Wasting your life (1 Viewer)

[Hunter P]

A radio ad set me off today while driving to work. It basically echoed a lot of sentiments people like to champion as if it is fact.

The ad was from a medical group basically saying get off your couch and stop wasting your life away in front of the TV. Bike, run, walk the dog, read, and whatever else we all commonly refer to as "living life to the fullest."

I hate when people say one activity is "wasting your life away" and another is "living life to the fullest." There is no right way and no wrong way to live life. If someone wants to spend all their free time on earth watching TV then more power to them. Someone watching Desperate Housewives is no better and no worse than someone watching an opera. Playing a video game for an hour is equal to running for an hour in terms of how you spend your time here on Earth.

To be clear, I know that of course running can make one live longer and healthier. I am saying that running will not make one's life more fulfilling. Those are two separate reasons to run.

I further assert that working for a living is "wasting your life away" if there ever was such a thing. I don't think there are many of us who would choose to spend 40 hours a week (plus commute) working just so you can pay taxes and make someone else rich. I am sure we can find something more enjoyable to do with our time if we had the means (i.e. money really can buy happiness.)

 

[Bryan X]

Quit wasting your life away posting on this forum and go out and do something worthwhile like running.

 

[Scott L]

You'll never know 'til you try. [/url]

 

[BrianW]

My nose is running, so fulfillment in life is partially mine.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Reminds me of that saying, about how if you're on a restricted healthy macrobiotic diet (or something similar), you might or might not live longer, but it'll certainly feel like you did...

 

[JonZ]

"I further assert that working for a living is "wasting your life away""

I absolutely believe this. Working for a corporation has really made me see this. Nothing we do here matters and nothing is ever accomplished. These people bullshit for a living.It disgusts me to be here and every morning it takes a maximum effort on my part to come in. If I didnt have house payments,I doubt Id still be here.

A job is just a job, its not ur life. If you want to have a job that means something,do something that means something to you.

If you love painting, then paint for a living(youll starve though),if you love cars, then be a mechanic, etc.

Ive become someone I always swore I wouldnt - someone who goes to a job he hates and basically lives to pay bills(not materialistic bills - house, car,utilities,etc - DVDs are my one indulgence and I dont buy many nowadays)

 

[Matt^Brown]

I agree Hunter. My son is seven and really enjoys playing video games. He is in good shape, takes karate, and plays outside all the time. However it drives my in-laws crazy when they come over and see him sitting in front of the tv for 2 hours playing video games. They will make comments to my wife and I that he should be doing more important stuff. I think this is stupid and tell them this all the time. I could understand their point if he was out of shape and needed the exercise but he doesn't. In their mind his activity is "wasting his life" and we just need to put a stop to it. I on the other hand have opted to become part of it and sit and play games with him. As you can guess this makes them real happy with me.

 

[Ron C]

As you said, "wasting your life" is a perspective. What do you want to get out of life? If you want to have fun and enjoy what you do, do it (as long as it doesn't infringe on others or break any laws). There is nothing "wrong" with watching TV or playing video games per se. It's not exactly the most constructive thing in the world to do, but there are a million things worse. The only problem I would have is if you are neglecting your duty to society. If you are on welfare and are justing sitting in front of the TV all day, then I have a problem with that; you are wasting our tax money. If you have a job and pay taxes, then do as you wish.

 

[Hunter P]

One layer of my peeve is when people compare activities that are equal in regards to physical exertion, yet one is considered "better" than the other.

I suppose I get annoyed when someone looks down at me because I might want to spend my entire Sunday watching 3 NFL games, plus Sportscenter. When asked what would be a better use of my time, that someone might suggest talking:rolleyes, reading, going to see a movie, going shopping, or doing chores. To me they are all equal wastes of time.

But some people just can't stand me using my free time to watch TV or play a video game.

 

[Marc_Sulinski]

I never got why watching TV, movies or playing video games is considered wasting time, while reading a book is supposedly a great thing. Some movies, TV, and video games especially can engage the imagination as much as a book.

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

If I didn't work for a living, I would be denied a great many life experiences. Traveling costs money. Hobbies cost money. Raising children costs money. Getting an education costs money. Yes, I would have a lot more time if I wasn't sitting at this desk 8 hours a day, but overall if I didn't work my life would be a lot less rich. Ask anyone who worries about where they're going to spend the night or where they're gonna get their next meal how rich their life is.

 

[Steve Kuester]

This thread reminds me of something I heard at a seminar once. The speaker asked, when you get up in the morning, do you say 'I have to go to work today' or do you say 'I get to go to work today.' I've got to think at least 90% of the population feels they have to go to work.

Me? I've always been a 'have' to go to work guy, but I decided to go back to school (electronics) to try to become a 'get' to go to work guy. Hopefully it works out.

 

[Nathan A]

This is true; however, I think that most people compromise with their jobs. Take JonZ, for instance. He’s certainly not alone with hating his job. How many people have actually been fortunate enough to obtain jobs that they find fulfilling? Not enough, I’m sure. Money allows access to trips, etc., but at what cost? How many business majors are in college today? How many of these people truly enjoy business (vs. those who didn’t know what they want to do and picked business as a safe default)? I wish people would try harder to obtain careers that they can enjoy. Then, at the end of the day, they won’t have half a day’s (plus countless year’s) worth of built up stress to unleash. In the end, they’ll feel much better, their families will feel much better, and virtually anyone they come in contact with will feel much better.

 

[Colton]

My goal is to build my dedicated dream home theater and retire to enjoy it until the day I die.

- Colton

 

[Garrett Lundy]

I can say this, Nothing I've ever done springs to mind as something "worth having spent my life on", that I wouldn't rather have been doing something else more.

Except that time I did 2 chicks at once. Life = not wasted.

 

[Adam Bluhm]

I saw Glenn Beck's new show "Glenn Beck on Ice." I thought it was going to be all political but to my surprise he mostly touched on personal and family issues. He talked about raising children and overcoming one's shortcomings. I thought he had an excellent point.

If you're child spends hours each day playing video games afer school, what kind of memories is he creating? Nothing! He's staring at a screen all night and creating no memeries other than getting to a new high level in a video game.

I'm a video game fan as well as others, but when I have kids I wonder if I'll have video game consoles or even cable/satellite tv. What Glenn said made total sense. I want my children to grow up with strong minds and high goals and bissful memories. I don't want them strolling into their Sr. year in high school being the county's best Halo 5 player. That's just not gratifying.

Anyway, that's me.

 

[Hunter P]

But how many of us wax poetic when someone mentions the name Coleco or Atari? Good times, good times.

Memories are created for sure. Some would equate those memories to nothing. I would say that those memories validate your participation of pop culture.

When I watch VH1's I Love the 70's, 80's and 90's shows, I love to recall how I did that or saw that or did that fad or wore those jeans.

 

[Drew Bethel]

I honestly don't see how folks could sit around all day on Sunday watching football/sports. Then they come to work on Monday spewing sports stats out of their arses feeling proud of themselves - like they actually did something other than warming a couch. To each his own but I'd prefer to play the sports I like rather than watch other people play it.

 

[Todd Hochard]

It seems a bit odd to be criticizing sports watching or videogame playing on a website dedicated to home theater, doesn't it?

 

[Grant B]

If you enjoying doing it; it's not a waste.
Life is too short not to.

I stayed with my Great Aunts much of my childhood.
One line I remember as a kid was them saying," Enjoy life now, someday you'll be working and you'll do that till you are old or dead".
I am glad I listened to them