NationStates Jolt Archive

You're born. You work. You die.
Along the way you can rack up some debts and fall victim to stress and disease.
You do not collect two hundered dollars on passing "go", though some people do and they're not going to share a penny of it.
You spend more time of (the waking hours of) your life at work than anything else, essentially doing - for most people - something you don't want to do at all.
You pay your bills, and then you die.

And the worst part is there's no escaping it. This is the system of everyman, the system of the world - of the "West". This is western civilisation at its most advanced, and yet it makes so many people miserable. What is the point?

It's something I for one don't want to bother with, don't want to be a part of, thus returning me to my all-time favourite saying "life would be easier were I dead."


am I right?

I thought you were a Marxist? Isn't this all a bit close to beastly capitalist alienation?

am I right?

Nah. I believe an average human actually spends more of their life asleep than at work (although for certain jobs there is an overlap there).

I spend more time of my life asleep than anything else, but apart from that, yep, you're right.

I thought you were a Marxist? Isn't this all a bit close to beastly capitalist alienation?
quite probably... but its the truth as i see it. ignorance is bliss as they say

Well, that's the trouble with life.
You never get out of it alive :D:rolleyes:

Ok. So what you're saying is, "We're born, we work, we die." Yeah, probably. Aren't you omitting the fact that life is, I should imagine, quite a bit more fun than death, even if it's only a fleeting moment in an otherwise monotonous day. Of course most of life is dull routine: that is what makes those parts of it that are not truly worth having.

I've thought about this myself - I got through this in my time of pondering:

Age

0-5 Too young to appreciate the opportunities of the world, and anything you do you'll forget anyway. Time wasted.

5-11 Primary school. Boring, with only brief moments of fleeting excitement. Pretty much the same as any school, and with stress loaded on in moderate amounts towards the end (year 6 SATS)

11-16 Secondary school. Much the same as primary, only harder work and less fun, and with twice the pressure - year nine SATS, and especially the GCSEs, man did the teachers freak over that!

16-18 College. More of the same, only more so. Slightly better than school because you actually choose the subjects you want to do, but gradually you realise this makes it worse because you realise you have no-one to blame but yourself for the shite you're doing. Majorly stresserlised as you get into AS and A levels.

18-19 Gap year (possibly) Your one chance at total freedom, so take it! But be warned, even if you do, since most people choose to go travelling in their gap year, which is a damned good idea, you'll spend either an awful lot of it working to get the money, or spend time during college saving up (which wil make it worse)

18/19-21/22 University. Another four years of your life gone to education. Here at least you can actually study interesting subjects. And get drunk and do drugs etc with the perfectly legitemate excuse that you're a student.

22-65 Work. Probably in some job that you only marginally enjoy. If you're lucky you'll love your job, but even that will pall after you spend year after year doing the same thing over... and over... and over again.

65-death Too old to make ful advantage of the opportunities. Not completely gone though, but what chances you have of enjoying yourself are destroyed by the practically mandatory joining of a bowls club. And you've gotta play, oh yes, you've gotta play.


See, this is the ultimate advantage of being Christian (or any religion for that matter) - despite this, you can still look forward to an eternity of awesomeness afterwards :) It's what keeps me going lol.

You are wrong. This world is great, it's got women, soccer, great wine and you get to see shit being blown up on live TV!

You sleep alot, true. And waste alot of time commuting, but if you really want to, you don't need to take that a large effort to be happy.

18/19-21/22 University. Another four years of your life gone to education. Here at least you can actually study interesting subjects. And get drunk and do drugs etc with the perfectly legitemate excuse that you're a student.

heh, yes the booze and drugs were the only thing that made uni bearable :)

i would disagree that over 65 you have no chances of having fun (i mean look at eut :D), but then again, what fun is there to be had in the rest of life anyway :confused:
the only fun or enjoyment we have is far too short anyway, a fleeting glimpse at happiness before we go back to the tedium of actual everyday life. bah :(

but whether you're religious or not, all you've got to look forward to is death :p


*waves at you in pompey... am in southampton myself... should be shaking my fist i suppose but there you go :P *

"Am i right or what?"

How about ... "or what?" :p

It seems you have totally discounted almost everything that makes life worth living: laughter, love, sex, little children, old dogs, good friends, good conversation, striving for a good cause ... I could go on and on, but I think you've got the picture now. :)

It's not the destination, Grasshopper, but the joy of the journey. [ classic oriental bow, hands pressed together, enigmatic smile on face ] :D

BTW ... don't forget an excellent chateaubrian! :D

You're born. You work. You die.
Along the way you can rack up some debts and fall victim to stress and disease.
You do not collect two hundered dollars on passing "go", though some people do and they're not going to share a penny of it.
You spend more time of (the waking hours of) your life at work than anything else, essentially doing - for most people - something you don't want to do at all.
You pay your bills, and then you die.

