Fulfillment

[nausved]

I don't mind people who go door-to-door or cry out on street corners to convert you to religion. I do think their methods are ineffective and frequently irritating, but their hearts are in the right places.

If there is an afterlife, securing a satisfying one-and helping others to do the same-is the single most important thing one can do. Nothing

Comments

[anonymous]

""Complacent" and "self-satisfied" would not be insults, and the highest admiration would gravitate to those who pursue the lives they love, however unpopular or nontraditional the methods of pursuit."

This relates somewhat to what I was thinking today. I think society is designed, and behavior is encouraged, with the focus on on collective pursuits. People are supposed to conform their lives to pursue productivity in their work lives, and in their social lives, they are supposed to behave like everyone else to a strong extent, to encourage caring relations and cohesiveness.

We need 9-5 work schedules so everything is predictable, bank schedules sync up with business schedules, everything fits together in a system. This need for schedules trickles down to most other occupations, paper deliverers, janitors, etc., only a select few workers are given individual freedom to work when and how they choose.

The same pattern is followed socially, with behavior and values. People have to follow scripts when they socialize, mostly when it comes to work or with strangers, but even amongst friends/family. Most people conform, and conforming makes sense, as we are a social, not a solitary species, and thus social identities create greater happiness and reign supreme. I think most people are dominated by social identities and not very unique, but they are likely happier because of it, and there isn't really any need to be 'that' unique.

I don't like this conformity/uniformity, and I think many others may not either. But there is too much adverseness to change, too much fear and not enough risk-taking, even amongst those who dislike conformity. I think people are getting better, though. I believe previous generations were much more uniform and less about individual fulfillment.

Although perhaps these predictable, conformist lives are what many people truly love. Perhaps it is natural for people to just conform into society. Those who are unpopular or unconventional are aberrations. either something works differently in their head, or their life experiences were too out of the norm to appreciate the benefits of conformity.

I'm not sure how much sense my ramble makes, my view may be off. But maybe I focused on some truths :P