Do you think problems are important for having an interesting & worthwhile life?

[brendannz]

Like working in a crappy job, before you find the career you want..

Dealing with unpleasant people, etc.etc.

[elucidate]

The examples you gave are what I would categorize as "character building", and therefore, are experiences that a person can later draw on. So yeah, I would say it's all good! Someone who never has to deal with any of these things would not have much of a character, and would be, I think, unable to navigate their way through life in a way.

These things give you skills for coping in life...determination that you get from the crappy job, can lead to you branching out on your own and starting your own business. Problems with unpleasant people give you the ability to learn what sort of people you would rather be around. If those ******** weren't there, you wouldn't be able to recognize the good eggs.

[ssandra]

I would love to say no, because I want everybody to have the most amazing and easy life possible...

But at the same time... I know that my hard times helped me grow into the person I am today, and I wouldn't change that for anything! Could I have gotten there without the hard times? I don't know... I want to say yes, but I honestly don't know.

Everything that looked like a problem while it was happening seems like an amazing growth experience and confirmation of my own empowerment in hindsight...

[ellie]

Yes, I think hard knocks, help build character and get you closer to where you want to be.

I read somewhere the other day, that bad situations and rejection can be a good thing, because it helps spur you on to prove people wrong. Hmmm I wonder where I saw that article it was rather good.

[Angela]

Personally, I much prefer creating challenges to creating problems. But I know
many people who love their problems!

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by Angela

Personally, I much prefer creating challenges to creating problems. But I know
many people who love their problems!

I think challenges is a better way to describe them as well. The word 'problems' gives it more of a neg slant and people love to feel sorry for themselves when they say the word 'problems'. With 'challenges' it is easier to see the scenario with more chance of overcoming it with success.

[st33med]

Originally Posted by elucidate

I think challenges is a better way to describe them as well. The word 'problems' gives it more of a neg slant and people love to feel sorry for themselves when they say the word 'problems'. With 'challenges' it is easier to see the scenario with more chance of overcoming it with success.

I think what Angela was describing was more of an attachment to the problem and staying with it instead of changing it into a challenge.

I used to love my own problem of believing in my powerlessness!

[Angela]

A problem, from the perspective I'm using, is not merely a negative way to describe a challenge and a challenge is not a positive way to frame a problem, and it also isn't necessarily anything to do with attachment.

A problem is anything about which I am believing any form of "there's something wrong here," like some thing, someone, or some circumstance should be other than how it is. Resistance is present in a problem, and satisfaction is ONLY present if the "wrong" person or thing is somehow resolved, fixed, or overcome.

A challenge is something that is presented to me that occurs as an inspiring choice or opportunity, inside of which is freedom and love, regardless of the outcome.

A problem and a challenge are two entirely different things, from the perspective I'm using.

[st33med]

Isn't it possible to change the perspective of a problem into a challenge? Like, instead of seeing homework as a bunch of problems, you can view it as a mental challenge -- a puzzle of sorts?

[lotusseed52]

imagine life without problems...

You got all the cash you even wanted, maybe even more. You don't even need to look for a career.

People mindlessly listen to you, they don't complain, just say YES YES YES! OF COURSE!!!!

Life... would be... quite... boring... you'd seek the next stimulus to the next to the next, but... it'd be all boring in the end.

Sorry to say, but it sort of reminds me of celebrities.

Heck, boredom is a "problem" of life. So I ask what is your definition of life without problems?

Life seems hard... yet..... I feel like I can still handle it. Like there's still this space within me that's unaffected, yet so connected. This I believe is what Andy Dufresne called hope in the movie Shawshank Redemption.

This is just my opinion.

[ginkgo]

Not at all in the least. But they tend to be a part of life. To be alive means that you must eat and do other things and that can create problems. Also everyone has this one problem that no matter what they do, they will die one day.

[richardxthripp]

Problems are essential to life. If you don't have problems, then you are dead!

[180]

Actually I think a lot of life's "problems" aren't problems.

Humans survived millions of years by solving problems, mostly making tools, It's what we do best.

Technically, there aren't that many problems. Besides sex, food, and shelter. these other "problems" we have are pretty inconsequential. But we make them problems.

Like let's say, paying bills. Everyone gets a headache and we think it's a problem. But realistically all of us can apply for welfare and worst comes to worst, we can actually live without electricity. I don't know if you've ever tried it, but it isn't so bad.... you just can't do anything. lol I stopped paying my bills for a week and it was completely without electricity and hot water. When It all came back on I realized how spoiled I was. Hot shower wow wow.... awesome.