And the worst part is there's no escaping it. This is the system of everyman, the system of the world - of the "West". This is western civilisation at its most advanced, and yet it makes so many people miserable. What is the point?

It's something I for one don't want to bother with, don't want to be a part of, thus returning me to my all-time favourite saying "life would be easier were I dead."


am I right?


Life completely sucks, but enough cool things happen to keep you interested, especially when many are completely unexpected. I figure you may as well stick around for as long as you can, as you have the rest of eternity to be dead. Unless you believe in reincarnation, ofc..

soccer, great wine and you get to see shit being blown up on live TV!
if only any of those things interested me or were enjoyable in the slightest. and if only i got women too, heh (well i do kinda have one and she makes things worthwhile most of the time :fluffle: )

*snip*

am I right?

Yes, you are right.

We should start the revolution soon. :D

"Am i right or what?"

How about ... "or what?" :p

It seems you have totally discounted almost everything that makes life worth living: laughter, love, sex, little children, old dogs, good friends, good conversation, striving for a good cause ... I could go on and on, but I think you've got the picture now. :)

It's not the destination, Grasshopper, but the joy of the journey. [ classic oriental bow, hands pressed together, enigmatic smile on face ] :D

BTW ... don't forget an excellent chateaubrian! :D

Don't ruin the wonderful cloud of pessimism that hangs over this place dammit! I was enjoying the shade :p :D


heh, yes the booze and drugs were the only thing that made uni bearable

i would disagree that over 65 you have no chances of having fun (i mean look at eut ), but then again, what fun is there to be had in the rest of life anyway
the only fun or enjoyment we have is far too short anyway, a fleeting glimpse at happiness before we go back to the tedium of actual everyday life. bah

but whether you're religious or not, all you've got to look forward to is death


*waves at you in pompey... am in southampton myself... should be shaking my fist i suppose but there you go :P *

Meh, my grandparents are always buggering off on some cruise or other - I reckon they saved up all that money, and now they don't know how long they have left they're gonna blow it all on having the best time they can - good luck to 'em! :D

And this is why I always try to snatch at every opportunity for fun and enjoyment I can, and to make sure they come along often! :D

*waves back at you in soton... meh, if I were some chavvy football hooligan I'd shake my fist, but as I'm a regular human being (without any major brain deficiencies) I'm happy to be courteous :D*

It's not the destination, Grasshopper, but the joy of the journey. [ classic oriental bow, hands pressed together, enigmatic smile on face ] :D

lol well i guess i agree but what if the journey presents no joy? wrong journey? :confused:

Don't ruin the wonderful cloud of pessimism that hangs over this place dammit! I was enjoying the shade :p :D
LOL!

Ah! But the cloud of pessimism blocks both the light of reason and the light of joy, Grasshopper! :D

lol well i guess i agree but what if the journey presents no joy? wrong journey? :confused:
All paths lead to the One Path, Grasshopper, you have only to guide your own feet. :)

lol well i guess i agree but what if the journey presents no joy? wrong journey? :confused:

"the problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat" (quoting Lily Tomlyn, I think)
... yes, wrong journey. Don't need to wake up, go to work, eat, sleep ,wake up, go to work,...etc.
Find your own thing. You'll need money for that, though. Find money first.

"the problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat" (quoting Lily Tomlyn, I think)
... yes, wrong journey. Don't need to wake up, go to work, eat, sleep ,wake up, go to work,...etc.
Find your own thing. You'll need money for that, though. Find money first. If you're lucky/work at it hard enough you'll be good enough at "your own thing" to make money anyway!

You spend more time of (the waking hours of) your life at work than anything else, essentially doing - for most people - something you don't want to do at all.
If you work a fairly normal week, and sleep a normal night, then your week looks like this :

Work : 40 hours
Sleep : 56 hours
Other things : 72 hours.

Ok. So what you're saying is, "We're born, we work, we die." Yeah, probably. Aren't you omitting the fact that life is, I should imagine, quite a bit more fun than death, even if it's only a fleeting moment in an otherwise monotonous day. Of course most of life is dull routine: that is what makes those parts of it that are not truly worth having.

And what various other people have said. Yea. Life is still worth living.


And you really don't need money to escape the rat race. Ever read a book called "Evasion?" About this guy who decides never to work again, and live life to it's fullest. He dumpsters (not just for food, he finds working TVs, sterio systems, crates of movie and games thrown out by Blockbustser, pretty much anything!), steals, and forages whatever he needs. He more cool shit in his abandoned house then I do. He kept clean in hotel pools, and never smelled or looked like a hobo. He was a straightedge vegan, and he still thrived without money or work. He hopped freight trains, snuck into the Milwakee Metalfest dressed as a pizza boy, had all kids of crazy adventures. Not for everyone, but the point is, if you're determined enough, you don't need work and money.

