Life is short... but minutes are long

Moxie

Moxie

Absent-Minded Professor
MBTI
INFJ
You know, I've never understood the philosophy "Life is Short." Yes, it's true that 'time flies when you're having fun,' but how often are we really having fun?

We get up, race to get somewhere, whether work or school, and if you're an adult at all, you bust your tushie at it, then you come home, hurry up and feed yourself, try to grab a few minutes of time for yourself, and then go to sleep.

Although days can fly quickly, many days can also seem loonnggg. What about those 45 minutes until you can go get some lunch? Or those of us blessed with 'meetings.' Or that week when you're broke and are just waiting for Friday/payday. It seems like it will never get here.

The older I've gotten, the shorter years appear to me, for example, US postage rates. The fact that they're 44 cents just seems unreal. But even though years can be quicker, days aren't always. When I was a kid, days did seem much longer, but, honestly, there was less that 'needed' to be done.

I don't really want to live to old age. Don't wory, it's not a death wish. But I think that I've been working for almost 20 years, and have 30 more years until I can retire just sounds... dreadful. Scraping to pay bills every month... for how many more years? This isn't something that I really enjoy thinking about.

What are thoughts that other people have on this? I'm really curious!
 
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I'm not quite sure what you are asking here, but I'll throw out a few random observations along the same lines. Years definately fly by quicker the older you get. My thoughts here are that when you are 10, a year represents 10% of your life, whereas at 20 its only 5% of your life--and so on.

I try not to think about how much longer I'll have to work. Its not ever going to be useful to do so I feel. I always joke around and say "I'll work 'til I'm dead", it's probably not far from the truth though. I'm a big believer in things happening for a reason. If I get fired tomorrow, win the lottery, or get hit by a truck--there's a reason for it. Life is a big puzzle that we are constantly challenged to try and figure out.

I try to focus on the smaller details and happy moments in my life. They are easier to manage. I endure the shitty time knowing it all comes back around. I realize the truly happy moments are fleeting, and try to focus more on "peace" in my life now. It's a more recent change of outlook, and probably part of my desire for change in my marriage.

I hope this helps.
 
Moxie said:
Thanks QP. :) So, do you think life is short? Would you want to be immortal? Maybe that's the question I'm asking.

No thanks for me!
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No, I don't think anyone really wise would want to be immortal. The subject has been much explored in literature, and it always ends with the same thing. The being that lives too long eventually goes mad. That's always where that path ends up. Living a long time has some appeal in that you could compile enough knowledge and wisdom to really do something great for humanity. Most of us aren't focused enough and get caught up in the trival to really make a great difference, though I believe we all have the potential to have that "great" moment.

"Time is like a predator. It's stalking us."--great quote and so true. So I guess I do think life is too short,but I would not want to live forever.
 
i get what you're saying actually. it's like this, how much more can we go on at this break neck pace? is that what life's really about. it's like your moving, but your feet still seem to be standing in one place. and it's an interesting paradox, that time is so short but the day is long. whereever we are in our lives, especially when we're going through rough times, it just seems like it's endless day, which keeps repeating. it almost seems as if we're not moving forward or going anywhere, but yet life and time is moving, and continues.
 
That's right, Restraint. The paradox. Time is long and short at the same time. What are we striving for? Our quality life is today, and yet, how much quality is in each day? I wonder.

And QP, I don't know that I think someone living too long would go mad. I think an immortal would eventually seek death. Just my thought though.
 
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Time keeps getting faster and faster on me. Weeks go by in what feel like should have been just a day. Months are over before I know it, and years are starting to mesh together. I understand why peter pan never wanted to grow up. I've got two years left and I'm going to sucked into the real world outside of college. I don't want to be an adult. I always thought I'd be a kid forever. Don't get me wrong, I'm prepared for it, but shit, I was hoping it would never come to this. I can't believe it's already almost 2010. I remember the year 2000 so vividly, it's just strange to think that a decade has already passed.
 
Some time ago, i was also feeling like you felt, moxie. Yes, life is short. Life is like a job which has no vacation. I was searching for its answer, answer for my question, if life is short then what we can do within so little time???

And when i found its answer, i stunned. I could not believe. It was very simple answer, yet hard to find for many people. If you want to live your life, then one thing can count, Happiness! I did lot of search, spent many nights behind this quest, spent lot of time. Kept desire to get its answer and found.

All things are good, Whether you cry, feel sad, feel joy, whatever you are feeling and doing, all is good. You have to remain happy through this all, that's it. If you can do this, then know, you are living your life. :D

I am lucky to know its answer and thank you to god. :)
 
Time keeps getting faster and faster on me. Weeks go by in what feel like should have been just a day. Months are over before I know it, and years are starting to mesh together. I understand why peter pan never wanted to grow up. I've got two years left and I'm going to sucked into the real world outside of college. I don't want to be an adult. I always thought I'd be a kid forever. Don't get me wrong, I'm prepared for it, but shit, I was hoping it would never come to this. I can't believe it's already almost 2010. I remember the year 2000 so vividly, it's just strange to think that a decade has already passed.
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I agree 100% mf.

Some time ago, i was also feeling like you felt, moxie. Yes, life is short. Life is like a job which has no vacation. I was searching for its answer, answer for my question, if life is short then what we can do within so little time???

And when i found its answer, i stunned. I could not believe. It was very simple answer, yet hard to find for many people. If you want to live your life, then one thing can count, Happiness! I did lot of search, spent many nights behind this quest, spent lot of time. Kept desire to get its answer and found.

