>If it's so bad, why not just drop it?
A life without goals is eerily close to death.

>>22384
People around the world have been perfectly content with just raising a family for millennia.

>The more complicated and advanced live becomes, the more miserable it becomes in turn.
Correct. Every passing year one is not accomplishing "normie goals" these accumulate, so one increasingly has more to catch up with, according the point of view of society. The goals not achieved are proportional to how normies see you and treat you (i.e. the less goals you completed, the worse you'll get treated).

>It's also been my understanding that the more people seem to know about the world the worse they feel about it, where as those who live in ignorance do so blissfully.
Because existence is pointless and nihilism (or anti-nihilism) is the only true logical personal philosophy. I don't intend to pass as edgy, it's just all you need to do is spend 1 hour reading news (not mainstream) and see how many people are sacrificed for society to keep what they deem "balance of power"; it's impossible not to get disheartened. Add to that the answer to "What's the point of life?" being objectively "None / Life is what you make of it" (i.e. Lives are an outcome of a process, it's arrogant to believe we are here for something "more")... then it's obvious the less you know and think about, the happier you'll be.

>Point is, do you think we'd all be better off and more content with life if we got away from all these social expectations?
Once you reach the aforementioned conclusion and enlightenment, people opt for 3 paths, usually interchangeably:

- Nihilism: Basically fuck everything, I'll do what I want... like become a hikiNEET and leech off until kingdom come.
- Anti-nihilism: If everything is pointless, then what we do out of the kindness of our hearts has infinitely more value.
- Zen: We are nothing but observers; this world started and will end without us, all we can do is look, take in, and enjoy.

The later one is imho the only path that will lead you to happiness once you have accepted the brutal reality of existence. Be kind to others when they are kind to you; extend a helping hand if you can afford it socially / economically / psychologically / time-wise; enjoy the entertainment that you can find anywhere, and take in all that's beautiful of this planet, and ignore all that is putrescent. You'll still have pain in your heart, but you will cherish it so that you are able, with help of perspective, to enjoy all the little things.

Being alive is being in pain.

Post edited on 18th Dec 2016, 2:32am

>>22390
That's a goal. One might even say the only goal. Everything else is for that purpose - You need a good job to provide for the family you inevitably raise because you're a normal person. It's weird when 48 year olds are unattached in this world, without children or spouses.

>>22393
Where does that put the countless people who prioritize work over their family? It's practically the norm these days to disregard family in favor of one's career.

>>22384
A life without goals is a life without anything to worry about. A life in which you have everything you need/want is a content one, but it's impossible to have everything you need/want in an increasingly complex world like this one where there's always new gadgets to buy that you can't afford, more media than anyone can consume in a life time, more to learn about the world than you can't hope to fit in your brain without having a breakdown. Some might say this keeps things interesting, I say it's an unwinnable rat race with a finish line that moves further away from you the faster you run at it.

>>22394
>Where does that put the countless people who prioritize work over their family? It's practically the norm these days to disregard family in favor of one's career.
i'd say it's normal when you're younger.

it's actually a huge sign of responsibility to have a good career and no family when someone is in their early to late 20's.

priorities change as people age though, biological clocks start ticking, to use a vulgar expression.

I feel like to have a good life you have to be an asshole by most peoples standards. Seems like everyone today preaches about the benefits of altruism in one form or another. Yet they never stop to take care of themselves, or even the people closest to them who could give them an actual return on investment. And their rationale for all of this is the good old "that's what you're supposed to do".

I see it time and time again. You'll have the parent that doesn't do shit but sit on their ass. The other is always busy "providing" but for who? They'll do a bit for the family and then go on moving mountains for people they don't know. People they barely talk to. People they don't even like. They'll complain the whole way but keep repeating the same failed pattern thinking it'll be different next time.

Put some of these people in quicksand. They'll spend the whole time arguing over who's fault it was like children and then get angry when someone shouts all of them down and hands them a rope.

Among the worst is when parents ignore their children in favor of violent drug addicts they talked to once in high school. Then when the druggie doesn't pan out they can signal how good and worthy they are. It's "the right thing to do" and "humanitarian" but among the most selfish acts I see people commit. They knew damn well that druggie wasn't gonna pan out. They just wanted to use them to inflate their good boy points. That way they can show the rest of society they're suckers, invite them in, and then take advantage by appearing like a softie.

I can't help but think everyone would be happier if we could quit playing this game of lies where everyone tries to take just one more point from the collective honeypot than everyone else. It's fucked up, misery inducing and society destroying.

Not a refined position but something that's been on my mind recently. Anyone had similar thoughts? Part of it comes from bitterness over my own upbringing but seeing as how we're now completely surrounded by this sort of behavior I can't help but notice it more.

sage for 2deep4u

>>22417
I have always been of the mindset that it is impossible for motives to not be inherently selfish at the core of things. I find it really simple; You do things to feel good, no matter the cost. Period. I find it revolting when people try to claim their `good deeds` come from the whims of their wholesome soul. That's just another way of feeling good; A sense of superiority that their ways are the proper ways, or whatever the fuck. That warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Of course, I myself am guilty of wanting to feel good, because that is the human condition. But I won't deny that it is selfish, because it is. I'm in the act of proving my theory as I type! Disgusting. What a filthy world.

>>22391
It's like you're describing my entire NEET life.

I guess a weird irony is that as humans become more powerful, they also become less free. So many are controlled by the need for "progress" and to stay in line. Even thoughts seem to be clouded by self-deception. There are existential philosophies that believe that we are possible of being authentic though, but I don't think attempting that brings "contentness".

>It's also been my understanding that the more people seem to know about the world the worse they feel about it
>where as those who live in ignorance do so blissfully.
Ah, the way it has been for many thousand years.
'For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.'
I've seen it personally. Not a ignorance that annoys but a innocent ignorance. Makes you lament all that effort wasted into seeking knowledge.

>It stands to reason that someone might feel bad for not having x or y or z if they see other people have it and believe it improves their life or makes them happy...
Dawkins' explains the spreading of these cultural ideas, such as being rich is the meaning to life, as 'memes'. A person gets 'infected' with these memes, it becomes his meaning to life, and then infect others to think the same. The reason being, for the latter, is: if the people around him don't think the same then it calls into question his very reason to exist. This happens without them knowing; the dissolute avoid confronting such issues.
Capitalism benefits greatly from these people.

>>22383
holy crap that image is cute