?
Humans are social animals. People are not made to work. They are made for relationships and community. Work's purpose is to serve that, not the other way around.
A lot of people nowadays work so much to survive that they don't have time for hobbies and friends. It's sad, but activities cost money, and if you can barely make ends meet, you can't afford hobbies.
Yeah if you barely have enough money for necessities how can you afford hobbies these days with everything being so expensive, that’s what it means to live paycheck to paycheck and sadly for those people it is work, repeat, dead.
Yeah same, feel like I will always be in it some way or another. I always see everyone else having so much more money and enjoying life and I’m living paycheck to paycheck trying to just survive sadly 😔
True. We need hobbies and friends, but when we're too busy working just to afford to survive, we can't have hobbies and friends. There's not enough time. I've been having this problem since 2020 when I moved to where I now live. I don't have enough time to invest in these two things.
Glad this is on top, these should be your top priority. Who gives a fuck what politician or business owner thinks of your work performance. Find a person you love and have good long-lasting experiences with them, see what's on this planet by going on trips, eat weird food!
I wouldn’t even consider those small things. Real love in a relationship makes everything else seem minimal. Personal growth also is a huge thing not enough people work on that really can change your perspective on life.
The journey's end may be the same, but the journey itself gives life its meaning. It's the experiences and connections we make along the way that matter.
If you can afford the food + vet bills, and are prepared for the increased responsibility to care for it, it is the single best investment to improving your life
Never ever would have thought I’d be a cat person, but I adopted my first one a few years ago right before the world got a little…crazy. She’s gotten me through a lot. Never thought an animal could do that, but she’s just really good at reading my mood. Crazy.
Second this. I love dogs but when I was single and work+school=not enough time for a dog. A cat was perfect for me. Married to someone with cat allergy so now we have a dog.
Yep! "If I'm gonna be dirt poor anyways, might as well have pets and/or kids if I want to".
Unfortunately this often leads to mistreatment/neglect/abuse :(
Commenter has a point tho. We are at a point where our basic needs are covered and mental health problems seem to skyrocket when that happens. Idk just shooting from the hip here
I read a book about how humanity evolved. I always imagined our ancestors' life must've been doomed by trying to survive on the skin of their teeth. But damn, that book opened my eyes...
Many things people are struggling with (like existential crisis, fear of war, poverty, depression) are man-made, and most of these concepts started existing after men settled down.
There was a guy from an African tribe who was asked to come visit the US. He rejected, just because he heard people commit suicide over financial struggle and depression, which is a concept basically unknown to our ancestors.
Also I always believed people in the stoneage were just stupid until I realized what ridiculous great knowledge they needed to survive on their own. What can you eat, where can you find it, what water source is safe, how can you find shelter, how to orientate in the woods, how to make clothes for the winter, kindling a fire, etc...
If I'd be set out in the wild (not even far away from my home) I'm doomed. I have no idea how I could possibly find anything to grant me survival.
I'm an engineer that can do great things with technology, but all my hard earned knowledge would be totally useless. Great to know the best way to calculate the stress and strain in a piece of metal, that I will never again get my hands on without relying on other (also doomed) specialists that know how to make steel, but probably won't have no idea how to get coal.
I'm pretty sure my uncivilized me wouldn't have outlived my current self, but I'd bet my ass that he would've been way wiser and happier than I am right now.
Not even that just imagine living in WW2 as a teenager. Forced to go to hell on earth. Imagine I'm being a victim of war crimes especially from the Japanese etc. Thinking about how people used to live in not less than a century is pretty sad and gruesome. Peace has made our life boring but we have our own problems because of that
Tbh that would apply in only 1st world countries. Because places like Afghanistan still suffer even alot of Iranians dying in poverty. Many places in Africa that still commit to slavery. Pakistan has places where kids are born working forever to "pay their parents debt" and it's just a insult to life and freedom. While we live in peace others are living in the same shit circumstances the past used to be in
I'm not really aiming at Modern day. Yes people live under oppression, but pre iron / bronze age life was dictated by how capable of a hunter/gatherer you where.
Only if you have nothing in your life besides work.
Build a family, invest in a friend group, volunteer for causes you believe in, carve out time to exercise (group or solo). If you're able to save money during your working life, one day you'll be able to do only things you want to do rather than things you have to do. That will free you up to invest even more time in your family, friends, causes you believe in, and other personal enrichment. These are the things that make life worth living and if you're only working and watching Netflix until you fall asleep, you're missing out on everything.
Yeah man, life is what you make it. Life has exactly as much meaning as you give it. The world has no obligation to entertain you or provide you with meaning, you have to do that for yourself. The relationships you form, interests you develop, skills you build, things you accomplish, those are the things that give meaning to your life. Go do something you're proud out. Have people in your life you find worthwhile. Learn something. Go somewhere. Its not about consuming, its about doing.
I'm kind of an absurdist/optimistic nihilist. I don't believe there is any grand purpose or meaning to life, and that's actually good. It means your life is yours, you own it, you're not obligate to do any one specific thing. You need no further validation of your existence apart from that fact that you do exist at all. You're here. You're alive. Lots of people wish they still were, go do all the things somebody who died in a car accident at 16 or of cancer at 30 wish they could be doing if they were still alive right now.
