/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.3548862]

What are you going to do with the rest of your life, /lit/? As the world changes, will you let it pass you by, existing solely in a world of books written by dead men? Will you keep doing what you do now for the next 80 years, dying alone and cold in a state funded home, your parents having died 50 years earlier leaving you alone and friendless and lost, driving you further into a world of the abstract?

I'm honestly curious, because just reading books your/my/our whole lives doesn't seem sustainable. I know that we're all different, and that we all come from different backgrounds and have different lives, dedicating varying fractions of our existence to the pursuit of literate, and I guess I'm just looking for a bunch of answers.

[Anonymous No.3548881]

I want to be the truth I tell myself. I'm having trouble motivating myself to back up desire with ambition, though.

[Anonymous No.3548886]

>>3548881
What does that mean?

[Anonymous No.3548900]

>>3548862
First of all nothing is any more valuable than anything else. You can get up and work on cars every morning and eat out at KFC and honestly that's not more or less valid than going to Whole Foods and working under a CEO at your local bank. If you believe that these things are more eminent than they are more eminent to you. One could work at a KFC and believe that they are of less value than a CEO, but are they? Only because they believe it to be so, and beliefs are so fragile. Only joy matters. If I enjoy sitting on my ass reading books then I will be able to do it until I'm 80, yes.

[loom No.3548896]

>>3548881
It's really weird how one can thrive solely on the imagination of success, becoming dependent on it while stagnating activity
And one knows how to fix it too.

[Anonymous No.3548916]

>>3548900
How old are you? 18? 22? 25? And of that small number of years, how much of that has been spent literate, intelligent, as a fully functioning human being? How much of your life have you lived that you can honestly say that you are prepared to do something for thrice the total of every single passing hour and minute and second you have ever experienced so far?

You possess the certainty of ignorance, and you shall slough it with every passing year.

[Anonymous No.3548918]

The only way I've found to escape from nihilism is to view myself as a deindividualized part of a greater whole of humanity, and to view my contribution to that whole as somehow transcending my mortality and limited time here. So I am throwing my entire life into contributing something to the species, and hopefully in a sense that avoids the whole Enlightenment schtick of iterative generational "progress". I don't want to be a PhD-holding functionary, I want to be seminal, even if it's in a minor way. I'm probably not going to be a Nietzsche or Socrates, but I want to think I could eventually be a Camus if I really set my mind and time to it.

This worldview requires a shitload of "glue" to hold it together, though. For me this comes from mystic/esoteric leanings and unfalsifiable metaphysical intuitions, bordering on deism and anthropocentric eschatology. But fuck it, it's better than being an Absurdist who sees life as a passing meaningless romp. At least I have some workable a priori principles to furnish me with "ought" statements. I OUGHT to be fucking reading right now, IF I want to someday write something worth reading.

[Anonymous No.3548922]

My best friend's coming back to town in a couple months. I'm going to make a move and see what happens. I want to take LSD soon. I need to see a therapist.

[Anonymous No.3548925]

>>3548916
>>3548900
you guys talk like fags

[Anonymous No.3548927]

>>3548925
I talk like a real person in the real world.

[Anonymous No.3548934]

>>3548925
but does it matter? it's a talking point to myself, but does it degrade my character? am I able to get up and change myself for the sake of this comment? Yes, but would I? Wouldn't that be more of an insult to my self esteem than what you said?

Only I have the power.

[Anonymous No.3548944]

>>3548934
Why do you capitalize some times and not others?

[Anonymous No.3548945]

I'm obviously to going to scrape a living, settle for a dowdy woman I dislike and then live vicariously through my mediocre children romanticising a youth I barely enjoyed.

[Anonymous No.3548939]

>>3548918

Are..are you me?

[Anonymous No.3548940]

Tomorrow I'm going to see a shrink, let my brain go high for a week not giving a shit, and then go back to work.
I can't take it anymore, I might as well end my life soon. I'm too tired for this bullshit. I'm too nice and sensitive.

[Anonymous No.3548946]

>>3548934
But I suppose even if I did change myself as a reflection of what you said I would still be empowered by the fact that I did it.

Which makes the intent behind an insult all but useless. Doesn't it?

[Anonymous No.3548949]

>>3548927
Gays are a social construct. Real people are a social construct. Your "real world" is a social construct.

[Anonymous No.3548952]

>>3548946
why are you spending time typing out these long, pointless posts that reply to yourself?

