What makes a good life?
Recently I have listened to a lecture provided by a psychiatrist Robert Waldinger that took place at the TED Conference. I've watched it on YouTube, of course. In the introduction, he asked a question what keeps us happy and healthy as we go through life. Over 80 percent of young people (millennials) for the question, what is their most important life-goal answered: to get rich. And another 50 percent said that the second most important goal is to become famous. Damn. This has really made me think. Since it is not even possible for ALL OF THEM to be rich and famous. What is going on?
I was also wondering what would make them think this way. What about minor jobs? Are they not good enough? 'Cause not everyone has a talent, right? And it is apparently needed if one wants to be rich and famous. The alternative is to become one of these heart-breaking celebrities, but I don't think it is the case.
Why do we put such a pressure on ourselves? And I ask this myself as well. I have a feeling feel that I am constantly under ineffable pressure. This is not the idea of my parents nor my social environment. It's just me telling myself: "you can do better" or actually, "you HAVE to do better than that". I establish goals and aims that are impossible for me to achieve. And maybe it is the control of social media (again) but it also may be a quality of our generation that tells us to be more ambitious than our parents. I still don't know and probably never will?
What I know, on the other hand, that we, as young people, should master the art of being 'here and now'. This could be the last hope for us before we all go insane about the future. Que sera sera.
I was also wondering what would make them think this way. What about minor jobs? Are they not good enough? 'Cause not everyone has a talent, right? And it is apparently needed if one wants to be rich and famous. The alternative is to become one of these heart-breaking celebrities, but I don't think it is the case.
Why do we put such a pressure on ourselves? And I ask this myself as well. I have a feeling feel that I am constantly under ineffable pressure. This is not the idea of my parents nor my social environment. It's just me telling myself: "you can do better" or actually, "you HAVE to do better than that". I establish goals and aims that are impossible for me to achieve. And maybe it is the control of social media (again) but it also may be a quality of our generation that tells us to be more ambitious than our parents. I still don't know and probably never will?
What I know, on the other hand, that we, as young people, should master the art of being 'here and now'. This could be the last hope for us before we all go insane about the future. Que sera sera.
Probably we should rethink the question and try to answer it again. Maybe then we could think of other life-goals such as I don't know, well mental health, good relations with people, healthy relationships (as Robert Waldinger said) or the balance between work and spare time?
I think the most important thing that we should try to achieve during our lives is to become the best version of ourselves. And it doesn't mean to become the richest nor the most popular. It is about being yourself. I think it's enough.
Aretha Franklin - Day Dreamin'Jennie Lena & Casey Abrams - Place in the sun (live)
Crash & Grazyna Lobaszewska - W Najprostszych Gestach
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