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Maybe This is the Real Meaning of Life All Along.. watch!

youtube.com — A brilliant video showcasing Alan Watt's ideas. Watts was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and student of comparative religion. He was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies for a Western audience. Remember to sing and dance, people!

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  • NextInstinct, on 04/02/2008, -6/+28010/10
    • Speesh, on 04/02/2008, -3/+44Indeed. This short effortlessly highlights the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism, which I think everyone should be subjected to. It emphasizes living mindfully in the present moment, as opposed to worrying about the future which is really just a manifestation of our own anxiety. Its too bad so many people are blind to this truth.
      Great stuff!
      • Phyltre, on 04/02/2008, -0/+15The early NT has some rather strong overtones of these sentiments as well, although few people are willing to read it that way.
    • koenigje, on 04/02/2008, -2/+36Great Seller!!!!! Would Buy From Again!!! A+++++++
      • dOOBiEx213, on 04/02/2008, -0/+8SCAMMER!! SAID HE WOULD SEND MONEY AND I SHIP TO NIGERIA!! FILING COMPLAINT WITH PAYP
      • skabyss, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2That win caused me to drop my memes
      • camknig, on 04/02/2008, -0/+0kroenigje, please send tracking information.
      • Clumber, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3package contained bobcat....
    • SquigglyP, on 04/02/2008, -0/+13This is probably the most profound thing I've ever seen on Digg.
      • RoroCo, on 04/02/2008, -1/+3It almost makes me feel bad about wasting so much time on Digg... Almost...
        • Intangible360, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Then you miss the point. Wasting what time? Time that could be spent on that ever-moving, far off goal? The point is to live life one step at a time and enjoy it. If digg is some part of how you accomplish this then so be it.
    • fabriciom, on 04/02/2008, -8/+1If this is not obvious to you. You need to be traded in for a better human being.
      • seraph582, on 04/02/2008, -0/+10Hello - welcome to western culture. Pull up a chair - this'll take a lot of explaining...
  • aaaleman, on 04/02/2008, -7/+182This may be the best thing Trey Parker & Matt Stone have animated (if the credits are correct). Great stuff!
    • ribo, on 04/02/2008, -3/+9looks like they produced, not animated it.
    • cnot3, on 04/02/2008, -0/+57You mean you thought it was better than Eric Cartman ***** all over his mom holding a bedpan while playing WoW?? The Emmys disagree, lol.
    • GuacamoleSan, on 04/02/2008, -2/+9Even though they didn't animate it, it does look alot like Terrence and Phillip
      This is truly brilliant. Parker/Stone 08
    • carleethian, on 04/02/2008, -1/+1bite your tongue
  • elvisxe, on 04/02/2008, -4/+86I always knew music factored in to the meaning of life, now I have proof!
    • Tayls, on 04/02/2008, -2/+39You know, as a musician planning a tour for next summer, writing songs that mean something to me (and hopefully others), I feel more and more like I've found what I was looking for. The end result is the lifestyle, the creation method that can be my true focus. I feel like, quite literally, I walk a path note by note, recording and performing along the way, and I enjoy it.

      My only real problem is that my loved ones don't have a similar lifestyle. They don't have something that consumes them outside of a class room, away from quotas. They don't have such burning desire to create...just to create. I think, like with most philosophies, one has to adopt (or continue) to live in one frame of mine and hopefully inspire others to find that same beauty in something for themselves. But it's just a shame that in order to make it optimal, your surroundings need to embrace your same ideals. It's just a thought, but I'd like to see what other people have to say.

      My main thought: Even if you have a mindset that CAN enjoy the beauty of the path, it is more complicated when surrounded by people that may not. And it's frustrating. Now dig me down, considering I didn't infuse my thoughts with internet memes and the like.
      • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+16Good insights here...

        But even creators (those with a "burning desire to create just to create") have to eat and provide shelter for themselves. And THAT'S usually where practical decisions come into play.

