Mediocre

[Hopppppppp]

I'm not sure any of you are famous or wealthy. In the same I can't understand how people can live with being mediocre. Knowing that no one cares whether you live or die. The saddest part is knowing that you won't be remembered. I feel that if you know that you serve no basic purpose on this Earth than to waste space than maybe your life isn't worth living. Sorry if I offend anyone but my greatest fear is being amediocre person, someone without value.

[Edwardo Piet]

Always been the same fear here really. I also bizarrely fear being "average" more than being an absolute failure.

After all, I think you (and others) learn more from outright failure than from merely being "average" and being "in the middle". That's the worst for me :S I adore excess. I'm "all or nothing". Although, this may perhaps coincidence in terms of my personality, with Bi-Polar that I may or may not have (it's borderline atm I only had one manic episode and no real big lows yet).

EvF

[Darwinian]

I can't say that I am really that bothered about what other people think of me. Sure, I'd rather be thought of in a positive way but I'm not going to go out of my way to try to influence others.

And by whose standards do we judge whether we are a waste of space or not or if we serve a purpose or not. Surely it's only the theists who think there is some divine reason for us being here.

I've got enough things I want to do with my life without having to worry about whether I'm living up to some externally imposed set of standards, especially if those standards are being set by a society that places so much emphasis in values that I have no interest in.

[Edwardo Piet]

I used to not give a shit what other people think. More lately though, it seems to be all I think about lol.

I'm not offended by people but I'm constantly so bothered about offending others that if there's one thing I perhaps AM offended by (one exception) it's others taking offence at the slightest thing - because I can't cope with it all lol.

EvF

[AtheistPhil]

I'm not sure any of you are famous or wealthy. In the same I can't understand how people can live with being mediocre.

Being mediocre is a subjective thing, you're mediocre compared to a standard often imposed on you by society. It tells you that the right way to live is to work and get rich and famous, which is just bullshit ! There is no intrisic standard of living, you define it because it's your life. Your society makes you feel mediocre ? Fuck that ! And if it's not society it's your instinctual urge for dominance and power which makes you feel that way, because you're not one of the alpha male/female. The thing is why don't we stop listening to that instinct and resist it just like we resist our other urges (sex, food,etc..) ?

Knowing that no one cares whether you live or die.

First it's false because your family cares about you, and even if you don't have any family people around you cares about you in some way, because you're part of the group , they need you as much as you need them. Human beings are social individuals, they care about each other because it empowers them.

And stop caring about what people thinks about you !

The saddest part is knowing that you won't be remembered.

Well, the thing is, when you're dead you don't feel sad because noone remembers you, you know why ? Because you're dead ! You don't have any feelings! You won't worry about whether you left the gas open before dying or anything ! So stop torturing yourself about this, you're thinking this now because at the moment you're alive so you care about being remembered but don't project this need in the times after your death: it's just illogical!

I feel that if you know that you serve no basic purpose on this Earth than to waste space than maybe your life isn't worth living.

So why don't you go kill yourself right now ?
You won't do it because you want to survive just like everyone else! Natural instinct!
The idea of purpose is a subjective one. Purpose means "the reason for which something exists". Now can you tell why we should think this concept has any relevance whatsoever in the reality, since the concept of "reason/cause" is made up ? The need for purpose is to feel better about oneself, period ! Why can't we just acknowledge that things are just because they are ? We want to find causes and reasons for things because we instinctually don't like the unexplained, it scares us because it jeopardises our survival in the way that we cannot anticipate unexplained things. You need to fight this stupid instinct !

[Hopppppppp]

It is not what people think of you that concerns me. I am sorry that human standards set judgment as being the tool that is used to determine popularity. As far your family remembering you, how many will? I do not know my great-grandfather he was dead before I was even alive. His memory and any memory of him will be gone with my grandfather's children. The point I'm trying to make is that you are just another face. To be forgotten or remembered, I do not know? But I'm not talking about popularity, I'm talking about the impact that you will on this Earth. A far reaching one, not just changing one life but changing them all. As far as killing myself, I could very well be someone famous, for any reason and you would not know the wiser of it. In that logic; however, we could all be. Once again it is not the fear of death that keeps me going but instead it is the fear that I don't know how my life will turn out. I could very well go on to change the Earth or I could fall in line with everyone else and become another face that passes you on the street.