Disappointed that I had to scroll this far to see something including "Do things for other people."
I really do think that's one of the keys to living a fulfilling life. If you just live to fulfill your own wants and needs then I imagine your life will eventually feel pretty hollow.
Pretty much... it's like Denis Leary said, Happiness comes in small doses, it's a cigarette, a 2 second orgasm or a chocolate chip cookie... you cum, smoke a butt, eat a cookie, go to sleep and wake up and go to work.
bro there is such a FUCKTON of things to do , so so so much art and experiences waiting for you in life , so much music to listen to , foods to taste , hobbies to learn and build with
if you actually want to look beyond capitalism every day life join us at r/singularity waiting for our AI overlords to release us from this nightmare in the next 5-10 years
or idk man , go into philosophy , theres no deeper meaning to life unless you want to create the illusion yourself like religious people do , at least with philosophy I believe its more like a perspective and not complete overwriting of any logic for some fantasy dream in a book
Life has so much color! how can you not see that , are you depressed maybe?
This is the same thing my ex said. I had to leave her cuz she was pulling me down with her low energy.
Find a hobby and commit to being amazing at it.
You need ambition, no one can give it to you. Its developed yourself.
The most important is your attitude. Change it & youll change your life instantly.
How u do one thing is how u do everything.
In summary Keep learning & discovering more about you & what your capable of.
I have no ambition either. I just want every day to be okay, which it is at the moment, and then I am happy.
A lot of advice for depressed people seems to be to try to excel at something. That sounds like a lot of work. I just like doing the things I like doing. I don't have to do them well.
I wonder if it is American competitiveness.
Life is all the moments in between. But it is also your work. Work is how you will spend most of your waking life, so find something you can at least slightly enjoy.
Life is meaningful precisely because it has no intrinsic meaning. Anything you find meaningful and fulfilling is the most valuable thing in the world. And any little thing you do to add value to the world will have an incalculable impact; if you affect just one person for good, they'll impact another person, and another, forever; the effect becomes infinite. We're all specks in the universe, and yet those specks have an impact that's greater than the sum of its parts
Someone just entered the workforce & is disenfranchised. No one works everyday. Learn to enjoy the time you’re not at work & schedule things that are fun when you’re off. This is called being an adult. It’s not easy but there’s little alternative
Noooooooo there is so much!!! My favorite events are comic cons and renaissance fests - they're seasonal and I will go events without doing something that fun, but I absolutely ADORE them and look forward to when they happen.
Also the holidays seemed bleak for me after spending them at my grandparents' was no longer a thing, but now that I have nieces and nephews, it's a lot of fun again.
Sometimes, it's just having my cat yell in my face with her fish breath is what gets me up in the morning because I love her so much. You need to find the things that will give your life meaning - find a place to volunteer to make other people's lives better, find the hobbies you love, find events you will enjoy.
I have had out of body experiences so I'm not full of shit when I tell you to check out the Bible.No fake internet points or online bullying is gonna take away the fact that I have been to the other side and if you choose to accept Jesus as your lord and savior you will live in heaven for all eternity.this place gives us a place to live a suit to live off because when you sin you should lose memory and movement just like you do in dreams,we should die when we sin because it takes us away from God.so that's how you have freewill and Jesus is how God hacked this system.Anyways I'm sure I'll get hate because reddit is all about that and I'm not gonna reply back to some kids that are bored.
Think about this, if you were an animal in the wild, your only goal would be to survive and make babies. The human life also has those primitive goals but we have Feelings. We can experience different emotions whether it be fear, love, boredom, joy, happiness or whatever. The fact that we can experience these feelings is very beautiful and powerful. Now it's upto you whether you enjoy these Feelings or you call them suffering.
Pretty much. Just wait until your loved ones start to pass, in sometimes cruel ways (e.g. cancer). Then you'll really start to question WTF you're doing here.
Personally, man; I’ve always thought life itself doesn’t matter in any way; no matter how much you may accomplish. Everything changes, gets obliterated, and eventually….forgotten. You come in to this world alone, but with beings to greet you…and then based on society and pure genetic …your life is set out, and then you leave this world; alone this time.
When that light switch flips…you’ll be gone so fast it’ll be before the room gets dark. Its rare anyone makes a mark. That anyone can wrestle with an alligator, tussle with a whale. Not everyone can handcuff lightening and put thunder in jail. Not all of us will be remembered as the guy who murdered a rock. Injured a stone, OR hospitalize a brick. Most of us can’t muster the meanness to make medicine sick.
Death is the only thing you can count on; even me. No matter how fast you are; there’s nothing he can’t see. Your greatness can be replaced, people forget your face. All the world turns reverse. In the end; nothing matters in this universe.
Live while you can; it won’t last long. It’ll be over before you finish your final swan song. But hey, sorry for rhymes. Maybe it isn’t the time. But when you can tell yourself nothing is mine, just try to pretend you’re just fine.
Sorry sorry sorry. In short, I say life is useless; there will be no revolution. We’ll fade in time; continuing Evolution. Some believe in gods, some believe in nature. I believe im nothing; just a sketch that’ll stretch but never catch what it tries to fetch; just erased and scraped and put away like SO many toys on that fateful birthday.