[Anonymous No.3548960]

>>3548949
Real world is an ambiguous term, which can refer to many different things depending on the context. You know what I mean.

Bit of general advice for you, /lit/: Arguing about the definition of a word or a phrase does not make you intelligent, it makes you an anal little child.

[Anonymous No.3548966]

>>3548945
This was my plan as well but then I realized that porn fucked my brain up too much and I can no longer get a boner unless the chick is a 8/10+ with huge tits. Because, I must strive for aesthetic perfection and universal desirability. Miserable life, here I come.

[Anonymous No.3548983]

>>3548916
>slough
Life is a process of sloughing. It is unavoidable. With a 'greater' position in the social hierarchy would my obligation to slough be lifted? Of course not. My responsibilities would increase with my wages, and though I would have more money to accomplish more dreams would I have the time? In fact with more money that would make me feel entitled to more, and i would probably grow bitter knowing that I couldn't have what I want because I'm too responsible.
Here at the bottom of the totem pole, working at a Walmart I laugh at my position. I earn a meager living, but I have no responsibilities. I look upon my 50k a year management with some respect, but I know that they work 13 hour days. I know that they are in that place constantly. I know what they have been robbed of, their kids, their freedoms, their whole world is slowly inching away from them while they work to afford the 'gifts' of their position... a home... a new car... an opportunity for their kids to go to school... Sloughing away for some prize... and maybe they're appreciated. Just maybe, anon.

[Anonymous No.3548986]

>>3548896

My issue is being able to fully admit that to myself.

It's like sitting in class; the teacher asks a question while I sit in silence and recite the correct answer in my head until someone else raises their hand to answer.

The biggest problem for me is raising my hand. Things've felt different lately and I'm feeling much more present than I have in a long while.

I hate being apathetic...which might mean that I'm not actually in fact apathetic. Hell I don't know.

I'm going to make the right choice.

[Anonymous No.3548988]

>>3548960
Are you advocating a little anal with children?

[Anonymous No.3549011]

>>3548952
Why are you responding to something pointless? Why are you even reading it? But to answer your question I honestly just dig my own intelligence.

[Anonymous No.3549032]

>>3549011
In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony god's blessing. But because, I am enlightened by my intelligence.

[Anonymous No.3549184]

>>3548952
It occurred to me that the process of writing a book is largely due to this. This very act of replying to one's own thoughts.

[Anonymous No.3551146]

>What are you going to do with the rest of your life

I've always thought that I would study biotechnology and use that for either research or a commercial company.

The thought of studying philosophy has struck me lately, and even though it started as being hypothetical, I just can't get it out of my head.

My problem is, I want to study philosophy, but will there be jobs for me, will there be a future? I've always thought I would study something off the natural sciences, because that first of all is related to something 'real', which contributes to society as a whole, while also getting me a job.

The deadline for me to make the choice is coming closer and close, and I honestly think it's stupid that such young people need to decide, pretty much, what they're doing for the rest of their life.

[Anonymous No.3551159]

>>3549011
In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony anon's blessing. But because, I am enlightened by my intelligence

[Kekkafuza !/Swamig5Ow No.3551167]

>>3548986

[Anonymous No.3551169]

>>3549032
>In this moment, I am euphoric. Not because of any phony intelligence. But because, I am enlightened by god's blessing.

[Anonymous No.3551175]

>>3551146
I'm in this exact situation!

[Anonymous No.3551182]

I'm quite happy with the way I am.
Then again I'm a published author with a job, a long term partner and a social circle of friends I find interesting and whose company I enjoy.

[Anonymous No.3551179]

>>3551169
aquinas was a genius you rube

[Anonymous No.3551184]

>>3551182
self publishing on the kindle doesn't count anon

[Anonymous No.3551187]

Christians 1
Atheists 0

David Bowie walked into an office once and a secretary met him and started crying. Gotta lift your game faggots

[Anonymous No.3551203]

>>3551184
Oh you!

[Anonymous No.3551261]

>>3551182
>>3551184
I'd be happy if I had a finished product to self-publish. Perfectionism is shit.

[Anonymous No.3551276]

Around 2 years ago I started to accept my utter loneliness to live my life despite it (I'm 29).

As for the topic: I learned English on my own, have been doing the same with French and Japanese. Spanish is my native language.