All things are good, Whether you cry, feel sad, feel joy, whatever you are feeling and doing, all is good. You have to remain happy through this all, that's it. If you can do this, then know, you are living your life. :D

I am lucky to know its answer and thank you to god. :)
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I am happy that you have such happiness Roger.
 
I agree, it does seem like time moves quickly. For me it's as if, in my memory, events may register as if they were very fresh and vivid...if they could have happened last week. Then I recall, after doing some quick math, that the event in question took place 20 years ago!!! It is the combined occurance of many of these episodes that makes me see time as moving fast...it's a perception thing. Because of this, when I have a day that seems to drag on...sometimes I am grateful!!!
 
mf said:
Time keeps getting faster and faster on me. Weeks go by in what feel like should have been just a day. Months are over before I know it, and years are starting to mesh together. I understand why peter pan never wanted to grow up. I've got two years left and I'm going to sucked into the real world outside of college. I don't want to be an adult. I always thought I'd be a kid forever. Don't get me wrong, I'm prepared for it, but shit, I was hoping it would never come to this. I can't believe it's already almost 2010. I remember the year 2000 so vividly, it's just strange to think that a decade has already passed.
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You can remain kid for forever. All can remain, if they want.

Follow this: Keep learning throughout the life, this way you are student or kid.

If you want to be adult, then hold on responsibility, show some talents and become grown up person with physical and mentally good toughness.

I am sure, this idea will work for everyone! :D
 
Roger said:
Follow this: Keep learning throughout the life, this way you are student or kid.
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Absolutely. Here's why: the brain is a greedy automaton for novel stimuli. A baby will respond/turn towards anything new, even if it's less pleasant. The more the brain is stimulated, the more it wants, and with wider variety. That is related with memory too. The sharp contrast flashes of unexpected input are those who get to be remembered the most; pleasant or unpleasant. More such inputs make you feel like time goes fast, and at the same time leave more data stored as memory. So when you review the times, when life went fast, it seems like physically short periods are worth the experiences accumulated slowly throughout longer periods. And vice-versa, monotonous inputs make your brain struggle - since baby, it doesn't like it - and at the same time leave no memories. So when you review these times of slow struggle, it seems like they just flew immediately, like you weren't even alive. Something similar is seen in the movie "Click" with Adam Sandler.

We all deserve richer lives, as far as I'm concern. It seems absurd in this day and age to have to cling to some source of income, to exist, which prevents you from the freedom to keep enriching your vital brain's inputs. And even being self-employed isn't a good solution, because you are still too dependent, even by the fact that you must govern other people - which also limits their lives. Honestly, I would prefer to die, but not to participate in all this nonsense.
 
We all deserve richer lives, as far as I'm concern. It seems absurd in this day and age to have to cling to some source of income, to exist, which prevents you from the freedom to keep enriching your vital brain's inputs. And even being self-employed isn't a good solution, because you are still too dependent, even by the fact that you must govern other people - which also limits their lives. Honestly, I would prefer to die, but not to participate in all this nonsense.
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Agreed - 100% again. Someone else can 'correct' us - LOL.
 
Moxie said:
Agreed - 100% again. Someone else can 'correct' us - LOL.
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What do you mean, aliens? :) I think we are smart enough to do it ourselves, in the end, and it's just not so difficult.
 
I agree our lives have become...overburdened...I long to be carefree once more, but I am not...Life passes us by in our seriousness...everyday we blink, oh theres another moment i lost...How many moments have we lost in our lifetimes?

There is beauty in all things, everywhere...we dont look for it anymore. There is happiness in the dance of the snowflake...Joy in the scent of a flower, and peace in the sight of the clouds.


Remember to, once a day, and forgive the cliche, stop and smell the roses...You have to look for the beauty in the world, just dont let it pass you by...
 
You know what I mean - "Life is good and happy and you mustn't keep thinking negative things - and Cinderella gets her man after all."

I can tell myself those 'happy' things all day, and I still have to go to work in the morning and bust my butt to pay for a roof over our heads. One of my favorite things that anyone has said on this forum was Slant's "ILLOGICAL! DOES NOT COMPUTE!"

Aliens rock. Did you see my new avatar? I'm not the big green guy btw - just in case anyone else wondered.
 
When I worked at a factory building axles for watercraft trailers, I worked with a racist white guy that was the most introverted person I ever met.

He was also truly cynical, and loved disco music. SO WEIRD. I liked him a lot, the racism is typical of people here.

He once told me something that is so simple, yet so true. He told me that life doesn't suck, you get a job and keep your job, what you do in between your work is how you have a life, it is what you make it.

He was over 40 and made around $20,000 a year if he worked plenty of overtime. He had no ambition to do anything else. Interesting indeed.

Oh, and by the time I left that job, he was listening to Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre even when I wasn't there. LOL!


I am not really trying to make any point out of all of this, I just still think of what he said to me when I ponder what life is about. I am not as accepting of circumstance as he is, I have ambitions that go well beyond his. However, his acceptance of life is something I often ponder.
 
Well, the way I see it, when days are filled up with tasks and schedules, it leaves less time for what really matters -- the spirit, understanding, helping and learning, etc. And with less of those truly important things in our lives, our time seems less "full." Kind of like how if you eat on the run and whatever you come across, you always feel a bit hungry and like you're not noticing the food at all; however, when you really stop and consider what you eat and eat healthy, you feel full and more whole. But because our time seems less full, it seems to pass more quickly because there's nothing of substance in it. Nothing to notice at all.


Waiting still takes forever, though.
 
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