what exactly do you think people mean, when they talk about not taking life too seriously?

Question

i mean..your life IS YOU...so how can you not take it seriously!

are they saying that accepting the reality of death means nothing you do is any more worthwhile [ultimately speaking] than anything else, and therefor its not worth getting in a lather about anything...because ultimately it will all turn to dust anyway.

Answer 1

It simply means to put things in perspective and not obsess on the unimportant. When you are on your deathbed, will you regret not having spent more time at the office, or playing with your kids. The things we think of as important in our hectic daily lives - work/career, etc.- in the grand scheme are insignificant. Will you remember more the day you played hooky and surprised your kids &/or mate by taking them to the beach, or Disneyland, or the extra day you spent at work?

There is more to life then increasing it’s speed
— Gandhi

Happiness is to see the world in a grain of sand,
and heaven in a wild flower,
to hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in a single hour.
— William Blake

We do not remember days, we remember moments.
— Casare Pavese

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom & blowing white stuff you can wish on.

When I hear music I love, I know I can’t carry a tune and don’t have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don’t know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from. Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
— Antonio Smith

Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.
— Unknown

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
— Albert Einstein

One should count each day a separate life.
— Seneca

Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last.
— Publilius Syrus, Maxims (100 BC)

You have a new chance to impress the world every 24 hours. Use it wisely.
— Unknown

The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.
— Joan Borysenko

Every man dies. Not every man lives.
— Tim Robbins

When you are born, you are crying and everyone around you is smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying.
— Unknown

Man does not cease to play because he grows old, he grows old because he ceases to play.
— Drew Lachey

It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.
— Bumper Sticker

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.
— Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

Answer 2

I think this attitude has been suggestive of some wisdom of its own indeed. This might sound trivial in comparison with your consideration, but this is the fact that sometimes we do get into the ‘lather’ of things way too much, and far too heavily. How, for instance, I can resolve the matters of life and death, something that is going to happen to me one day? The answer might be, through my efforts to live well I overcome death. But what does it mean ‘to live well’? Is it through understanding it all, in acceptance of whatever life has on offer for me, or is it in a path in between, in understanding a few things, and having faith upon the rest?

I can ask myself - how much do I need to understand, think and feel about all things in my life - as I might end up doing too much to enjoy doing anything in life along the way. Now, this is where, sometimes, I feel the need of an aid from some pragmatic wisdom like this. I understand that I cannot understand all that constitutes my life, and on the other hand I have faith that there has been some reason in my creation.

When I say to myself do not take life too seriously, I mean to say, ‘have faith and enjoy life a bit, understanding will take place somewhere along the way.

Answer 3

It just means that you shouldn't get so wrapped up in all the little dramas of life that you miss out on the important stuff.

You need to ignore the daily small iritations (traffic jams, spilled coffee, nasty boss) and focus on more important things like relationships. Being upset when someone close to you dies, is NOT taking like too seriously. Getting upset about every rape/murder/suicide bombing on the planet will leave you with no time to focus on the good things in life. Most probably also emotionally drained and depressed.

Granted, we need to be upset in some way so that we can take actionagainst these things, but it should not take over your life.

Then again there are those people who laugh off everything and who take nothing seriously. This is also not right. I think these people use the "I don't take life too seriously" as a defence meganism. If they don't pay attention to bad things and take it less seriously, they don't need to deal with all the hurt.

I guess it's all about balance in the end.

Answer 4

Some people just don't take it seriously, and you may not fully get that (even if you attempt to get their concept/idea/belief) because you DO think that life is serious. Some people just don't want to eat healthily and would rather indulge in the fried stuff... or do drugs and drink and have sex without the commitment instead of going "straight edge." And it may irritate you just because it's a different view of life that you don't understand or want to understand, but that's the self-righteousness that makes you sound close-minded. Everyone has their own beliefs about life and death. Some take it seriously, some take it too seriously, some don't take it seriously at all. If anything, it's the ones who take it too seriously who screw up the world with their mightier-than-thou and therefore you should conform to our beliefs attitudes.