Started learning digital drawing and painting around 3 months ago. I have been doing quite fine ..I guess (pic related: the thumbnail makes it look worse than it actually is)

I'm slowly getting through my CS degree while also having a full-time job. As soon as I get my diploma I will try to leave this shithole to live somewhere in Europe

Right now, I want to learn an instrument and/or music production to make Vocaloid songs but I already exhausted the daytime :( .

[Anonymous No.3551314]

"We wish we didn't spend all the time reading books so much" -dying people

[Anonymous No.3551315]

A lot of people here have already said what I'm going to say but whatever. I've already accepted that I need loneliness and I just love being alone, I don't like company. I have no idea how my future will go and to be honest I don't really care to a certain point. I don't really require material values, or what I mean is, I don't strive to have always more money/property. I only want a steady job with not much responsibility. I don't even need high wages, I barely spend money on anything apart from books. If some people hear about my diet they can't believe how little and how simple things I require. Somehow I feel that I can find the things which are important for me in books. Maybe this will pass but I've been thinking about myself a lot and I feel that I've come to a conclusion and I don't see the problem with the situation that you described.

[Anonymous No.3551333]

Learn, excel, experience, in that order. I'm studying loads of hobby skills at various rates, working like crazy to excel in my career field, and trying new foods, strategies, relationship tactics, etc. while traveling with my wife when opportunity arises.

[Anonymous No.3551381]

>>3548983
And you working your shit cashier's job don't have any responsibility, but you also don't have the money to use your responsibility-free time in any meaningful way. You go home to your nagging wife who complains about paying bills every fucking night. Your child begs for the new PS4 but you can't afford to give it to them. You live pay check to pay check and have all the time in the world and nothing to do with it.

[Anonymous No.3551654]

>>3548862
Actually 'doing' something with life as in a project often seems absurd and tiresome to me. I can't really bring myself to cast it into any particular mould in any way that I don't end up regretting. They all seem less than satisfactory. So I try to live simply and humbly so that I get to enjoy life instead of spending my days trying to hammer it into shape. I merely try to get away from the bothersome parts and look at the beautiful parts in unknowing admiration and play peekaboo with God until I return to dust and I'm pretty happy that way.

[Anonymous No.3551838]

>>3551276

İ'm no art expert but i liked it.

[Anonymous No.3553133]

>>3551838
Thanks your highness.

[Petulant Child !IpF9wBJQqI No.3553171]

sucking the filthy rotten teat of academia, probably take up masturbating publicly once i get tenure

[Anonymous No.3553191]

>implying that you're not going to die alone, in pain, and having accomplished nothing meaningful in life regardless of what you do

[None !!lZetafI6z8s No.3553201]

slowly wean myself of human contact and go crazy alone in my joyful hermitage on the internet, then die having lived a wonderful solitary life
or go full hanatarashi anarcho wild person
or opiate addict

or all 3

haven't decided yet

[Anonymous No.3553305]

I'm going to search for what makes me happy and I'm going to capture it and live that way until I die.

[Anonymous No.3553332]

>Ah these mortals itt

get your shit together - zuuz

[Anonymous No.3553846]

>>3548918
This. This right here.

[Anonymous No.3554220]

let me be the first one to say - good taste in music OP

[Anonymous No.3554225]

>future

[Anonymous No.3554254]

This is an interesting topic, OP. I've been thinking about this myself but more to the point that writers of previous generations would never support what our literary generation does. Existentialists went out and did things, they lived their lives. Their texts would be (exaggerated) depictions of their experiences. Philosophers would come across revelations by experiencing things that would influence their behavior, thought, etc. We're living in a generation that wants to build without having the proper materials. The end result will leave them poor, lonely, and their life was lived through others experiences.

[Anonymous No.3554258]

>>3554254
Not even our literary generation, our entire society lives idly.

[Anonymous No.3554261]

But Tao Lin isn't a dead man

[Anonymous No.3554295]

>>3554261
We must take steps to rectify this.

[Anonymous No.3554463]

OP, why are you even asking this question? If that kind of life seems absurd to you - don't live like that and leave others to do so if they want. The only lifestyle you should judge is yours.

And those "books written by dead men" are often more alive than actual people.

[Anonymous No.3554664]

>>3548862
Nothing you can ever do will ever make you a permanent fixture. Everything humanity has ever done or will do will be forgotten. You may as well enjoy your tiny fraction of time while you are here. Therefore: I will read as much as possible.