Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 There is no progress in being content. I accept myself, I accept my need to be better at everything. But do progress necessarily equal improvement? Will your life be better if you're better at everything? Won't you then just set even higher goals for yourself that are even harder to reach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I have an ideal self that I have no hope of achieving. I live with it. =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 But do progress necessarily equal improvement? Will your life be better if you're better at everything? Won't you then just set even higher goals for yourself that are even harder to reach? I only see progress in terms of improvement, so yes. The point is that I do set myself higher goals. In this respect I will never be happy but if I wasn't striving for this I'd be miserable knowing that I was being the best I could be. That I had reached the end all. Where do you go from there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I only see progress in terms of improvement, so yes. The point is that I do set myself higher goals. In this respect I will never be happy but if I wasn't striving for this I'd be miserable knowing that I was being the best I could be. That I had reached the end all. Where do you go from there? But why do you seek happiness in skill? When I'm talking about improvement, I'm talking about the life quality. You won't be happy because you know you can be better, yet you would not be happy knowing you couldn't be better, either. Thus, happiness for you can't be acquired through skill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 But why do you seek happiness in skill? When I'm talking about improvement, I'm talking about the life quality. You won't be happy because you know you can be better, yet you would not be happy knowing you couldn't be better, either. Thus, happiness for you can't be acquired through skill. I'm happy because I know I am good at thing, and that I do these things well. I am also happy at the thought that I can learn, and become good, at other skills. I find happiness in skill because it allows me to have more options in life. I am made happy by reading books. If I could not read those books they would not make me happy. If I increase my understanding, my ability to read, then I can read more and increasingly complex books. The happiness I acquire through skill is only indirect. In actual fact it is only a means to an end. In this way, I can, and do, achieve happiness through my ability and thus my quality of life improves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 "If you stop striving for perfection you may as well be dead." I can't really say I have any rivalrys. Had sibling rivalrys but that died out when I disowned by elder sibling (and I get on fine with my younger one now). Well actually I suppose me and my housemate judge our uni progress on how much the other is done. Like this weekend I've been away so not done any dissertation work so I shall wish to catch up with her, but its nothing serious and has beneficial qualities. Just wanted to throw in a Nip/Tuck quote really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 I'm happy because I know I am good at thing, and that I do these things well. I am also happy at the thought that I can learn, and become good, at other skills. I find happiness in skill because it allows me to have more options in life. I am made happy by reading books. If I could not read those books they would not make me happy. If I increase my understanding, my ability to read, then I can read more and increasingly complex books. The happiness I acquire through skill is only indirect. In actual fact it is only a means to an end. In this way, I can, and do, achieve happiness through my ability and thus my quality of life improves. But then you CAN be happy without being perfect. You made it sound you were never happy with yourself because you knew you could be better. "If you stop striving for perfection you may as well be dead." I can't really say I have any rivalrys. Had sibling rivalrys but that died out when I disowned by elder sibling (and I get on fine with my younger one now). Well actually I suppose me and my housemate judge our uni progress on how much the other is done. Like this weekend I've been away so not done any dissertation work so I shall wish to catch up with her, but its nothing serious and has beneficial qualities. Just wanted to throw in a Nip/Tuck quote really. Hm, I don't think I agree with that quote. Reasons as explained above. You should always keep striving to improve, but not at the price of being unhappy and uncontent with yourself. It may seem like a paradox, but you gotta keep a balance, hard as it may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 But then you CAN be happy without being perfect. You made it sound you were never happy with yourself because you knew you could be better. Hm, I don't think I agree with that quote. Reasons as explained above. You should always keep striving to improve, but not at the price of being unhappy and uncontent with yourself. It may seem like a paradox, but you gotta keep a balance, hard as it may be. The quote (particularly in the context) is a bit moot, but it just sprung to mind and like verbal vomit it came spewing out. I think you can be happy but still strive for more. Would being happy but staying as you are ensure you remain happy, or would you not just end up many years later in a state of arrested development? Striving for more is part of the human condition. I am happy with my grades, but I'd like them to be better so I put more effort in. If I were to rest on my laurels it would all seem a bit useless and bland (plus it could be argued they would gradually slip as I wouldn't be trying to do anything more). [weird unthought through yammering plus I seem to be talking about improving whereas everyone else is talking about perfection so maybe I should shush] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 But then you CAN be happy without being perfect. You made it sound you were never happy with yourself because you knew you could be better. In that respect I am never happy with myself but I'm not so narrow minded as to take that in isolation. The consequence of that dialectic is generally what makes me happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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