Money, mind, health, family, friends, happiness

[RootofGood]

Did I miss anything that's really important in life?

I started looking closely at what I focus on in life and boiled it down to these six things.

[smalllife]

I separate mind and relaxation/quiet time.  To me, mind is keeping myself intellectually engaged in something.  Relaxation/quiet time is giving myself enough time to debug after a long day at work or too many social/family engagements that drain my energy.   I suppose relaxation could go under health as well . . . .

I would reorder as follows:

Relationships, money, health, mind, happiness, balance.

[jdoolin]

Hmmm... I'm going to do some algebraic simplification here.

Since (money = freedom) and (family + friends = relationships):

freedom + mind + health + relationships = happiness

[RootofGood]

I didn't list these six things in any particular order. 

I see the family+friends=relationships simplification, but left them separate since I mentally keep family and friends in 2 different compartments.  The former you're assigned by the lottery of life, the latter you choose.  This applies to your parents as well as your children (which you generally get to choose to have, but not who they are). 

Ultimately it all reduces to happiness (or perhaps "contentment") but I didn't want to oversimplify it to say "happiness is it".

[StetsTerhune]

Purpose.

However you want to define that for yourself (which may heavily involve any/all/only your 6 things).

[lifejoy]

Definitely add "purpose" to the list! :)

[CommonCents]

Hmmm... I'm going to do some algebraic simplification here.

Since (money = freedom) and (family + friends = relationships):

freedom + mind + health + relationships = happiness

+1.  I thought about the fact that they all add up for happiness too, and I agree that the reason the family/friends are key is because of the relationships you've built.  You probably don't care so much about spending time with a parent that abandoned you at age 3, but you sure do want to spend time with the one that has sacrificed for you all your life.  To me, the "choosing" versus not is an artificial distinction, but to each their own.

Also like purpose.
relationships + mind + health + freedom + purpose = happiness

[RootofGood]

I think I'm struggling with purpose.  Can someone give me an idea of how they define "purpose" that falls outside the money, mind, health, family, friends, and  happiness categories? 

I listed those six things because they are concepts that are concrete enough to provide focus for my efforts.  Purpose seems too elusive as a concrete concept but good in the abstract. 

[Hamster]

I think I'm struggling with purpose.  Can someone give me an idea of how they define "purpose" that falls outside the money, mind, health, family, friends, and  happiness categories? 

I listed those six things because they are concepts that are concrete enough to provide focus for my efforts.  Purpose seems too elusive as a concrete concept but good in the abstract.

Purpose (my definition) = a greater meaning to your existence than the transitory.

Most of the items in your title can be lost. Does that mean your presence on this planet had no meaning?

Purpose for me is the hope that I can live my life in a way that the world will be a better place for my having been here. (maybe arrogant?). Broadly speaking, you could think of purpose in a spiritual sense, or in the sense of contributing to something that is greater than you and will outlast you. As someone who works with children, I look at purpose as reframing your worldview so that you aren't looking at things from the eyes of a toddler/teenager (who are by nature very centered on self), but instead seeing yourself as a part of a larger whole to which you contribute.

A sense of purpose also seems to be correlated with longevity. (Don't get too lost in the Blue Zones website... I think they've combined some interesting background with some sort of annoying marketing fluff). 

[RootofGood]

Purpose for me is the hope that I can live my life in a way that the world will be a better place for my having been here. (maybe arrogant?). Broadly speaking, you could think of purpose in a spiritual sense, or in the sense of contributing to something that is greater than you and will outlast you. As someone who works with children, I look at purpose as reframing your worldview so that you aren't looking at things from the eyes of a toddler/teenager (who are by nature very centered on self), but instead seeing yourself as a part of a larger whole to which you contribute.

Guess I'm just feeling a little existentially nihilistic right now.  :)

[Hamster]

Purpose for me is the hope that I can live my life in a way that the world will be a better place for my having been here. (maybe arrogant?). Broadly speaking, you could think of purpose in a spiritual sense, or in the sense of contributing to something that is greater than you and will outlast you. As someone who works with children, I look at purpose as reframing your worldview so that you aren't looking at things from the eyes of a toddler/teenager (who are by nature very centered on self), but instead seeing yourself as a part of a larger whole to which you contribute.

