The world is a disappointment

[Breezy]

I think people have their bright pink glasses shattered somewhere at the age of 40, I think I got mine destroyed somewhere at 18. The more I get to know the world the more I think it is a total waste of my time. Before I looked into the future, thought how things could be, now, I really can't remember any single thing to care about.

A few of the biggest examples:

a) Family - I used to think my family as of the people with whom I can always speak and have some nice quiet fun. Now I hate coming home, I see bored and depressed people who like to discuss their problems with me. I always leave that place feeling even more down that usually, such visits have also managed to kill the good mood that I occasionally get.

b) Education - I was very passionate about learning, when I was in the 6th grade I read through all the history textbooks that were meant for older pupils. I used to watch educational channels, follows news, was interested in politics and couldn't wait until I would go to the university. After my first year I realised that they teach nothing specific, most of it is useless and I propably will forget everything afters exams. Here shattered one of my biggest dreams.

c) Career - Since I was a little child I always thought that I would become a career oriented person - a very skilled professional, growth oriented, career climbing, successful. Now I work for the best firm in its area in the world, so far I have been quite successful, I earn significally more than the country's average salary at my young age and......well, I still kind of like working, but the passion is gone. And it's not career specific, it's all careers.

d) Travel - I could spend days watching the travel channel, dreaming of my next trip. When one was planned I read up on the country, the history, the facts, I was the happiest person on the trip. Seriously, even simply driving the bus was fun, because I got to see the country, the people, the nature. Now, I could take a weekend off or plan a trip, but I just don't want to. I haven't watched travel in over a year.

e) Sports - I won many medals in a sport I did, I always wanted to be best. Now I don't know why bother.

f) Friends - We all dreamt of perfect friendships, I now view them as simply more annoying people in my life.

g) Women - A few days ago I went to the club with a girl that was beautiful, smart, outgoing and very nice to speak to, we were at the club until the early morning, dancing, and not only. In the morning I felt totally apathic, I could not care less and I did not want to see her. Once again, not specific to her, but all women.

h) People in general - the more I get to know them the more I realise that most of them have at least one quality that makes being around them impossible, but usually many -stupid, whiny, depressed, annoying, ugly etc. Even the most important people in the world are imbeciles (G. Bush)

So everything that I used to think made up a happy life has shattered, everything I used to live for, gone. I am totally disappointed in this world. It's grey, boring and only made of problems. I have, on countless occassions, tried to imagine a perfect life, but it comes out as impossible. And how can I imagine perfection, if nothing remains that I enjoy?! I have nothing to aim for, live for or to get up in the morning for.

Everything is bloody meaningless. I sometimes envy the ignorant, for example those who believe in God. They might be believing into something obscure, but at least they know why they get up in the morning.

I have no idea why I am writing it here, just venting I suppose....

PS. I am not suicidal.

[coolsleek]

Just change your mindset. Keep on wanting those things you always wanted and you will be happy.

Cheers

[CroMagna]

I think you are spoiled. Do you know what I wouldn't give to have your job?

[Marth]

Glad you were able to vent your feelings, unfortunately about 80% (maybe 90) of American adults probably agree with you. Especially on this:

h) People in general - the more I get to know them the more I realize that most of them have at least one quality that makes being around them impossible, but usually many -stupid, whiny, depressed, annoying, ugly etc. Even the most important people in the world are imbeciles (G. Bush)

A study mentioned that 95% of people believe they are more intelligent than the average person.

[Bradshaw]

Sounds like Apathy to me: Does the following sound right to you?

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

If you’re feeling apathetic, you may be looking at your reality and noticing that nothing inspires you. Everything appears flat and lifeless. What’s the point of this existence? Perhaps it’s just about survival, and mere survival isn’t going to leave you overflowing with passion. You’re more likely to feel bored or depressed. You might have occasional bursts of positive emotion, but that won’t be your default state of being.

If it does, you may want to take a read at the How To Deal With Apathy part of this Interview with Steve.

[Angela]

Are you getting any exercise?

[Breezy]

Originally Posted by coolsleek

Just change your mindset. Keep on wanting those things you always wanted and you will be happy.

Cheers

I should do so, especially since it is as easy as changing socks....

Originally Posted by CroMagna

I think you are spoiled. Do you know what I wouldn't give to have your job?

Of course I am spoiled, especially because I got that job myself, without anybody's help and continue working my ass off there. That's exactly what spoiled is, getting something by actually doing something.