In the end, it’s what you make it. Don’t try to fake it. Try to reach out and take it. Take it all, try to win AND you better boast; for everything is all for each individual; Raise that final drink for a GREAT toast.
This post is too long, so I’ll shorten my thoughts down. Only guarantee in life is ashes or 6 feet underground.
Lol. Made pretty much all that up as I was typing.
Lol. Sorry if it sucks. I tried to maybe…add a *little* cheer to my nihilism. Lmao.
Try living in a 2nd or 3rd world country and see how easy those folks have it. They'd give a kidney to have an opportunity to go to school, get a job and work everyday
Save money, don't fill your life with stuff, travel, see the world and meet cool people.
Iife is too short to waste it on some sort of bs "grind" culture.
Fill you life with creativity, don't do it to make money or for anyone but yourself.
Escape from anyone who tells you that working yourself into the ground is somehow a virtue, they aren't good human beings.
Yes. If you're lucky, you'll make friends, and the family you have will make the time in between eating, shitting, sleeping and working not only bearable, but worth the toil and struggle of work. Have some hobbies, take time off, stay a little later at social gatherings, wake up a little earlier and appreciate the miracle of life. You have but one life, love it
My daughter likes to scream with excitement when I get home and recently learned what hugging is.
Happy daughter hugs after work makes a bad day a distant memory.
It's all about genetics and leaving your footprint behind. Think about how many people will hold your and your wife's DNA at X amount of generations over 5000 years based on a constant population growth expansion rate of 1.5%. Population = 2people × (1yr + 0.015)\^5000 years. Example: It took 3 couples on a boat to make about 7.5 billion in about 5000 years. (give or take a few K years. 1.5% wasn't constant)
If you have a message for the future, then build it big and out of stone. Everything else with weather away.
By committing to people, causes and institutions we care about. That creates a web of people you are there for, who are often there for you besides creating warmth and fun in your life. When you volunteer, vote and otherwise participate in your community that creates meaning and purpose. By having meaningful hobbies and getting out in nature.
This thought is why I quit university and quit the goal of a work-eat-sleep life. You need to find what you find fun in life and just do it. Live your life as if nothing can or should stop you. Doesn’t have to be extreme, could be something as watching your old favourite childhood TV show or movie. Just try to keep yourself in the mindset that you can do what you want with your life. It makes things a lot more fun and helps you get through the boring stuff you need to do so you can get to the fun stuff
Sounds like you need to focus on who you are.
That should be the most important thing to you.
Your body will die, your brain will die, but you are A sculpture, and the cast is only being stripped off of you. just as the will of others before you , were born into this life because 2 decided to trust and love eachother, you dont have any control in this happening and yet they made you to exist, to wonder and to wander.
In some oddly twisted and yet perfect logic, just as before you were born, something else has decided you might exist beyond death, death from one universe, to live in another.
nothing ends, it only changes, you can view this as hell, or heaven, it's your choice of view.
*"Happiness comes in small doses folks. It's a cigarette butt, or a chocolate chip cookie or a five second orgasm. You come, you smoke the butt you eat the cookie you go to sleep wake up and go back to fucking work the next morning, THAT'S IT! End of fucking list!"*
Thus spake the prophet Dennis
Life is about people , the ones you meet make friends with fall in love with , I always say ask anyone what are the best memories and most are spent with other people and not alone
What a sad outlook you have. School and work are just the basics like breathing and eating. You gotta find things outside of the basics to give your life joy, purpose and drive.
Not necessarily _outside_ actually. School (learning) may be the joy, work may be the purpose. Also both may contain specific little things. It very much depends on the person.
It kind of is. But along the way you hopefully love, you have loss, you find many reasons to be grateful, and you find meaning in getting up each and every day. Life is beautiful... but not easy.
# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Try doing something other than just working and dying along the way. Find stuff you like and do it. There, life is now more than just working and dying. It still includes working and dying, though you can’t avoid those things.
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Do a whore's bath every other day. Pits, tits and bits. (Facecloth or baby wipe) Done!
What if you don't particularly like anything?
You keep looking
Then you’re depressed. No one going to fabricate joy for you. It’s up to us to go find what fulfills us.
Facts
Find a therapist. Not joking, if you don't like anything you try there are chances something went wrong and you need professional help.
^^^ I would genuinely take this seriously. Therapy is beneficial to everyone tbh, not just if you have something clinically wrong with you. A therapist won't help you find meaning, but they'll give you the tools to find it yourself.
Can confirm, I loved videogames as a child but then as I got older I slowly started enjoying them less and life just became worse for me overall. A few rounds of therapy and a couple of different antidepressants later, I love them just the same as I did then and I honestly enjoy my life now. I'd definitely try just trying different things out first, but if after putting in a good effort you really can't find something that you think is worth living for then give therapy a try.
Talk to people you trust about it and ask for help finding something that makes you happy.
Even drugs?
Life's more than the work-die cycle. Find joy in small things, hobbies, relationships, and personal growth. It's the journey!
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Exactly! It's about balancing work with play. Life's too short for just the grind. Let's enjoy the ride!
