I have always worked, ever since i left school and assumed the aquisition of wealth and material things was important. when I had a minor stroke a couple of years ago, It seemed to put a different perspective on things, what does it matter if your car is not as new as the person next door, or that you live in a council property as opposed to private etc.
2006-11-16 20:47:05 · 45 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
being happy in yourself thats important
2006-11-16 20:56:15 · answer #1 · answered by jizzumonkey 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most important thing is that you make every single minute of your life worthwhile living, how can you do that?, well... you need to learn how to maximise your opportunities. Material things give you short lasting minutes of happiness: i.e: you buy a new car.... you're happy but then you get used to your car and do not think about it, in other terms you don't feel HAPPY every time you get into your car, do you??? Here it comes the important point, because once you buy something you get used to it and start thinking about the next thing to buy because that thing will make you really happy, but everytime is the same, you get used to things..you can't compare the happiness of sitting in your new car everyday with the happines of DOING something that you really enjoy (you need to identify them) I personally think that the key of enjoying your life is to actively look for things that you LIKE to do more than material things... those little things that you like add up in one day, then you'll have one day that was worthwhile living, if you do the same all days then you realise that at the end of your days you had been happy and i think that is what it matters. It all comes down to attitude.
2006-11-16 21:34:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Exactly... people judge you on very superficial levels... when the kindness in your heart should be judged as the true value of a person... I am a renter... people next door, moved in and without notifying us slaughtered 6 beautiful 70 year old trees, that provided shade for us in summer, as well as fed many native birds. He then snuck into our backyard and lopped a huge gum tree and when it started to grow back, poisoned it... our neighbours are enviromental terrorists and snobs... and I regard them as low-lifes...
I have met many junkies and poverty stricken people, they are much more altruistic, loving and caring than the so called 'well off'... the chase for the coloured bits of paper leads nowhere...
To share, care and show you have an altruistic loving heart leads to a place of peace and contentment....
Because you had a stroke, you've been shown that your life was on the wrong path... now you see the other side... take heed and go forth... see the value of a good heart over the value of money and bigotry... if you are judged, then they are not your friends...
2006-11-16 21:21:51 · answer #3 · answered by avava9 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am the same as you (not that i have ever been all that materialistic) but i had a bad head injury last year and i was in a coma for a couple of weeks .now material things are way down on my list . The accident was both the worst and the best thing that`s happened to me, it has opened my eyes as to what really matters in life and i think i might be a better person for it .
2006-11-16 21:12:23 · answer #4 · answered by keny 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
where you live is not important it's how you live that matters. having to face ones own mortality .it's difficult at best, and when it's not expected can be very humbling. the REALLY important thing here is you. it's important to take care of your health situation, in order to enjoy the rewards of acquiring wealth and material things. what is REALLY important is you, your family, your faith, and your determination. the materialism you thought you once wanted is not looking as great when you know the big picture. materialism is just that...materialism. those things can be replaced if they break or get old. you cant. take care of yourself and keep it up, i think you have a pretty good attitude
2006-11-16 21:24:02 · answer #5 · answered by iwondersoiask 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Love, family, creativity, meaning in life. These are important. Money is secondary.
However, life is about survival. Without money you can not survive. Without food, water, shelter, you will die & all the love on earth won't change that! So, in a sense, yes you need a certain amount of wealth & material possessions. But greed, wanting more than you need, making money your sole purpose for existence is a mistake. Money should enhance your life, not be your life. All the money on earth won't matter if you don't enjoy your life & it feels meaningless.
2006-11-17 00:23:15 · answer #6 · answered by amp 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being alive , you can regret nothing when you are dead, nor spend great wealth , or sit on a chair built by Chippendale , or gaze at a painting by a great master , or drink an eighteenth century port, cuddle your beautiful children and bask in there love . not one of these things mean a jot if you are not alive to experience them . So enjoy the things that mean most to you and not to what society deems as important for it is invariably wrong about almost everything
2006-11-19 03:16:44 · answer #7 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a balance we all need to obtain. Having a car which is mechanically sound and relatively new is a stress reducer. You don't fear its imminent failure. Where you live can also have a great impact on your well being. If it is unsafe to walk your street at night, it causes stress.
"Keeping up" means buying for appearances dictated by others level and quality belongings. That I disagree with. Buying material things that make life easier and more enjoyable is fine when kept in balance with what is really important in your life.
2006-11-16 21:06:21 · answer #8 · answered by Bob 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being healthy is really important !
It in turn depends on how happier you are !
It still depends on with whom you are comparing !
Most of the time we will be comparing with the persons (not with a single person) who have best in their life. Every thing in the life is a result of several different inputs and options. If we understand this concept, we will certainly be happy with what we have. That will give utmost satisfaction.
Do you know the well known quotation : "I was worried for not having shoes till I saw a man with no legs".
2006-11-20 04:33:42 · answer #9 · answered by Alrahcam 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What matters in our live most is the magical present moment, the moment that is in the grasp of our mind. How subtle, fleetingly short and yet powerful it is, is the realisation that we should have instead of staying overburdened by past recrimination or future apprehensions. We are nowhere but in this present moment found. Make it the best and the next moment will take care of itself!
It is not very uncommon to enter into practical life directly after leaving school. Many successful businessmen have followed this direct route to fortune. Since you have worked always ever since, I see that you are a very pragmatic and practical kind of person. Now you realise that your ailment has changed your perspective in life. May be you lam yourself for not taking good care of your health and indulging into hot pursuit of material gains. This again is not very uncommon trait. We all have tendency to grow critical about ourselves. The cause of your heart problem may not be related to your patter of work, or your busy life style. We should take life as it comes to us and accept with whole heartedness what has gone into past for that has become us now. We can change our past only by changing our perspective about things. If we are in strong state of mind then we can see good moments of our past shining through to us in the present. We cannot blame ourselves in anyway for this will be too boastful of us to speak with so much authority. We are not the only responsible beings for all that happens around us, and all that influences our mind throughout our lives.
The philosophy of the matter is that we are given this life when we do not know. But we often take our life for granted. We bestow undue importance upon all things in life and assume that they will in turn add value to our life. We often forget that life has its own value regardless. This value is in our potential to make some thing out of our lives. Just like a seed, a seed have a value of its own but the potential of a seed cannot be realise without the soil, the sunshine, the air and the hand that sows that seed and then looks after it. We are the makers of our life, a process that is continual. Our past, and the future both keep changing based upon what we have in our mind in the present moment.
2006-11-17 01:07:22 · answer #10 · answered by Shahid 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
be a child at heart....i mean..learn to be happy with what you have and who you are.......wealth are not really that important.the important is you meet your needs..men are insatiable with nature....we want more and more but we don't realize what's the importance or sense of having more...we do not realize that someday,,we'll leave this world and we can't bring all the material things that we have had here..and remember that there always be greater and lesser persons than yourselves...so you don't have to compare your things or yourselves with the other people around coz you really are different from them and so are they........the iimportant is you know what really drives your life and you have a purpose driven life...a life not focusing on the material things....a simple and happy life..that's it..but you'll never feel real happines as long as you are always discontented
2006-11-16 21:07:40 · answer #11 · answered by yucanzee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