My own theory is that the point of life is for a person to put a dent on history (whether good or bad) and does one or more incredible things in their lifetime....for example a person who invents a cure for cancer, or a person who leads an army into victory, or a person who starts a fashion trend, or a person who once flew an airplane and killed 300 people with a single bomb, or a person who invented post-it sticky notes, or a one-legged person to walk across a country with crutches, or a person who won miss america, or a person who found an important ancient artifact, or a person who won any large competition, or a person who was the first to do something extraordinary. Everytime a person is being talked about after they die, whether in a good way or bad, these people stick a quarter in their immortal meter. So all the mundane jobs people do like being a mail-man, accountant, stripper, truck driver, mechanic ,will never allow a person to fulfill one's life (that is---to be special)
2006-07-09 21:22:39 · 4 answers · asked by upn9 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Other - Family & Relationships
So the point really is....are 95% of people just going through the motions to live and die and never to be talked about again? Aren't there benefits to being an extreme person and being talked about after you die?
2006-07-09 21:23:59 · update #1
There can be benefits of being a so called "extreme person". However, you could just be like Van Gough and not get recognized for your "extreme life" until after you die. Most people do just go through the motions...unfortunately. But can you imagine how chaotic life would be if EVERYONE was an Extreme person. We'd probably have a cure to death then.
2006-07-09 21:26:40 · answer #1 · answered by mlove1307 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In short...no. There is plenty of meaning to be found in life without it having to go down in history. If your only motive is fame, then it would put to question anything you accomplished. Fame should not be the goal. It should be one of the rewards of a lifetime of work or a special deed.
Many of those you mentioned aren't extremists. They were people who seized the opportunity when it arrived or it was simply fate of being in the right place at the right time.
There is also a difference between being famous, infamous or notorious. Many people have done evil things simply because they wanted to be remembered. They want to see their name in the paper or history books. Some serial killers had this obsession.
It's great to make ones life work a noble cause, but focus on achieving the goal the best you can and be satisfied that you did. It sometimes takes years to establish that what a person did was worthy of being noted in history. Don't be obsessed with it. People have actually taken short cuts, cheated and lied to have their name put on some achievement. Do what you feel you need to accomplish and let history decide if it's worthy. In the mean time, there are many people you will know or meet upon which you will leave your mark. Regardless of what you do for a living. Most of the time it has to do with the type of person they were, not what they did. Isn't that sometime enough?
2006-07-10 04:44:33 · answer #2 · answered by Dale P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have not done anything that will get me into history books but I have done plenty of important things. If you can have a positive effect on even one person in your life, or do one thing that will make the world a better place, then maybe that is enough. I am not such a fatalist, the only job we have in life is to not die, and we all lose that in the end. Enjoy what you have and don't die and you are doing just fine.
2006-07-10 04:32:37 · answer #3 · answered by Jim C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
people are satisfied with their mundane existence, which is quite sad......
2006-07-10 04:32:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