Guess I'm just feeling a little existentially nihilistic right now.  :)

Sounds like a rough way to spend a very long retirement ;-).

I'd suggest watching "The Jerk" with Steve Martin - I'm not calling names. If you haven't seen it, the main character has a great scene where he discovers his "Special Purpose". Very funny

[Baylor3217]

God?

[smalllife]

God?

If you believe in one ...

[RootofGood]

I'd suggest watching "The Jerk" with Steve Martin - I'm not calling names. If you haven't seen it, the main character has a great scene where he discovers his "Special Purpose". Very funny

I'd put that "Special Purpose" in the happiness and health categories ;) 

[pac_NW]

Provocative question.  Over my years, I have centered on mental, physical, family, social, spiritual, and the financial spheres of life.  I write about being on balance - striving for this as I semi-retire at http://www.takenextsteps.com/.  Because work has been such a big part of my life, it's been important for me to work on balance, and these categories made the most sense to me.  Interestingly, I found that as my financial sphere became healthier and healthier, new possibilities for balance were much more attainable.  It's not been about money first; yet because money is such a big part of life, you have to think about how optimizing it can open up whole new paths.  It's been a great journey so far.

[SunshineGirl]

Personally, I would have to add books to the list.

[RootofGood]

Personally, I would have to add books to the list.

That goes in my "mind" category.  Mental stimulation and mental engagement (books, puzzles, writing, research, analysis, learning, creative endeavors, etc).  And I suppose in the happiness category, since books also bring about happiness.  I just finished reading a classic for an hour by the fire - perfect Christmas activity.

[RootofGood]

Provocative question.  Over my years, I have centered on mental, physical, family, social, spiritual, and the financial spheres of life.  I write about being on balance - striving for this as I semi-retire at http://www.takenextsteps.com/.  Because work has been such a big part of my life, it's been important for me to work on balance, and these categories made the most sense to me.  Interestingly, I found that as my financial sphere became healthier and healthier, new possibilities for balance were much more attainable.  It's not been about money first; yet because money is such a big part of life, you have to think about how optimizing it can open up whole new paths.  It's been a great journey so far.

Very interesting that you essentially came up with the same categories as I did, with slightly different names for some. 

I see I'm missing a "spiritual" or "purpose" category.  Maybe I get enough of that through the other six things in my list. 

[TorontoDeveloper]

Purpose for me is the hope that I can live my life in a way that the world will be a better place for my having been here. (maybe arrogant?). Broadly speaking, you could think of purpose in a spiritual sense, or in the sense of contributing to something that is greater than you and will outlast you. As someone who works with children, I look at purpose as reframing your worldview so that you aren't looking at things from the eyes of a toddler/teenager (who are by nature very centered on self), but instead seeing yourself as a part of a larger whole to which you contribute.

Guess I'm just feeling a little existentially nihilistic right now.  :)

I'm guessing based on some of your posts that you're non-religious. If you are, and if you're interested in thinking about a purpose or meaning for your life, I'd recommend The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods by Eric Maisel. I found it to be a very thought-provoking and inspiring book.

[RootofGood]

I'm guessing based on some of your posts that you're non-religious. If you are, and if you're interested in thinking about a purpose or meaning for your life, I'd recommend The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods by Eric Maisel. I found it to be a very thought-provoking and inspiring book.

Yeah, you guessed right!  Religion and the lack of it are interesting subjects about which I've read at least a few dozen of books and have a dozen more on my "to read" list. 

I don't feel like I'm missing a purpose or that life is somehow lacking without a grand purpose.  In fact, spending too much time trying to find something that isn't missing could lead to missing out on the things that are in need of my attention right here right now. 

[Janie]

My sense of purpose is not religious in any way, but has more to do with contributing to the common good.

[Capsu78]

Recently was at a business continuity presentation where the presenter touched upon the existance of "God" in a very non judgemental way.  All of us must place "Pascal's Wager"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

We all must place our own bet... but some change their wager if they feel a "grabber" coming on!

[RootofGood]

Recently was at a business continuity presentation where the presenter touched upon the existance of "God" in a very non judgemental way.  All of us must place "Pascal's Wager"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

We all must place our own bet... but some change their wager if they feel a "grabber" coming on!

What a tough wager.  What are the odds that you pick the exact god(s) that will grant you eternal paradise and concurrently elect to worship the same god(s) in the dogmatically appropriate manner?  Quite a challenging risk to hedge against. 

