Welp, here comes my first actual post in 3 weeks. It’s my first post in 3 weeks partly because I’ve been doing other stuff and having good times instead of getting into science and stuff. I had finals and then I had 2 weeks of relaxing and trying not to think very hard. Also, though, its my first post in 3 weeks because it’s hard for me to write stuff like this. It’s far too easy for me to over-think things and start to hate it so much that I don’t write it. So I have to force all of the ideas out without refining them a lot. Hopefully I’ll get over this with some practice but for now what you get is rough, unrefined thoughts, so they probably aren’t too great but there you go. And I know I’ll forget a lot of stuff I wanted to say.
A lot of people ask about what the “meaning of life” is. It’s the most played out question on earth, and a favorite question for angsty teens to answer with “nothing.” While I do agree that the answer to this question is technically “nothing”- I believe life sprung up mostly by coincidence- I hardly think that answer does the question any justice. While we may be here for no reason, that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to do. It’s just that we’re on our own to figure out what the meaning of each of our lives is. But really, the only truly meaningful thing to do with your life is to create.
Everyone creates plenty of stuff in their lifetimes- words, waste, meals, etc. Everything created can be an art, and everything produced is created. Ideas, stories, food, machines, sculptures, lectures, inspiration, music, movies, pictures, tools, furniture, equipment, anything you consume has to have been produced, and anything can be produced in such a way as to make it “art,” where effort has been put into it to make it as good as can be. However, there are several levels of “creation” that a person can commit. For the purpose of this let’s just say there are Hobbies, Passions, Jobs, and Careers. Each of those words has a distinct dictionary definition that isn’t exactly what I mean by them but don’t worry about it. What I mean by a Hobby is something that you create for fun, only it’s not exactly original content you’re creating. You’re still creating things, just you’re regurgitating things other people have created in the past. For example, I enjoy playing cello. I’ve never created my own musical piece with it, but I still enjoy it and I’m still producing music with it. Only, I could listen to that same music on my iTunes. Listening to that music on my iTunes, though, doesn’t give me that feeling of pride in myself for having made some beautiful sounds. While I’m proud of myself for regurgitating those sounds, though, no one is going to remember me for playing exactly what someone else made unless I do it exceptionally well and with a personal addition or twist. Which brings us to a Passion. With a Passion, you are creating things unlike any other. Though it may be similar, someone who sees it (and who is familiar with you) will know that you made it. You may even be remembered by it after you are gone. It may even just be a personal portrayal of something someone else created. Everyone has heard of Yo-yo Ma, despite his mainly playing pieces written by other people ages ago. We know him, though, because he is not just regurgitating what they did, but giving it new life and new sound. One may even be creating things entirely new, inventing new machines or writing new music or drawing new art or telling new stories. A Passion may well come from a Hobby, as regurgitation of past people’s original creations is an important way to develop the skills related to that creation. Skills necessary to create through a Passion. Then there are Jobs. A Job is mostly like a Hobby, only with fun replaced by money. Someone tells you to do something or create something according to exact blueprints and you do it. Then you get paid. Then, though you can use that money to fuel your Hobbies and/or Passions. A Career, though, combines a Passion and a Job, allowing you to truly create, and be paid for it. Often times, you’ll enjoy the process too. Being paid to do what you love can be dangerous, though, as per certain psychological effects described here, by David McRaney http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/12/14/the-overjustification-effect/ (basically, don’t mix up payment and happiness).
Hobbies are a great way to find happiness. The feeling of pride one gets from creating something just as another great person did is wonderful. However, I believe that true happiness can only come from a Passion. From creating something unlike any other thing- something that outlives you, keeping some part of you alive. From being the great person that people in the future emulate to bring themselves some pride. Even if you aren’t good enough to be at that level, why not try? (and it doesn’t hurt to get paid for doing it too!)