Anyways, it made me realize my problems weren't really problems. All these little things aren't problems. Only percieved as problems because I'm used to a ridiculous standard.

It's kind of like... if you took a child's pacifier. To us it's like why would the baby need it? But the baby is so dependent and uses it all the time it doesn't know a world without it. But we have MILLIONS of pacifiers around us and as soon as one is plucked away from us we start crying.

Imagine if right now someone pulled your computer away. I'd freak, you'd freak, we'd all freak. But even as recently as 20 years ago, no one really had computers in their home. But it's just another pacifier put in our face.

It becomes a problem now if someone takes it away.

Am I getting off topic too much? Anyways, I think problems give life flavor, but too much flavor and you've lost the original taste of the food you're trying to eat.

[richardxthripp]

Well, that's a semantic argument and as we all know, semantic arguments are pointless. Not having electricity is a "problem."

Now, if you want to make that argument, at least define "problem" in terms of bodily injuring. Losing an arm or a couple legs is definitely a problem, even though it doesn't interfere with sex, food, or shelter if you know what you're doing.

[180]

Originally Posted by richardxthripp

Well, that's a semantic argument and as we all know, semantic arguments are pointless. Not having electricity is a "problem."

Now, if you want to make that argument, at least define "problem" in terms of bodily injuring. Losing an arm or a couple legs is definitely a problem, even though it doesn't interfere with sex, food, or shelter if you know what you're doing.

You've already defined "problem" as something threatening sex, food, or shelter. Which I would consider accurate.

Well that's what I'm saying about electricity. The fact that you consider not having electricity as a problem goes to prove the point that we just have another pacifier in our mouth. Can we live without electricity? Yes. Without a computer? Yes.

In fact, if you were to cut out most things it wouldn't be a problem, in fact we would simplify our life. Do we need these things to survive? no. Do you even need a shower? Few hundred years ago, baths and showers were causes of infections and death. (But let's not get into that)

None of these things are problems if you don't have them. They are only perceived problems.

I'll give another example, a kid loses in a video game versus another player. He spazes out and starts throwing objects. To him it's a problem, but most of us can agree it's not a problem. This is a subjective view.

Now take our problem of electricity, and the view of someone who's lived without electricity their entire lives. When we start complaining that "no electricity is a problem" do you think the person without electricity is going to take him seriously? He's going to say find a candle or go to bed.

"Problem" is incredibly subjective, and mostly in the eye of the beholder. But further, one person's problem is considered a ridiculous exaggeration.

The fact is our brain as humans is built upon survival instincts. Whatever is a problem is something that needs to be solved in order to ensure survival. But we are conditioned in certain ways to believe these things will aid in our survival. My girlfriend once complained that she didn't have enough eyeliner and we absolutely HAD to stop at a sephora booth to buy more makeup or whatever crap she needed. TO me, it's obviously not a problem. To her, it's a matter of life and death apparently. Why? She believes her survival depends on being pretty (in a way it kind of did, she didn't have brains going for her that's for sure). But the key idea here is that her belief in beauty being a "problem" is because her brain has conditioned beauty as a survival principal. Even though it clearly isn't.

Ok one last example, We all have our values... some believe in intelligence, athletics, beauty, or even goths believe in the "mystical". Each type of person grows up believing a certain "survival" principal. This in turn affects how people perceive problems. Hypothetically a jock who's scholarship rests on him winning the final game in front of scouts is DEVASTATED by a broken ankle and considers it a huge problem. While as the nerd is DEVASTATED By the fact he forgot his graphing calculator to the national math competitions. But switch their problems (nerd with broken ankle and jock without a calculator) and it's not a problem.

Each is a perceived problem. But neither truly subvert their ability to gain food, have sex, or gain access shelter. However they believe their problems do because they internalize a greater value. The jock believes without his scholarship means his entire life of surviving on a career. Or the nerd believes he must get into MIT.

But both could get a job at CVS, eat instant noodles and find some desperate woman. The quality may not be as good, but that goes back to the whole issue of "perceived" problems.

[richardxthripp]

Well, there's more to life than "sex, food, and shelter." If those are the only things you consider vital to your life, then you're probably in your early twenties.

Besides, your wrong. You can live without sex and shelter. Just be celibate and go sleep in a tree. All you really need is air, water, food, and maybe some peroxide and bandages.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by st33med

Isn't it possible to change the perspective of a problem into a challenge? Like, instead of seeing homework as a bunch of problems, you can view it as a mental challenge -- a puzzle of sorts?

