Personally that’s why I enjoy riding. It requires me to let go of the idea that I have overarching control of my life. Any day could be my last, and if today is my last day I’d like to enjoy it.
Part of me thinks this is insane, part of me gets it.
Riding my bicycle in the city is my version of it. While it is dangerous and initially I felt too afraid to enjoy it, eventually I came to the attitude that the adrenaline rush and requirement to be so focused is a feeling of being more alive than if I was half zoned out in a car because I could be half zoned out.
I’ve always said I would love a motorcycle if I could feel safe but maybe your perspective here is what I need.
Agreed that it’s insane. The way I look at it is that there is an inherent amount of danger in any activity. Doesn’t matter how safe or dangerous something is, conscious acceptance of the risk is satisfying.
I think not experiencing life for the short time it exists is insane. Being that controlled by fear, I think that person’s ironically the biggest threat to their life, laying waste to experiences and opportunities to live it. A sane person wouldn’t do that to themselves.
There’s a balance though, right? Fear keeps us alive and is good at that. By this argument I could easily talk myself into trying heroin and be miserable then dead in 6 months.
To put it simply, “To live with as few regrets on the dying day as possible.” Fear helps us survive but also holds us back. It keeps people away from heroin, but also puts them in miserable ruts. Individually it’s different for all, but learning to control fear and not let it control you opens up a world of amazing possibilities and experiences. To have a life worth dying for is an achievement most squander until it’s far too late.
Yeah I’m just saying it’s not always easy to strike the balance. I’m several times more open to risk than my grandparents were, but I’m willing to bet I’m much more risk averse than you are. I think we are all controlled by “fear” to a large extent because if we weren’t, we wouldn’t last long.
I’ve been thinking about quitting my job for years. But there are so many pluses to it that it’s incredibly hard to go through with it. On the other hand, I’m a slave stuck inside most of my life. I haven’t figured out how to quit my job without blowing up my path to a secure retirement. It’s hard. Life’s hard.
Well, that’s easy. Just don’t make your retirement dependent on your current situation. Go explore the world and find better ways and meet good souls. You probably randomly stumbled into your situation through a jobs website or hiring agency. Not exactly a life defining moment when you can do it again any other week but now with a backlog of experience.
There’s a lot of better opportunities out there. And if you don’t like them, you can always come back. But sometimes pulling the plug feels scary because you don’t know what’s going to happen, despite plug pullers always saying it was the best thing they did.
Thirded. And it keeps me disengaged for a while. I need to unplug because of what my job was for two damn decades. Five years ago I would have to pull over for a call or text because I was on call 24/7.
I certainly wouldn’t answer that call if it were my last day on earth. Now I don’t answer it while I’m on the bike.
I struggle to see how it is suicidal. I define suicide as “trying to kill yourself.” I don’t see how accepting my mortality and not letting the fear of death get in the way of enjoying my life could be classified as suicidal.
You (but probably me) enjoy the thought of having yourself killed. Moreover, you engage in behavior that increases chances of getting into an accident.
I don’t know about you, maybe you have a different shit in your head, just take care
I enjoy the thought of living a life worth dying for, but I suppose you could look at it as if I’m killing myself in order to live my life?
Driving a car is also a behavior that increases the chances of getting into an accident, but I don’t think think you’d call everyone who drives a car suicidal. (Or maybe you would, which I think would be totally fair based on your previous point.)
If I was speeding around without a helmet because I hated my life and wanted to die to get away from my responsibilities I think I’d be more likely to call that behavior “suicidal”.
If I was speeding around without a helmet because I hated my life and wanted to die to get away from my responsibilities I think I’d be more likely to call that behavior “suicidal”.
That’s an interesting take. I enjoy riding due to the full control of my machine and piercing through the wind while zooming through the landscape. And the best part is when there’s some nice curves to corner through. All of these reasons would only be enhanced with less cars on the road.
Absolutely. There’s a feeling of being more “present” in the world. It’s more stimulating for your senses, which I think is ultimately why your brain rewards you for it with dopamine.
Personally that’s why I enjoy riding. It requires me to let go of the idea that I have overarching control of my life. Any day could be my last, and if today is my last day I’d like to enjoy it.