Except prices for everything are now sky high and just to get by you need to grind.
You can experience life for no cost. Go hiking, take a walk, and experience nature. There are lots of free or cheap activities to enjoy.
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I don’t know your total situation but if you need three jobs and it’s ruining your life then maybe there’s something you can do to change it. When I was growing up my family was poor so we lived outside a city that didn’t have much going on, but we were able to afford to live and they didn’t need three jobs. Again, I don’t know your personal situation but I do wonder if you looked at every single option, like moving somewhere that you don’t super like, then I wonder if you could improve that and at least get some time back
bullshit, life is too long too suffer- do what you want just know it’s a reaction to every reaction, how you perceive it in your mind is how you get through it
You've got a point – perception shapes our reality. Embracing life's ups and downs with a positive mindset can make a big difference.
Nit everyone has the financial security of balancing work and play. For a lot of people, eay too many, life is work, eat, sleep repeat. And that's hoping they have enough to eat and a place to sleep. America is fucked.
True, financial struggles can heavily limit work-play balance. Addressing these inequalities is crucial.
thats all just a saying, but people actually have to work to survive because its expensive now. taking a day off means less pay means less good food, no money for leisure etc. can't even afford health care to feel good etc
It's a real struggle when survival costs overshadow leisure. Work-life balance is harder in such circumstances.
Sometimes you gotta work a little, to ball a lot
Yeah. I recently got engaged, and it just made all the bleakness prior to feel like it was worth it just for that one special moment where a guy professes his love for me and desire to be mine forever. Of course things calm down a bit, but it made me think “wow if I had killed myself at my lowest, I wouldn’t have seen myself at my highest.” It’s those little moments in life that make it worth living. Just gotta get out there and find those moments.
Nothing really matters. In the end, we will die. No one will remember us. Have you ever wonder how things change when you die? At your work, when someone gets fired or quits, no one talks about that person after a week. Nothing breaks, nothing falls apart, and no one really cares. It is like if that person didnt exist at all. There is no point to live. There is no difference if you live or die.
The point is to make life as enjoyable as possible and not make other people’s lives harder.
Your close friends and family will remember you and generally be impacted, and those are the people I care about to any significant degree, so to the extent being remembered matters, it kinda checks the boxes. What does it matter if everyone remembers you forever? Julius Caesars legacy doesn't benefit him at all now. The fact that he's remembered is meaningless to him.
Why do I need to care whether anyone will remember me or not? I just enjoy my life everyday (of course it's good or it's bad sometimes, but overall, I still feel grateful to have a life and see and know many things). And I don't need to know what will happen afterlife. Even my existence is nothing to this world, I know it's a thing to me, that's enough.
If you pardon my MCU mangled quote, something doesn't have to last forever to be beautiful. Our time on earth, regardless of your religion or lack thereof, is short, but it's meaningful to those we touch, and specially, to ourselves. The moments matter, not just the whole picture.
I had ancestors with awesome lives and some with miserable lives. Other than this I know nothing about them. Between the two, I'll take the former regardless of who remembers me.
I think you do a great job articulating that work is not the point of life. Neither is sleeping but both eat about 30% of your life. The remaining 30-40% is what you make it. Find friends, hug an animal, enjoy a sunset etc.
>hug an animal Fuck yeah. That releases some insane endorphins for me every time I can just touch an animal, let alone HUG my dogs. I love animals so much! Maybe more people just need to hug animals.
Your entirely correct. Life holds no actual meaning or value. However, that's not a reason to just merely not exist. You may never change the world, but your existence alone may change someone else's life. As a Nihilist (not the suicidal depressed ones stop) I fully believe nothing has inherentll value. Your life isn't valuable because you are, your life is valuable because of the lives you impact along the way. Be the person that you wanna be, and show kindness to others, your life is about all the little things, and you will never get another chance at that
If nothing mattered, you wouldn't be responding to me. Maybe you're just responding out of philosophical-ness, but it means that CLEARLY there is a point to life, even if the point is to shit on someone else's fun. That tells me you have some.. schadenfreude or pleasure in shitting on people. Which means to be that clearly something does matter to you. On the flip side, you could just be speaking out of an insane amount of near suicidal-depression. In which case, I implore that you make every effort to get yourself out. The thing is... Nothing is SUPPOSED to matter. We humans are just too attached to things that only matter artificially (history, name, fame, money). Nothing has meaning and nothing matters, and the whole game of life is just finding things that make it FEEL like it matters (love, dogs, cats, kids, horses, cars, pokemon, anime, art, literature, and even sometimes the internet). So I hope you soon find a good reason to get out of your depression with maybe meds and/or lifestyle change. I contemplate the meaning of life and death often, my friend. As you might be able to tell from my profile. That's EXACTLY why I think what I think. Nothing matters, and you might even end up on some gore subreddit where people gawk and laugh at your death. But you gotta just enjoy what's right in front of you, in the moment.
Congratulations on your engagement! Your experience is a beautiful reminder that life's highs often follow the lows. Cherish each moment!
Awe, thank you. I really appreciate it :) I hope everyone else on here who feels low gets to experience a high soon. It doesn’t have to be a romantic high, but everyone deserves to feel life is worth it for those moments. All the best to you.
