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What's the difference between living and being alive?

nor

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I don't believe so...

So the answer needn't be "being alive is rooted in the energetic experience of love"?

If yes, then what, again, is the difference between living and being alive?
 

Lark

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"therefore, lets make it a greater, far greater life of accomplishment than ever imagined possible, as defined by your objective standards of greatness, as derived from whatever culturally artefactual ideal of a life well lived" -- better? Eh, redundant.



Your anecdotal arguments being indicative of a deficit in the philosophy, rather than the individuals with whom you've interacted (or both, you'll say?), who according to you ought to strive toward "greatness and accomplishment", as objectively defined? I mean, all of that being predicated upon a flawed understanding of whatever existentialist what-have-you is being referred to, anyway.



Those who dared defy (Survive & Stay Free's notion of) greatness; how grateful am I for *that* kind of greatness, I have to say.



Better for?

Also, in this thread's first page, you mentioned the individual's so-called essence -- how would you characterize this essence? I presume you believe it intrinsic? How could one's existence contrast their essence?

Why so hostile?

- - - Updated - - -

So the answer needn't be "being alive is rooted in the energetic experience of love"?

If yes, then what, again, is the difference between living and being alive?

I know you're going to enlighten us all, we're waiting with baited breath.
 

nor

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Last edited:

LightSun

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#9
'The Invitation'

"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human. It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.' It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments." Oriah Mountain Dreamer
 

LightSun

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#9
"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." Buddha

"Find your passion. Your passion is what stirs your soul and makes you feel like you're totally in harmony with why you showed up here in the first place." ~ Wayne Dyer

"I believe each of us has a gift. Doing this gift, one achieves a sense of happiness as well as utter timelessness. Finding one's gift will allow the spirit the freedom to soar. This is what life this life is. Find your gift and thus you find yourself. I happen to have a penchant for writing as well as an oratory skill when giving speeches. Doing your gift benefiting the world upon which we live on called earth. Reaching a heightened state of consciousness called flow. For each of us are interrelated with every other life form.

Combining our gifts can also produce the added benefit of a byproduct called synergy or the synergism of which the sum is greater than the parts. This experience is as rapture, which is beyond heavenly words to describe. Only for one moment do we feel like we have experienced a little slice of heaven on earth. It is confounding as it is in effect beyond description. Too many times we may ignore the inner universe, searching for peace, as well happiness when these lay within us.

If one are miserable inside, then all the money, & riches, all the members of the opposite sex or whichever sex one is attracted to, fame, material possessions, food, and travel will not soothe the soul, most certainly not for long. It is a search for inner peace. This inner universe is so crucial. This is why one needs to develop self-esteem and a healthy self-concept to truly know and acknowledge the beauty of the world.

This is why for greatest harmony to occur; both inner and outer realities need be balanced. Listen to this inner voice. I call it the universal consciousness. It is a duty of ours in finding that special gift for it’s what life is supposed to be like. It’s a special gift for our spirit. Find your gift and thus you find yourself. Doing your gift to benefit the world upon which we live on called earth thus in reaching a heightened state of consciousness called a magical flow consciousness in which one is in unity with all reality.
 

LightSun

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#9
"Find your passion. Your passion is what stirs your soul and makes you feel like you're totally in harmony with why you showed up here in the first place." ~ Wayne Dyer

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." Buddha

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

"I believe each of us has a gift. Doing this gift, one achieves a sense of happiness as well as utter timelessness. Finding one's gift will allow the spirit the freedom to soar. This is what life this life is. Find your gift and thus you find yourself. I happen to have a penchant for writing as well as an oratory skill when giving speeches. Doing your gift benefiting the world upon which we live on called earth. Reaching a heightened state of consciousness called flow. For each of us are interrelated with every other life form.

Combining our gifts can also produce the added benefit of a byproduct called synergy or the synergism of which the sum is greater than the parts. This experience is as rapture, which is beyond heavenly words to describe. Only for one moment do we feel like we have experienced a little slice of heaven on earth. It is confounding as it is in effect beyond description. Too many times we may ignore the inner universe, searching for peace, as well happiness when these lay within us.

If one are miserable inside, then all the money, & riches, all the members of the opposite sex or whichever sex one is attracted to, fame, material possessions, food, and travel will not soothe the soul, most certainly not for long. It is a search for inner peace. This inner universe is so crucial. This is why one needs to develop self-esteem and a healthy self-concept to truly know and acknowledge the beauty of the world. This is why for greatest harmony to occur; both inner and outer realities need be balanced. Listen to this inner voice.

I call it the universal consciousness. It is a duty of ours in finding that special gift for it’s what life is supposed to be like. It’s a special gift for our spirit. Find your gift and thus you find yourself. Doing your gift to benefit the world upon which we live on called earth thus in reaching a heightened state of consciousness called a magical flow consciousness in which one is in unity with all reality.”
 

Avocado

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What's the difference between living and being alive?

living is dominating your enemies and being the wealthiest person you know.

being alive is surviving at the mercy of your enemies and/or living in poverty.
[MENTION=10082]Starry[/MENTION]
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
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living is dominating your enemies and being the wealthiest person you know.

being alive is surviving at the mercy of your enemies and/or living in poverty.
The latter is simply existing. The former is not much better since the focus is so narrow and ignorant of the consequences.
 

Fluffywolf

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Voicing what's been said and adding my two cents. :D

In technical terms, one is a constantly changing variable while the other is a state of being.

Being alive is a matter of course, living is where the interesting stuff happens though.
 

Avocado

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The latter is simply existing. The former is not much better since the focus is so narrow and ignorant of the consequences.

You either control others or they control you. If you don’t take what your neighbor has, they will take what you have. You have to do to others before they do to you. We live in a dog eat dog world. Eat others or be eaten.

I try to instill a certain ruthlessness and individualism into my children because I don’t want them to be taken advantage of or to join a cult that will make them sacrifice their joy for conformity.
 
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