Finding purpose where there is none

its waiting for a blackhole to come and take this depression away.

Gonna be a long wait...

Well, it will be if you make the decision that is suggested here.

I think it is up to you to make the choice to work at it. There are different kinds of depression. Try to see if you can find out what kind you have and what can be the best treatment plan.

Open Eyes

The driving force for human is the desire for prediction, and wanting to live long enough to see if our prediction was correct. Thats why we see value in anything that makes us believe that because of it we can predict more accurately. For example, what is the definition of security, fidelity, royalty, marriage, ... they are all concepts that give you more confidence on you prediction you have for the outcome of the events. Why religion is appealing, cause it convinces you that it gives you a tool to predict the future with more certainty.

The reason you are where you are, lost is because you have got to a point that you could predict the outcome of any events in your life accurately. or at least you are only doing things in life that you could predict the outcome correctly. Why do you thing more people like Yankees than any other team, cause, predicting Yankees wining is more probable, therefore more people are interested in with focusing their prediction on them. Why majority are majority of people are attracted to religion, social systems, or traditional life, cuz it is more predictable.

There is a beautiful saying in english that says "if you don't care where you are, you are never lost" So the reason you feel this way is cuz either due to your personality or the pressure of your surroundings, you feel like that you need to care more, but biologically you are not programmed for that.

As I hear often, people call your state depression. Thats because people need to label thing in order to predict the outcome of it. But what people call depression is not a defect to me, it is a state when your intelligence over powers your body. When intelligence surpasses instincts. Then, eating, sleeping, having sex, or whatever else that satisfies your instinct does not have the priority anymore. Logically, there is not purpose for intellects to live another day. However, you body, driven with instincts has all the reasons to live as long as it can. So life is a constant battle between the two. As long as you body wins the game, you go one, content, satisfied, eager to live. But as soon as you head gets the upper hand, then it creates so many different state of being for you that are self destructive, such as depression, no desire to eat, addiction, ....

So the trick is try to hold back your mind in the chess game it plays with you body. One way to do it is to create doubts for your mind about subjects that you feel you are sure about. That way your mind gives your body some room to play along while it is solving the the question offered by the doubt.

I am struggling with the issue of religion. Everyone around me believes in God yet I feel as though they are depended upon God to solve all their problems in life. There is someone I work with that is so religious that they pray for things instead of actually doing them. I take a more realistic stance in the fact that if it needs to be done than do it. I feel like a total outcast that I am not "religious". That does not make me a bad person though. I feel trapped and pressured to believe in God.

The other day I was sitting at my desk looking for books to makeover my life (organizing the house, financially, everything). A co-worker leans over and says to me "You know, I got a book that will help you solve all that. The Bible." I don't mean to sound like a butt here, but how the heck is the Bible and God going to help me learn how to organize my closet the best?!

Sorry for venting on your post

I had a rather lengthy response to this initially, but quite honestly it's been said before by men and women much more intelligent than myself. If it's failed to change the world, I'm not going to do any better.

In short I'll just say that I see no true reason for religion(s) to exist in this modern age. We've reached a point where we don't need supernatural explanations for the Whys and Hows of the universe, we're slowly coming to terms with our own mortality, and day by day we're becoming accustomed to the idea that one religion isn't necessarily any more probable than another. The free world is growing up in the universe and is starting to find its own answers for the things that had previously confounded us.

I was born and raised into a fundamentalist christian religion, more fanatical than most can imagine. It's a very strong sphere of influence and it wasn't until I was an adult and escaped into the real world that I began to see how blind to the truth I was.

I advise anyone regardless of where you stand on religion to educate yourself. Practice your religions by all means, but learn. Physics, biology, genetics, chemistry, statistics, anything or everything. I love science and mathematics. Eventually you will do one of two things, you will either refine your theology to a more modern equivalent, or you will stop making excuses for your god(s) and begin to see things from a different perspective.

The universe is so much greater and more 'supernatural' than religion would have you believe.

*I love talking about this kind of stuff, unfortunately I don't think admin approves.

Agreed. Well said.

^^^ Thanks for your post and particularly the Jan Glidewell quote!!

I play video games, watch movies, and go about my trivial, pointless life just fine. If you want to witness passion, join the Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses. Those guys on the bikes and ladies knocking on my front door have a lot of passion.

That's a rather facetious take on my meaning. What I am inferring is that people don't really seem to be inspired in meaningful ways; I don't consider religion to be meaningful in any sense. The idea that someone can be content to live a life focused around self-entertainment really kind of bothers me. I think people are so caught up in the distractions that they cease to live meaningful lives. I imagine 50+ years down the road, the grandchildren of my generation will be sitting down with their grandparents to hear about how grandpa reached level 80 in World of Warcraft. Riveting.

YOU CAN't let yourself to suffer so pains, all you have to do is to consult people around you;

I'm finding my purpose by getting involved in politics here in USA. I cannot stand the ignorance nor the cruelty of some of these right wingers. Taking some sort of action helps me feel like I am contributing at least something to the world

Hazel, as much as I disagree with religious mentality, but there is a beauty in it for those who believe in it. It's a cooked and served meal for mind, and they just have to eat it. If you have a problem with that approach, there is nothing wrong with you. You are just the poor soul that has to cook and serve the meal to yourself.

Hi, it may not be any consolation but i feel you i really do. I didn't really feel that connected to life to begin with and now i just feel as though im drifting, neither dead or alive in a way. Apparently chronic emptiness is a symptom of my disorder but it would be nice to actually feel a little bit more sometimes, its like nothing quite gets through. Its like being in a glass box. Anyway don't mean to moan on i just wanted you to feel like your not alone. Sending hugs if ok