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Yelloms t1_ja6hosk wrote

It sounds cliche, but thinking about how many people have lived full lives, struggled, fallen in love, fought desperately for something they cared about only to inevitably die and quickly fade away as if none it mattered in the slightest, it's very humbling; somehow its also so freeing. There's nothing you can do that will prevent you from one day being forgotten, so now the question is, what do you do with your moment of awareness? Do you find happiness and live in it, or do you fight to constantly to better yourself, whatever the cost?

I realised a few years ago I knew how to be happy, and that's what I wanted to be, even if others thought I was wasting potential, or if it meant I'd never be wealthy. I've been happy since then. Sometimes I'll be confronted with a life choice, and I'll ask myself if I'm happy, if the answer is "yes" I let the opportunity go.

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batsofburden OP t1_ja6rx4p wrote

>It sounds cliche, but thinking about how many people have lived full lives, struggled, fallen in love, fought desperately for something they cared about only to inevitably die and quickly fade away as if none it mattered in the slightest, it's very humbling; somehow its also so freeing.

maybe it's cliche, but the way you expressed it was quite nice.

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Asheyguru t1_ja7bb3j wrote

This was exactly the feeling I got when I first visited the Paris catacombs and saw aaaaalll those skulls and knew every single one once housed a whole person and their entire unique perspective.

Strangely uplifting.

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Astronaut100 t1_ja7ehpk wrote

That’s a fantastic way to look at things. In the grand scheme of the universe, all of us, even the rich and powerful ones, are hopelessly insignificant. Making the most of each day is the way to go.

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kierantheking t1_ja8e5pf wrote

There is a word for that realization, that every one else has a million thoughts per day, and if that friend didn't remember you don't like banana they probably sat in the bakery isle arguing aloud with themselves and just ended up making the wrong decision because they have 30 friends and it's hard to remember what they each like, but they still went out of their way to do something to make your day better and that's what really matters, plus you didn't really need pie anyways you've been doing good eating healthier

Also the word is sonder

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Rock_in_balls t1_ja8n7fx wrote

That was a beautiful way of expressing the way of life. Thank you.

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Black_Gold_Saw t1_ja8uwj2 wrote

Not super sure it includes lives already lived, but the thought of the complexity of every individual living their own life is called "sonder"

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