The Confines of Work & Play

It's pathetic.

I haven't written in ages. Even when I do write, it doesn't sound like something I'd write. All this time on my hands, all these thoughts on my mind, and I have nothing to show for it. I don't think I can write any more. It doesn't hold the same promise of satisfaction for me any more.

Anyway... So I was thinking, if you take away everything from one's life, with the exception of all basic human functions like eating, sleeping, crapping, jerking off, and smoking, what's left? We're so accustomed to the following description of life: Work & Play.

If I had the means to secure whatever I needed, as many rich people do, I wouldn't have to work. Now some rich people choose to work, because they've outgrown the age where all they wanted to do was play. Their choice is limited by the description of life that we've grown up to believe in - Work & Play. Some spend their entire lives playing. Paris Hilton. The world's full of people on this grid of Work & Play. There's those who's Work it is to Play and some who's Play takes Work. There are no lives or purposes outside of this grid. There is no other dimension.


Let us take away both Work and Play from the description of life. I know from personal experience that one does not cease to exist once this happens - but you surely don't feel like you exist either. It's just that we've grown up within this paradigm of Work & Play, that we can't think beyond it, to any other dimensions. There are those who wish to change the world and whatnot but that's just their silly imagination at Play. Some of them even make it their Work (social workers) and feel like they're living the good life (just like the Wall $treet Guy). I mean how the hell can anyone be sure that their particular way of changing the world is actually any better than someone else's? Eisenhower thought he changed the world too. Abdul Kalam was made President of India because he helped India get ahead in the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan - he changed the world too. So no, the idea of giving your life up for a 'higher cause' can't be it. That's still just Work and Play. Then what is the higher dimension?

Is it love? I told a friend the other day, that loving people around you is like investing your thoughts, energy and time in others. By spreading your love to as many people other than yourself, you're diversifying your portfolio, and lowering your risks. If they succeed or are happy in life, then a part of you has also succeeded and is happy in your life, because you love them. Though this theory doesn't present a very strong case for monogamy, it may have its merits. I can't say that I've ever removed love from my life. I love my family, my friends, and I've also been told that I'm in love with the idea of romantic love. Maybe I would stop existing if I stopped loving, but I doubt it. I can imagine people who don't love anything or anyone. It's conceivable. Also, how much of our time or thoughts do we really spend loving those we love? Not much really. Love could again be Work or Play or Both.

Two basic criteria are emerging from this discussion. This other dimension (or dimensions, for that matter) separate from Work & Play, must be 1. Something that is essential for life (unlike Work & Play) and 2. Must not be reducible to Work or Play. The natural way to search for this 'dimension', as i keep calling it, is to look at what we do with our time and try to find something that matches the above criteria. For as long as I can remember, I haven't done anything that fits the above criteria. Everything has been either Work or Play. There really has to be more to life. This is just so depressing. Everything I have EVER done is reducible to JUST TWO simple concepts??!! My whole life surrounded by the boundaries of Work and Play?! Well, come to think of it, my whole life is also surrounded by the one simple concept called 'life'. But the structure of life can't be so simple, can it? Just simple tree-like? Is that what all these philosophers couldn't figure out for so many years?? Could that be all???!!!!!!


It's pathetic.