[im so academic]

(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
I disagree.

It's a lovely theory, but in practice the person who is always chasing a dream is never as happy as the person who is content with their lot.
So the one who is always striving for something more then reaches the end of their life still full of discontentment. The other reaches the end of their life feeling happy with the life they have led.

Not necessarily. Sometimes the journey to achieve one's dreams is even better than actually achieving the dream (because you've accomplished what you wanted to do - now what?) and better than being stuck in the rut for every single day of your life (how hopeless).

Although you may not achieve your dreams, as a result of pursuing them you may have met wonderful people, had amazing experiences, been to a lot of different places etc.

It is NEVER wasted to pursue one's dream. How dare you imply that if someone were to accept their life as it is, they would be far happier if they didn't try. How absurd. If anything the guy who never tried would be thinking all their life "what if". They may be content, but that will still be at the back of their minds.

[Kallisto]

(Original post by tomatoslayer)
a life determined by others

I agree with you. A life which is not determine by yourself is a senseless one. you are born to take your life in hand. But there are enough people in the world who are too dependent to do that.

[tomatoslayer]

(Original post by Kallisto)
I agree with you. A life which is not determine by yourself is a senseless one. you are born to take your life in hand. But there are enough people in the world who are too dependent to do that.

if you listen and obey what everyone tells you, you lose everything you are and simply become a vessel for others to do their will.

I'm not liked very much because I use the word 'no' a lot.

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by im so academic)
Not necessarily. Sometimes the journey to achieve one's dreams is even better than actually achieving the dream (because you've accomplished what you wanted to do - now what?) and better than being stuck in the rut for every single day of your life (how hopeless).

Although you may not achieve your dreams, as a result of pursuing them you may have met wonderful people, had amazing experiences, been to a lot of different places etc.

It is NEVER wasted to pursue one's dream. How dare you imply that if someone were to accept their life as it is, they would be far happier if they didn't try. How absurd. If anything the guy who never tried would be thinking all their life "what if". They may be content, but that will still be at the back of their minds.

"how dare I"? lol talk about overly dramatic.

The guy who is CONTENT with his lot, is content. There is no thinking "what if" because he's content, he's happy with what he's got.

Some people would find a life like that maddeningly frustrating, but the one who is happy is probably more fulfilled than the one who is never happy with what he has got and is always looking for something more.

You can argue it all you like, but it's true.

My mother in law - she has lived in the same tiny little village her entire life. She was born and raised about 2 streets from the house she lives in now (she's only ever lived in those 2 houses her entire life, and she's 66 now!).
She will NOT eat any food that is not traditional english fare - think fish and chips, and sunday dinners, and corned beef hash. She won't even eat spaghetti or pizza!
She doesn't go out anywhere "fun" save for maybe a restaurant once a year at the most, and to get her hair done a couple of times a year at the hairdresser.
In her spare time she likes gardening, and reading historical romance novels, and watching tv/films at home.
She doesn't go on holiday any more, but when she did, ever year she used to go to Majorca. Only Majorca. Once a year, 2 weeks, all inclusive - always one of 2 hotels, never any others. And she never ate Spanish food either - she always ate the English dishes.
She has had a few jobs in her life, but nothing massively exciting - she did some sewing and textile work, later she worked at Lyons bakery, and for the past 20 years she has been working in a nursing home.

This woman leads a life that I find incomprehensible. I'm reasonably content with my life but she takes it to an extreme. I absolutely cannot see myself ever being happy with a life that is SO limited. I mean, it's limited to a ludicrous extent. Yet she is so SO very happy with the life she leads. She absolutely doesn't want it to change, she strives for nothing further, yet she's far happier than many people I have known who have had far higher ambitions and greater prospects in life.

She doesn't consider her life to be wasted, and nor do I really. She has lived a life that is one she wanted to live. She has raised 4 children, has 11 grandchildren, and is very content. And so be it!

In a way I'm jealous that she finds so much happiness in such simple pleasures.

[im so academic]

(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
"how dare I"? lol talk about overly dramatic.

The guy who is CONTENT with his lot, is content. There is no thinking "what if" because he's content, he's happy with what he's got.

Some people would find a life like that maddeningly frustrating, but the one who is happy is probably more fulfilled than the one who is never happy with what he has got and is always looking for something more.

You can argue it all you like, but it's true.

My mother in law - she has lived in the same tiny little village her entire life. She was born and raised about 2 streets from the house she lives in now (she's only ever lived in those 2 houses her entire life, and she's 66 now!).
She will NOT eat any food that is not traditional english fare - think fish and chips, and sunday dinners, and corned beef hash. She won't even eat spaghetti or pizza!
She doesn't go out anywhere "fun" save for maybe a restaurant once a year at the most, and to get her hair done a couple of times a year at the hairdresser.
In her spare time she likes gardening, and reading historical romance novels, and watching tv/films at home.
She doesn't go on holiday any more, but when she did, ever year she used to go to Majorca. Only Majorca. Once a year, 2 weeks, all inclusive - always one of 2 hotels, never any others. And she never ate Spanish food either - she always ate the English dishes.
She has had a few jobs in her life, but nothing massively exciting - she did some sewing and textile work, later she worked at Lyons bakery, and for the past 20 years she has been working in a nursing home.