Or if you're above dumpster diving, become a home mailer. $7 per envolope, if you can stuff 200 evolopes per week, $1400 a week, 500 envolopes, $3400 per week! And every amount in between, that's a multiple of 7. You can do it from home, then go out and do whatever you please :)

Or if you're above dumpster diving, become a home mailer. $7 per envolope, if you can stuff 200 evolopes per week, $1400 a week, 500 envolopes, $3400 per week! And every amount in between, that's a multiple of 7. You can do it from home, then go out and do whatever you please :)

What's a home mailer?

am I right?No, both empl*yment and excessive work of any type is totally avoidable. And not just by dying or moving to a cardboard box, or trying to find an envelope-stuffing scheme that actually pays.

>>And the worst part is there's no escaping it.
Of course there is!

>>This is the system of everyman
The heck with everyman.

>>the system of the world
Same there.

Lose all the "system's" brainwashing. The System is always looking to make more peasants, in order to get cheap labor. But the key is to OWN a company, not work in one! It doesn't cost a bunch to get started, either, a few hundred bucks'll get things going if you open up an online store (and do it right rather than falling for some ripoff "pre-done store" package or somesuch). Once you get the knack down*, it's just a matter of reinvesting and growing the business until it's big enough that you can quit any j*bs that have attached themselves to you, and later hire employees of your own...

*The ease of "getting the knack down" depends a lot on the individual.

You are so wrong!! Life is great! You spend your first years enjoying the mindless exuberance of youth and gaining a little education on the way. Then you get a grip, build on what you have learned, and make a career in something you love rather than just working a job. Then you experience the joy of the love of another person that will last you all your life. You share everything with that person and set to work making a family. Then you experience the greatest joy of your life...when two unfocused eyes in a little wrinkled up face manage to find your face, lock there, and then grasp your finger with a little pink fist. Oh the miracle of children and the feeling of total and unconditional love...you are a happy slave! You work, you struggle, you go through painful times. But, the vast majority of your time is consumed with happiness. The joy of family, friends, achievements, physical pleasures...all of this and more fill your days. Then, when you get older, you've been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and flopped down in your recliner, here come the grandkids. And the hysterical mad whirlwind starts again. Only you're better at it and enjoy it even more and slip into it like a comfortable old sweater. You and your life's love settle into a relationship that is like one living creature....he exhales for each of your inhales. Until one of you pass on. Then you are left, with pain in your heart, but a heart full of warm memories. And you know that you won't be apart forever.

Life, in its full circle, is wonderful and I wouldn't want to miss a single second of it.

You're born. You work. You die.
Along the way you can rack up some debts and fall victim to stress and disease.
You do not collect two hundered dollars on passing "go", though some people do and they're not going to share a penny of it.
You spend more time of (the waking hours of) your life at work than anything else, essentially doing - for most people - something you don't want to do at all.
You pay your bills, and then you die.

And the worst part is there's no escaping it. This is the system of everyman, the system of the world - of the "West". This is western civilisation at its most advanced, and yet it makes so many people miserable. What is the point?

It's something I for one don't want to bother with, don't want to be a part of, thus returning me to my all-time favourite saying "life would be easier were I dead."
Have you just been reading Death Of A Salesman? Some of its most famous lines are very similar to what you've just said.

what

what
Are you one of those people that says 'when' when they don't want any more?

What's a home mailer?

The company sends you envolopes, stamps, and stuff to put in the envolopes, you stuff the envolopes from your house, you mail it back to them. It's easyer for them then hiring full time envolope stuffers to come in each day

Heh. PM is how I see myself in five years - disillusioned and pessimistic. At the moment, I'm still aiming for the American Dream, albeit from the wrong side of the Atlantic. Yes, my course is difficult. Yes, the stresses of work have gotten to me a few times in the past. Be that as it may, I finally feel as if my hard work in...well not high school, but college at least, is paying off.

In summary - I am gonna get a job I enjoy, I will enjoy my life and hell, if I don't manage it legally I can always get drugs for that :p

Heh. PM is how I see myself in five years - disillusioned and pessimistic.
lol i'll take that as a compliment :p

Have you just been reading Death Of A Salesman? Some of its most famous lines are very similar to what you've just said.
heh, no... i probably ought to now though *stokes beard*

If you work a fairly normal week, and sleep a normal night, then your week looks like this :

Work : 40 hours
Sleep : 56 hours
Other things : 72 hours.
i work weekends (at least 6 day week, often seven - haven't had a day off in 5 weeks lol) and usually approx a 10 hour day (though i spend a fair bit of that being 'inefficient' and posting here lol :D)

so using those very rough numbers:
work: 60 hours
sleep: 56 hours
other things: 52 hours

people in britian work longer and harder for less money and to afford a higher cost of living compared to other EU nations. it sucks but that's why we are called - in the words of so many companies - 'treasure island' :headbang:
god i'm getting off this island

