Can sitting back and watching life pass you by prepare you for when you finally decide to participate in life?

Question

.........or must you constantly be in motion to get the full effect of living?

Sometimes I'm content just sitting and watching and waiting to jump in. I guess what I'm asking is, can you learn about life just by watching? Or do you really have to experience it for yourself?

Answer 1

I think rather then it being watching life pass you by it's more about knowing which train to board when it pulls into your station. If you just jump on every train that comes in are you really engaged in life or just perpetual motion. Some of the most profound lessons I've learned were learned in silence and stillness. Some of the most profound lessons I missed learning were the result of me jumping on the wrong train just to feel I was in motion. I think in stillness and observation their can be profound understanding needed to really engage those life lessons you're appointed for. I don't think there should be any shame in learning from other people's mistakes. I don't need to experience smoking to know lung cancer is bad. I don't need to experience growth enhancement drugs to know that they have bad side effects. I'd rather watch, learn and jump in at the place that's right for me.

Answer 2

some great answers here. I'm not sure if I can add much more.

hold a mirror in front of your mouth. Do you see your breath?
put your fingers on your pulse points. Do you feel a heart beat?

If you answered yes to 1 or both of these questions you are living. Congratulations! You've completed Step 1: admitting you are alive. Ok. Step 2: doing something about it.

Let's see....life is happening whether you are willing to participate or not. The world is still spinning, people are still wandering about and time ain't stopping for nobody. Bottom line. So you are cautious....you want to watch and observe before leaping in. This sounds logical to me. Just because people are jumping off of bridges doesn't mean you have to experience it to know its not such a good idea. Some things are better watched from afar.

“Always remember to slow down in life; live, breathe, and learn; take a look around you whenever you have time and never forget everything and every person that has the least place within your heart.”


******EDIT***** I stumbled upon the following passage this morning...I thought of you:

I used to sit on the banks with a raft and watch the water roll lazily by. One day I pushed my raft into the shallows of the water and found the water moved swifter than I thought, but my raft was actually a little rowboat. Then, after some time I rowed my little boat into deeper water. There were great storms, mighty winds, tremendous waves, and sometimes I felt so alone. But I have noticed my little rowboat is now a mighty ship manned by my friends and loved ones, and beautiful calm seas, warm sunny days, and nights filled with comfortable dreams always double after a storm. Now, I could never go back and sit on the bank, in fact, I search for deeper water. Such is life when lived.
B D Gulledge

Answer 3

Sometimes sitting back and watching is the best way to learn. One need not always participate to get this full effect.
By seeing how others handle life can sometimes be very enlightening.
Then you have the option of applying it to your own life, if you so desire.
Some days I just sit and watch and other days I jump right in.

Usually when I jump right in is the time I have sat too long and watched too much.
Letting things happen to me has not worked the best for me. I have decided that the only way to live my life is to make my decisions based on what I want and what is best for me.

Answer 4

It depends on the individual. We are all different.

Some people instinctively throw themselves into something and learn by doing. Others sit back and observe, picking up what works and what does not, before trying it themselves.

Both types benefit from learning some of the other style. Adults of either type realize they are not as productive or efficient as they could be, so they find a need to practice the opposite behavior.

Headstrong "in the moment" people learn to observe and think about their next move, while detached reluctant participants realized that nothing will ever get accomplished until they take some action and trust their gut instincts.

From my experience as an extreme "observer" type, it's uncomfortable to learn the other strategy, but beneficial in terms of being all you could ever be and in learning to enjoy life fully.

You will probably never be the "other" style, you will remain strong in what you are by nature, but you can definitely benefit from the other perspective.

There's a great passage in the last segment of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" graphic novel series, where he is describing Shakespeare near the end of his life and exploring the playwright's regrets -- that he often saw his life experiences as "material" for his creative works, just one more opportunity to learn something or squeeze out the drama, without ever really allowing himself to experience his life for what it was, and thus enjoy it.

It's definitely a temptation for an observer to sit back and view life in a detached state. And I don't think it's a bad way to live, overall -- we are what we are, and we enjoy what we enjoy -- but I still think an observer benefits (and does not later experience regrets) by merely living in the moment sometimes.

Answer 5

Life is too short to sit on the sideline and watch it pass by! Jump in head first and never look back. Experience for yourself is the only go! The school of hard knocks is the only true education!

Answer 6

Myself I like to participate because we all learn with first hand experience, When were young were told not to touch fire, Why? We don't know until we really touch the fire. Live and learn! Life is going to pass by no matter what, And you'll look back and wonder why didn't I at least try and participate! Maybe that's just me....

Answer 7

The April/ May issue of Scientific American Mind magazine there is an interesting article about mirror neurons ("A Revealing Reflection"). Apparently, there are neurons in your brain that fire when you perform an action and when you see others perform the action. The article explains that you can learn just by watching. You're personality and character is greatly affected by what you observe in your environment. Of course, you have to jump in and practice your skills if you want to get good at doing them yourself.

Answer 8

You'll learn a lot
if sometimes you move not
Life around you do Observe
and in your mind do Preserve
Even an ant
can teach you rather than the haunt
At a bar
or some place afar
And lady
when you're ready
you'll have learned aplenty!
For Chrissakes!
we must and do learn from others mistakes!

st

Answer 9

I think life is full of ups and downs...I like to people watch little kids and old people crack me up...the stories they tell can be quite interesting...then again i wonder if they will ever shut-up!!!!
I think there are days just sitting and being content are great
But then again who wants to live forever!!! Have fun and experience everything life has to offer...

Answer 10

...Nanika atta?

This question reminds me of a passage from the book HAGAKURE (The Way of the Samurai):

[Fade in background Kabuki music --- Sound of a single strike to a large gong]...

"Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like. But it is important never to tell this to young people as it is something that would be harmful if incorrectly understood.
Personally, I like to sleep. And I intend to appropriately confine myself more and more to my living quarters and pass my life away sleeping."

[Sound of a single strike to a large gong --- fade out background kabuki music]...

So, by this, if watching life pleases you, --- watch. If watching isn't pleasing you, then seek that which you feel will do so, whether it be constant motion, sleep, or the multitude of modes in between them.

...Sayounara!