        For example, it's my general theory that no normally developed human out there really has a "burning desire" to be an accountant. Somewhere along the way (either during their personal development or formal education), they may discover that they excel at it... or even that they're more apt to perform those skills than others... But does this mean they have a passion for it? Do they have a "burning desire" for it? In the vast majority of cases, I would think probably not...

        But people often make sacrifices in life for stability or security. And therein lies the struggle. Your loved ones may have just made different choices in that regard.

        (But of course, like any typical Digger, I could be completely wrong.)


        `
        • Tayls, on 04/02/2008, -1/+9Yeah, some really good points in there. As a side note, I'm supposed to be making a living right now as a graphic designer (once again, all about creating), in the corporate setting, all the fun really is sucked out of it. Making a flier for a sale on handbags isn't passion driven either. I guess it's a real balancing act between what you do to make money and what REALLY gives you gratification. I'm still working out the scales, though, and I think that goes along with what you're saying.
          • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6Exactly... I suppose the same can be said for someone who wants write creatively as a vocation (novelist, screenwriter, etc.), but instead ends up becoming a technical writer—penning technical manuals or instruction booklets. You run that risk of having to compromise the direction of your passion a little bit just to make rent; and at that point it becomes more an employment of a skill that you're good at rather than chasing that "burning desire."

            I'm still "working out the scales" (well put) myself. I'm an amateur writer and musician, but I'm afraid that if I ever tried to really make a living out of either, then it would eventually "become" work for me. In the meantime, I have a very practical day job, and I play music and publish independently on the side. But I also have to go to work from 9 to 5 everyday, recognizing the fact that what I do is not even remotely related to what I'm passionate about. And that's the tradeoff. (And an admittedly tough tradeoff at that.)


            '
        • masterm1nd, on 04/02/2008, -2/+3How about do the most practical thing to make a living and then you have the most free time to do whatever. If you can kill the two birds with one stone great, but most people can't.
      • Solis, on 04/02/2008, -3/+1You're a douchebag. I'd love to just live my life to create and enjoy the world, unfortunately reality requires me to make money to live.
    • archivist, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6i listen to music every time even at work, on the train, in the house - i love music but am i the only one who thinks that music, the way he said it was just a metaphor? i think we should just enjoy the ride, see where life will lead us.
    • tomjm5000, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6I think you guys may have missed the metaphorical point of music...
  • WriterSD, on 04/02/2008, -4/+12So very true.
  • Carthagefield, on 04/02/2008, -12/+296You mean...the cake is a lie?
    • yoshi8710, on 04/02/2008, -1/+31im afraid so...