[Xyster]

It is not what people think of you that concerns me. blaa blaaa blaa. I could very well go on to change the Earth or I could fall in line with everyone else and become another face that passes you on the street.

SO WHAT..... The thing is the meaning you find in life.. most will find this meaning in their children teachthem and pass on your values and hopfully they are the right kind. Life has no meaning, wich frees you up to find your own meaning and perpose in it... Live untill you die, live like there is no tommorrow save like youll live forever, and Love with no limitations or exspectations.

[Hopppppppp]

So what you are saying is that you are okay with being mediocre. I get what you're saying about passing on values but values are always forgotten and scrapped for something better, like money. The society we live could care less about values and more about themselves. The media glamourizes failure and shadows success. Someone has to change that. Someone has to say enough. Will you be that person? Or will you hide behind your values? In order to clean a mess up you've got to get a little dirty yourself.

[AtheistPhil]

It is not what people think of you that concerns me. I am sorry that human standards set judgment as being the tool that is used to determine popularity. As far your family remembering you, how many will? I do not know my great-grandfather he was dead before I was even alive. His memory and any memory of him will be gone with my grandfather's children. The point I'm trying to make is that you are just another face. To be forgotten or remembered, I do not know? But I'm not talking about popularity, I'm talking about the impact that you will on this Earth. A far reaching one, not just changing one life but changing them all. As far as killing myself, I could very well be someone famous, for any reason and you would not know the wiser of it. In that logic; however, we could all be. Once again it is not the fear of death that keeps me going but instead it is the fear that I don't know how my life will turn out. I could very well go on to change the Earth or I could fall in line with everyone else and become another face that passes you on the street.

So you wanna do great things ? You wanna be remembered for centuries ? You wanna be the next Alexander the great or ruler of the world or universal benefactor of this millenium ?
Well everyone wants that too ! This desire derives from human's vision of grandeur and the need for power and control. This is not very original.

But you need to know that no matter how huge and great your imprint on the world is you will be "forgotten".
Compare Alexander the great and his actions to the universe, the earth is just a speck which will be destroyed in a few billion years. Whatever you do, even if you were the ruler of the earth it would be the same problem, you'd leave no traces after a certain time. The more time passes the less you're remembered. Eventually we're all forgotten no matter what.
The only question left is: For how many years will I be remembered ?
And if you still feel like me that it's worth considering, then it means your need is indeed an instinctual need of power and domination, because if it weren't the case why would we care about the amount of years our legacy is preserved, knowing it will ultimately disappear ?

That's why we shouldn't fear that our lives stay "mediocre". Doing great things is not imperative ! It's just your personal choice ultimately. Besides there's no impartial scale to judge your impact on earth objectively. If you compare your possible heroic actions with the explosions of supernovae in the universe your actions look negligible.
But that doesn't mean you should feel insignificant. You're influencing the world every second whatever you do. And even the smallest action can change the course of the universe for billions of years. Your mere survival right now is changing the universe because you are part of it.
Don't feel sad because you're wasting your time by following everyone instead of revolutionizing the world. In both cases your changing the world, and both behaviors are equivalent. Making "great things" in your life won't make the universe a "cooler" or "greater" place. In both cases you're making what the universe is/was/will be, no more no less.

Moreover Time should not be seen as a line with the present as a point that goes forward on it. Time really is a 4th dimension. You cannot separate space and time, they're one entity.
Now when you know this the need to be remembered is meaningless.
The universe's never "forgotten" anyone !

Your great-grandfather right now don't share your angst about being remembered: he's dead ! he's been liberated from this silly fear, just like you will be.

[KawaiiKoneko]

I've seen that no matter how much of an individual you are, there are always going to be similarities between you and someone else.

So in essence, fighting to be different is a bit of a losing battle if you don't set goals for what you want to be.
Who cares if you're a lot like another person (or even a few thousand people)?
As long as you're happy being who you define as yourself, then it doesn't matter.




But I want to be really, really rich. *___*

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