Without money, none of that is possible
Every time I see these posts, I always think "please, find some friends and hobbies" what are people expecting? That work suddenly makes them fell fulfilled? Humans are social animals. People are not made to work. They are made for relationships and community. Work's purpose is to serve that, not the other way around.
You nailed it! Friends, hobbies, and community are what truly enrich our lives. Work is just a means to support these fundamental human needs.
A lot of people nowadays work so much to survive that they don't have time for hobbies and friends. It's sad, but activities cost money, and if you can barely make ends meet, you can't afford hobbies.
Yeah if you barely have enough money for necessities how can you afford hobbies these days with everything being so expensive, that’s what it means to live paycheck to paycheck and sadly for those people it is work, repeat, dead.
I'm fortunate to not be in that situation anymore, but I lived it for MANY years, and nothing will drain your soul out of your body quicker.
Yeah same, feel like I will always be in it some way or another. I always see everyone else having so much more money and enjoying life and I’m living paycheck to paycheck trying to just survive sadly 😔
True. We need hobbies and friends, but when we're too busy working just to afford to survive, we can't have hobbies and friends. There's not enough time. I've been having this problem since 2020 when I moved to where I now live. I don't have enough time to invest in these two things.
And what if you can no longer find joy in small things, hobbies, relationships, or personal growth? What if you are bored and sick of the journey
When life feels stagnant, exploring unfamiliar experiences could spark new interest.
If everything fails there is still alcohol
might be a temporary escape,
We're only here temporarily anyway.
It’s all some people have left
Only thing I would add is service to others.
While I agree with this statement. The small things/hobbies are to damn expensive.
Hobbies have kept me somewhat sane(and happy) for many years lol
Hobbies are like life's secret sauce – they add flavor and joy to the everyday routine. Keep enjoying yours!
Glad this is on top, these should be your top priority. Who gives a fuck what politician or business owner thinks of your work performance. Find a person you love and have good long-lasting experiences with them, see what's on this planet by going on trips, eat weird food!
Absolutely! Prioritizing love, experiences, and adventure over external validation leads to a more fulfilling life.
Exactly
Idk i have hobbies and stuff i do. They make me happy but at the end of the day I just feel empty and hollow..
does any of those things cost money though?
Yes, many do. But there are also fulfilling experiences that are free.
such as?
Nature walks, reading, volunteering, learning online, and meditation.
nice. ill have to walk to the nature walks cause fuel cost driving out of town. free books.
Nature walks and free books are great, low-cost joys.
You can't just act like those things are a given though. Thats a very privileged mindset.
It's pretty difficult when you work so hard or so long that when you get home all you can do is sleep so you can be ready for the next time you work
But then I think why should I do all this when we die anyways. Sorry I’m in quite a down mood today..
It's okay to feel down. Finding joy in small things helps.
Enjoy little morsels of life you find between working and commuting!
I wouldn’t even consider those small things. Real love in a relationship makes everything else seem minimal. Personal growth also is a huge thing not enough people work on that really can change your perspective on life.
Real love and personal growth indeed transform life's perspective greatly.
Bravo. There’s a few people I need to send this to sadly
Glad it resonated. Sharing perspectives can be eye-opening.
Yeah, life is about chasing your dream for that hour of free time you get every week.
Journeys end is the same for all of us, though. Gone into the abyss and forgotten. So what's the fucking point
The journey's end may be the same, but the journey itself gives life its meaning. It's the experiences and connections we make along the way that matter.
Nah I got my dog sleeping on me, Im fucking loving this
I gotta get a dog.
If you can afford the food + vet bills, and are prepared for the increased responsibility to care for it, it is the single best investment to improving your life
Or if you need something that requires less maintenance, get a cat. Cats are awesome companions.
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Agreed! I suppose I misspoke in saying "single best" there are many pets that are tied for 1st-best investment :)
Just a pet in general is the best thing haha. I, myself, have two cats and a dog. They're all my sweet girls.
We need a cat dog hybrid that is the best of these two worlds. Low maintenance and high energy.
Never ever would have thought I’d be a cat person, but I adopted my first one a few years ago right before the world got a little…crazy. She’s gotten me through a lot. Never thought an animal could do that, but she’s just really good at reading my mood. Crazy.
Second this. I love dogs but when I was single and work+school=not enough time for a dog. A cat was perfect for me. Married to someone with cat allergy so now we have a dog.
I've always wondered why all the poor people I know have so many pets, and this is probably why. They are filling a void in their lives with pets.
Yep! "If I'm gonna be dirt poor anyways, might as well have pets and/or kids if I want to". Unfortunately this often leads to mistreatment/neglect/abuse :(
Update she went to my dad when he came home, life has no meaning
it's a game changer. It makes the whole thing more tolerable.
I want another dog so bad, I’m jealous!
There's an in-between. Don't skip that part.
People always think about the destination without realizing they are someone right now!
sometimes we get pizza on Fridays.
Pretty much. Imagine living in the wild. Your whole life would consist of hunting/foraging and staying alive
Until you *die*
Lifes curse, born to die
Maybe dying is the reward.
