Just Wondering

Jul 29, 2009 11:52

Poll Life

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poll

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Comments 19

the_gneech July 29 2009, 17:01:23 UTC
Life is pie. Eat it with ice cream on top.

-The Gneech

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rowyn July 30 2009, 13:50:53 UTC
Even if it's chicken pot pie?

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the_gneech July 30 2009, 13:58:47 UTC
Yes; then you have gravy-flavored ice cream.

-TG

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rowyn July 30 2009, 14:05:43 UTC
... I guess there's no reason you couldn't make ice cream as a savory instead of a sweet. Though I can't think offhand of any frozen foods meant to be eaten frozen that aren't sweet, come to think of it.

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terrycloth July 29 2009, 17:25:00 UTC
There's two parts of life -- perceiving things, and affecting the world. Just showing up does most of the first and only a little bit of the second, so on balance it's about half.

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rowyn July 30 2009, 14:44:46 UTC
That's a rational way of looking at it. So you figure the two parts -- perception and affect -- are roughly equal in size/importance?

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terrycloth July 30 2009, 15:53:24 UTC
Well, they're both indispensible.

Let's see...
Perception without agency gets boring after a while.
Agency without perception causes disasters and kills people...

Huh. I guess perception is more important.

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minor_architect July 29 2009, 18:23:14 UTC
In my opinion, Woody Allen got it wrong. 80% of success lies in paying attention.

:)

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jurann July 29 2009, 19:24:19 UTC
Here-here! =D

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rowyn July 30 2009, 13:52:48 UTC
But paying attention to what?

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minor_architect July 30 2009, 15:15:33 UTC
Ah, now that depends on what you want to be successful in. Preferences vary. ;)

For example, I like to give good gifts, things people really like and appreciate receiving. So I pay attention when others mention their favorite stores or restaurants (gift cards!), favorite foods (buy/cook/bake it for them!), what they collect (add to the collection!), etc.

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jurann July 29 2009, 19:28:25 UTC
I chose the algebraic formula, because I believe life has too many variables to just assign some flippant number to in regards to "showing up". I think it's possible to "show up" damn near anywhere (like Waldo) and still never go anywhere in life. Also, it felt like the formula was the most likely to be something below 50%, the lowest concrete number of "Half" being too high in my estimation for how much of life involves showing up. I'd put it more at about 10%, along the lines of "Life is 10% about what happens to you, and 90% what you decide to do with it".

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rowyn July 30 2009, 14:02:21 UTC
In one of the versions of this poll, I had 20% and 10%, but some confusion over how the Poll Creator applet worked zapped them out and I forgot to stick them back in.

I do think showing up -- where you choose to go, where you end up -- is a big part of life. Maybe not half. I keep thinking of one person that I see every year at local cons, but I never see him talking to anyone, or even standing in a conversation circle to listen. He's there, but he doesn't really seem to be there.

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jurann July 30 2009, 17:22:47 UTC
Exactly, and that's where the "paying attention" part comes in and becomes important. =) Even if you're not taking initiative or action, if you're paying attention then at least you're learning something. And all the better for wisdom if you decide to take action and initiative and make a fool of yourself, learning even greater lessons as well. ;D

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(The comment has been removed)

rowyn July 30 2009, 14:47:34 UTC
:9

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