Originally Posted by Marth

A study mentioned that 95% of people believe they are more intelligent than the average person.

Only I can prove it with my achievements.

Originally Posted by Bradshaw

If it does, you may want to take a read at the How To Deal With Apathy part of this Interview with Steve.

Honestly, I have read what Steve writes, and most of it reeks of random philosophical blabbering that is hardly applicable to every day life. It is like the Russian "intelligencia" that through the 19th century constantly taught others how to improve the country, while having no real understanding of the problems at hand. Same with this article, the following quote is brought to illustrate it:

"Perhaps the simplest way to remove the glasses of apathy is via the power of intention. Simply say to the universe, “Show me what lies beyond the glasses of apathy.” Put some thought energy into that intention, and expect that it will manifest. Then let it go, and wait. Usually without about 24-48 hours, you’ll begin to have experiences that are incongruent with your glasses of apathy"

I mean this is nonsense.

Originally Posted by Angela

Are you getting any exercise?

Currently, no. But I did go to the gym and the pool throughout the summer, it made me feel good only for a limited period of time. All the other time I felt as thoug I had volunteerly taken on me another chore.

[Angela]

Breezy, your responses to everyone here sound like you are arguing for your right to feel bad. You don't have to justify yourself -- go ahead and feel bad.

If I were in your position, I'd put on my sneakers and go for a walk, and get some good feelings pouring through my body and fresh air coursing through my lungs, and I'd look for things to be grateful for.

But it sounds like you're in the wallowing phase, and that's fine. Sometimes you just have to accept and *get* feeling bad before you make choices that have you feeling better. Some people never choose feeling better; they just remain in Heavy Wallow their whole lives. That's fine, too.

You get to choose. Best wishes.

[Little Deb]

There was a time in history, I guess up to a hundred years ago before Mental Health was a Science, when "melancoly" was a respected human experience. Depressed people created amazing works of art and literature, philosophising over the causes and effects, etc. of their sadness. There was lots to cry over since most people had short life spans before antibiotics and other medical advances increased life expectancy from 25 years to 70. Racism, sexisim, and "social class-ism" was a fact of life in the olden days, more or less so than in ours. On the other hand, people actually socialized a heck of a lot more, relieving some their loneliness. There was no computers, TV or DVDs to isolate us from others. Pubs, sewing bees,Church events were important to comunities. Today's technology, with all its apparent blessings, has actually began to de-humanised us, causing our species to act more rude, insensitive, and violent towards each other. Perhaps you are just facing the harsh reality of our times, and you feel a bit guilty for not being " happy, happy, joy, joy" all the time. Have a good look around at all the millions of people on the street, in their cars, at sporting events. Do they care if you're happy? No. So, the next time you realize you've lost your passion, remind yourself, "Who Cares?" It's your right to feel as you choose.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by Breezy

I think people have their bright pink glasses shattered somewhere at the age of 40, I think I got mine destroyed somewhere at 18. The more I get to know the world the more I think it is a total waste of my time. Before I looked into the future, thought how things could be, now, I really can't remember any single thing to care about.

A few of the biggest examples:

a) Family - I used to think my family as of the people with whom I can always speak and have some nice quiet fun. Now I hate coming home, I see bored and depressed people who like to discuss their problems with me. I always leave that place feeling even more down that usually, such visits have also managed to kill the good mood that I occasionally get.

b) Education - I was very passionate about learning, when I was in the 6th grade I read through all the history textbooks that were meant for older pupils. I used to watch educational channels, follows news, was interested in politics and couldn't wait until I would go to the university. After my first year I realised that they teach nothing specific, most of it is useless and I propably will forget everything afters exams. Here shattered one of my biggest dreams.

c) Career - Since I was a little child I always thought that I would become a career oriented person - a very skilled professional, growth oriented, career climbing, successful. Now I work for the best firm in its area in the world, so far I have been quite successful, I earn significally more than the country's average salary at my young age and......well, I still kind of like working, but the passion is gone. And it's not career specific, it's all careers.

d) Travel - I could spend days watching the travel channel, dreaming of my next trip. When one was planned I read up on the country, the history, the facts, I was the happiest person on the trip. Seriously, even simply driving the bus was fun, because I got to see the country, the people, the nature. Now, I could take a weekend off or plan a trip, but I just don't want to. I haven't watched travel in over a year.