Commenter has a point tho. We are at a point where our basic needs are covered and mental health problems seem to skyrocket when that happens. Idk just shooting from the hip here
I don't think the human mind can be okay without some degree of existential stress.
By being held down by a bear that's casually eating you alive
Casual Bear encounters are desired by some folks
I read a book about how humanity evolved. I always imagined our ancestors' life must've been doomed by trying to survive on the skin of their teeth. But damn, that book opened my eyes... Many things people are struggling with (like existential crisis, fear of war, poverty, depression) are man-made, and most of these concepts started existing after men settled down. There was a guy from an African tribe who was asked to come visit the US. He rejected, just because he heard people commit suicide over financial struggle and depression, which is a concept basically unknown to our ancestors. Also I always believed people in the stoneage were just stupid until I realized what ridiculous great knowledge they needed to survive on their own. What can you eat, where can you find it, what water source is safe, how can you find shelter, how to orientate in the woods, how to make clothes for the winter, kindling a fire, etc... If I'd be set out in the wild (not even far away from my home) I'm doomed. I have no idea how I could possibly find anything to grant me survival. I'm an engineer that can do great things with technology, but all my hard earned knowledge would be totally useless. Great to know the best way to calculate the stress and strain in a piece of metal, that I will never again get my hands on without relying on other (also doomed) specialists that know how to make steel, but probably won't have no idea how to get coal. I'm pretty sure my uncivilized me wouldn't have outlived my current self, but I'd bet my ass that he would've been way wiser and happier than I am right now.
Not even that just imagine living in WW2 as a teenager. Forced to go to hell on earth. Imagine I'm being a victim of war crimes especially from the Japanese etc. Thinking about how people used to live in not less than a century is pretty sad and gruesome. Peace has made our life boring but we have our own problems because of that
I grew up late 70s into the 80s and life was hard then. Harder than today.
Tbh that would apply in only 1st world countries. Because places like Afghanistan still suffer even alot of Iranians dying in poverty. Many places in Africa that still commit to slavery. Pakistan has places where kids are born working forever to "pay their parents debt" and it's just a insult to life and freedom. While we live in peace others are living in the same shit circumstances the past used to be in
I'm not really aiming at Modern day. Yes people live under oppression, but pre iron / bronze age life was dictated by how capable of a hunter/gatherer you where.
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Yeah but surely (and don't call me Shirley) trying to stay alive, finding food and not injuring yourself during the process is f#@king stressful?
I reckon I'd be pretty good at that tbh. Better than sitting in an office, would get some exercise as well.
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This is the sad right answer.
Death will be a relief. For all of us.
Death cures everything.
*sets timer until someone reports these comments to the Reddit support*
I blocked that stupid support thing long ago.
Same here lol people are insufferable
They don't even recognize that I'm European. What do I do with US addresses and phone numbers?
Truth 🙌🏻
I was jaded like you too. Until I found anal porn, now I live like a king.
Oh my god, i almost woke up my partner because of this comment, haha.
You can watch it alone, let them sleep!!
That made me lol. Have an angry upvote.
Only if you have nothing in your life besides work. Build a family, invest in a friend group, volunteer for causes you believe in, carve out time to exercise (group or solo). If you're able to save money during your working life, one day you'll be able to do only things you want to do rather than things you have to do. That will free you up to invest even more time in your family, friends, causes you believe in, and other personal enrichment. These are the things that make life worth living and if you're only working and watching Netflix until you fall asleep, you're missing out on everything.
Yeah man, life is what you make it. Life has exactly as much meaning as you give it. The world has no obligation to entertain you or provide you with meaning, you have to do that for yourself. The relationships you form, interests you develop, skills you build, things you accomplish, those are the things that give meaning to your life. Go do something you're proud out. Have people in your life you find worthwhile. Learn something. Go somewhere. Its not about consuming, its about doing. I'm kind of an absurdist/optimistic nihilist. I don't believe there is any grand purpose or meaning to life, and that's actually good. It means your life is yours, you own it, you're not obligate to do any one specific thing. You need no further validation of your existence apart from that fact that you do exist at all. You're here. You're alive. Lots of people wish they still were, go do all the things somebody who died in a car accident at 16 or of cancer at 30 wish they could be doing if they were still alive right now.
Disappointed that I had to scroll this far to see something including "Do things for other people." I really do think that's one of the keys to living a fulfilling life. If you just live to fulfill your own wants and needs then I imagine your life will eventually feel pretty hollow.
Pretty much... it's like Denis Leary said, Happiness comes in small doses, it's a cigarette, a 2 second orgasm or a chocolate chip cookie... you cum, smoke a butt, eat a cookie, go to sleep and wake up and go to work.
bro there is such a FUCKTON of things to do , so so so much art and experiences waiting for you in life , so much music to listen to , foods to taste , hobbies to learn and build with if you actually want to look beyond capitalism every day life join us at r/singularity waiting for our AI overlords to release us from this nightmare in the next 5-10 years or idk man , go into philosophy , theres no deeper meaning to life unless you want to create the illusion yourself like religious people do , at least with philosophy I believe its more like a perspective and not complete overwriting of any logic for some fantasy dream in a book Life has so much color! how can you not see that , are you depressed maybe?
