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Living as if there was no tomorrow

Which philosophy suits you best?

  • Live life as if there is no tomorrow?

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • Live life as if there is always a tomorrow?

    Votes: 15 78.9%

  • Total voters
    19

BerberElla

12 and a half weeks
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Seizing the moment as it exists now.

This can be advice someone gives to you, and yet not the best way to live your life.

I live as if there is no tomorrow, not exactly a tomorrow, but maybe the day after tomorrow as it's so unreal to think much further than that. Life is so short, and that's if you live to old age, anything on anyday of your life could end it so there really is no tomorrow anymore.

People say "where do you see yourself a year from now" and they couldn't have asked me a more difficult question, because I don't see that far ahead. Maybe I have vague ideas, but nothing is concrete enough in my world to believe what I say is where I will still want to be next week, or next month, let alone next year.

If life is short than why save? if I could be killed tomorrow, why not enjoy today while I have it? I dread the idea of saving towards a fantastic holiday next year, if I could be dead before then. What a waste, all that boring long term planning, going without fun things now, being all serious and mature, and then just dying.

Still though, there have been many tomorrows, and in each tomorrow I am still in a financial rut, still not saving, still not progressing, because the choices people make based on their ideas of tomorrow, aren't being made by me.

I can certainly see the negatives to my living for the moment philosophy, and yet I find it hard to change this. I am attempting to save, and yet I have many moments in which I question the wisdom of saving for a future that isn't certain.

Live as if there is no tomorrow?

Live as if there is always a tomorrow?

Which one fits you best?
 

nomadic

mountain surfing
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Jul 15, 2008
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think ahead for career only

rest of the stuff, i take it as it comes...
 

Lux

Kraken down on piracy
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Aug 6, 2009
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I like thinking about this. It's hard form me to do both as well, but I'm the opposite of you. I have a harder time with carpe diem. I plan and plan. I never have a hard time executing my plans, but I, on my own, rarely do things on a whim. So the "live as if there is always a tomorrow" is more natural to me. However, the "live as if there is no tomorrow" is where my husband steps in. I'm fortunate that I have someone to balance me out. And he is too, because together we don't get trapped by our natural inclinations. If we were, I would just plan and maybe not get the most out life, and he would have sold all of our possessions and gone to live in the jungle. I sort of have a heart attack when he has a 'surprise' for me because it usually involves something so far from my comfort zone... I'm getting used it to though :tongue:.
 

BerberElla

12 and a half weeks
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I like thinking about this. It's hard form me to do both as well, but I'm the opposite of you. I have a harder time with carpe diem. I plan and plan. I never have a hard time executing my plans, but I, on my own, rarely do things on a whim. So the "live as if there is always a tomorrow" is more natural to me. However, the "live as if there is no tomorrow" is where my husband steps in. I'm fortunate that I have someone to balance me out. And he is too, because together we don't get trapped by our natural inclinations. If we were, I would just plan and maybe not get the most out life, and he would have sold all of our possessions and gone to live in the jungle. I sort of have a heart attack when he has a 'surprise' for me because it usually involves something so far from my comfort zone... I'm getting used it to though :tongue:.

:laugh: I can imagine, sounds like in your balance you get the best of both worlds, this is why I need to find me a J man. :smile:

I am always tempted to just pull my kids from school and take them round the world for an alternative education, so I get the whole escape to the jungle thing too lol.
 

Lux

Kraken down on piracy
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:laugh: I can imagine, sounds like in your balance you get the best of both worlds, this is why I need to find me a J man. :smile:

I am always tempted to just pull my kids from school and take them round the world for an alternative education, so I get the whole escape to the jungle thing too lol.

I wouldn't be so sure a J necessarily, my husband is an ENTJ. He just plays as hard as he works :D.
 

ceecee

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I like thinking about this. It's hard form me to do both as well, but I'm the opposite of you. I have a harder time with carpe diem. I plan and plan. I never have a hard time executing my plans, but I, on my own, rarely do things on a whim. So the "live as if there is always a tomorrow" is more natural to me. However, the "live as if there is no tomorrow" is where my husband steps in. I'm fortunate that I have someone to balance me out. And he is too, because together we don't get trapped by our natural inclinations. If we were, I would just plan and maybe not get the most out life, and he would have sold all of our possessions and gone to live in the jungle. I sort of have a heart attack when he has a 'surprise' for me because it usually involves something so far from my comfort zone... I'm getting used it to though :tongue:.


This. Ohhh this. My husband likes to do the same thing. I am much better than I use to be with surprises and such, and it's generally something I will love so I don't know why I have that initial "oh fuck" moment when he says that. I definitely love, love, LOVE to plan and it does take away from being spontaneous so now I try to roll with it. He doesn't live like there is no tomorrow, he's just more willing to slow down so I take ques from him.
 

highlander

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Interesting. I'm always thinking months and often YEARS ahead.
 

ajblaise

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I take this dilemma to mean, should we only care about short-term pleasure, or should we always have long-term pleasure and happiness in mind first?

I'm not usually the kind of person who promotes moderation, but I think we have to be both aware of short and long-term feel-goodedness.

So, we should live life as if there will probably be a tomorrow, but no guarantees.
 

BerberElla

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So, we should live life as if there will probably be a tomorrow, but no guarantees.

I think I struggle quite a bit with commiting to things that have no guarantees, and some life choices require a commitment.

I can sample to my hearts content without this need for a guarantee, but commitment is something else, it seems to require more these days.
 

ajblaise

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I think I struggle quite a bit with commiting to things that have no guarantees, and some life choices require a commitment.

