@ r29k, my respects for your quoting camus. but bonheur is merely that. and being happy while not doing any things at all, is something that is centuries old.. in hindu philosophy, or tauism, or what have you. i think all those eastern philosophers missed the ferry before it sank, you know.. and they do sink.. all too often... it needs no thoughts when you are in the water, and have to swim.. it could even convey a form of happiness, when you walk out of the water, and realize that you have just done something that darwin would approve of.. but it is not for me.. just an old walrus who has no need of philosophy or sophism to be happy..
If you'd allow me to destroy this BS pronto... What of sadists, torturers, rapists, paedophiles and so on? Very "short", this "Hollywood" so called "thinking"...
Mr Walrus sir, I wish you would explain in plain English what you're talking about cause you lost me at the Darwin bit ! And am I to assume that you have an ambivalent outlook on life ?
Not really - many are extremely unhappy, some even ask to be chemically castrated or worse... So, nope...
I don't think so, maybe in some cases but they love doing what they do. http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/tick/psych_6.html
What you call state of mind I called condition of awareness, no disagreement here. No Metaphysics, just another awareness of the entire process of cognition. You've posted 'Do what makes you happy', not be happy... this assumes something that makes you happy Both replies represent perfectly the dual aspect of object related happiness...there are no limits to both extremes Just only because to us it is abnormal it does not mean that duality does not work that way. (happiness by sadism, violence..etc...) This is so to say the negative (attention duality) aspect of "Things do not suck per se" They are really happy by doing what they do They are (mostly later) unhappy and it is also real for them. Content can change the mechanism is always the same (happiness dependent on 'things'). To us abnormal content does not break the mechanisms. start -There is a temporary feeling of completeness (as replacement for real being) when doing it - But the existence of what feels complete after it is based on incompleteness / impermanence and will unveil soon its original attribute again which is unhappiness. goto start Only awareness can break this loop. Without awareness / without to transcend this, no other perspective.
Eh? Who's "us"? "Abnormal" content gets to most humans, at least eventually... Killing, torture, raping, sadism, paedophilia or whatever of the kind - all those affect the actor/perpetrator, too. In various ways, we are affected by what we (don't) do, for as long as there is a glimmer of Humanity in us...
Define meaningful in this context? Meaningful can be, doing charity work or going on a rampage and killing loads of people or just sitting there doing nothing, since it is ultimately subjective. The bigger question is, why do you want your life to be meaningful ? Is it because society tells you that you have to be meaningful or do you want it to be ? I find that too many people take their inspiration from society and ultimately end up unhappy.
I cannot see what you are driving at, sorry. Please help me, lol. Is happiness now dependent on action or not? If yes then one needs to do (something or nothing) to BECOME happy. Either way it assumes an unhappy state that has to become happy by doing. And I've said "Do what makes you happy." does not work. One of the major illusions is that doing creates happiness and that this happiness is also dependant on what one does. All it creates is the duality of happiness/unhappiness, one cannot have one without the other. "To us abnormal content does not break the mechanisms.".. I mean of duality. In other words regardless of how 'abnormal' a thing is it can make people temporary happy. I've meant each of us all knows actions which are far off, hence 'abnormal' and absolutely not reproducible/comprehensible. And those can lead to temporary happiness for some anyway. (Extreme example: Happiness by rape). Generally to place oneself above others can lead to temporary happiness. Regardless of what it is, to 'us' comprehensible or not.
I guess with time i will one day understand the true meaning of life or else life will teach me itself, just hope it doesn't take too long....
The point was that not doing anything is actually an action ! This was in relation to Happiness requiring a "thing".
You mean to say as attributed to Socrates, that the ‘unexamined life is not worth living’. The quality of life spent as opposed to quantity.... so to say
Yes, but it is far more. It is evaluation/awareness of the entire process of cognition. What makes you feel certain that you don't know the meaning of life? There are basic things one needs to make clear first. "I guess with time i will one day understand the true meaning of life or else life will teach me itself, just hope it doesn't take too long..." This assumes that you today cannot understand the true meaning of life. That what is lacking will be gained in the future, it requires a special event. Contrary to sid_16 I'd say this is a quantitative aspect. So one needs to think about is it a quantitative aspect? Is it different for each, or is there only one meaning? Can it be gained in the future or is it present already (but not accessible for some reasons)? How can one recognize the meaning of life, has it specific attributes? If it can be gained why is it lacking today and who says that it is still lacking? An instance that does not know the meaning of life!
both quatity and quality matters to me equally. I don't know what do we live for for me the meanin of life will be understood why i was sent on this earth, for what purpose so to say? ATM, i don't seem to have any.....
I totally understand what you say. Perhaps your expectations are the reason for it, perhaps the meaning is that simple that you cannot be satisfied with it, because your mind wants to have something special, something extraordinary. You know where you could not find an answer yet so there is already some meaning...I forgot to say.....quantitative aspects are sceptical...thinking about the fact that there are no pockets in a shroud.