      don't worry, i was astonished when i first found out too.
      • daRoach, on 04/02/2008, -2/+3I don't know why everyone thinks the cake was a lie... must have been playing wrong.
    • debuggercll, on 04/02/2008, -1/+13Please assume the party-goer submission position.
    • FlameInduced, on 04/02/2008, -5/+2Not if life had a console.
    • calebhawk, on 04/02/2008, -1/+14we do what we must, because we can
    • bethehammer, on 04/02/2008, -2/+2shhhh... the cake is how you make it in life (by fooling others to follow it) don't let others in on the secret
    • TheAtomicMoose, on 04/02/2008, -1/+8I'm making a note here: Huge disappointment.
    • trendsettr, on 04/02/2008, -1/+2There is cake in the grey bag. GLaDOS told me.
    • endrest, on 04/02/2008, -1/+2No cake for you! Or me... I'd say this is akin to "There is no spoon"
  • EllieElliott, on 04/02/2008, -9/+1maybe?
  • mentormarshall, on 04/02/2008, -17/+10After spending 47 yrs in the insurance business I've finally had it all explained to a final clang is less than two minutes. And you think Network Marketing is tough? lol Mentormarshall
    • buildbyflying, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4Of course, you could give it all up today and start over... ;)
  • redsox32, on 04/02/2008, -25/+4real meaning to life :
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
  • Joshuarr, on 04/02/2008, -0/+149MUCH better version:
    http://www.neticons.net/music_life/
    • prawnzz, on 04/02/2008, -2/+59But i can't fast forward to then end in that one.
      • Ikulus, on 04/02/2008, -11/+28You want to fast-forward to the end? The irony is palpable.
    • Cov3rt, on 04/03/2008, -0/+1*slower too
  • JusticeFriend, on 04/02/2008, -56/+3First, I think it was South Park... And no, BUT Almost boring and lame as South Park...
    • endersshadow, on 04/02/2008, -0/+12Let us know when you get to the end.
    • sgtpppr, on 04/02/2008, -2/+10I wish digg would start doing something to get rid of the trolls and morons like ole JusticeFriend here. He's one of the 'X is for fags' class of trolls. They make it a point to follow around articles relating to a popular topic than make sure everyone is aware that the topic is only liked by 'fags'.
      • JusticeFriend, on 04/02/2008, -20/+1You, Sir, are a fag.
        Deal with it. Period.
      • MacEnvy, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3The troll situation is getting a little out of hand. I thought there was supposed to be at least a *tiny bit* of top-level moderation, but Digg has been failing miserably in this respect for the last few months.
        • sgtpppr, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2The problem is they want to increase user base and this also means an additional influx of trolls. If 1% of people are immature trolls who just pollute sites and you have 10,000 total users (obviously just hypothetical), it's not too hard to moderate them, but when the userbase swells to over a million, you need many more moderators. I was actually watching a few accounts that spent more than 90% of their comments calling people fags or making racial comments and I know they were 'reported' many many many times and I've never seen any stop or even slowing of their activity on here.

          Kevin, people pasting 'you're a *****' in response to every comment over and over and over in news story after news story is not adding any value to this site. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true.
  • toolsdrummer, on 04/02/2008, -0/+25Alan Watts was amazing. Tons of his lectures are floating around on the bit torrent sites, and there's a great (legal) podcast with his lectures at http://www.alanwattspodcast.com/
  • Daz3, on 04/02/2008, -2/+18Very existential. Reminded me of this by Timothy Levitch:
    "We are all co-authors of this dancing exuberance, where even our inabilities are having a roast! We are the authors of ourselves, co-authoring a gigantic Dostoevsky novel starring clowns!
    This entire thing we’re involved with called the world, is an opportunity to exhibit how exciting alienation can be.
    Life is a matter of a miracle, that is collected over time by moments flabbergasted to be in each others’ presence.
    The world is an exam, to see if we can rise into the direct experiences. Our eyesight is here as a test to see if we can see beyond it, matter is here as a test for our curiosity, doubt is here as an exam for our vitality.
    Thomas Mann wrote that he would rather participate in life than write a hundred stories. Giacometti was once run down by a car, and he recalled falling in to a lucid faint, a sudden exhilaration, as he realized at last, something was happening to him."
    • DeathJux, on 04/02/2008, -0/+7I read that as "by Timothy Leary" at first... but Timothy Levitch sounds like he's done LSD too, by the eloquence and eccentricity of his observation.
      • Daz3, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3No doubt, the excerpt is from Waking Life.
    • solistus, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3Cool quote, but a pet peeve of mine: 'existential' does not simply mean 'interesting.' This is tangentally related at best to existentialism.
      • Daz3, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1"Existentialism tends to focus on the question of human existence — the feeling that there is no purpose, indeed nothing, at the core of existence. Finding a way to counter this nothingness, by embracing existence, is the fundamental theme of existentialism"
        I believe that the quote is tied in to existentialism, especially the part about us all being co-authors of a great novel, the novel being existence and us being the architects.
        • solistus, on 04/03/2008, -0/+1What philosophy, aside from absolute reductionism or theistic determinism, WOULDN'T say we are the authors of our own lives?

