Yeah, we all experience that temptation sometimes. I think of the temptation as a sinking feeling. Sometimes it wants to swallow me. It's there, waiting, i just dont't let it sink me, though i know it could. I have been swallowed a few times, but the road goes ever on and we can't remain stuck.
Forgive my romantic thought, but ends are sometimes meaningless, its the journey that means something. Even struggle.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
*what do i live for? The pursuit of happiness, fulfillment, freedom, and ultimately Love --there are many reasons and they vary based on my mood, where I am in life, what my prospects are.
Well said. I think it's true that everyone experiences this "sinking feeling", how often and the extremity of that feeling is just a matter of many different factors.
I actually worked with supporting people going through suicidal thoughts at one point and the analogy was like this. Imagine suicide is like a door. Some people don't even see the door. Some people know the door is there but would never go through it. Others have actively thought about it and are standing nearer to the door than others and others are actively trying to walk through the door.
For me, I never tried to walk through the door but the thoughts I was quite near to it a few times, mainly due to feeling that I was somewhat deficient from everyone else's as my mind would not conform to Islam.
Well, being new here and asking for some very generous help, I probably shouldn't say anything stupid that sound all dark, twisted and emo (and potentially offensive or simply odd)...but I do get slightly annoyed whenever society makes comments that take for granted everyone loves life and wants to live. I know it's supposed to be one of our animal instincts and I'm not suggesting that's what this thread is doing, I'm just relieved to read that people here do acknowledge, as Eliphaz put it, the temptation for non-existence, which probably reflects the reality in most people's lives more accurately but a sentiment that could be very difficult to share in a social situation.
It's true, there is a massive social stigma surrounding suicide, in my opinion largely fostered by religious dogma. It was not so long ago that it was a punishable crime to attempt suicide (this is when the term
"committing" suicide was used, implying that you were somehow committing a crime!). I believe there is a misconception amongst people that to talk about suicide will somehow "plant" the idea of suicide in people's heads, though research has shown the opposite.
If we as a society, particularly as a freethinkers can talk more openly about suicide it would create a far healthier world. When you live Islam it can create a vacuum where the "to worship God" bit used to be, and some people are better than others at filling that vacuum.
Topic: What do you guys live for?