Answer 5

Might mean all types of things, diffferent ppl have one-of-a-kind mind-set, for instance one would not care what different one thinks or says & then will say they dont take lifestyles significantly, as one other person might care what other one thinks.Says and can say i take life critically to the extent where they're involved of what others say and do, one could drink, do drugs and say they dont take lifestyles seriously at the same time yet another character will not do that and say they take existence significantly, it all is dependent upon how u see it and from what angle & to what matters, it will drag on for a long time but as i stated in easy phrases there cud be many examples, persons who dont take life as a entire significantly have either been brought up in a difficault instances, both they're insecure, poor, vulnerable minded, but if they believe like this then eventually it is going to hit them, they will understand how beneficial lifestyles can also be, there are people in the market wiht no palms, legs, acquired illinesses, struggly to get food on the table, battle to get safe haven, some youngsters dont have father and mother or any individual to protect them from no fault of their possess, whereas some men and women who sya they dont take existence seriouslt is either cuz they are spolit, egocentric, not ever visible hassle, have a quit mentallity, however for some ppl simply been by way of a such a difficult experience they dont care about existence or take it seriously, however we decide upon to do the thngs we do, we pick to consider what we do, some as i stated are just susceptible minded, some folks more unfortuenet then us are taking life severely wheres some folks who're and if a challenge arises for them they say we dont take existence critically cuz they consider they'll under no circumstances wrestle, by no means be in difficulty etc, however existence is how you're making it, what goes around ultimately comes round.

Answer 6

Not quite. Not taking life too seriously means not getting bent out of shape over the little everyday problems that all of us experience. It means realizing there are many things we have absolutely no control over, so instead of feeling overwhelmed and helpless, you simply go with the flow; deal with a situation as it occurs. Making do with what you've got and not complaining about what you don't have.
Its a much easier way to live and a heck of a lot less stressful than the manner most people exist.

Answer 7

When you take life too seriously you become unhappy. It means that you need to lighten up some. have some personality, enjoy things. Don't take it too seriousely. Sure life is a serious thing, but come on, Why be so serious all the time, you would become boring and no fun to be around. must have some humour and not think about it all, all the time. let loose some. That is what it means.

Answer 8

I imagine that they are saying "dont sweat the small stuff" - dont get so wound up in the minutiae of everyday life that the big picture gets out of focus - but yes - good question! If one does not take LIFE seriously - what should we take seriously? Football results? Whites only omelettes? The latest celebrity tittle-tattle?
No - life is serious but perhaps living can be taken with a little more levity!
And to make you smile : Did you hear about the eleven men and a woman hanging on a rope overhanging a ravine? The only way that anyone was going to survive would be if one of them let go and fell to their death. The female was the first to speak and made a wonderful speach - she said " All my life I have made sacrifices to men, first - my father - I did everything he wanted me to do in life. Then my husband - I waited on him hand and foot all my married life. Then my sons - I gave them everything they could have wanted and more. It is only right that I should keep up this attitude that men have instilled in me" and with the cessation of her moving speach - all the men let go to applaud!!!

Maybe a little smile?

Answer 9

It means trusting that things will work out for you and not bringing everything down around you. Life will kick us around enough without adding needless dramas and pettiness.

If we care about those around us and live a life mindful of our effect on others and try to do our best to ease the journey for everyone around us then that is not taking life very seriously but understanding that everything passes and we can look at things in many different ways. Everything doesn't have to be heavy or negative.

Answer 10

It's a matter of focus.

Probably has a lot to do with the issue of whether fretting and worrying accomplishes anything.

Over in Environment QA people are running around in increasingly smaller circles being hysterical about global warming, for instance.

However, if global warming is happening, and if it's man-made, it's working more slowly than it needs to in order to have much bearing on their lives.

They'll grow old and die, or something will kill them, disease, accidents, suicides, concentration camps, something.

During that final moment before the lights go out, they'll be able to ask themselves whether the priorities they set for themselves had anything much to do with their lives.

Whether their energies, directed in various directions while they were walking around the earth surface involved anything worth taking seriously, measured in hindsight.

Answer 11

Not fearing life! Being able to take a risk here and there and stop and enjoy the pleasantries that life has to offer! x Or if your NOT taking life seriously, too much play and no work! x

I guess you percieve life in whichever way you wish to. As long as your happy and your not making others unhappy, then its nobodies business but you!

take care!