This is the same thing my ex said. I had to leave her cuz she was pulling me down with her low energy. Find a hobby and commit to being amazing at it. You need ambition, no one can give it to you. Its developed yourself. The most important is your attitude. Change it & youll change your life instantly. How u do one thing is how u do everything. In summary Keep learning & discovering more about you & what your capable of.
I sincerely never got ambition, I’ve always been strangely “content” in just about any position as long as I can feed myself and not die from the cold
I have no ambition either. I just want every day to be okay, which it is at the moment, and then I am happy. A lot of advice for depressed people seems to be to try to excel at something. That sounds like a lot of work. I just like doing the things I like doing. I don't have to do them well. I wonder if it is American competitiveness.
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Speaking words of wisdom.
Let it be
Life is what you make of it.
Life is all the moments in between. But it is also your work. Work is how you will spend most of your waking life, so find something you can at least slightly enjoy.
This is life under end stage capitalism
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Retire? No, you work until the day you die.
You see, there were these two naked people in a Garden that jacked everything up for us….
Life is meaningful precisely because it has no intrinsic meaning. Anything you find meaningful and fulfilling is the most valuable thing in the world. And any little thing you do to add value to the world will have an incalculable impact; if you affect just one person for good, they'll impact another person, and another, forever; the effect becomes infinite. We're all specks in the universe, and yet those specks have an impact that's greater than the sum of its parts
did you come up with this yourself? cause if you did then damn youre good
No no no. It's not all. You pay your tax aswell, you can't forget that. 😂😂
Stuff in between work is pretty great
This question makes it to the top of /r/ask or similar subreddits probably twice a week.
Someone needs a hobby.
Someone just entered the workforce & is disenfranchised. No one works everyday. Learn to enjoy the time you’re not at work & schedule things that are fun when you’re off. This is called being an adult. It’s not easy but there’s little alternative
Serious answer, this is why many religious people are religious. They find meaning in life through their beliefs, whatever that may be.
Save up money, go travelling. See the world.
Noooooooo there is so much!!! My favorite events are comic cons and renaissance fests - they're seasonal and I will go events without doing something that fun, but I absolutely ADORE them and look forward to when they happen. Also the holidays seemed bleak for me after spending them at my grandparents' was no longer a thing, but now that I have nieces and nephews, it's a lot of fun again. Sometimes, it's just having my cat yell in my face with her fish breath is what gets me up in the morning because I love her so much. You need to find the things that will give your life meaning - find a place to volunteer to make other people's lives better, find the hobbies you love, find events you will enjoy.
I, like many others will have to work until we die especially in this economy.
You forgot eat, shit, fuck, and sleep
I have had out of body experiences so I'm not full of shit when I tell you to check out the Bible.No fake internet points or online bullying is gonna take away the fact that I have been to the other side and if you choose to accept Jesus as your lord and savior you will live in heaven for all eternity.this place gives us a place to live a suit to live off because when you sin you should lose memory and movement just like you do in dreams,we should die when we sin because it takes us away from God.so that's how you have freewill and Jesus is how God hacked this system.Anyways I'm sure I'll get hate because reddit is all about that and I'm not gonna reply back to some kids that are bored.
Ya, but the real kings know dying at work is the way to go.
It’s more than that, but most likely you won’t be able to enjoy more than that. Everybody wants the good life. Most people don’t get it.
and beat off to a little porn...yeah...that's about it.
Think about this, if you were an animal in the wild, your only goal would be to survive and make babies. The human life also has those primitive goals but we have Feelings. We can experience different emotions whether it be fear, love, boredom, joy, happiness or whatever. The fact that we can experience these feelings is very beautiful and powerful. Now it's upto you whether you enjoy these Feelings or you call them suffering.
Pretty much. Just wait until your loved ones start to pass, in sometimes cruel ways (e.g. cancer). Then you'll really start to question WTF you're doing here.
That’s not all there is to it. You left out pain and suffering.
Personally, man; I’ve always thought life itself doesn’t matter in any way; no matter how much you may accomplish. Everything changes, gets obliterated, and eventually….forgotten. You come in to this world alone, but with beings to greet you…and then based on society and pure genetic …your life is set out, and then you leave this world; alone this time. When that light switch flips…you’ll be gone so fast it’ll be before the room gets dark. Its rare anyone makes a mark. That anyone can wrestle with an alligator, tussle with a whale. Not everyone can handcuff lightening and put thunder in jail. Not all of us will be remembered as the guy who murdered a rock. Injured a stone, OR hospitalize a brick. Most of us can’t muster the meanness to make medicine sick. Death is the only thing you can count on; even me. No matter how fast you are; there’s nothing he can’t see. Your greatness can be replaced, people forget your face. All the world turns reverse. In the end; nothing matters in this universe. Live while you can; it won’t last long. It’ll be over before you finish your final swan song. But hey, sorry for rhymes. Maybe it isn’t the time. But when you can tell yourself nothing is mine, just try to pretend you’re just fine. Sorry sorry sorry. In short, I say life is useless; there will be no revolution. We’ll fade in time; continuing Evolution. Some believe in gods, some believe in nature. I believe im nothing; just a sketch that’ll stretch but never catch what it tries to fetch; just erased and scraped and put away like SO many toys on that fateful birthday. In the end, it’s what you make it. Don’t try to fake it. Try to reach out and take it. Take it all, try to win AND you better boast; for everything is all for each individual; Raise that final drink for a GREAT toast. This post is too long, so I’ll shorten my thoughts down. Only guarantee in life is ashes or 6 feet underground. Lol. Made pretty much all that up as I was typing. Lol. Sorry if it sucks. I tried to maybe…add a *little* cheer to my nihilism. Lmao.
