How do you spend your spare time?

[yung.carl.jung]

I waste it all.

Granted, I think life itself is an inherently wasteful thing, but what I do is a waste by anyone else's standards.

what is "waste"? if it is synonymous with "trash", then it simply means "things I don't want to keep around". in your opinion, what is "wasting" time? I cannot really comprehend "life is an inherently wasteful thing". life is inherently meaningless (since meaning can never be inherent, by definition! it is always given by an entity) and life is inherently fleeting (since, afawk, death is a certainty), that far I'll go, but it seems I am missing one step.

taking another viewpoint, "life", from a less philosophical, more biological viewpoint, is quite literally decay and change (mutation) since that is the one thing all life has in common from its conception. going towards death, which is pretty much just "not-life". kinda weird, really.

 

[AdamCrock]

I'm not gonna lie I spend most of my time playing games on my computer. It might be strange to You guys but I hate excitement and "adventrure" in real life. I've probably had that too much already. I'd much rather spent an evening relaxing in bed (watching movies or whatever) than going out. That's probably why I don't have a wife yet. Making a girl happy seems to me like a huge effort (not to mention expenses like dinners, cinema etc.) So pretty much yeah I'm very lazy but I'm happy with it

 

[Phrossack]

what is "waste"? if it is synonymous with "trash", then it simply means "things I don't want to keep around". in your opinion, what is "wasting" time? I cannot really comprehend "life is an inherently wasteful thing". life is inherently meaningless (since meaning can never be inherent, by definition! it is always given by an entity) and life is inherently fleeting (since, afawk, death is a certainty), that far I'll go, but it seems I am missing one step.

taking another viewpoint, "life", from a less philosophical, more biological viewpoint, is quite literally decay and change (mutation) since that is the one thing all life has in common from its conception. going towards death, which is pretty much just "not-life". kinda weird, really.

I don't spend my time solving my problems or improving my situation and just play games or read forums these days. I don't think my life's problems can be solved, so why try? That's what I mean by wasting time.

Life is fundamentally the period of unpleasantness before death. It is just procrastinating on death, since death is inevitable and putting something off that you'll have to do eventually is procrastination. It's meaningless and consists of killing time before that happens.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Read, write, and play video games. I'm wanting to start my on Twitch channel. I've decided I'm going to take it very seriously and I've already bought state of the art equipment (condenser mic, audio interface, video production software). My PC is also powerful. I plan on streaming Star Wars Battlefront 2 (the newer one) but I'm waiting until I have everything leveled up where I want.

Make sure you do some practice streaming sessions while you build up your kit. You don't want to have sunk all this money into top of the line equipment, launch a channel and have it be ignored because you haven't practiced your commentary.

 

[civvver]

I'm not gonna lie I spend most of my time playing games on my computer. It might be strange to You guys but I hate excitement and "adventrure" in real life. I've probably had that too much already. I'd much rather spent an evening relaxing in bed (watching movies or whatever) than going out. That's probably why I don't have a wife yet. Making a girl happy seems to me like a huge effort (not to mention expenses like dinners, cinema etc.) So pretty much yeah I'm very lazy but I'm happy with it

I like real life excitement and adventure, but it costs a heck of a lot more than video games.

 

[Birdjaguar]

I don't spend my time solving my problems or improving my situation and just play games or read forums these days. I don't think my life's problems can be solved, so why try? That's what I mean by wasting time.

Life is fundamentally the period of unpleasantness before death. It is just procrastinating on death, since death is inevitable and putting something off that you'll have to do eventually is procrastination. It's meaningless and consists of killing time before that happens.

Become a Buddhist. Ride horses and meditate when not posting here!!

 

[MaryKB]

I don't spend my time solving my problems or improving my situation and just play games or read forums these days. I don't think my life's problems can be solved, so why try? That's what I mean by wasting time.

Life is fundamentally the period of unpleasantness before death. It is just procrastinating on death, since death is inevitable and putting something off that you'll have to do eventually is procrastination. It's meaningless and consists of killing time before that happens.

