How to deal with existential crisis?

I think everyone deals with this at some point. Usually it's when achieving certain milestones in life doesn't grant you the mental serenity that you were once sold.

Media pushes the ideal of material wealth. Buy this perfume, you'll be a goddess. Buy these clothes, everyone will look up to you. Buy this car. Buy this house. Buy this yacht. Show it off on instagram. Lots of people get in a bind over succumbing to advertising, when it's just media giants trying to scrape a profit out of naivety. Think influencer who's 'made it' becoming a media sponsorship puppet.

School doesn't guarantee you success but they sell you the 'you'll be rich and successful if you get straight As'. Sadly as a child, you believe it all.

Disney sells you the happily ever afters which doesn't always happen in relationships. Also seem to push the narrative that good looking is good, bad looking is bad (think Ursula, Cinderella's sisters), which doesn't always ring true in reality.

I think life is just a lot messier than what all the above make it out to be. Very easy to just become a money making or money seeking drone. Fear and desperation make people live a suboptimal life.

Purpose wise....I don't feel there is a preset life purpose for anyone. Just think you are the result of freakish luck, and you won the genetic lotto on conception. You can't take your wealth with you, and the concept of legacy...simply doesn't exist. Even the great achievers of today will be forgotten in 2-300 years from now.

How I deal with it...wake up...appreciate where you are, and be grateful. Practice stoicism. Find inspiration. Be good to other people. Try despite media conditioning to be unselfish and provide value to others. Figure out something that doesn't necessarily make you 'be happy all the time' but feels purposeful. Take each day as it comes and be present. Sod past and future, it doesn't exist. Be humble...we will all be dust one day.

Sammo wrote: You can't take your wealth with you, and the concept of legacy...simply doesn't exist. Even the great achievers of today will be forgotten in 2-300 years from now.
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People are born into the world with nothing and then leave this world with nothing yet they are so attached to money, stuff and fame.
I just a bought a new mountain a week ago. It's refreshing to ride again. All your worries all gone. In the past i rode 50 000 miles plus in 8 years.

Yep. If you look at the rich kids of those giants in industry trying to provide an ongoing legacy, they struggle to ever find a purpose as they live in their parent's shadow and never have to put in any effort to achieve. Those kids often suffer depression, have substance abuse problems, and reject their quite often lonely upbringing. The irony is, all the 'non rich kids' (or even adults) all aspire to be where they are, thinking the only valuable people in life are those that have the money and fame. A lot of social media output from such people is narcissistic drivel, drizzled with a large dash of sponsored product placement, with the only draw to their channels being their looks or some form of media controversy.

Something to add in regards to money side. Plenty of people working jobs they really don't like, but will still strive for 'dat promotion' in said company, brown nosing the management like little eager beavers. It's funny how you can get the jumping through hoops engrained into your psyche thinking a place of work and it's systems is all there is, and being too afraid to leave. This was me when I was younger. Whilst I still work, I work more independently now and it's lovely being able to escape the awful politics that so many people endure. In doing so, I've realised the world really is bigger than just your job, you can CHOOSE your job (shock horror), and time really is the greatest asset.

I honestly think, the route of depression is comparison to others (think social media) and a lack of progression in a worthwhile pursuit, but people don't bother with developing self because they are sold 'the dream' of sitting in a big house in front of a big TV all day, absorbing whatever material the channels want to chuck out that day.

Biking is great. Gets you outside in the fresh air, having to stay present and focusing on what's ahead. And as you say, not a care in the world whilst you're doing it!

Rainman wrote:

Sammo wrote: You can't take your wealth with you, and the concept of legacy...simply doesn't exist. Even the great achievers of today will be forgotten in 2-300 years from now.
/quote]



People are born into the world with nothing and then leave this world with nothing yet they are so attached to money, stuff and fame.
I just a bought a new mountain a week ago. It's refreshing to ride again. All your worries all gone. In the past i rode 50 000 miles plus in 8 years.

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best
And
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing
And
Always look on the bright side of life
(Come on)
Always look on the right side of life
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin
Give the audience a grin
Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow
So always look on the bright side of death
A just before you draw your terminal breath
Life's a piece of shit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughin' as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you
And
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life
(C'mon Brian, cheer up)
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life
I mean, what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing
You're going back to nothing
What have you lost? Nothing
Always look on the right side of life
Nothing will come from nothing, ya know what they say
Cheer up ya old bugga c'mon give us a grin (Always look on the right side of life)
There ya are, see
It's the end of the film
Incidentally this record's available in the foyer (Always look on the right side of life)
Some of us got to live as well, you know
(Always look on the right side of life)
Who do you think pays for all this rubbish
(Always look on the right side of life)
They're not gonna make their money back, you know
I told them, I said to him, Bernie, I said they'll never make their money back
(Always look on the right side of life)

I stopped caring what other people thought of me when I was in my teens. I've been a poor bum all my life. But, I am extremely lucky to have a roof over my head and food to eat, and I just accepted a long time ago that I am nothing but an ant in a GIANT ant nest. Nothing I do or have done in my life has really made a difference in the world. And I know that a whole lot of billion other people probably feel the same, so I don't have this crisis you're talking about. I'm just glad to be healthy and alive.
All I really care about it, is making my parents lives better in their remaining years, by helping them out and showing alot of love to our dogs, because there are so much animal abuse in the world and it really pisses me off, so I do what I can, by loving them. And I feel good about that.

When there is crisis there is opportunity.

i also wonderig how...

Just stop existing then there will be no crisis.

to all the people who struggle in their daily routine on a daily basis but still be able to share they have my huge respect. there was a time where i had to flip every coin. i was in a place where i didnt know if i ever get out. a life where i also struggled every day. i thought i was lost. i thought i would never achieve a better life. today i am grateful that i have the life that i always wanted. i worked very hard for it. and it taught me a lesson. to stay humble and be satisfied with what you have. because there are other people who really have to deal with existential crisis.