Do you think people are offended by being told that they have wasted their lives?

Question

For example, many people in the former Soviet Union were brought up believing that Communism was the best answer. They devoted their lives to it.

When the inevitable crept in (a failed economy, innate corruption) they were suddenly forced to realize that all that they believed in was false.

Do you think so many had such a hard time with this because they did not want to admit to having wasted their lives?

Were they offended that others were telling them this?

Can you relate this question to anything else that may be slowly be happening today?

Is there any kind way to tell people that all they have lived for their whole lives is false?

Thanks for your thoughts, in advance.

Wonderful and Fearfuly made! -
Let's hope that many believers see things your way.

Michael: no, that wasn't really what I meant.

(PS - Seek help)

Answer 1

Ah, such a good point. Maybe we should keep this in mind when speaking with our Christian friends. Its not just a fear of the doubtful fires of hell, but that of having been fools, that may hold them back from seeing reason.

Could it be that gentler words might be more persuasive?

Answer 2

I think they probably did have a hard time because they didn't want to admit that they'd LOST so much of their lives to a false doctrine. I wouldn't call it wasted. After all, it was the only reality they were exposed to, which was not their fault (or even their choice), and I imagine it would be hard to look at your life and realize a false doctrine and false teaching stole so many years from you.

I also think they would be extremely offended that others were telling them this. Wouldn't you be? After all, they knew, on their own, that their belief system was proving false, they didn't need anyone to point it out to them. And those that were pointing it out to them were likely not doing so out of kindness.

I can relate this question to other things that may be slowly happening today, but I won't. I don't think there is a kind way to tell people that they have lived their whole lives under false beliefs. They must reach that conclusion on their own. It is the only way they will come to peace with it without feeling as it if the "awakening" was forced on them, and the more something people aren't ready to accept is pushed on them, the longer they will resist accepting it. Better to encourage people to question, rather than insist that they do.

)O(

Answer 3

I'm sure people could be offended by that. But I'm sure, those who are offended that you'd say it probably don't think they were wrong and definitely would not think that it had wasted their whole lives. I'm sure there was more to their lives than Communism in the first place. So it would be a bit like telling someone who smoked for years and then quit that they had wasted their whole lives, chances are they would laugh you out the door.

At a guess you question is trying to bash Christianity, as that seems to be the flavor of the day, in which case I'm sure both sides would say that each is wasting their lives. However, if your question is for a paper or something more interesting, then have you heard of the artists in - I want to say China, who make a sphere out of an elephant tusk, and then carve it so that it ends up a number of spheres inside each other (but all from a single piece of tusk - i.e. the spheres are carved from the outside, not put inside each other like Russian dolls). Well once they are done, they chop their fingers off, so that they can never do another, as they feel what they have done is perfection. Did they waste their lives?

Answer 4

If what you're getting at is, people in the US have lived the last 7-8 years brought up believing that George W Bush was telling the truth and that he and he only had the best answer for the direction America should go, devoting their energy to him and his vision of a new American Century, and when the inevitable crept in thru scandal, corruption, lies, manipulation, propaganda and failure, the people were forced to realize all that they believed was false, they could not bear to admit that everything they believed in was false....if that's what you're getting at, then all I can say is, Yes, better late than never.

Answer 5

Great Question.

Yes there are still people in Russia that want to go back to communism. They still have faith in Marxism and the belief that mankind is inherently evil.

Religion teaches the same thing that is why the results of Religion and Marxism are so closely related. They both indoctrinate people with the belief that mankind is evil and must be controlled, either by government or god.

I look back at my time as a Christian, and I know that I didn't even realize that my beliefs were actually very negative towards mankind. I wasted allot of my time and other peoples time trying to convince them of the 'truth' of my flavor of God.

Now I wish I had that time back, but am glad to have the rest of my life to live. People do get offended and lash out at being told they have lived a lie and wasted their lives. Some to the point of not ever being able to pragmatically look at the world around them.

Answer 6

Is it a waste to do good? Is is a waste to do what is right? Harvard and Yale, Princeton all were started to spread the Good news of Jesus Christ. Was that, or is that a waste? Because of faith, millions have been feed, clothed, educated, loved. I may be taking a gamble here, but I dare say, that there are far less people on their deathbeds saying, 'darn I really wished I had spent more time in the lab, or office or, what ever' than you will ever hear saying, 'darn I cant believe all the time I wasted in church' One thing is for sure. If our faith be false, If our God be nothing more than our 'wish-full thinking' we have lost nothing that was worth having in the first place. but if we are correct, then many will have 'gained the whole world' but lost everything in the process.

Answer 7

Who's to say communists wasted their lives? Communism wasn't an end to strive for: it was a way of life. If it provided for their families for 30-40 years or more, than it did okay by them. If the U.S. economy fails in 30-40 years, does it mean you're wasting your life right now? Considering where we are headed with deficits and debt, this is not an unlikely occurance.

Answer 8

Wow, there are a lot of intelligent answers here. Very surprising. I even gave a couple of thumbs up to obvious believers. A rare day, indeed.

Oh, this is fun.
It's too bad though, that most the people this question is addressed to are too thick-headed to understand it.

I wasted most of my life being a hateful, right wing, Christian conservative. It was actually very freeing too realize that I had spent twenty some years wasting my time. I could have been my WHOLE life. Twenty odd years isn't too bad considering.

Answer 9

I felt down right betrayed and very upset for a while after I realized I had lived many years of my life in a lie. The only thing that helped was knowing it wasn't the people who loved me at fault. They thought (still think) they were doing the right thing. I just don't think it's healthy to dwell on the time wasted. We have to get on with life. It doesn't wait for anyone.

Answer 10

Sorry to inform you that the population of post Stalinist Russia, including all soviet block nations were subjugated and indoctrinated using the threat of death or severe punishment...no one was allowed to disagree with the government establishment without risking torture and death...no one suffers at the hands of a tyrannical empire for long before waking up to the fact that they are slaves for those who have inserted themselves into a position of power...a subjugated population of peasants cannot overcome the power of a militarized state with a huge indoctrinated army...

People know how their lives are spent...except for the comatose...some allow themselves to be subjugated out of fear...others choose to be subjugated because they believe in the establishment...and some choose to believe a better existence can be earned by struggling through hardship, ridicule and persecution...

Take your pick...it's a free world...unless you're living in a Communist or Muslim nation...