I was just feeling a bit pretentious and mentally playful, so I started skyping a friend about life.
Here is what went down:
Caleb Crowe: dude, do you think this is life
Mr. Friend: what. studying?
Caleb Crowe: no, staying up late, sacrificing our time and selves for **** that doesnt matter at all, just so we can grasp at the hope that all this inanity will somehow benefit us in the future. but when does the benefit start? won't our jobs have us pulling the same bizarre hours trying to meet deadlines? when does the preperation for life end, and the living begin?
Caleb Crowe: sorry, the idiocy and cyclical nature was pissing me off.
Mr. Friend: haha. well. i havent figured that one out yet. ill tell you when it happens
Caleb Crowe: i don't think it does. western society is based on the idea of chasing a dream. it doesn't know how to deal with our acquiring it: it isn't designed for success, it's designed for desire. raw, unfilled longing for things that we can't gain through the means it provides us with.
Mr. Friend: it starts when youre retired
Caleb Crowe: oh good. start living when your life is well over half gone.. and even inretirement, we're still sold fasle hope of happiness. viagra, time shares, golf shirts. none of the idea's behind any of these constructs gave lasting satisfaction in youth, why should that change with time?
Mr. Friend: well we should start living then
Caleb Crowe: how can we tho when the society that not only places these desires on us also necisitates so much our time just so we can find ways to fufil our actual needs? and what does living even entail?
Mr. Friend: i guess no one will ever know
Caleb Crowe: talking idea's with you is frustrating. i usually articulate things better than i do with other people, but i get no feedback.
Mr. Friend: well what am i supposed to say... i agree with you
Mr. Friend: and im torn cause im doing work at the same time
Caleb Crowe: true. this is a bit heavy for a split interest
Mr. Friend: well. depends on the job you get. if you get an actual good job that you dont bring home. then youre set.
Mr. Friend: but if you take money out of the equation, then youd be living the life
As you can probably tell, I had this conversation with the intent of turning it into a blog post.
Caleb Crowe: what constitutes 'the life?' is it a universally understood idea with an objective measure?
Mr. Friend: well you can take it as you want really. if you didnt have to worry about money then you could be living the way you wanted
Caleb Crowe: but money will always be a part of the equation, so how do you configure the rest of the problem so happiness is the sum? (how d'ya like that extended metaphor, eh?)
Mr. Friend: well thats what im saying if you cant take money out of it then how can it be fully living the way you want to
Caleb Crowe: so, happiness isn't achievable?
Mr. Friend: we always want more
Caleb Crowe: but wouldn't happiness bring feelings of being content and saitated?
Mr. Friend: ya.
Mr. Friend: not pure happiness
Mr. Friend: well.
Mr. Friend: ya
Mr. Friend: haha
Caleb Crowe: so, life is at best a hollow facismile of what should be?
Mr. Friend: well you can find happiness in aspect of life but you wont be fully happy or fulfilled until you die
Caleb Crowe: so, what if you can actually find some of this elusive happiness in 'the rat race' and chasing what society purports to be 'the dream.' does that vindicate the amount of time we have to pour into that concept now in the hope that it will be payed off later?
Mr. Friend: well first of all society is stupid. secondly Jesus
Caleb Crowe: so, based on those two points, why spend time on this garbage?
Mr. Friend: we are living in a very messed up place, and what do you mean this garbage, like life, or work?
Caleb Crowe: work. this staying up studying things that we have no interest in or desire for.
Caleb Crowe: not just the lost hours of sleep, but just the amount of self that gets poured into it
Caleb Crowe: the worry, the money, the time, the relationships
Mr. Friend: well if you have no desire to do it. then i dont think you should do it. you should be at least liking what youre doing, or youre just setting yourself up for a long crap life
Caleb Crowe: do you like your program?
Mr. Friend: i dont know yet.
The conversation progressed into more personal realms after that, but I just thought it made for an interesting read. I hope you enjoyed.
(Also, Anberlin concert tomorrow night. This will be the second time I've seen them, plus I've been listening to them for around 6 or 7 years, so I fully expect to be blown away. Concert review to follow).
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