You have me terribly worried, I feel so sad you are going through this, I wish there was some way I could help (if there's anything, please let me know)

You say you're just procrastinating death, and when I think of "procrastination," I always feel a negative connotation with that word, as if you're feeling guilty about delaying something you know you should be doing. I may procrastinate doing chores, or doing my work, or going to the doctor, and so on, but I don't "procrastinate" about gaining weight, etc. Do you really feel like you should be dying, and your act of living is a negative experience for you and you're just putting off what you should be doing?

Even if you didn't show your face, you did show us your picture of your riding .. do you get to do that often? Do you enjoy being out of doors and recreating like that? I know what you mean, there's so much potential unpleasantness in life, but I feel you also have opportunities to experience pleasantness, wonder, and beauty while you have the chance.

 

[AdamCrock]

It brings out the BIG question: What's the meaning of life ? Isn't it all what we like to do when we have free time ? Is it procreating and bringing out offspring ? Is it death ? I don't know ... I guess it depends on the point of view .

Life is fundamentally the period of unpleasantness before death.

It does sound a bit pessimistic. I wish You can find happiness. It does not matter what You do as long as You're happy with it (and as long as You don't break any laws )

 

[Phrossack]

Become a Buddhist. Ride horses and meditate when not posting here!!

Be careful what you wish for!

Spoiler :

But seriously, I don't believe in mystical things and can't afford a horse. I find the idea of monks fascinating but just can't buy into many kinds of Buddhism, and giving up attachments when I'm unable to get many in the first place seems like cheating amd sour grapes.

You have me terribly worried, I feel so sad you are going through this, I wish there was some way I could help (if there's anything, please let me know)

You say you're just procrastinating death, and when I think of "procrastination," I always feel a negative connotation with that word, as if you're feeling guilty about delaying something you know you should be doing. I may procrastinate doing chores, or doing my work, or going to the doctor, and so on, but I don't "procrastinate" about gaining weight, etc. Do you really feel like you should be dying, and your act of living is a negative experience for you and you're just putting off what you should be doing?

Even if you didn't show your face, you did show us your picture of your riding .. do you get to do that often? Do you enjoy being out of doors and recreating like that? I know what you mean, there's so much potential unpleasantness in life, but I feel you also have opportunities to experience pleasantness, wonder, and beauty while you have the chance.

Don't worry, I'll try to live as long as my parents are around (for fear of hurting them) and as long as my brother is around (out of spite).

Procrastination isn't strictly negative, though it usually is. If death is something we all have to do sooner or later, then living is procrastination by definition. Some people prefer to smell the roses first, and that's fine.

Riding is an extremely rare and expensive treat for me, I'm afraid. It's one of the few things I enjoy but the price is prohibitive.

Basically everything I enjoy is disappearing, not an option, or irresponsible, so there's not much good left.

It brings out the BIG question: What's the meaning of life ? Isn't it all what we like to do when we have free time ? Is it procreating and bringing out offspring ? Is it death ? I don't know ... I guess it depends on the point of view .

It does sound a bit pessimistic. I wish You can find happiness. It does not matter what You do as long as You're happy with it (and as long as You don't break any laws )

I'm almost never really happy, but I'd have to say procreation seems almost immoral given that it's effectively a death sentence to an innocent. Life causes death; causing life causes death. But that's a topic for another thread.

 

[rah]

but I'd have to say procreation seems almost immoral given that it's effectively a death sentence to an innocent.

Only a person that has never gazed upon the face of their new born child could say that.

But yes, that is a topic for another thread.

 

[civvver]

procreation seems almost immoral given that it's effectively a death sentence to an innocent. Life causes death; causing life causes death. But that's a topic for another thread.

It sounds like something skynet would say before wiping us all out.

 

[Phrossack]

It sounds like something skynet would say before wiping us all out.

