Comments on: Goals and Values – How You Are Getting What You Want http://www.NothingHasMeaning.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/ Without Point of View Wed, 20 May 2009 05:47:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Mark Stamas http://www.NothingHasMeaning.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Mark Stamas Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:36:56 +0000 http://markstamas.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/#comment-203 See, you are getting what you want. See, you are getting what you want.

]]> By: hazelrah http://www.NothingHasMeaning.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-202 hazelrah Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:30:02 +0000 http://markstamas.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/#comment-202 I think we need to accept personal responsibility for the way our lives turn out, but also understand that it is our job to pursue our goals and do what we can with what we're given. Say I want to create a successful business by the time I'm 35. Say I marry at 30 and my wife dies in a car crash just as my business is taking off on my 35th birthday. Our goals and needs might change when we encounter surprises or we become older and wiser. Rigidity and a tunnel-vision on the finish line have definite value, but they aren't the only tools necessary for a worthwhile existence. I'm not continuing this discussion in order to find more ways to alleviate personal responsibility, I'm trying to make the point that we need life experience to flesh out the abstract ideas we have of what will make us happy. Passion and focus, aided by wisdom. I think we need to accept personal responsibility for the way our lives turn out, but also understand that it is our job to pursue our goals and do what we can with what we’re given.

Say I want to create a successful business by the time I’m 35. Say I marry at 30 and my wife dies in a car crash just as my business is taking off on my 35th birthday. Our goals and needs might change when we encounter surprises or we become older and wiser. Rigidity and a tunnel-vision on the finish line have definite value, but they aren’t the only tools necessary for a worthwhile existence.

I’m not continuing this discussion in order to find more ways to alleviate personal responsibility, I’m trying to make the point that we need life experience to flesh out the abstract ideas we have of what will make us happy. Passion and focus, aided by wisdom.

]]> By: Mark Stamas http://www.NothingHasMeaning.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-201 Mark Stamas Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:45:36 +0000 http://markstamas.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/#comment-201 <p>Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. Mark Twain.</p> <p>Making an effort to make the point is wearing me down.</p> <p>Rather than objecting can you tell me if you get what I am saying?</p> <p>Heres an example:</p> <p>Theres a guy who loves rock and roll and says he wants to be a rock star starting in early childhood.</p> <p>He starts learning to play guitar and composing music at that time.</p> <p>He gets good.</p> <p>He records.<br /> He sings.<br /> He writes.</p> <p>He doesnt do anything other than that yet still claims to want to be a rock star.</p> <p>He lives and works doing everything <strong>but </strong>being a rock star.</p> <p>He doesnt really want to be a rock star.</p> <p>There is no assumption here with this concept. This is not a theory but rather an observation. What this observation assumes if anything is that actions speak louder than words, if you want to call that an assumption. </p> <p>The idea, again, is not that people have an intimate knowledge of themselves but rather that they dont and only desire in the abstract. True desire isnt abstract, it triggers action. </p> <p>I love to sleep, I sleep a lot.</p> <p>I love to play guitar, I play guitar a lot.</p> <p>I wanna be a rock star. . . . no wait. . . apparently I dont.</p> Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. Mark Twain.

Making an effort to make the point is wearing me down.

Rather than objecting can you tell me if you get what I am saying?

Heres an example:

Theres a guy who loves rock and roll and says he wants to be a rock star starting in early childhood.

He starts learning to play guitar and composing music at that time.

He gets good.

He records.
He sings.
He writes.

He doesnt do anything other than that yet still claims to want to be a rock star.

He lives and works doing everything but being a rock star.

He doesnt really want to be a rock star.

There is no assumption here with this concept. This is not a theory but rather an observation. What this observation assumes if anything is that actions speak louder than words, if you want to call that an assumption.

The idea, again, is not that people have an intimate knowledge of themselves but rather that they dont and only desire in the abstract. True desire isnt abstract, it triggers action.

I love to sleep, I sleep a lot.

I love to play guitar, I play guitar a lot.

I wanna be a rock star. . . . no wait. . . apparently I dont.

]]> By: hazelrah http://www.NothingHasMeaning.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/comment-page-1/#comment-200 hazelrah Sun, 04 Feb 2007 06:30:40 +0000 http://markstamas.com/2007/02/03/goals-and-values-how-you-are-getting-what-you-want/#comment-200 I think your idea only works when you look at desires in a very abstract way. Take for instance the guy who becomes a successful businessman to impress some woman he is in love with. Little does he know she's just looking for a well-endowed fella who can make her laugh. Is it his innermost desire to spend the best years of his life building up a resume of all the wrong things only to be turned down by the love of his life? While I think some are secretly in love with tragic and epic failure, that can't always be the case. Your theory assumes that people have a very intuitive knowledge of what means lead to what ends. Let me just tell you, my friend, that just ain't so. So that was a dumb little example, but what do you think? I think your idea only works when you look at desires in a very abstract way.

Take for instance the guy who becomes a successful businessman to impress some woman he is in love with. Little does he know she’s just looking for a well-endowed fella who can make her laugh. Is it his innermost desire to spend the best years of his life building up a resume of all the wrong things only to be turned down by the love of his life?

While I think some are secretly in love with tragic and epic failure, that can’t always be the case. Your theory assumes that people have a very intuitive knowledge of what means lead to what ends. Let me just tell you, my friend, that just ain’t so. So that was a dumb little example, but what do you think?

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