This woman leads a life that I find incomprehensible. I'm reasonably content with my life but she takes it to an extreme. I absolutely cannot see myself ever being happy with a life that is SO limited. I mean, it's limited to a ludicrous extent. Yet she is so SO very happy with the life she leads. She absolutely doesn't want it to change, she strives for nothing further, yet she's far happier than many people I have known who have had far higher ambitions and greater prospects in life.

She doesn't consider her life to be wasted, and nor do I really. She has lived a life that is one she wanted to live. She has raised 4 children, has 11 grandchildren, and is very content. And so be it!

In a way I'm jealous that she finds so much happiness in such simple pleasures.

With regards to your mother-in-law, I'm sure she had many opportunities to "change" and try out other things, and if she made her own personal decision to live a life like that, then that's fine. What wouldn't be fine is if she wanted to change but couldn't/wouldn't. She's 66, so I'll assume it's her choice and there's nothing wrong with that.

But, in general, I say to make the most of life's opportunities.

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by im so academic)
With regards to your mother-in-law, I'm sure she had many opportunities to "change" and try out other things, and if she made her own personal decision to live a life like that, then that's fine. What wouldn't be fine is if she wanted to change but couldn't/wouldn't. She's 66, so I'll assume it's her choice and there's nothing wrong with that.

But, in general, I say to make the most of life's opportunities.

yes making the most of life's opportunities is fine, but you're missing what I'm saying.

Somebody who is genuinely content with their lot, even if that's a lot that is dull/uninspiring/boring to any outsider, is obviously going to be happier than a high flyer who is actually never content with their lot, and who is always striving for something better in some sort of "grass is always greener" mindset.

Striving for something greater is fine as long as you're not setting yourself up for a lifetime of frustration and discontentment. Sometimes always wanting something more can lead to not enjoying what you have.

[Kallisto]

(Original post by tomatoslayer)
if you listen and obey what everyone tells you, you lose everything you are and simply become a vessel for others to do their will.
(...)

That is an aspect in human's life which will not changed. There are still people who do what the others want. Don't be a lamb in the world, be a lion! each individual who decide to be a lamb wasted the life.

[im so academic]

(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
yes making the most of life's opportunities is fine, but you're missing what I'm saying.

Somebody who is genuinely content with their lot, even if that's a lot that is dull/uninspiring/boring to any outsider, is obviously going to be happier than a high flyer who is actually never content with their lot, and who is always striving for something better in some sort of "grass is always greener" mindset.

Striving for something greater is fine as long as you're not setting yourself up for a lifetime of frustration and discontentment. Sometimes always wanting something more can lead to not enjoying what you have.

Well I disagree because sometimes if you are discontent, you would do something about it and discover other great things of life.

If you are discontent and do **** all to help your circumstances, that's your own damn fault.

[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by im so academic)
Well I disagree because sometimes if you are discontent, you would do something about it and discover other great things of life.

If you are discontent and do **** all to help your circumstances, that's your own damn fault.

Well we'll agree to disagree then. Your opinion is no more valid than mine. It's a philosophical debate after all - there is no right and wrong here.

[abc:)]

A life that's stolen by someone else?

I think if you choose to take your life in an unfulfilling direction that's one thing - a really, really wasted life in my opinion is one where the person did/was doing all they could to really make the most of life, and it was ruined by someone else.


I'm talking about things like abuse, murder, or any action taken by someone else that ruins or takes away someone's life

[SteveDawson]

I think this can be interpreted in different ways,

It could be where someone has taken someone else's life by killing them but it could also be a wasted life where someone has ambitions and fails to achieve them, or where someone feels that they haven't fulfilled their personal goals

[InternetGangster]

Every life is wasted.

[Smiile]

my life

[jennifex]

(Original post by philistine)
One finds joy in helping others. People have spoke of this for thousands of years.

Your logic = flawed

Don't see how that deserved a neg :/ Just sharing my opinion. Just because you are providing for your family doesn't mean that you are happy, surely. A person can be unhappy and not have wasted their life.

[Wild@Heart]

A wasted life is when you give up on your dreams and don't achieve any goals that you wanted to because you hit a bump in the road or things didn't go right first time round. Never give up on your ambitions, no matter how many obstacles stand in your way, if you try hard enough you will achieve eventually. I also think a wasted life is when you live by someone else's rules and you are unhappy.

[im so academic]

(Original post by jennifex)
Don't see how that deserved a neg :/ Just sharing my opinion. Just because you are providing for your family doesn't mean that you are happy, surely. A person can be unhappy and not have wasted their life.

So happiness is the be all and end all of life?

[jennifex]

(Original post by im so academic)
So happiness is the be all and end all of life?

Well no, that's what I'm saying! Somebody else said that a wasted life was a life spent in unhappiness, I was arguing against that!

[Jadrian]

A life without chasing your hobbies and passions. Nothing to do with academic or commercial success.

[bellazz]

life without friends