That would involve killing, which I'm suggesting is also wrong. If Skynet were to just try to persuade people not to have kids, that would be different--and would make for a rather boring movie franchise.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I don't spend my time solving my problems or improving my situation and just play games or read forums these days. I don't think my life's problems can be solved, so why try? That's what I mean by wasting time.

Life is fundamentally the period of unpleasantness before death. It is just procrastinating on death, since death is inevitable and putting something off that you'll have to do eventually is procrastination. It's meaningless and consists of killing time before that happens.

I have a hard time seeing time as a "ressource" (that can be potentially wasted, or used well, or used at all) and I'm pretty sure that point of view is inherent to capitalist societies (or maybe you could even extend this to "working" societies, I love to ponder whether or how pre-agricultural societies viewed time, or at least secluded societies which had developed a calendar.).

to me time, as it is experienced subjectively, is just change. not positive nor negative. when I was young I coined the phrase "the only constant in our world is change". I was very disappointed to find out a few years later that Heraklitus had had the same thought two millenia ago. damnit.

thanks a lot for your answer I appreciate your pov.

It brings out the BIG question: What's the meaning of life ? Isn't it all what we like to do when we have free time ? Is it procreating and bringing out offspring ? Is it death ? I don't know ... I guess it depends on the point of view .

It does sound a bit pessimistic. I wish You can find happiness. It does not matter what You do as long as You're happy with it (and as long as You don't break any laws )

"what is the meaning of life" is not the big question at all, it's merely a fundamental misunderstanding of what "meaning" actually is. as I said in another thread, meaning is never inherent, it is always given, by its definition it has to be. there are many questions infinitely more interesting, like:

what really went down pre-big bang?

how did other humanoids pre homo sapiens perceive the world?

what really is consciousness, and what happens to consciousness after (physical) death?

we know atoms and DNA and bacteria and the elements, but what ARE those, really, and how correct are these models?

are there other lifeforms? if the answer is yes, what systems for explaining their world did THEY come up with? are they similiar to ours?

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Only a person that has never gazed upon the face of their new born child could say that.

But yes, that is a topic for another thread.

I really am not so sure about that my man. I do know some parents that share his mentality. I know mothers that regret motherhood. and there is genuinely nothing wrong with that! seems a little high and mighty for you to say that, but me as a puny, childless man I wouldn't know

Don't worry, I'll try to live as long as my parents are around (for fear of hurting them) and as long as my brother is around (out of spite).

Procrastination isn't strictly negative, though it usually is. If death is something we all have to do sooner or later, then living is procrastination by definition. Some people prefer to smell the roses first, and that's fine.

Riding is an extremely rare and expensive treat for me, I'm afraid. It's one of the few things I enjoy but the price is prohibitive.

Basically everything I enjoy is disappearing, not an option, or irresponsible, so there's not much good left.
I'm almost never really happy, but I'd have to say procreation seems almost immoral given that it's effectively a death sentence to an innocent. Life causes death; causing life causes death. But that's a topic for another thread.

I like that mentality!

your view on "life is just procrastination" I think utterly hinges on the idea that death is also synonymous with "death" of ones' consciousness, which really is not at all provable. if that construct falls, so does your theory. personally I have a hard time believing consciousness is merely some byproduct of a protein blob in our skull, that just sounds ridiculous. consciousness exists on a different plane than the physical one.

meme very much related:

 

[AdamCrock]

"what is the meaning of life" is not the big question at all, it's merely a fundamental misunderstanding of what "meaning" actually is. as I said in another thread, meaning is never inherent, it is always given, by its definition it has to be. there are many questions infinitely more interesting, like:

what really went down pre-big bang?

how did other humanoids pre homo sapiens perceive the world?

what really is consciousness, and what happens to consciousness after (physical) death?

we know atoms and DNA and bacteria and the elements, but what ARE those, really, and how correct are these models?

are there other lifeforms? if the answer is yes, what systems for explaining their world did THEY come up with? are they similiar to ours?