e) Sports - I won many medals in a sport I did, I always wanted to be best. Now I don't know why bother.

f) Friends - We all dreamt of perfect friendships, I now view them as simply more annoying people in my life.

g) Women - A few days ago I went to the club with a girl that was beautiful, smart, outgoing and very nice to speak to, we were at the club until the early morning, dancing, and not only. In the morning I felt totally apathic, I could not care less and I did not want to see her. Once again, not specific to her, but all women.

h) People in general - the more I get to know them the more I realise that most of them have at least one quality that makes being around them impossible, but usually many -stupid, whiny, depressed, annoying, ugly etc. Even the most important people in the world are imbeciles (G. Bush)

So everything that I used to think made up a happy life has shattered, everything I used to live for, gone. I am totally disappointed in this world. It's grey, boring and only made of problems. I have, on countless occassions, tried to imagine a perfect life, but it comes out as impossible. And how can I imagine perfection, if nothing remains that I enjoy?! I have nothing to aim for, live for or to get up in the morning for.

Everything is bloody meaningless. I sometimes envy the ignorant, for example those who believe in God. They might be believing into something obscure, but at least they know why they get up in the morning.

I have no idea why I am writing it here, just venting I suppose....

PS. I am not suicidal.

It is good to speak your mind and you are just being true to yourself. This is how you feel and why, and why wouldn't you? It's perfectly normal to feel dis-enchanted before a change and change is perfectly natural. Just witness the experience and see what comes. I'm going to take my own advice here. Hope it helps.

[Breezy]

Originally Posted by Angela

Breezy, your responses to everyone here sound like you are arguing for your right to feel bad. You don't have to justify yourself -- go ahead and feel bad.

If I were in your position, I'd put on my sneakers and go for a walk, and get some good feelings pouring through my body and fresh air coursing through my lungs, and I'd look for things to be grateful for.

But it sounds like you're in the wallowing phase, and that's fine. Sometimes you just have to accept and *get* feeling bad before you make choices that have you feeling better. Some people never choose feeling better; they just remain in Heavy Wallow their whole lives. That's fine, too.

You get to choose. Best wishes.

I can see how my responses were seen as rude and self-apologising, yet they came out like this because the advice was hardly helpful. Nevertheless, I apologise.

As for taking a walk, I shall surely do that, I constantly go for walks that last hours, I think that's the single thing I have left that I still enjoy. The only problem is that I have to listen to myself all that time.

I think I can bring a parallel to my current situation. If anybody saw the episode from the Scrubs, where Dr Cox brakes down one night, goes out drinking explaning how the world sucks, his life sucks and he doesn't want to go to bed because he knows that he has to get up in the morning. Yet the next day he is perfectly fine and acts as if though nothing happened.

This is probably my case, only such "brakes" happen to me way more often. And then the next I walk around with my happy mask.

Ah yes, the world truly is a masquerade /

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Breezy

I can see how my responses were seen as rude and self-apologising, yet they came out like this because the advice was hardly helpful. Nevertheless, I apologise.

Breezy, this is a classic among crappy apologies.

Are you thinking that feeling good is somehow going to just happen to you at some point? Like Dr. Cox, you'll just wake up feeling better at some point? Well, it's possible that that might happen. But how do you think your life would be if you were the source of feeling good in your own life? What do you think would be possible if you didn't believe "The world is a disappointment" and if you believed something that worked better in living a life you love?

Unlike Dr. Cox, you are not just the actor, you're also the writer. You get to choose how the script will go, and if you don't consciously choose, your habitual negative thought pattern will choose for you. Again, that's fine; and what would be possible in your life if you are the writer?

[Breezy]

I usually don't apologise and it shows, better stop doing something I am bad at heh.

I usually assume the position of the writer, the problem is that everything I thought would make a good story turned out a disappointment, so for this moment, this writer is out of ideas. Sure, I could go jump with a parachute or learn to dance, but then it would result in myself doing something that I don't believe in from the start.

And here we come back to the base of it, beliefs. They obviously have changed, the only problem is that "unchanging" them or simply saying to yourself: "Enjoy this!" doesn't really work. That approach results in everything feeling like work, which it obviously shouldn't.

Maybe I should arrange a sight-seeing tour at the local prison, clinic, retirement home and mental institution, that should give a kick in the ass and a taste of life back.....