          Existentialism means existence before essence. We come into the world with no sense of ourselves, and must invent one. The authors of our lives line is _consistent_ with that, but given the common nature of such a statement, I would say that qualifies as tangential. The rest of the quote - a line about alienation (early Marx? Feuerbach?), life being a miracle, etc. seems unrelated. More importantly, the bits toward the end - the world is an exam, eyesight and matter are tests, etc. - seems pretty anti-existential. The idea that life has an inherent purpose seems opposed to existentialism.
    • buildbyflying, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Yes, but isn't the song and dance just as symptomatic as the rat race? Aren't they both distractions from touching the current?
    • Junpei, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3Wasn't that in the movie Waking Life? Such a good movie.
  • DeskFlyer, on 04/02/2008, -2/+69I can't sing and I suck at dancing. What do I do now?
    • capiCrimm, on 04/02/2008, -10/+51kill yourself.
    • bossm4n, on 04/02/2008, -0/+29Whatever else makes you happy as long as you enjoy the ride.
      • ahoyhoy, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4My problem is that what makes me happy does not involve any means of work or marketable skill, which is probably while I flop in society.
        • Darkhacker, on 04/03/2008, -0/+1Most people don't like their jobs. But there is more to life than work. A job is just something to keep you alive; a source of income. Enjoy your time outside of work and use that for joy and pleasure.

          As for "money doesn't buy happiness", well, I can safely say that I would be more happy with money than without. I don't need a million dollar home, but I do need enough so that I'm not starving on the streets or working 80 hours a week to feed myself. However a decent life is all I need. I probably won't be rich or famous, nor will I be remembered for anything special. I'm not out to impress anyone though. I'm enjoying the ride and seeing what happens.
    • endersshadow, on 04/02/2008, -1/+53Try out for a boy band.
    • kevka82, on 04/02/2008, -0/+22Try one of these:
      - go to a party
      - have sex
      - code something neat
      - complete an iron man
      • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+31I can already do Iron Man on expert.
      • RevoFM, on 04/02/2008, -2/+7Why would you ever suggest 1, 2, or 4 on Digg?
      • bubba9999, on 04/02/2008, -0/+5I completed several issues of Iron Man in high school. Tony Starke = awesome.
      • repmekevets, on 04/02/2008, -1/+3i think maybe he's talking about an iron man triathlon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironman_Triathlon
        i would rather just do #2 on repeat, though.
      • V2012, on 05/27/2008, -0/+1I thought he was talking about building a sweet battle suit.
        I dunno about you guys, but _I'd_ find that pretty life-affirming.
    • ekravchenko, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6you need to work on your dancing skills? You're almost there :)
    • BenZevenbergen, on 04/02/2008, -1/+4get drunk
    • 0crabby0, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1hum...
    • sstidman, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2Marry Britney Spears.
    • Magicmasta, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1I think he meant it metaphorically.
  • dwilljo, on 04/02/2008, -4/+90best post on digg ive ever seen...actual intelligence, thanks!
  • Bojanglesmn, on 04/02/2008, -3/+12I think I just tripped out.
  • Needles13, on 04/02/2008, -14/+2hf
  • ggping64, on 04/02/2008, -12/+111the real answer is actually 42
  • Superman7507, on 04/02/2008, -1/+4so true
  • redsoxmb545, on 04/02/2008, -2/+43I thought it looked like South Park animation, but then I thought, nah, this doesn't seem like them.
    Then there's Trey and Matt in the credits.
    This is very interesting and very true.
    Perhaps they have found the meaning of life.
    • Stevethegreat, on 04/02/2008, -2/+7The meaning of life is that there is no meaning at all. If there was one we wouldn't be evolved, we would be assigned with a role after we had been created, but -apparently- we were not.

      If you want the real meaning then it's to have more than 2 kids so that propagate the species and then die, that's our biological and only "objective" meaning of our life. Problem is that our brains grew too big, so that we could avoid the predators and become even more numerous (as evolution always requested from us), but at that time we also got the infectious idea that life HAS to have a meaning.