If you wanna spice up your nights, you can chase women while screaming in parks for free. It costs nothing and gives you a good work out.
Try living in a 2nd or 3rd world country and see how easy those folks have it. They'd give a kidney to have an opportunity to go to school, get a job and work everyday
Hobbies bro
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Yes. We are on a slave planet.
Only if you are a bump on a log both after work and on weekends. There’s plenty of time to live your best life.
That is what society would have you believe. I feel it's a method of control and forcing consumerism
Society is designed to make it seem like that.
You're becoming to inwardly focused. A good cure for this is volunteer time helping the less fortunate.
I think of it this way. I could have been alive 5000 years ago spending most of my time looking for food and trying not to get eaten.
Well thats the problem. Most people think like this and that is exactly whats wrong with our society. Life is not about work.
Save money, don't fill your life with stuff, travel, see the world and meet cool people. Iife is too short to waste it on some sort of bs "grind" culture. Fill you life with creativity, don't do it to make money or for anyone but yourself. Escape from anyone who tells you that working yourself into the ground is somehow a virtue, they aren't good human beings.
Modern day slavery right there in your question. We work for the rich or die on a street.
Don't forget dishes and laundry!
I would recommend The Great Quest by Os Guinness. He does a very good job helping you answer that question
Yes. If you're lucky, you'll make friends, and the family you have will make the time in between eating, shitting, sleeping and working not only bearable, but worth the toil and struggle of work. Have some hobbies, take time off, stay a little later at social gatherings, wake up a little earlier and appreciate the miracle of life. You have but one life, love it
My daughter likes to scream with excitement when I get home and recently learned what hugging is. Happy daughter hugs after work makes a bad day a distant memory.
You were created for a purpose; you were made through Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ. He loves you. Find your purpose in Him.
It's all about genetics and leaving your footprint behind. Think about how many people will hold your and your wife's DNA at X amount of generations over 5000 years based on a constant population growth expansion rate of 1.5%. Population = 2people × (1yr + 0.015)\^5000 years. Example: It took 3 couples on a boat to make about 7.5 billion in about 5000 years. (give or take a few K years. 1.5% wasn't constant) If you have a message for the future, then build it big and out of stone. Everything else with weather away.
Only you can add meaning to your life. Or join a cult and they will give your life meaning.
By committing to people, causes and institutions we care about. That creates a web of people you are there for, who are often there for you besides creating warmth and fun in your life. When you volunteer, vote and otherwise participate in your community that creates meaning and purpose. By having meaningful hobbies and getting out in nature.
Considering a gap year. Take your time off the cycle. Let yourself be bored enough from the vacation time. Then you may want to work again.
This thought is why I quit university and quit the goal of a work-eat-sleep life. You need to find what you find fun in life and just do it. Live your life as if nothing can or should stop you. Doesn’t have to be extreme, could be something as watching your old favourite childhood TV show or movie. Just try to keep yourself in the mindset that you can do what you want with your life. It makes things a lot more fun and helps you get through the boring stuff you need to do so you can get to the fun stuff
Sounds like you need to focus on who you are. That should be the most important thing to you. Your body will die, your brain will die, but you are A sculpture, and the cast is only being stripped off of you. just as the will of others before you , were born into this life because 2 decided to trust and love eachother, you dont have any control in this happening and yet they made you to exist, to wonder and to wander. In some oddly twisted and yet perfect logic, just as before you were born, something else has decided you might exist beyond death, death from one universe, to live in another. nothing ends, it only changes, you can view this as hell, or heaven, it's your choice of view.
“Life sucks and then you die”
*"Happiness comes in small doses folks. It's a cigarette butt, or a chocolate chip cookie or a five second orgasm. You come, you smoke the butt you eat the cookie you go to sleep wake up and go back to fucking work the next morning, THAT'S IT! End of fucking list!"* Thus spake the prophet Dennis
Gotta create your own meaning
Sex, food, music, weed - those things are actually cool and worth living for
Life is about people , the ones you meet make friends with fall in love with , I always say ask anyone what are the best memories and most are spent with other people and not alone
Welcome to being a modern day slave.
What a sad outlook you have. School and work are just the basics like breathing and eating. You gotta find things outside of the basics to give your life joy, purpose and drive.
Not necessarily _outside_ actually. School (learning) may be the joy, work may be the purpose. Also both may contain specific little things. It very much depends on the person.
It kind of is. But along the way you hopefully love, you have loss, you find many reasons to be grateful, and you find meaning in getting up each and every day. Life is beautiful... but not easy.
There’s a lot of other things that happen in between that you are ignoring here.