[Christian223]

Ok, you just called me ignorant because i believe in God, but i understand you are feeling you heart is broke and you are emotionally un-stable so i guess i understand you, just give yourself some time to feel this things because all this that you are going trough is understandable, some things are the result of other things, for example why would you suddenly stop enjoying something you liked like traveling? i think thats because of the dissapointment of other things, you feel so bad that you dont feel like celebrating or having fun, you just dont feel like it.

I think people have their bright pink glasses shattered somewhere at the age of 40, I think I got mine destroyed somewhere at 18. The more I get to know the world the more I think it is a total waste of my time. Before I looked into the future, thought how things could be, now, I really can't remember any single thing to care about.

You where raised in a very naive way i suposse, to think that people at age 40 realize what you have realized at 18 is very naive, you may think you are very special, and this two things are the causes of your problem.

If you keep like this you will become suicidal, why to live if you dont enjoy life?.

These "people" dont loose their innocence at 40 like you think and you are not more special or different that any one person in this world, you have no unique qualities or problems that only apply to yourself, but like veryone else in this world you should do something to get over it, get over your broken heart, for the well beign of yourself, stop feeding that sadness in you and start doing something to get out of your depression, or else youll live a sad life and then you die.

Or heres a solution you may not like, believe and seek God and youll find peace and hapyness even among problems.

This is what Jesus says to the whole world:
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

[Breezy]

Now I don't know how to put it, I will try to write in the most non-offensive way possible.

Christian, when I read your response, I did not understand how can what you wrote even be advice! First you assume a number of things about me and then you tell me that a person will become happy when he accepts that he is no different than others, that he is another sheep in the herd, and even worst, he should blindly believe the writings that:

- were written decades after Christ's death based on oral stories (ever played broken phone?)
- were selected by the first popes based on what ensured their power (not all gospels made it into the bible.)

After reading the text I still allowed for a minor possibility that this could be a path to happiness, so I proceeded to read what you have written on these forums. After going through the threads you started I realised that you should not be allowed to give advice to people.

Interestingly enough your writings still made me move. If there are seriously people like yourself then I simply have to achieve more in my life than I currently have, if not me then who else?. I also understood that successful people, who could give worthwhile advice probably do not write on forums like these. I don't think there is a single person who can be called successful, just those who think they can become such by taking the non-sensical advice by Steve.

The realisation that I am becoming one of them is probably the best motivation I ever had to change myself.

[Orange]

you seem to be putting things in to catogories to much.Its not about what things are like that if you lay things out liek that in a sinical cold way then there going to be bad things (TO YOU)
Its about how you relate to the feeling of life. like when you say women and just say the genral bad inpressions you have that is going to be crap but the real happiness of somthing like that comes from somthing even more specific and personal it might be the way you feel with a new person you have met and their a compleat refreshment and make your life fele differnt or career might be the feel of being in a new exiting place finding new exiting things..

[Miss Moo]

I feel sorry for you. If I was in your position I probably would be suicidal.

Did the "bright pink glasses" shatter all at once or was it a gradual thing?

[ZHereford]

Originally Posted by Breezy

.... That approach results in everything feeling like work, which it obviously shouldn't.

What makes you think developing a productive, positive attitude shouldn't feel like work. Everything is work at first, and then it becomes second nature.

Do you think that the virtuosi, scientists, artists, athletes or those skilled and accomplished at anything, do no work?

I'm sorry to disappoint you but, cultivating a positive, productive mindset takes work too.

[Miss Moo]

I just read some more of your posts. It seems like you look at happiness as more of a goal to be obtained than something that just is.

There's nothing stopping you right now from being happy right now.

You say that you're a perfectionist. If you think this mindset is what's causing you to continually analyse what's happening in the moment and whether you or not you should do it because it might not align with your future goals, then maybe you could do a 30 day trial of purposely not perfecting things and see if anything changes?

I also saw that you started a 30 day trial of trying new things, how did that go?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by ZHereford

... cultivating a positive, productive mindset takes work too.

Totally agree.

[Orange]

I was thinking about this thread last night and i just wanted to add this.
Think of all the great people in the world dont you aspire to anyone?
Why do you think so many great people are happy.
albert einstein, oascor wilde, piccaso
They all have great views on life and happiness maby you should try to odopt theres.
Also. yeah. i agree with the person above happiness hsouldnt be a goal you cant difine it its a feeling.
I think you really need a hug a non complecated hug and you should learn to accept how great somthing like that is without pulling it apart and in that process destroying whats good about it.