      I don't think anyone found it yet, but still we have a hope. Since we're fully aware of ourselves (unlike most other species) AND possess the power of creation, then we can -really- make a great multitude of things with our lives, in which case the answer could be (as the poet of my people would say) that the meaning Odysseus' journey to Ithaca (from Troy) was the journey itself, the people he met, the places he lived in, the creatures he had to combat with.

      Still, however, the question itself is a fallacy, we don't *have to* have a reason to live, we just happen to be born someday.
  • frazier117, on 04/02/2008, -3/+44HERE KITTY KITTY KITTY!!!!
  • Elliottx, on 04/02/2008, -9/+42Wow...I know this sounds extremely gay but that sort of puts things in perspective...Kind of makes me want to follow me dream... =/
    • SaxxonPike, on 04/02/2008, -2/+20That's why they say follow your "dreams" - because they aren't real; they only keep you motivated :(
      • tsunamisteve, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4You should watch the film Waking Life. Make your dreams your reality!
    • SigmaEcho, on 04/02/2008, -4/+29Yes, indeed, that statement removes all doubt from my mind that you are in fact a homosexual.
    • thailand1972, on 04/02/2008, -0/+8But is your dream just another means to an end? Enjoy today!
    • Velnich, on 04/02/2008, -3/+25If your dream is to enjoy homosexual sex, than I would agree, it DOES sound gay.
    • mushroomqueen, on 04/02/2008, -0/+9It's funny how cliches like that finally have meaning to us when we fully understand them.
    • Pritchard, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2There's the thing. You follow your dream by doing what you can right now. Stop the vague ideals. Demystify the world. I found that the best way to do this is to reverse engineer what you want to do. Go backwards from the end. This way you always know what this end is, and you can start working immediately.

      For example, I'd like to be a mechanical engineer, so I reversed that. Turns out I just need Physics, Calculus, Trig, Algebra. Along with that of course, you need interest in the field, but if you're doing what you love, the technical specifics are all you need to push forward, while a love for the field is how you live by the day. No kitty luring.
      • Elliottx, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Yeah...I'd love to move to Kyoto and get out of England...all I need to do is learn enough Romaji to get by, save up some money and do it. Of course i'll be about 19-20 by the time I can do that... =/
  • replaysMike, on 04/02/2008, -1/+31but... but... I was half way there! Thanks for ruining it.
  • Soken, on 04/02/2008, -1/+15ah, its not the end that matters, its the journey there and what we make of it.
  • maino82, on 04/02/2008, -2/+53this depresses the hell out of me... mostly because it makes me examine my own life and decisions i've made...
    • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+47It's not too late...
      • crazydiode, on 04/02/2008, -2/+2never too late until u are 6 feet under.
    • Pritchard, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2Heh. Hey man, I'm 17 atm, and even *I* look back and kick myself for the choices I've made. I just think of all the time I could have spent being more productive. Always waiting for something. It's not so hard to just begin though. Unfortunately, what makes it seem difficult is that it's something most of us aren't taught how to do.
  • digitalArtform, on 04/02/2008, -27/+2Strikes me as a rather Liberal outlook for some Libertarians to take. I'm pleasantly surprised.
    • Akaji, on 04/02/2008, -0/+19You're being That Guy. Stop being That Guy, for your own sake.
    • plhearn, on 04/02/2008, -1/+6This has absolutely nothing to do with politics.
  • ancientmother, on 04/02/2008, -7/+0very cute graphics. I liked it!
  • schmitey, on 04/02/2008, -1/+19Love it! That was pretty damn deep actually. I've felt that way for a long time personally...I'd rather work outdoors making ***** for money but doing something I love and feel like I'm making a difference than run the rat race! Either that or just play computer games my whole life and live off of credit cards and then file bankruptcy like some of my peers....
    • Nidis, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3Exactly, the overdriving message is that we've alienated peoples chances to realistically do what they want within a 'success-driven society'. Which is fine if you want to argue that people won't be working towards a common goal, such as selling insurance... but it means there's also a hell of a lot less people making their music.
    • ahoyhoy, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1I feel the same way. You, me, and Peter Gibbeons could start a construction company together.
      • schmitey, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1sounds good, except I have only my hard work, some student loans, and about $5 to contribute.
  • klick37, on 04/02/2008, -6/+32That made me happy.. Though it is kind of ironic how he only gets to the point at the very end.
    • SierraAlpha, on 04/02/2008, -0/+18Obviously you've learned nothing good sir.
    • Livewire, on 04/02/2008, -0/+13Yea but it'd be meaningless without the whole thing. Just like the song analogy, sometimes we're left speechless after hearing something so beautiful, and it's only at the end that you truly appreciate it, but that last note isn't what made it beautiful.
    • drafhk, on 04/02/2008, -6/+2That's not irony, it's an amusing coincidence.
    • Vorin, on 04/02/2008, -0/+7The art of living and the art of monologue aren't always subjected to the same rules.
    • rawheadrex, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1So the clip would've made the same impression on you and the thousands of people digging this story, even if he had just cut to the chase and made his point in the first 3 seconds?

