In this video (made by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone), Alan Watts eloquently formalizes the thoughts of many people who are on the cusp of lifestyle design. Most people who take to following the traditional life path ultimately feel misled or utterly disappointed. Life, as Watts suggests, is something more than a hierarchy of rewards culminating in some vaguely defined supreme prize. In fact, it’s not a hierarchy at all. It flows. It’s organic.
What are your views on life? How do you approach it? What advice would you give to others who are unhappy with their situation?
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Hey, I'm JD. Last year, I started Wage Slave Rebel as a resource for those who are dying to escape from conformity and design the lifestyles they dream of! I write about online entrepreneurship, productivity, and lifestyle design.
Wow JD!
Totally awesome video! I absolutely agree with the message
My advice about life? : You have one life, Live it, Love, give, share and enjoy!
I just made a post today with a really really cool inspirational video from Will Smith. I'd recommend having a look at that too
Have a great day!
Diggy
I feel so sorry I have nothing valuable to add – the post and video are just perfect. So I am posting this just to let you know I like it, JD.
Incredible video, will be twitter'd or tweeted or whatever its called.
Just one point, Is it just me or did the audience in the theatre look suspiciously doctored? I am sure the guy on the left look exactly like one of the guys two rows back and one to the left.
You know that's one of my favorites. So much time gets lost trying to go after that "thing". It's really a shame. It's a wonderful thing to see someone wake up or break free from it, though.
Really great video.. I tried to put exactly this into words on my blog yesterday, but failed to do so in as good a way a this video does..
Love it!
My message? Be yourself. Easier said than done. Who else can you be if you can't even be yourself? It's certainly worth a try.
I echo Rasheed's comment. We are all so beautifully unique yet somehow connected; to explore ourselves, to go inward seems like a worthy way to spend a life. Fun too
Hi J.D.
Long time no talk. How have you been?
Brilliant video.
So many people are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel that they fail to notice that the tunnel can be pretty cool in itself. I think we are all dreaming of some future moment when we can be happy. It is important to find the good in the now.
You're right, that is dead on. I am a big fan of the dancing, of choosing how you want to spend all of your life, not just the part that's outside the 9-5 range, and literally of the dancing. I dance just like the guys in the video. Exactly.
I’m always amazed at how our modern civilization has become so counterproductive to creativity, innovation, and general happiness. The modern educational and professional system can at times seem so soulless.
To answer your question directly, “What are your views on life? How do you approach it? What advice would you give to others who are unhappy with their situation?” I would say that it is very much so hard for the modern person to essentially fall into a profession that they absolutely love. There are only so many artists that will make it big, or can survive off of an artist salary. There are only so many people who have the gull to become entrepreneurs. In fact modern society doesn’t teach our children to think outside of the box, creatively problem solve, or break out on their own. Modern education only teaches kids to fill in the appropriate circle, with that #2 pencil, so that the cumulative “points” you earn will equate to a letter representation of your comprehension of how much information you can remember (for a very short period of time at that). It’s all remembering facts. How many times have you studied, studied, studied, only to take a test and walk out the door and forget everything you have learned. This leads to an educational system geared towards “passing the test” and not practical application of skills, or abstract thinking. So long story short; I believe that you are free to go to school, get that job, and chase that corporate ladder. Just don’t be surprised when, just as the video says, you have a midlife crisis and realize you’ve been misguided, are running down rabbit holes all your life, and your unhappy.
I always remember Tyler Durden from Fightclub (the book or movie take your pic): “You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.”
Happiness to me is very much so having a creative outlet outside of my job. Not to say I don’t work long hours and try very hard to be good at my profession. But all of that aside I have creative outlets. Art, writing, and maintaining the Meandering Bohemian blog all allow me to stay sain. Without those outlets I’d probably be pissed about chasing that bag of wealth/happiness my whole life. But I’m not because I have something on the side, that’s mine, and hidden from my job all allowing me to in essence say, “Screw that Man!”…
So in closing; I think it is important that we as people pay our spirits, our souls, and our passions first. Devote serious energy to whatever it is you are interested in before you devote time and energy to chasing that job, car, and yes even those khakis. That shit will never result in making you happy, because they are materialistic, fleeting, and everything is in a constant state of destruction. Material passions won’t last, art and the beauty of the mind is forever!
Stumbled upon your blog this week . . . very cool video. did Trey & Matt show this on SP??
They should show this during freshman orientation @ college
- Accounting Major (undergrad and masters)
Some videos are worth several blog posts. The point of "joy in doing" is obvious but it is not enough to make people want to change and to choose differently today.
If I start marketing the optional way to experience life, how am I different from the marketers and other authorities who choose how people live today? On the other hand it is not too fancy idea either to make people feel bad or even discgust about the way they currently live in hedonic treadmills driven by status. But which of the two choices is worse? And is it really anyones business to alter other's way of living?
On my blog about good life and happiness, I've concentrated in stating the new knowledge of pursuing happiness with my view on how I use it in practise.
I've found joy in doing and I'm sure others will too, if they just step back from all the hurry and concumption and ask what is imposrtant in their life.
My recent post Joutilaisuus on vapaa-aikaa