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Is life too easy?

UniqueMixture

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?
 

Lark

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?

I do think man is a frustrated producer rather than a frustrated consumer.

Even when people are actively engaging in some consumer lifestyle or binge they are seeking in a round about to create or produce, an identity or something like it.
 

UniqueMixture

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No lark, because that isn't really Ourselves that we are sharing per se. I think we need to share our "soulfulness" to be really happy.
 

Aquarelle

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I'm not sure I agree with shaing our soulfullness or whatever-- at least, I am not sure how that is related to life being easy. I do think, though, that life being too easy does cause people to take things for granted and become ill equipped to deal with adversity. Not to mention we have the time/luxury to bitch and moan. So yes, I would say that the ease of life in today's Western society does contribute to some of our problems.
 

funkadelik

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Depends.

I wouldn't say my life has been easy in the least and I've become a pretty well-adjusted, happy person despite it.

I'm not sure the same holds up for everyone, though. There are plenty of people whose lives are shit who are bitter and depressed about it.

But then again, there are plenty of people who have had comparatively fantastic lives who are still bitter and depressed so maybe you have a point. Suffering, in my opinion, is a pretty damn important component of life. Because what challenges a person more than pain and your own livelihood on the line? But with all of the luxuries afforded to us nowadays, suffering's harder and harder to come by.

But maybe you're right: maybe all people need is a challenge. A challenge and some perspective.
 

UniqueMixture

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Oh, I agree allegorystory. I think we all require a certain level of healthy stress to be happy and periods of rest. I think for each of us it is different. Perhaps that is what is wrong with today's corporate culture, it favors a testosterone laced cognizance that doesn't take into account the totality of human experience necessary for happiness for all (because society has more functions than just producing products/gathering resources).
 

Cellmold

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Each and every one of us makes life hard or easy for each other. Some people are born into ease or difficulty and others bring it upon themselves with the choices they make.

It is the ultimate fairness of the human race. The fairness of chance.

Doesn't mean we shouldn't right some wrongs though. Personally the whole 'wouldnt it be nice if everyone was nice' is broadly true, although it is better to say "wouldnt it be nice if people were considerate and second guessed their actions and evaluations once in a while."

But of course that doesnt have quite the same ring to it, does it?
 

Laurie

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[MENTION=77]Geoff[/MENTION] and I used to talk about this. How people are bored and end up feeling down because of it.
 

Stanton Moore

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[MENTION=15315]UniqueMixture[/MENTION]
I watched a movie the other day. One character said to another (slightly paraphrased) "The reason you are so upset by seeing hungry animals is that you've never seen hungry men."
 

Such Irony

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?

It's true we have a plethora of experiences avaiable to us and I wonder if the overwhelming amount of choice can make people depressed. Are we making the best choice? Why haven't we done X yet? The more we realize what's available to us the easier it is to get depressed is because we are also more aware of all the things we could be doing but haven't done. If we lived further back in time or in a third-world country where we are just trying to literally get by, we wouldn't likely get depressed by this because we probably wouldn't even be aware of such options existing.

Then again, we also have the most choices for growth if we choose to take advantage of them.

Also there are still plenty of people who are living lives in constant adversity which isn't so desirable either.

I think the desirable life is a balance of enjoyment and struggle.
 

UniqueMixture

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Yeah, I agree. I think for most people the availability of choice overwhelms them until environmental pressure turns them "on" and then they start living. We're all exposed to different stressors, but I think physical activity done over time helps one figure out how to activate their endocrine and adrenal system mentally which allows them to access much larger stores of energy for periods of high activity/combat
 

Vilku

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?

hm.. thats rather contradicting, your statement alone in itself is a challenge, as we must each find our motivation for self development and some, might be motivated by misfortunes.. but im not, ive had my whole life full of them and id have the motivation for self development anyways as it _is_ the only path for happiness, whether you have externally hard or easy life, doesnt make a difference.
(hm, maybe for pessimists? oh yes, i do have seen pessimists with easy lives.. their so called "problems".. O_O.... "im so depressed!" why? "cause theree raare raperrsrrs in the news!!!" ooo-kkhay.. pessimist finds problems where there are none.)

and i cant see how having permanent injuries which limit living my life like others do is supposed to motivate me any further.

its true, my lack of environmental stimuli has forced me to figure how to enjoy life by other means, but it should still come obvious to everyone how meaningless external concepts are for happiness, as they arent related.
 

Giggly

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?

Yes... I've been saying this for a few years now. In Western cultures we live too long and we're too comfortable/safe and people are bored, which means we all just hang around and annoy each other.
 

UniqueMixture

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Yes... I've been saying this for a few years now. In Western cultures we live too long and we're too comfortable/safe and people are bored, which means we all just hang around and annoy each other.

How long is too long?
 

Giggly

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How long is too long?

I don't have a source at the moment but I read somewhere that humans were only supposed to live to like 40 or 50.
This makes sense to me, even though I wouldn't want to die that early.

Also, we haven't really accomplished/invented anything super useful in like 60+ years anyway.
 

UniqueMixture

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I agree with 50. It's interesting how I keep running into this sentiment ftom all kinds of places as of late. It'll probably become popularized when I'm 49 : ) )
 

mujigay

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This actually makes a whole lot of sense.

If you live a comfortable life and don't have a certain degree of internal drive or push forward, then you end up stagnant, bored, or depressed.

Certainly explains the general theme of the midlife crisis/rebellious teen years. People just have way too much time on their hands and force themselves to feel miserable.
 

swordpath

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Perhaps the reason we feel so many negative feelings in our culture is because from a historical standpoint we have such a plethora of luxurious experiences available to us that we are not being challenged sufficiently to grow and really push ourselves. Perhaps if we put ourselves in more situations where we can be put to our limits on every level in the act of creation we would be happier?

I agree.
 
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