What's the point?
Mar. 3rd, 2004 04:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueA question I've been asked on numerous occasions, in various forms. Several of these, recently.
I've always heard it in a context, such that someone feels that continuing with a practice is not worth it.
You offer to help sort out something, and are rebuffed.
You've spent some time preparing something, and it's ignored.
You offer someone a lift and they're scathing and rude.
In every situation, it's at a point where an effort has been made by one party, and other party has refused.
It's never a nice feeling to be slapped down when you've put an effort in. It's always an unhappy feeling when something you offer out of kindness is scorned.
It comes full circle though. If you continue to tell yourself 'there's no point' then you'll quickly become the kind of person who refuses such offers. Because there's no point.
This is not a good way to be living your life. There's _always_ a point. An offer of assistance whether it's accepted or not is your kindness, not their rejection. A well written story, that you like, remains a well written story, regardless of whether it's published or not.
It's always a mistake to measure your own life by what others like and dislike about it. The fact that you've created a thing, that you think is good, is enough.
So back to the original question. "What's the point?".
Well, the point is, that making the offer, spending the effort is intrinsically a good thing. At the end of our lives we die. Does this mean we should give up, because all our effort shall be as tears in the rain? No.
If you do not make the attempt, then you have already failed. So just give up. Say there's no point. All your efforts will be nothing in time. Or decided that whilst building for eternity is impossible, building for the now, and near future is enough. That something may be lost, forgotten or unread is irrelevant. If you do not, then it never will.
Sometimes I wonder about what the point of my ramblings on LJ are. In all honesty, I want to share my thoughts with those who care to read them. I hope that some will read what I say, and think. Maybe not change their mind, but at least consider their opinion. At the end of the day, there may be no point. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt? No, words do hurt. Sometimes more. But they also provide the foundations of all the great things in the world.
Avoid things in fear of being hurt, and all you do is cut yourself off from all the potential good and fun as well as the potential bad.
Which is worth more?
I've always heard it in a context, such that someone feels that continuing with a practice is not worth it.
You offer to help sort out something, and are rebuffed.
You've spent some time preparing something, and it's ignored.
You offer someone a lift and they're scathing and rude.
In every situation, it's at a point where an effort has been made by one party, and other party has refused.
It's never a nice feeling to be slapped down when you've put an effort in. It's always an unhappy feeling when something you offer out of kindness is scorned.
It comes full circle though. If you continue to tell yourself 'there's no point' then you'll quickly become the kind of person who refuses such offers. Because there's no point.
This is not a good way to be living your life. There's _always_ a point. An offer of assistance whether it's accepted or not is your kindness, not their rejection. A well written story, that you like, remains a well written story, regardless of whether it's published or not.
It's always a mistake to measure your own life by what others like and dislike about it. The fact that you've created a thing, that you think is good, is enough.
So back to the original question. "What's the point?".
Well, the point is, that making the offer, spending the effort is intrinsically a good thing. At the end of our lives we die. Does this mean we should give up, because all our effort shall be as tears in the rain? No.
If you do not make the attempt, then you have already failed. So just give up. Say there's no point. All your efforts will be nothing in time. Or decided that whilst building for eternity is impossible, building for the now, and near future is enough. That something may be lost, forgotten or unread is irrelevant. If you do not, then it never will.
Sometimes I wonder about what the point of my ramblings on LJ are. In all honesty, I want to share my thoughts with those who care to read them. I hope that some will read what I say, and think. Maybe not change their mind, but at least consider their opinion. At the end of the day, there may be no point. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt? No, words do hurt. Sometimes more. But they also provide the foundations of all the great things in the world.
Avoid things in fear of being hurt, and all you do is cut yourself off from all the potential good and fun as well as the potential bad.
Which is worth more?
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 10:04 am (UTC)See, whenever I tried that at primary school as directed at my mother, people threw bricks at me.
But anyway I do have a reply that has some content as well.
Offering somebody a lift and having them be rude is still a good thing, because if nothing else at least they can't say you're mean and don't offer lifts. And if they become less rude in future, they will know you're unlikely to them a lift to the hospital if they happen to break their wrist one day.
Writing a book that's never published has a point - one day someone might find the manuscript in a drawer and enjoy reading it.
It's the small things that count more often, and make the big downers less painful. A person spitting at you in the street can ruin a day, but letting a stranger share your umbrella at the bus stop can make theirs.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 07:45 pm (UTC)but after the fith or sixth try .. well what can you do but ask yourself.. "what is the point?"
i have had some time to think on the subject and well.. it never hurts to advance an offer. And it falls under the "take a risk" category. Problem is for me anyway after a while your mind starts running Damage control over the hurt thing:/
no subject
Date: 2004-03-03 11:44 pm (UTC)And you're right, it does suck to offer and be rebuffed. But the good part is the inspiration and creativity. Not whether they liked it or not.