The need for distraction

Discuss any topics related to metaphysics (the philosophical study of the principles of reality) or epistemology (the philosophical study of knowledge) in this forum.
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Facedthereality
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The need for distraction

Post by Facedthereality »

There has been many moments during my studies in which I questioned the very foundations of my life. Whether my life had any meaning, purpose, or value – this being the definition of an existential crisis. Hypothetically, there is a high chance that we are simply here due to: random circumstances, that there is no god, and that our consciousness is merely an emergent system of a collaborating sensory system which, in turn, is an emergent system of a genetic code’s persistent desire to multiply. We may simply be witnesses of a grand satire in which we are meek puppets. A horrifying thought to be considered in such a "Humeanistic" way. But, in the grand scheme of things, that is only a small taste of what many great minds hypothesize about our existence.

This pursuit of knowledge has lead my mind to continuously bombard myself with anxious thoughts and feelings. The feeling that I must figure something out, I must find my purpose – yet these feelings and thoughts hardly ever give me a clear direction to explore. These feelings (better yet, emotions) remind me of an infant trying to tell his or her’s mother what he or she wants, however unable to give any concrete guidance and succumbing to the reliance of purely crude gestures such as crying and temper tantrums. With that being said, it is easy to comprehend that understanding and deciphering your emotions takes considerable patience.

There are times when one feels fed up, possibly resorting to substance abuse or any other form of running away from their emotions. This “compulsion” to be distracted from our lack of true meaning or purpose leads me to believe that these distractions are a necessity. An addiction of sorts. Addicted to being distracted from the mundane, and even to be distracted from life itself. I find myself quite empathetic towards the addicts who cannot escape their urge to be distracted from their reality, and who lack the ability to understand the concept of mindfulness. They are slaves to their emotional dictatorship and its recidivistic tendencies.

Even with the understanding that mindfulness brings, the conflict within oneself feels nothing less than turmoil. A war within ourselves. It is a sad war, yet one need not be a victim of self-melancholy. For although this particular war is a fierce one in which you will lose many battles, you must not lose your grip on the simplicity of hope. In hindsight, the more you practice mindfulness and the more you fight the “good fight” leads to you developing and learning about your inner self. One learns to properly maneuver himself/herself. Each time you fall, it becomes increasingly easier to pick yourself back up. Mirroring this, each time you fall, it too becomes harder to be knocked down. You will begin to see the benefits of this addiction to distraction. You will begin to use this addiction to your advantage. Now, your emotions which were once a burden will become one of your greatest allies – an ally prepared to lead you to many victories in the external world. This new ally will use the same ferocity it once used to chain you down to now promote your health and wellbeing. You and your emotions will become one and the same, merging into the epitome of who you are. Soon, you become the wielder of a powerful weapon that is crucial to your success and to your very survival. Take fond care of it, for it is an essential tool needed to create your own sense of honest purpose.
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SubatomicAl1en
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Re: There are times when one feels fed up, possibly resorting to substance abuse or any other form of running away from

Post by SubatomicAl1en »

I've had a similar experience. The feeling that there is no hope and purpose, and I just got mad at everything, then I realized I'm not mad at myself, I'm just mad at my feelings, so I decided why not just not feel? To numb myself from all these feelings. This just made it worse.
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