Religion and pleasure

[genkaus]

I'm no old man to give you wisdom, I'm here to speak my own words, and explain my views.
If you find them worthless, don't reply.

Actually, if I find them worthless, I'll tell you why they are worthless.

To start with, I did not assert the idea that my views were original. As a matter of fact, people who are applauded in our society today, are people who have sacrificed much, for a greater cause.
Not otherwise.

Being applauded after death - that's not going to make anyone happy.

Amongst these 5, I have little to show. I have no relationship, I have no significant accomplishments which allow me to rise above the regular person, though pleasures of flesh, I can get whenever I want, may it be through wine, or whores.

Ah, that explains it. The sour grapes syndrome.

A meaning though, yes, my life has a meaning. This meaning, however is something that is beyond me. This is what makes it tower over whatever I hope to "accomplish" in life. All my accomplishments, I will dedicate to that meaning alone, which will make accomplishments count for something beyond me and perhaps my close circle of relatives and associates. For no matter how much you accomplish, there will be someon who has accomplished more than you, if you think it through in a personal way. Though if these accomplishments of yours are dedicated to a cause, they will count more than any amount of accomplishments of a single person.

Your psychology becomes clearer. As does your insecurity. If your chosen purpose was yours and yours alone, you would not be so eager to measure your accomplishment against another's. And if you had a degree of self-worth - not a borrowed sense of one - you would not allow this "purpose from beyond you" to dictate your life.

Perhaps. But you ought to know that one generally takes away the other.

Not if you choose wisely.

Just for an example: I have a relationship. I go and have an affair for my pleasure. She gets to know. I've sacrificed one thing, for another. This is how it goes. You cannot have all, friend.

I can have it all. By involving my wife in the affair and having a threesome. And I can have that by choosing the right wife.

What sort of a meaning do you have on your own? You're but a single number, if you'd die now, the world wouldn't go under, so what sort of a meaning do you think you possess?

The one that I wouldn't achieve should I die now. My purpose isn't based on the world, but on myself.

If your sacrifice will have a meaning beyond you, I'd say it's a fair deal. Achilles took that deal in the Illiad.

Achilles was a moron. And no, it won't be a fair deal.

And what sort of accomplishment is there in your pokemon card-collection?

Advertise it over the internet? Nah, don't think so.

Well, I'm just hoping that you're going to prove me otherwise.

Already have.

Except in the case for a child, seriously no. What sort of purpose beyond the purpose you described above do you hope to make up for yourself?

And the reason why I would need a purpose beyond the purpose I described would be?

Well, there isn't really much of a purpose you can set for your life though. The only thing the average joe without a greater purpose desires in life is a house, a car, perhaps a family if you're into it, children, and perhaps grandchildren. Or if you don't like these, you can choose many of the alternative lifestyles that are available today. It's nothing out of the ordinary, these too, are outlined.

And yet, so far, their lives end up being much more meaningful than yours.

Well, I'm 24 years old, I really have not much to show, my friend. And as I said, whatever I have accomplished, I did for a greater purpose. I was not alone, of course, people have helped me, I have helped them, and we tried to do something. We failed, but we've not given up.
And indeed, my heritage is the source of my pride, my friend. Hopefully I will be a source of pride to those that come after me.

Thanks for proving my point.

Well, I can't know. Hard to impress the next generations with your cooking skills when you're dead.

I don't give a shit about impressing anyone who comes after I'm dead.

That's how much your cookings skills matter, my friend. I guess taking pride in your cooking is not a bad thing, but considering themselves above your ancestors who've built cities, fought and died in wars, and have created for you the environment in which you've practiced and developed your cooking skills is nothing but being disrespectful.
A man always must honour and respect his ancestors.

Honoring them is a far, far thing from regarding them as a source of pride.

Honoring someone means showing them respect and considering them worthy. Pride means respecting oneself and considering oneself worthy. And if you pride yourself upon your ancestors, it means you think that you are worthwhile not because of something you've done or accomplished but because of what someone in the past did. And only someone without much sense of self-worth would need to borrow it from people long dead.