Which differences can we find between survival and living in today’s world? Which of the two holds that sweet sweet satisfaction we’re longing for? The meaning we attach to “survival” needs to be refreshed, as in today’s world we have everything we need, while life can seem dull and repetitive at times.
Definition: Survival is the process, which ensures that life can keep on going on beyond a small stretch of time.
Now there are different levels of success to a survival process. Survival at it’s lowest level, scraping the bottom of the barrel living on the streets, versus highly successful survival, producing a high level of nourishment and comfort in quality and quantity.
This discussion of survival is not limited to the very lowest quality of survival. It also encompasses actions which yield a higher level of success in survival. After all, satisfaction is generally not found in merely surviving. Whatever the level of comfort you can provide, you will become blind to it. Without a certain level of sophistication, which is unnecessary for survival, satisfaction therefor isn’t part of survival itself.
Assuming a decently successful survival, this is part of it:
- Housing
- Owning a place (coming up with a large sum of money once)
- Renting a place (continuously come up with a smaller sum of money)
- Furnishing the place
- Working
- Finding an employer
- Holding the profession
- Achieving a baseline of education in this field
- Keep learning, staying relevant in the field
- Attend work at least 40 hours per week
- Education
- Attend an educational facility for many years
- Achieve the baseline of knowledge
- Attend a specialized learning facility for many year
- Achieve certified baseline proficiency in a field
- Hobbies
- Recover from the strains of working by playing
- Have stability outside of work
- Be interesting in social situations
A lot of time and energy is put into these areas of life. Housing comes with a high price tag, which requires a substantial work commitment. This in turn requires many years of education, attending multiple schools, etc.
But this investment of life is essentially a process which allows us to keep on keeping on. Surely, working is a highly involved process. Hunting one deadline, and then the next, and then the next. Success is there momentarily, but satisfaction rarely stays. It is there for a small moment after a goal has been reached, but it doesn’t stay.
It turned out that goal was actually only a step on the longer journey. The next goal suddenly becomes of paramount importance, and achievements of the past become blurry and unimportant. It’s like climbing up a ladder, while the distance we already climbed becomes meaningless. So why invest substantial time and energy into projects, which become unimportant looking back at them?
The answer to this question starts with the realization that satisfaction is not to be found in the survival process on its own. Yes, it is important to pass that exam, and that that one, and then the other one, and then find a job, and then that other job, etc., etc., etc.. However this is something that we do to survive in the modern day world.
It is not to say that these things are not important, but they need not be blown out of proportion. Owning a big house, having a good job, holding a big degree are all things which increase comfort, but comfort can be a shallow joy. It soon fades, leaving behind only the longing for that next bigger thing.
Surely, satisfaction could be found by looking with pride and glee at people who don’t have that car, that house, or that job, and thereby feeling good about oneself. In my opinion this is what huge parts of social media is all about. This satisfaction however only works with a limited mindset and comes with its own sorts of troubles.
It is in this context that thought leaders ask: “We are historically the richest generation ever, but are we the happiest generation ever?”
To break out of this mere survival process, which has become so much blown out of proportion, satisfaction has to be put at the center of attention again. It need not be constantly postponed for that current goal that we have, which again seems to be of paramount importance.
If satisfaction is not to be found in merely surviving, we need to ask ourselves this: If I had reached every goal which I ever had, what would I want?
The answer to that question is everybody’s individual key to living.
People which I found to inspire great answers to that question are Saadhguru (english) or Robert Betz (german).