ER Eddie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2013
- Messages
- 1,788
It sounds like a touch of S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) to me. Part of that depressive mood can be a sense that life feels sort of empty and pointless. So, I'm guessing that once that mood lifts, you'll feel different.
Re. the question of purpose, I disagree with those who are brushing it off as irrelevant, although I don't frame it in terms of "purpose," myself, but instead in terms of meaning. I need to feel my life has meaning or meaningful moments -- even if that only consists in something as simple as enjoying the company of a dog, a piece of music, or a mountain range. Victor Frankl made a whole school of thought out of this idea -- that people have an inherent need for meaning.
Human beings are the only species on earth that thinks about purpose and meaning. That's because they are the only ones that can. I think there is a reason for the capacity to ask that question. And I think there is a reason why human beings have asked this question since the dawn of history.
But philosophy/spirituality aside, even at the psychological or pragmatic level, what you're saying ("nothing I do has purpose") isn't accurate. Getting out of bed in the morning has purpose. Eating breakfast has purpose. I can't think of any behavior that doesn't serve some kind of purpose. Granted, it may not be a higher purpose, saving the world or whatnot, but purpose is a part of everything we do (heck, that's why we do it!).
I get that. It's one of the reasons I hesitate to go full-stop retirement and discontinue working completely. My work provides benefits besides the financial. One of those benefits is a sense of doing something useful and meaningful that engages my mind and skills.
Re. the question of purpose, I disagree with those who are brushing it off as irrelevant, although I don't frame it in terms of "purpose," myself, but instead in terms of meaning. I need to feel my life has meaning or meaningful moments -- even if that only consists in something as simple as enjoying the company of a dog, a piece of music, or a mountain range. Victor Frankl made a whole school of thought out of this idea -- that people have an inherent need for meaning.
Human beings are the only species on earth that thinks about purpose and meaning. That's because they are the only ones that can. I think there is a reason for the capacity to ask that question. And I think there is a reason why human beings have asked this question since the dawn of history.
But philosophy/spirituality aside, even at the psychological or pragmatic level, what you're saying ("nothing I do has purpose") isn't accurate. Getting out of bed in the morning has purpose. Eating breakfast has purpose. I can't think of any behavior that doesn't serve some kind of purpose. Granted, it may not be a higher purpose, saving the world or whatnot, but purpose is a part of everything we do (heck, that's why we do it!).
I am glad everyone else is so well adjusted.
I am comfy admitting that I still struggle with all of this 3 years after quitting the day job. I miss the sense of accomplishment, the (very occasional) recognition, intellectual challenge and the social aspects of my old career.
I get that. It's one of the reasons I hesitate to go full-stop retirement and discontinue working completely. My work provides benefits besides the financial. One of those benefits is a sense of doing something useful and meaningful that engages my mind and skills.
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On the other hand if you are married, taking on this type of a hobby could end you up single!