      I think you *haven't* gotten his point yet.
  • diemunkiesdie, on 04/02/2008, -15/+8Am I the only person who though this over-simplified life and was inaccurate in it's view?
    Watts looks at success as something that hits you at one time, i.e. at one point you've arrived. But as the guy was moving up the floors of his insurance building, he was becoming more and more successful. Success IS the journey not the END of the journey (in this case). Why would you feel worse and worse if you are becoming more and more successful? If the guy feels disheartened working for the Insurance company, he should quit and do something that makes him happy! Maybe advertising or some thing!
    • ksande, on 04/02/2008, -0/+14that was his point. success IS the journey, as you say. if you enjoy what you are doing, then that is fantastic. but if you are unhappy, and believe that if you can only just make that promotion, or if you can just have that better title, then everything will be ok and your life will then be complete - that is the mistake he is pointing out.
    • autobulb, on 04/02/2008, -0/+8Yea! ksande has got it. This is one of the core Buddhist philosophies. If you think that some desire or goal will make you happy you are disillusioned. The example in the animation is chasing after promotion and climbing the corporate ladder thinking that raise or elevation in your job will make you happy. Most people though, never stop there and keep going. It's never ending cycle of desire, achievement (or not), and then sadness. Repeat until death or until you can learn to be happy with your current situation. This does not mean that you should sit around and not do anything at all, but instead to realize that happiness is found within yourself and not through the external world.
    • thephuckphase, on 04/02/2008, -0/+5he is saying success is vague, intangible, and can never be accomplished, because we are always anticipated more success no matter the stature of our current success, and that relentless anticipation stays with us until we die...at least thats what i think he meant...no?
    • mbgalvin, on 04/02/2008, -0/+7Did anyone else find the end of this comment ("Maybe advertising or something!") to be the most depressing thing you have ever seen?
  • dewsnider, on 04/02/2008, -0/+11Reminds me of "The Station" by Robert J. Hastings, www.thestationessay.com
    • purewwfrage, on 04/02/2008, -0/+9wow, we both had that thought at the same moment in time :) sorry for double posting right below you on the comment board! cheers :)
      • Exbzurq, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2This happens alot on digg.
        • wild, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1And if you believe him, it happens a lot to Carlos Mencia as well...
  • purewwfrage, on 04/02/2008, -2/+71This composition is a little long but goes along the same philosophical lines as this video. I often read it whenever I need a wake-up call/reality check in life.

    The Station
    by Robert J. Hastings

    Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long, long trip that almost spans the continent. We're traveling by passenger train, and out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of biting winter and blazing summer and cavorting spring and docile fall.

    But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. There sill be bands playing, and flags waving. And once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true. So many wishes will be fulfilled and so many pieces of our lives finally will be neatly fitted together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering ... waiting, waiting, waiting, for the station.