PM is how I see myself in five years - disillusioned and pessimistic.lol i'll take that as a compliment :p
You could be so emo if only you'd let it happen... http://www-scf.usc.edu/~layton/avatars/smilie-emo.gif

¬_¬

You could be so emo if only you'd let it happen... ¬_¬
nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!.... :p

*thwacks tribes*

note: nothing against emo particularly, but as a metalhead, i just gotta keep up appearances ;)

nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!.... :p

*thwacks tribes*

note: nothing against emo particularly, but as a metalhead, i just gotta keep up appearances ;)
Join....well, them I suppose - I am a fellow (semi-)metalhead who just happens to like stoner rock like Incubus.

Oh right, appearances and all that. MAIDEN!! MEGADETH!! SLAYER!! *MOSH* \m/

Join....well, them I suppose - I am a fellow (semi-)metalhead who just happens to like stoner rock like Incubus.

Oh right, appearances and all that. MAIDEN!! MEGADETH!! SLAYER!! *MOSH* \m/
*quaffs beer and moshes*

lol i'll take that as a compliment :p


heh, no... i probably ought to now though *stokes beard*


i work weekends (at least 6 day week, often seven - haven't had a day off in 5 weeks lol) and usually approx a 10 hour day (though i spend a fair bit of that being 'inefficient' and posting here lol :D)

so using those very rough numbers:
work: 60 hours
sleep: 56 hours
other things: 52 hours

people in britian work longer and harder for less money and to afford a higher cost of living compared to other EU nations. it sucks but that's why we are called - in the words of so many companies - 'treasure island' :headbang:
god i'm getting off this island

Go to New Zealand man, it truly is the best place in the world.

But don't take up too much room :p 'Coz I'll be moving in soon enough (I hope)

Work is that activity that we do to afford the lifestyle we choose in which to live the remainder of our day. But you're right; it is far too long a stretch of time to be doing something that you don't enjoy. That's why I stopped working in an office somewhere writing scientific procedures and started acting silly for money. I went with my strengths. :D

I also typically work 2-4 days a week as a blackjack dealer. I like this job considerably less as it provides far less opportunities to tell bad jokes and fling confetti.

However, the REAL purpose of life is to generate memories and stories to keep us amused during our wheelchair or bed-ridden years. So far, I'm way ahead of the curve. :)

Are you one of those people that says 'when' when they don't want any more?

uh

yeah

isnt that what you are supposed to do?

uh

yeah

isnt that what you are supposed to do?

Only if your sense of humour is distinctly limited.

(well i do kinda have one and she makes things worthwhile most of the time :fluffle: )

:) :fluffle:

You're wrong about life. There is so much more to life. So much more.

I know how hard it is to see, and I know how hard you're finding life right now, but there are things that make life worthwhile if you look hard enough. There must be experiences in your past that you've enjoyed. There must be things you enjoy doing now and people you care about. There must be things you look forward to doing, dream of doing, hope to do. In fact, I know all those things exist.

Depression has a funny way of blocking out anything good in your life, dismissing it, not counting it as important, not counting anything good as possible to happen. But you have to realise that it's depression doing that and it is not the reality of life.

I know how hard it is to fight all this, but you have to. Because life is worth it, if you give it a chance and if you work at making it worthwhile. You are in control of your life. There are outside factors, sure, but when it comes down to it you are the one in control. If you don't like how life is now, change it. You obviously hate your job and I realise it isn't as simple as just quitting, especially seeing as it's a family thing, but if it's causing you so much pain and making you feel like this, you cannot continue like this.

I know life doesn't feel worth it sometimes. I know how that feels. But I also know that each time my depression clears, and I start to live life a bit more, I'm always so glad I didn't give up and I'm always shocked at how blind I was to the great things in my life.

Some things seem so insignificant but infact, it's all the small things which make up life and make it so great.

I know how painful life can be, but every time I feel happiness after a period of wanting to die, I think "God, however shit I felt, it was worth it because this feeling is fantastic." And you can have that. It's not unattainable. It's in your reach.

I know I can't make your life perfect, and I know I can't magic away all the crap you're feeling (however much I wish, wish, wish I could) but I hope I can at least convince you to keep going. And you know that I am always here if you need me to listen, to offer advice - I'll do whatever I can to help in my small, insignificant way. Because I love you and I hate seeing you like this and I just wish I could help you be as happy as you make me.

You'll never be alone in this. Remember that.

Let me know how you're feeling *hugs and kisses*

The French only work 35 hours a week. If you're bitching about too much work, go live in (mainland) Europe.

You're basically right. Life is more or less pointless, whether enjoyable or no.