Top 4 things to do when you don't know what to do
Most of us have gone through a time in life where things much makes sense. In childhood, there is less to worry about because we have not developed any sort of critical thinking capability. As we grow into a teenager, we are brash and unashamed, ready to take on the world and make something fruitful of our lives. By the time we reach our late twenties and early thirties, we are partially settled, have a steady income, girlfriend, healthy lifestyle, etc.
This is the time a person can take two different paths, in philosophical terms. Either he/she can become a person described by society as 'normal'. This normal person will continue with his life's plan of fostering relationships and making money, buy things, have kids, travel, and will learn to live with love and tragedy until the time he dies. He will ignore all the things that are wrong with life, will not think about his existence, and lead a purposeful life. 90-99% of the humans end up doing this.
Or a person can get really frustrated with the absurdity of things around him. He will notice the inherent conflict between self and the illogical universe around him. Things would stop making sense after a time and he will lead a very tumultuous life, continuously fighting to deny the absurdity and trying to be as 'normal' as possible. The reason for trying to be normal is that it's not easy to give up on everything and live like an ascetic. Most absurdists are not strong-willed about following a heretic lifestyle, it's just thoughts about conflict of life they can't deal with. Most of us end up making peace with the absurd, but this can be a very long and lonely journey. As you can guess, I am a person in this category, who is still trying to make his peace.
But need not worry Mr. Weirdo, you can do some things which I have found to be helpful in distracting yourself while you try to make peace with the universe. Here is my list of top 4 things, which I have found are very helpful in weathering the chaos:
I) Read/Watch/Create Fantasy: Fantasy is a genre that takes you away from real life. If created with precision, it is a whole world in itself. This will titillate your imagination and gives you a third person's view on the life of characters who are trying to navigate through their own chaotic world. The creators of these fictional worlds must think gods of themselves. A word of caution: don't get lost. It is still imaginative.
II) Be good at a vocation: WHAT IS THIS MATERIALISTIC ADVICE DOING IN THIS SECTION? Well, until you are about to change the world or completely give up, making money is important as this is the way the world is going to go, with or without you. So do earn money so that you can think more deeply without worrying about what to eat tomorrow.
III) Meet like-minded people: You cannot hope to live with absurd thoughts without sharing it. You'll become Joker if you do that. Meeting people who have similar interests will help in taking some burden off your shoulders. Also, you might get different perspectives and ideologies. But don't hope to find a person who will make you understand life.
IV) Improve your physical well being: A rare thing which you have a majority control over is your body. This thought should be good enough to focus on something which is less chaotic. It's not a pleasurable activity by any means. It takes the sacrifice of time, physical pain, and dedication to get fit. This is a really helpful way to burn off energy so that you are tired at night and can fall asleep without collapsing into your thoughts. Meditation is also a great way to find order. A common understanding is that championing meditation helps in attaining peace sooner. But I don't want to comment about it because I have found it very difficult to practice.
This is the time a person can take two different paths, in philosophical terms. Either he/she can become a person described by society as 'normal'. This normal person will continue with his life's plan of fostering relationships and making money, buy things, have kids, travel, and will learn to live with love and tragedy until the time he dies. He will ignore all the things that are wrong with life, will not think about his existence, and lead a purposeful life. 90-99% of the humans end up doing this.
Or a person can get really frustrated with the absurdity of things around him. He will notice the inherent conflict between self and the illogical universe around him. Things would stop making sense after a time and he will lead a very tumultuous life, continuously fighting to deny the absurdity and trying to be as 'normal' as possible. The reason for trying to be normal is that it's not easy to give up on everything and live like an ascetic. Most absurdists are not strong-willed about following a heretic lifestyle, it's just thoughts about conflict of life they can't deal with. Most of us end up making peace with the absurd, but this can be a very long and lonely journey. As you can guess, I am a person in this category, who is still trying to make his peace.
But need not worry Mr. Weirdo, you can do some things which I have found to be helpful in distracting yourself while you try to make peace with the universe. Here is my list of top 4 things, which I have found are very helpful in weathering the chaos:
I) Read/Watch/Create Fantasy: Fantasy is a genre that takes you away from real life. If created with precision, it is a whole world in itself. This will titillate your imagination and gives you a third person's view on the life of characters who are trying to navigate through their own chaotic world. The creators of these fictional worlds must think gods of themselves. A word of caution: don't get lost. It is still imaginative.
II) Be good at a vocation: WHAT IS THIS MATERIALISTIC ADVICE DOING IN THIS SECTION? Well, until you are about to change the world or completely give up, making money is important as this is the way the world is going to go, with or without you. So do earn money so that you can think more deeply without worrying about what to eat tomorrow.
III) Meet like-minded people: You cannot hope to live with absurd thoughts without sharing it. You'll become Joker if you do that. Meeting people who have similar interests will help in taking some burden off your shoulders. Also, you might get different perspectives and ideologies. But don't hope to find a person who will make you understand life.
IV) Improve your physical well being: A rare thing which you have a majority control over is your body. This thought should be good enough to focus on something which is less chaotic. It's not a pleasurable activity by any means. It takes the sacrifice of time, physical pain, and dedication to get fit. This is a really helpful way to burn off energy so that you are tired at night and can fall asleep without collapsing into your thoughts. Meditation is also a great way to find order. A common understanding is that championing meditation helps in attaining peace sooner. But I don't want to comment about it because I have found it very difficult to practice.
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