[Breezy]

I am forced to withdraw my accusation that one cannot find good advice on these forums. Because the last posts in this topic made me think.

I can honestly say that I am perfectionist and that it applies everywhere, along with a healthy dosage of "brake it up and analyse". The former was true since my early childhood, the latter came into being 3 years ago when I decided to obtain such goals as career, education, independence etc.

I don't mind being a perfectionist, it has helped me accomplished what I have, problems arise when everything begins to feel like work, not only work.

Originally Posted by ZHereford

Do you think that the virtuosi, scientists, artists, athletes or those skilled and accomplished at anything, do no work?

I'm sorry to disappoint you but, cultivating a positive, productive mindset takes work too.

Here I can agree with you, but only to a certain extent. For those people work was fun, for me fun is work. I believe there is a fundamental difference.

A great football player cannot wait to get on the field and play some ball. Yes, it is still hard work to train, but because he enjoys it, it becomes secondary to fun. I know that I have been like that in sports years ago, the results were great, but I have kind of "lost" the given feeling.

For me on the other hand fun is work. For example, I decide to see a movie, I automatically get certain goals in my head, to make an absurd illustration, if I do not laugh 33.5 times, then I have failed. And it doesn't matter if I laughed 33 times, it is still a failure.

Such an approach works great in a career, not so much in enjoying life.

I actually have a dream, but I realise that it cannot be accomplished with such a mindset (yes, limiting belief). When I try to accomplish it, it once again morphs into a mathemathical formula of steps and measurements.

PS: The 30 day trial ended, because I received another project that burried me at work with enough time to barely sleep.

[fainaent]

Originally Posted by Breezy

Everything is bloody meaningless. I sometimes envy the ignorant, for example those who believe in God. They might be believing into something obscure, but at least they know why they get up in the morning.

That's really the secret, isn't it? All the examples of things that don't mean anything to you anymore stem from meaning, from purpose. If I truly believed that 'life sucks and then you die', I would feel much the same as you.

I do believe in God, and not in an obscure way as you might think. My purpose comes from my faith. Love, family, and life all have great meaning to me because of my faith.

Not everyone shares the same purpose though. I have friends whose only purpose is to become the best they can. To be healthy, to learn. Some of them, it seems, gain motivation from the thought of figuring out what their purpose is.

So the question is, what do you want your purpose to be? Do you want to enjoy life, or not? Do you want to make life more enjoyable for others? Life always sucks when you look at it that way. Have you ever had someone do something kind for you, and suddenly your day was good? Try doing that for someone else, and see if it helps you as well.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I just want to share my thoughts on the subject with you. I sincerely hope and pray that you find what will make life good for you.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Breezy

I don't mind being a perfectionist, it has helped me accomplished what I have, problems arise when everything begins to feel like work, not only work...
For me on the other hand fun is work. For example, I decide to see a movie, I automatically get certain goals in my head, to make an absurd illustration, if I do not laugh 33.5 times, then I have failed. And it doesn't matter if I laughed 33 times, it is still a failure.

This sounds familiar -- it sounds to me like OCD, like perhaps you are a bit depressed and overwhelmed by the effects of obsessive compulsive disorder. Maybe you'd like to read up on it and see how it resonates for you, and perhaps talk to a therapist. There are many different ways OCD shows up (mine had mostly to do with symmetry) but they have in common a sense of overwhelm and the perfectionist's "goals" which are really rituals. Take a look -- there's a lot on the Internet about it.

[ZHereford]

Originally Posted by Breezy

Here I can agree with you, but only to a certain extent. For those people work was fun, for me fun is work. I believe there is a fundamental difference.

Breezy I think you're generalizing here and making an incorrect assumption. It's not always fun even for those who aspire to excel. There are blood, sweat and tears that go into accomplishing the difficult.

To say that it's fun is quite a stretch. Those who have achieved high goals have been able to get past the frustration, agony and pain. It's not fun! It's gumption, persistence and transcendence (of the negative mindset, for one)!

Sorry Breezy, I'm not buying into your excuses for not digging in and cultivating meaning for your raison d'être .

p.s You could very well have OCD as Angela suggests. Something to explore!

[Parthon]

I can see you are a wise person Breezy, with much to teach and give, but you've become disillusioned with it all. I'm guessing you are thinking "Is this all there is? Really? That's it?"

What everyone has said so far has been pretty great, and relatively true, but I don't think it would help you right now.