    However, sooner or later we must realize there is no one station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

    "When we reach the station, that will be it !" we cry. Translated it means, "When I'm 18, that will be it ! When I buy a new 450 SL Mercedes Benz, that will be it ! When I put the last kid through college, that will be it ! When I have paid off the mortgage, that will be it ! When I win a promotion, that will be it ! When I reach the age of retirement, that will be it ! I shall live happily ever after !"

    Unfortunately, once we get it, then it disappears. The station somehow hides itself at the end of an endless track.

    "Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. Rather, it is regret over yesterday or fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.

    So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot oftener, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
    • ripple123, on 04/02/2008, -4/+8Anyone who likes going barefoot hasn't has the divine pleasure of having a small shard of glass in their foot.
    • asskicker32, on 04/02/2008, -4/+1450 SL, when was this written?
    • ahoyhoy, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4Society makes it really hard to enjoy life. It's kind of a sociological discussion, like, how people in Hunter/Gatherer societies might have enjoyed a better quality of life, even though they only lived to be 40-45 and had no medical prowess, they still relaxed more and worked less than a person living twice as long in modern society.
    • bigd063, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1I cried a little.
    • seeyounorth, on 04/02/2008, -0/+2I wish I could digg this twice. Instead, I'm going to understand what this means and live more for today.
  • kevka82, on 04/02/2008, -2/+4life is like a biathlon (the skiing / shooting sport)
    sometimes you have to race ahead, othertimes you have to stop and hit something
  • D3koy, on 04/02/2008, -2/+34Spoiler Alert: Everything you've ever worked for is a lie...not unlike certain cakes
  • das7282, on 04/02/2008, -0/+14The problem is... we are "they".
    • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Even deeper. (but true nonetheless)
  • fusion2k5, on 04/02/2008, -0/+11We are on a rock spinning silently...enjoy the ride!
  • peevatoe, on 04/02/2008, -0/+5that was great
  • lordzelo, on 04/02/2008, -3/+8I dug that.
  • digitalArtform, on 04/02/2008, -20/+2I'll elaborate:

    South Park creators produce an animated short decrying the right-wing rat race. They explain that things like school are valuable for their own sakes and not simply to the degree to which they prepare one for a career. And that life is to be lived for its own sake, rather than as a road to monetary success - or even as a road to death and Heaven.

    Surprisingly Liberal for a couple of Libertarians.
    • Genshinx, on 04/02/2008, -1/+4Yeah! Enjoying life is overrated!
      /s
    • Trykt, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3Currently you are the most successful troll in the thread. That guy that was like "LOL this is like South Park and South Park is gay" was just pathetic, but this here is good trollin'
  • thailand1972, on 04/02/2008, -5/+199A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, rocks about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full?

    They agreed that it was.

    So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

    They agreed it was. The students laughed.

    The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

    "Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognise that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

    Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

    But then...a student then took the jar which the other students and the professor agreed was full, and proceeded to pour in a glass of beer.

    Of course the beer filled the remaining spaces within the jar making the jar truly full.

    The moral of this tale is:- no matter how full your life is, there is always room for BEER.
    • maximus434, on 04/02/2008, -8/+0Yeah but if you fill the jar with just sand, the jar is still full :)
      • Vorin, on 04/02/2008, -0/+3yes, but not filled with anything that matters.
    • synyster, on 04/02/2008, -0/+5beer ftw
    • jerryterhorst, on 04/02/2008, -1/+5i had a professor do that at the end of the year once (including the beer). it was awesome.

      the best part was we were all freshmen. so he was telling a bunch of 18 year olds that there's always room for beer, lol.
      • xNIBx, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1Only in the US and in some islamic countries(Egypt, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Indonesia, etc) the drinking age limit is 21.
    • Pritchard, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1And so Pritchard put the jar under a pressurizer and compressed it to half its original size, making twice as much room for other stuff. I don't know what the moral of this story is though :P
  • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+27I've always had these general feelings about life, but I never could quite define them in my head, much less convey that definition to others. This video articulates those feelings with unprecedented specificity. *****-A.