I can sample to my hearts content without this need for a guarantee, but commitment is something else, it seems to require more these days.

But if you think about it, we still pretty much have a 95% guarantee that in 20 years, we'll still be kicking. Statistically. If you're still young.

So does that mean 95% of our mind should plan for tomorrow? Maybe.
 

BerberElla

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But if you think about it, we still pretty much have a 95% guarantee that in 20 years, we'll still be kicking. Statistically. If you're still young.

So does that mean 95% of our mind should plan for tomorrow? Maybe.

Really? a 95% chance we'll still be here?

Wow, I didn't think the odds were so high, it seems I'm always hearing about people who die suddenly and in their prime, from accidents, murder or illnesses.

Interesting, 95% makes tomorrow seem more real to me.
 

ajblaise

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Really? a 95% chance we'll still be here?

Wow, I didn't think the odds were so high, it seems I'm always hearing about people who die suddenly and in their prime, from accidents, murder or illnesses.

Interesting, 95% makes tomorrow seem more real to me.

Really, I'm pulling the 95% figure out of my ass...

But this is saying that 1 out of every 20 non-elderly people you know during a period of 20 years or so years will die. That seems kind of accurate.
 

Fluffywolf

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I'd hate to live thinking there's no tomorrow. Everything I want to do in my life (like gaining immortality) can't be done in a single day.

I do live day by day, and take things as they come. But nothing too extreme.
 

Fluffywolf

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Wow, I didn't think the odds were so high, it seems I'm always hearing about people who die suddenly and in their prime, from accidents, murder or illnesses.

Someone not dying or getting an accident isn't news. So naturally you'll hear the opposite much more.

Life expectancy is still pretty high. And I think living thinking that it could be over tomorrow is pretty unhealthy and stressful. Know that your time will eventually come, but don't bother yourself with it until the time comes. :p
 

FDG

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Absolutely impossible for me. I would feel like living in hell if I always tried to live as if there was not tomorrow. Said that, I think it's something totally OK to do when the time is right. For example, during the summer I often live a bit as-if there was no tomorrow. Probably a natural inconscious adaptation to the easie Moreover, as ajblaise said, it's better to think as-if there will probably be a tomorrow, so that you don't sacrifice short-term pleasure excessively.

But if you think about it, we still pretty much have a 95% guarantee that in 20 years, we'll still be kicking. Statistically. If you're still young.

So does that mean 95% of our mind should plan for tomorrow? Maybe.

Let's see. Suppose our starting age is 30, upwards approximation. National Mortality statistics for England: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_population/Table_1_Deaths_Rates_Summary.xls

After 2 quick computations, the death rate for an unspecified population of english males between 30 and 50 (to be precise, 49 and 364 days) years of age is 3.4%, thus the probability of survival in that time-interval is actually higher than 95%. Females have an even lower mortality rate in that age bracket, so it can't be any worse. Obviously if you're extremely poor, live in a dangerous neighborhood etc. the estimates will be slightly higher.
 

Soren

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Oct 3, 2008
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Everything has a price. Happiness included. And you're gonna pay for it now, or you're gonna pay for it later. You're gonna lose your money.

Pay now, life sucks now, but you're gonna save because you aren't paying accumulated interest.

Pay later, life is good now, but you're gonna pay that damned interest.

I prefer the approach of paying later. I don't know if tommorrow is gonna come. I know today is right now. I know happiness is experienced in the moment, not in the future. I know that hard times and crap will always come, even if I've prepared for everything I could think of. Sure, you may be paying more by paying later. However, by paying now, you're gambling on your belief that tommorrow will come, and all your best laid plans will not be defeated by you getting hit by a bus. Fuck the chances of that occurring, I don't care. I won't pretend to know. I DO know that I'm here, right now, living life, and I'll be living my life anyway should things start to suck ass. My life's circumstances don't dictate how happy I am, I do, for the most part.

Carpe diem, however, I will say don't be an idiot about it.
 

BerberElla

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Carpe diem, however, I will say don't be an idiot about it.


Frankly I think I have been all along with it. :laugh:

It's tomorrow again, and yep I'm still here lol

I'm trying to live as if there is probably a tomorrow, a few things I've commited to this year involve a good few tomorrows so I have to start making myself see that far ahead.

I think my inability to make plans is because my entire life has forced change upon change upon me, and all my plans have become dust each time.

I have furnished houses only to have to leave them and all my belongings, I have commited to a relationship only to find myself forced to leave it, I have commited to friendships that have led to nowhere, I have commited to family again for nothing, or religion for nothing.

I truly do understand that there are no guarantees in life, and I think my sp status is preserving me by not commiting to anything right now. So it's time to change it.

No risks, no future to aim for, so risks must be taken again. :yes:

Maybe later when I go shopping I can commit to the black hooded scarf and black leather jacket I want, instead of worrying that I will change my mind tomorrow, and thus not buying anything lol.
 

Lark

Active member
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Jun 21, 2009
Messages
29,569
I'm planning averse, I've tried about next week the best I can actually do, sometimes I think I'd love to plan complete years in advance and just have them roll in but I've never been able to do that and when I have successfully done that I sometimes crave the spontaneity instead.

What I dont like is people who try to off set anxiety by doing this, people who think that plans in the present will some how make for a more predictable or easier time tommorrow, that's serious BS, its like Chamberline's peace in our time waving the paper from the plane business.

What I do more recently is live as though there was a yesterday, in some ways I think it is more real than the future, not enslaved or ensnared or doomed to repeat it though.
 
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