Part of me thinks this is insane, part of me gets it.
Riding my bicycle in the city is my version of it. While it is dangerous and initially I felt too afraid to enjoy it, eventually I came to the attitude that the adrenaline rush and requirement to be so focused is a feeling of being more alive than if I was half zoned out in a car because I could be half zoned out.
I’ve always said I would love a motorcycle if I could feel safe but maybe your perspective here is what I need.
Agreed that it’s insane. The way I look at it is that there is an inherent amount of danger in any activity. Doesn’t matter how safe or dangerous something is, conscious acceptance of the risk is satisfying.
I think not experiencing life for the short time it exists is insane. Being that controlled by fear, I think that person’s ironically the biggest threat to their life, laying waste to experiences and opportunities to live it. A sane person wouldn’t do that to themselves.
There’s a balance though, right? Fear keeps us alive and is good at that. By this argument I could easily talk myself into trying heroin and be miserable then dead in 6 months.
To put it simply, “To live with as few regrets on the dying day as possible.” Fear helps us survive but also holds us back. It keeps people away from heroin, but also puts them in miserable ruts. Individually it’s different for all, but learning to control fear and not let it control you opens up a world of amazing possibilities and experiences. To have a life worth dying for is an achievement most squander until it’s far too late.
Yeah I’m just saying it’s not always easy to strike the balance. I’m several times more open to risk than my grandparents were, but I’m willing to bet I’m much more risk averse than you are. I think we are all controlled by “fear” to a large extent because if we weren’t, we wouldn’t last long.
I’ve been thinking about quitting my job for years. But there are so many pluses to it that it’s incredibly hard to go through with it. On the other hand, I’m a slave stuck inside most of my life. I haven’t figured out how to quit my job without blowing up my path to a secure retirement. It’s hard. Life’s hard.
Well, that’s easy. Just don’t make your retirement dependent on your current situation. Go explore the world and find better ways and meet good souls. You probably randomly stumbled into your situation through a jobs website or hiring agency. Not exactly a life defining moment when you can do it again any other week but now with a backlog of experience.
There’s a lot of better opportunities out there. And if you don’t like them, you can always come back. But sometimes pulling the plug feels scary because you don’t know what’s going to happen, despite plug pullers always saying it was the best thing they did.
It’s not. Your heart might be in the right place, but you really don’t know other people’s lives
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Thirded. And it keeps me disengaged for a while. I need to unplug because of what my job was for two damn decades. Five years ago I would have to pull over for a call or text because I was on call 24/7.
I certainly wouldn’t answer that call if it were my last day on earth. Now I don’t answer it while I’m on the bike.
Had the same attitude until psychiatrist said that it is suicidal behavior
I struggle to see how it is suicidal. I define suicide as “trying to kill yourself.” I don’t see how accepting my mortality and not letting the fear of death get in the way of enjoying my life could be classified as suicidal.
You (but probably me) enjoy the thought of having yourself killed. Moreover, you engage in behavior that increases chances of getting into an accident.
I don’t know about you, maybe you have a different shit in your head, just take care
I enjoy the thought of living a life worth dying for, but I suppose you could look at it as if I’m killing myself in order to live my life?
Driving a car is also a behavior that increases the chances of getting into an accident, but I don’t think think you’d call everyone who drives a car suicidal. (Or maybe you would, which I think would be totally fair based on your previous point.)
If I was speeding around without a helmet because I hated my life and wanted to die to get away from my responsibilities I think I’d be more likely to call that behavior “suicidal”.
This
100% We are all mortal. The denial of death is a terrible trend, it makes people have no idea how to deal when a loved one dies.
Get a new psychiatrist. There is a big difference between self destructive risk taking and the acknowledgment of the inherent mortality of our lives.
That’s an interesting take. I enjoy riding due to the full control of my machine and piercing through the wind while zooming through the landscape. And the best part is when there’s some nice curves to corner through. All of these reasons would only be enhanced with less cars on the road.
Absolutely. There’s a feeling of being more “present” in the world. It’s more stimulating for your senses, which I think is ultimately why your brain rewards you for it with dopamine.