Why? You don't have enough freedom in your life. I don't mean physical freedom, but possibility freedom. There's not much space in your life where anything new can happen. Now this is all because of your views, and people ahve suggested ways to change your views, so I'm not going to say them again.

Why should you listen to them though? Because the green field you are searching for, is out there in the distance that you can't see. It's behind those walls that must come down before you can be free. The thing you seek, and that which will enrich your life again, is exactly where you haven't looked, and won't look, if left to your own devices. Only something completely weird and different will shift you towards it.

The path is through the confusion and all the nonsense you've heard. It's through the strange ideologies and weird advice you keep hearing. You say you don't want to be one of us confused people, but many of us already have what you are seeking. It's time to try something drastically new, something crazy.

ps. As for the Steve thing, there are successful people on the forum, they are just rarer than most, just like in real life. It also depends on how you define success. As for the advice itself, it makes sense if you can hear it. If your metaphorical ears are filled with metaphorical wax, then you won't be able to hear anything. Wisdom is where you find it.

[DayInTheLife]

I don't know what you can do except find things in life you genuinely value, and seek them out.

Learn about nonjudgment... all of your disillusionment and disappointments are the direct result of the insidious habit of evaluating everything you see. I did the perfectionism thing for years and all it did is make my life hell. The degree to which you enjoy life is inversely proportional to the degree to which you evaluate its contents as good or bad.

[Zwynd]

Originally Posted by 25AndJustBeginning

However, for what it's worth I am on Wellbutrin.

They're still giving out that old blue crap?

Like Breezy, I too have felt the pain of living in a world that really looked like some half-assed artist smeared colors on a cardboard canvas and called it "art." It wasn't art to me, it was pathetic.

I had some pretty anarchistic/nihilistic thoughts for a long time and wondered if my mission in life was to just finish off this dying world through helping people make it worse. It was a fancy thought for a while and did excite me a little but it conflicted often with my values and so I never really did anything with it.

I realized a lot of my issues weren't with other people. As stupid or lazy as they may be, it all started with me. There ARE intelligent people out there, there ARE people that could amaze/impress me beyond my wildest thoughts. However, to reach them I had to work more on myself.

I had to brush off the crud (which was my old lifestyle/beliefs) and get myself up to their level. I still struggle with this because when you wallow in the filth of people who just don't care, and won't ever care, it leaves a stench (bad habits) and some time must pass before that goes away (through more discipline.)

Breezy, I'd suggest figuring out where you want to be and whom with. How far at the top could you aim to be at? It may not be a permanent solution but it will definitely put a drive back into your life.

You say you're not suicidal but by doing nothing except being frustrated you're basically killing off opportunities for yourself.

Find something to do, even dramatic stuff like applying for job positions to things WAY beyond you (after all, everything's pointless, right?) and just turn it into a game of "what if, could I do it? How far can I go with this?"

[wolfgang]

I wonder how much of it is just from society telling us we have to be happy all the time. Or big pharmacy ad's telling us they have cures we can buy.

Like, what if the world hadn't given us the idea that we should be happy and having fun? I think we'd not get stuck in doldrums as easily. It's like there's pressure from the world to "be happy" and when we find we don't match that expectation we make it worse by feeling the judgment of society. That is all learned and conditioned into us and given to us from the world the way it is.

Life is supposed to have meaning (that's another possible sneaky judgment) and if I can't find meaning I'll suffer. Maybe it's not that we need to find meaning - but that we don't need this idea that life is supposed to have meaning. The easier times in my life are when I'm not searching for meaning and comparing or judging or thinking I haven't figured out this issue of life's meaning. But that isn't ignorant is bliss either. It's just dropping the idea that we need to have a super great feeling that life has a perfect purpose and that you know it.

[Zwynd]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

It's like there's pressure from the world to "be happy" and when we find we don't match that expectation we make it worse by feeling the judgment of society. That is all learned and conditioned into us and given to us from the world the way it is.

This is a very interesting thought! Many of us have grown up with so many titles, labels and 'meanings' created by others that we have no clue how to think for ourselves on the reality/levels of happiness.

Life is supposed to have meaning (that's another possible sneaky judgment) and if I can't find meaning I'll suffer. Maybe it's not that we need to find meaning - but that we don't need this idea that life is supposed to have meaning.

I find it ironic that humans fish for answers/meanings to life and yet they look at animals, plants or viruses they feel that those lesser life forms aren't supposed to have meaning.