  • tellahoohooo, on 04/02/2008, -0/+10only thing they forgot about is having little kiddies so they can grow up big and strong and chase that same dream all the while forgetting about the music...
    • BetterOffEd, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6"And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon;
      Little boy blue and the man in the moon... "


      `
      • garvallagh, on 04/02/2008, -0/+1and they have no bannana's /weeps
    • bones09, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6Alan Watts actually discussed that in some of his lectures (from what I remember). I know it's at least in this one: http://www.terebess.hu/english/watts4.html#time

      Because you see ordinary people who believe in time, and who believe that they are living for their future, they make plenty of plans. Yeah. But when the plans mature, and they come off, the people are not there to enjoy them. They are planning something else. And they are like donkeys running after carrots perpetually that is attached to their own collars. And so they are never here, they never get there, they are never alive, they are perpetually frustrated, and therefore they are always thinking. The future is the thing with ______. Someday it is going to happen. And because it never does, they are frantic to survive. They want more time, more time please, more time. They are terrified of death because death stops the future. And so you never got there. You never have it. There is always, somewhere around the corner. Now please, wake up. I am not saying, you see, that you should be improvident, that you shouldn't have an insurance policy, that you shouldn't be concerned about how you are going to send your children to college or whatever other thing may be useful for them. The point is, there is no point in sending your children to college and providing for their future if you don't know how to live in the present because all you will do is to teach your children how not to live in the present, and to keep dragging on for the alleged benefit of their own children who will drag on in a boring way for the alleged benefit of their children.
    • Jektal, on 04/02/2008, -1/+1Nobody's forcing you to have babies.
  • fooboarder, on 04/02/2008, -17/+1I'm sure I'll be dugg down but....***** alan watts...thank you for stating the obvious
  • niceguydesign, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4wonderful!
  • chadillak, on 04/02/2008, -0/+10if you don't sing and dance, no one will sing and dance with you.
  • DjViral, on 04/02/2008, -0/+14it's just a ride.
  • delfin1, on 04/02/2008, -7/+3music is just a metaphor. But i still believe that living for success is very fulfilling, even if there is nothing at the end, the battles, the headaches, and the mistakes, the learning...it is all worthwhile. and there is always time for some "music." If people can live of "music" alone, then i can be happy for them, but at the same time point out that it is a very boring lifestyle. Equilibrium is key.
    • Vorin, on 04/02/2008, -0/+4music is a metaphor for life, he didn't say that each should inject music into their success-driven life.
  • cjagg1205, on 04/02/2008, -7/+2Dupe!
  • supersteve, on 04/02/2008, -9/+12sex is the point of life
    • Stevethegreat, on 04/02/2008, -2/+4EXACTLY, that's what evolution wants you to believe. Sex is the ONLY valid point of life, the only problem is as of lately with the contraception we lost even that and know we have nothing, only empty philosophies.

      Sex itself is a dopamine rusher, it used to lead to impregnation and -afterwards- to the further propagation of the species, that's what our genes ever asked from us and since we were their messengers we only had to comply, that's why sex ever felt so good. It was the way for our genes to trick us into becoming their slaves. Sex however that does not lead to impregnation has nothing to with the further propagation of the species' genes and thus lost its meaning as the "objective of our life". It is now just a recreational drug among others, so I'm disappointed to say that you -now- have to pick YOUR meaning for your life, 'cause sex (divorced -now- from childbearing) cannot be your meaning for the same reason that cookies with milk could never fill those shoes.... or they could (?)
    • heavystone, on 04/02/2008, -1/+9Damn, so hookers have understood all along? AND getting payed. Sweet deal....
  • joshcxa, on 04/02/2008, -0/+6I reckon I'm dancing along...
    well that can be my excuse for putting things off that i want to achieve
  • haidalangara, on 04/02/2008, -1/+12...so there is no spoon?
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