[Capsu78]

For those that place their wager on "I am just a random coincidence within the universe":


"An adult human contains around 100,000,000,000,000 cells, each cell has 46 chromosomes so that would yield 4,600,000,000,000,000 strands of DNA"

The Powerball consists of correctly getting 6 numbers right, and the odds are similar to surviving being attacked by a polar bear in the morning and a grizzly in the afternoon.   That 4,600...  number looks like an awful lot of DNA twists that have to happen in just the right order.

Place Your Bets!

[garg33]

Recently was at a business continuity presentation where the presenter touched upon the existance of "God" in a very non judgemental way.  All of us must place "Pascal's Wager"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

We all must place our own bet... but some change their wager if they feel a "grabber" coming on!

Pascal's Wager is trivially refuted by the inverse scenario. Suppose there is a god that really values logic and loathes irrational blind faith. Then he would be very mad if you believed that he exists, since there's no evidence for that, and you would be punished accordingly for this.

In this case we can make a new version of the chart in the Wikipedia article you linked:

                God exists (G)          God does not exist (¬G)
Belief (B)      -∞ (infinite loss)      −1 (finite loss)
Disbelief (¬B)  +∞ (infinite gain)      +1 (finite gain)

So according to Pascal's Inverse Wager, it is far preferable not to believe in god.

[RootofGood]

"An adult human contains around 100,000,000,000,000 cells, each cell has 46 chromosomes so that would yield 4,600,000,000,000,000 strands of DNA"

Ummm evolution? 

[Lans Holman]

I've definitely found that one of the keys to happiness is not arguing religion with strangers online.

[RootofGood]

I've definitely found that one of the keys to happiness is not arguing religion with strangers online.

 I file internet religious debates under the "mind" category. 

[Capsu78]

I've definitely found that one of the keys to happiness is not arguing religion with strangers online.

And I will only add that "arguing religion" was not my point, as I am officially a non practicing something or another... I was sharing what an interesting presentor mentioned to a very mixed group of professionals on whose background he did not have a clue.  I thought it was more statististical analysis discussion than religion.

Back in college, we used to have professors encouraging these open minded navel gazing discussions... maybe not PC enough anymore. 

RootofGood: +1- that is where I file it too.

[southern granny]

I think you covered most of it, but I think happiness comes from the others.. and I will just share a quote by Albert Camus, “I would rather live my life as if there is a god and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is.”

[Hamster]

I think you covered most of it, but I think happiness comes from the others.. and I will just share a quote by Albert Camus, “I would rather live my life as if there is a god and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is.”

Do you have an original source for this? It seems contrary to Camus, so I searched online. I see it attributed to Camus in some places, and stated that it is a misquote/fabrication in others. I can't find an original source to point to, and given the rest of Camus' work, I suspect that it isn't accurate, but would be happy to be proven wrong.

Camus' philosophy, as written in the Myth of Sisyphus, is rather bleak, and seems to be the opposite of the quote above. Basically, he says to realize the futility and meaninglessness of our situation (that nothing exists beyond what we can perceive with our senses), and either accept it or choose to scorn it. Sisyphus accepted that he was doomed for all eternity to the meaningless task of pushing the boulder back up the mountain, but he did it anyway, scorning death. According to Camus, if you can imagine Sisyphus to be happy, then you too can be happy despite everything being meaningless.

I don't know much more than that. I just read a little Camus when I was a sullen teenager - mostly because his book, The Stranger, was the inspiration for a song by The Cure. I don't share Camus' view of reality - I think I'd go crazy if I did, but there it is. I'm happy to not be in that state as an adult.

[RootofGood]

I think you covered most of it, but I think happiness comes from the others.. and I will just share a quote by Albert Camus, “I would rather live my life as if there is a god and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is.”

So live life as if it's all guesswork?  No thanks! 

I'd rather live an inquisitive life and try to discern truth and reality from fiction, myths and fantasies.  Don't get me wrong - I like fiction, myths and fantasies.  And it would be pretty sweet if some of them were real (like Jack and the Beanstalk).  Short of seeing someone plant some magic beans in the ground and a huge magical beanstalk pop up, I'll remain a skeptic (as to the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale).  I apply similar scrutiny to all other myths.  Just how I roll.