Those are really good questions ! I often wonder about the answears to them in my free time myself (this is probably another reason why I don't have a wife yet ) Seeking answers are a good way to spend Your free time I guess This also reminds me of my favourite comic group Monthy Python and their movie "The meaning of life" I recommend that movie to any philosophers I come across but my guess is You've already watched it

Btw. I think that constants of the universe are : death , taxes, change and the speed of light ("nothing travels faster (...) with a possible exception of bad news")

 

[Phrossack]

I really am not so sure about that my man. I do know some parents that share his mentality. I know mothers that regret motherhood. and there is genuinely nothing wrong with that! seems a little high and mighty for you to say that, but me as a puny, childless man I wouldn't know



I like that mentality!

your view on "life is just procrastination" I think utterly hinges on the idea that death is also synonymous with "death" of ones' consciousness, which really is not at all provable. if that construct falls, so does your theory. personally I have a hard time believing consciousness is merely some byproduct of a protein blob in our skull, that just sounds ridiculous. consciousness exists on a different plane than the physical one.

meme very much related:

I see no reason at all to believe in a mystical continuation of consciousness beyind death...but the next time you die, feel free to pop back in and let us know what the afterlife's like!

 

[rah]

seems a little high and mighty for you to say that, but me as a puny, childless man I wouldn't know

Yeah it does sounds a bit high and mighty, but come back after you've experienced it and let us know what you think. It sure changed everything for me. While I'm sure there are exceptions, most that I've talked to had a similar experience. Actually I would worry about people that do it and feel nothing. But then I'm old and have been wrong about many things.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I guess as an introvert you need plenty of alone time. I myself used to fall in the trap of just sitting on my butt just screwing around. That's almost an introvert's most comfortable state of being. But yeah, you gotta find a good balance, and other factors come into play like good time management skills, ambition, getting yourself out there, etc. I am still working on a lot of these things myself

Time management/doing things that are necessary are reasonable things to work at/improve. I see no reason "ambition" or "getting yourself out there" are inherently valuable. Ambition can take a lot of forms, and most of the time when people talk about "getting yourself out there" they're pushing the viewpoint that you should adopt more of their activity preferences.

It brings out the BIG question: What's the meaning of life ?

There is no apparent inherent meaning. You get to do some stuff then it stops. I'd say enjoy it to the best of ability, using best estimates of steps that get you there. But that's my choice. Others make their own.

Procrastination isn't strictly negative, though it usually is. If death is something we all have to do sooner or later

This conclusion shouldn't be held as p=1 fact. Our odds of preventing death/aging outside of accidents seem significantly better than say FTL travel or any evidence supporting the existence of an afterlife. It's the best chance the evidence presents humanity. We should try to take it.

If you mean the heat death of the universe or something, then sure. But I'm willing to procrastinate quite a bit on that one, that's a lot of future enjoyment if our species makes it there.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I see no reason at all to believe in a mystical continuation of consciousness beyind death...but the next time you die, feel free to pop back in and let us know what the afterlife's like!

we have no evidence for either, so imho the agnostic position is the only sensible position to take

also, why "afterlife" exactly? I mean life for us basically means consciousness, so if consciousness sticks around, physical death seems pretty meaningless in the long run

again, all assumptions hinge on the fact that consciousness is merely a brain function. if that turns out to not be true, you can throw everything you're so sure about out of the window

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Yeah it does sounds a bit high and mighty, but come back after you've experienced it and let us know what you think. It sure changed everything for me. While I'm sure there are exceptions, most that I've talked to had a similar experience. Actually I would worry about people that do it and feel nothing. But then I'm old and have been wrong about many things.

maybe I think having children is not only selfish, but actually wrong and a net-negative for this world, and maybe this has been a gripe of mine for years, because I want children really, really badly, and so does my partner

hmmh, that is an interesting one. I dont think anyone feels "nothing", that seems impossible to me. however, regretting motherhood is actually a thing. I suppose regretting fatherhood is, too