Defining yourself seems impossible. Can there be a single thing that defines you? You may have interests or occupations that relate to you, but does that define you as a person? What, then, makes you who you are?
Most days I wonder what living really is. It seems that living is something that just happens but really it happens to you. Can you influence what living is or does everyone experience the same things? It feels like I am dictated by what living throws at me. Normally in a positive or negative response. It also seems that I am in a constant state of looking into the future, but that doesn’t affect me in the future, it affects me now. Then why is it so hard to stay in the present if I feel so bad about the future? It is a state of anxiety, but it remains constant. I am not sure if it is a negative or positive, but it affects me, nonetheless. It is true that I am alone in this, but also true that people fear the future. The uniqueness is my experiences, but my experience is with others. I could have explanations for my future anxiety, but it doesn’t value how it feels. Providing an explanation for feelings doesn’t always change what they do to you. So, my living is what I experienced and what I will experience. It exists solely by me, but also through others. In that sense, my future fearing could be seen as a drive and a fear. Is the fear what drives change? I would say yes, but it is dependent on how much negative affect you can handle. Fear underlies my living, and my affect dictates my change, positive or negative, which feels wrong to have this in a constant state.
The present self is based on past and future experiences/expectations. These experiences are influenced by nature/nurture and present motives. Although the newborn is a blank slate, the experienced adult is not. Is there a moral system that does not contain biases?
It is hard to put into words what life is. Can you define meaning from existence if that existence continues without you? Or is existence individual? If you frame existence as personal, you could value your significance. If existence is plural, existence is not dependent on you. Although, the plurality of existence does not mean the end of your significance, as you will always have an impact. It is unquantifiable to measure significance, but framing existence as individual versus plural highlights the question of which is the most ideal.
…is dependent on context. It is dynamic, with a continual relation to external and internal forces. How then do I behave as an independent person? My thoughts and feelings are not conscious, but afterthoughts. I would like to believe that I am autonomous, but I doubt myself when I think and feel in ways that I do not want.
Change is a personal experience. Everyone changes to some degree over their life, more so in the beginning than in the end.
Is ageism a fear? The fear of getting old? As I understand, ageism is discrimination against a specific age group, typically older people. Thus, I will explore ageism directed toward later adulthood.
Anxiety is a fickle, looming, presence that resides at the back of the mind. Masqueraded by the daily tasks of life. But rears its head at the worst possible times. It underlies a distinction between the conscious and unconscious. But, do these distinctions have any merit?
Most people regard boredom as something to run from. Yet, they should embrace this fear. Being stuck in a situation that you think is boring should raise questions. Why am I bored?
Procrastination is something that everyone experiences. You may put off a task because it’s daunting or hard, but you always end up doing it because you have to. Yet, what about procrastination for something you enjoy?