Existence vs. Living

[Kekashi]

I have been thinking, and looking at my life and the other peoples lives. And I got to wondering, What's the difference between living, and just existing? or a better way to ask it might be what is the difference between living life, and just existing in life?

I've seen that people who say they live life to it's fullest, they tend to be happier, and have better lives, where as just people who say they go through life just existing tend to be more live sadder lives, and be more depressed. But what is the real difference between the two peoples lives?

[† Mute point]

The difference is in your outlook on life. If you see the world as a wondrous place full of possibilities and experiences to try, then you're more likely to enjoy it than if you think of it as just a temporary stop on the way to the grave.

[Kasoivc]

Yep, primarily you're outlook that judges whether you exist, or are living. You may have heard someone at one point say something like "He may be alive, but he's definitely not living" in reference to what they do.

I'd probably say I'm somewhere inbetween the two categories as a result of what I do since I'm not socially-deficit nor fully active in my community.

If you go out with friends and do silly things, and enjoy it, then that's pretty much living it up; remember you're only young once. One of those quotes that I live by is that "Gotta try everything once" which has landed me in many different situations that have made me the person I am. If you don't take the chances that you get, you're just existing and not really contributing anything. Living, you might contribute positive or negative results to those around you, as well as yourself.

[† L4ugh]

I think this has to do more with how you gauge your accomplishments in life. If you look at what you've accomplished in life on a personal level, then it isn't that hard to consider yourself successful. If you're happy most of the time then your life has been good. If you measure your accomplishments by what you have done for humanity, then it can be alot harder to stand out of the crowd. I think that is the main problem with people who say they just go through life existing. They see themselves as just one single blade of grass in an endless prairie. While everybody wants to fit in, nobody wants to be a cookie cut out. That train of thought would be depressing for almost anybody.