Of course! You can always, anytime, transform the occurrence of anything in your life, if you want to -- and if you are dynamically willing to.

[Lakshyayidhi Lakshmihi]

Originally Posted by 180

Technically, there aren't that many problems. Besides sex, food, and shelter. these other "problems" we have are pretty inconsequential. But we make them problems.

You must live a pretty cushy life in the developed world. There are other things to consider. Let's just go with Maslow's hierarchy of needs and be done with it. Safety, homeostasis, and excretion are also needs and if they are not met, can cause problems.

Imagine if right now someone pulled your computer away. I'd freak, you'd freak, we'd all freak. But even as recently as 20 years ago, no one really had computers in their home. But it's just another pacifier put in our face.

If you become attached to it, sure. I disconnected my internet over the summer for 4 months. It was no big deal. I got a lot more done.

LOL then again I'm probably a bit older than you and I grew up without a computer in my house. I remember when the internet was invented...

[Mounds]

I don't think the two are interrelated...

As in, I don't think hardships will necessarily lead to something good. I've met people who went through hardships just to end up in more hardships. There's also people who worked hard, went through the fire and got somewhere. The big difference is living smarter.

Take "Mounds A". Mounds A buys what he wants, when he wants. He doesn't care about pesky things like credit card bills and debt. He only looks ahead to the next thing he wants. Suddenly, life catches up and gives him a swift kick in the ass. "OMG!", he says, "I've had eight years of financial ruin! Time to turn it around..." So, he works hard at paying down his debts and by the time he reaches square one, he's 28. Ten years since he became "independent". A hard lesson learned, a more interesting and worthwhile life to come.

Take "Mounds B" (arguably the smarter of the two). Mounds B is a ripe 18 years of age and he has a superpower... seeing into the future. Mounds B realizes that if he keeps going on the same track he's on, he's going to have to learn a lesson the hard way. So at the age of 18, he learns how to handle his money. Instead of building debt for 10 years, he builds wealth. His problem, solved swiftly and intelligently, lead to a more interesting and worthwhile life.

See, Mounds A was more concerned about putting out immediate fires and pursuing his current desires. Mounds B could see into the future and realized that he could have his current desires without the headache of debt and he could save money!

Anyhow, my opinions. 90% of all problems can be solved with a bit of foresight.

[richardxthripp]

So you're saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"?

[Mounds]

Sounds about right to me. I see no need to go through problems in order to come out a better person.

Just to go with the OP examples, I'd never work a job I don't like! As a result, I've worked one job that I truly despised and I only did it for a month, while I looked for something I did enjoy. Would working there have resulted in a more interesting and worthwhile life? Let's look into the future... I still don't like it. Only difference is now I'm bitter about it and annoying my co-workers/family/friends.

Dealing with unpleasant people: I wouldn't see this as my problem If they're unpleasant, I don't care. The only way people like that are going to blow my day is if I allow it. Let's take a look into the future again... two different scenarios:

1. I view it as a problem. Eventually, I become bitter and angry since there is nothing I can do. Some people are just dicks. They'll be unpleasant.

2. I view it as a non-issue. I simply keep enjoying life and I don't carry the burden of scenario #1.

[richardxthripp]

I agree, I also like to avoid problems. For example, I keep my bills low by living with my parents and driving their car.

I was very happy when I found out my wisdom teeth would not have to be removed. Was I depressed about losing out on an important personal growth experience? No thanks.

[ChrisGinsburg]

With every problem we face there are countless lessons that can be learned. With this view, facing defeat or loss can actually appear positive. Each of the trials we face in life add to our list of solutions that we can later draw on to build our wisdom and more easily navigate through life. The amount of problems we face does not define how interesting our lives are but does add a depth to our lives that can not be replaced. What really makes for an interesting life is putting yourself out there and not being afraid to fail. The man who locks himself away in his house his whole life could face problems all day but his life would likely not be interesting.

[Daffy Duck]

I feel the same way as Angela, as described in her post #8.

Also, I do think both problems and challenges can make a life more interesting.

[Bricona]

yep.

I was talking to my friends and we were talking about, "what would you rather have, bigger boobs or mind control." My friends are girls obviously, and with the mind control, you can't control it. Every single person has to do what you say whether you want them to or not.

And that just sucks. You won't experience things like love or peace.