Philosophy Now Forum

I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time. When people ask about the meaninglessness of life are they really asking about the unhappiness of their own lives? If so, I think it might help to be outright about it.

JS: I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time.

Where did you hear this?

Jaded Sage wrote:I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time. When people ask about the meaninglessness of life are they really asking about the unhappiness of their own lives? If so, I think it might help to be outright about it.

The only serene truth is to realise that every moment is meaningless. And time is not a quantity that has any value capable of being wasted.

There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on every beach on the earth. Your life means nothing and, each moment means less.

good one, hobbes.

alpha wrote:good one, hobbes.

Why is it a 'good one' ?

marjoram_blues wrote:Why is it a 'good one' ?

because he makes some good points, and life doesn't make any sense. not to mention, it really sucks.

alpha wrote:

marjoram_blues wrote:Why is it a 'good one' ?

because he makes some good points, and life doesn't make any sense. not to mention, it really sucks.

Life may not make any sense and it may really suck but what does this have to do with 'Serenity' ? Also HC changed this to ' the only serene truth' - which is not the same.

marjoram_blues wrote:

alpha wrote:

marjoram_blues wrote:Why is it a 'good one' ?

because he makes some good points, and life doesn't make any sense. not to mention, it really sucks.

Life may not make any sense and it may really suck but what does this have to do with 'Serenity' ? Also HC changed this to ' the only serene truth' - which is not the same.

poetic license, perhaps.

marjoram_blues wrote:

alpha wrote:

marjoram_blues wrote:Why is it a 'good one' ?

because he makes some good points, and life doesn't make any sense. not to mention, it really sucks.

Life may not make any sense and it may really suck but what does this have to do with 'Serenity' ? Also HC changed this to ' the only serene truth' - which is not the same.

I changed nothing. The OP conflated "thought" with "feeling". The distinction does not change the value of what I said in any way.
I quote:
"I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time. When people ask about the meaninglessness of life are they really asking about the unhappiness of their own lives? If so, I think it might help to be outright about it."

Articulating a "feeling that nothing is a waste of time" is to make it a thought. The only way we can talk about a serene feeling is to ask if it is a serene truth.

If you don't like that, then say why you think it makes a difference. Don't just say that my words are invalid.

HC wrote:

I changed nothing. The OP conflated "thought" with "feeling". The distinction does not change the value of what I said in any way.
I quote:
"I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time. When people ask about the meaninglessness of life are they really asking about the unhappiness of their own lives? If so, I think it might help to be outright about it."

Articulating a "feeling that nothing is a waste of time" is to make it a thought. The only way we can talk about a serene feeling is to ask if it is a serene truth.

If you don't like that, then say why you think it makes a difference. Don't just say that my words are invalid.

No, the OP didn't conflate 'thought' with 'feeling'. It offered up someone else's opinion as to what 'Serenity' is. I wanted to focus on that, rather than the follow up sentences. That is why I asked JS where this came from.
I read your post, have my thoughts on it, but wanted to give JS an opportunity to reply first.
However, alpha's thumbs-up response caught my attention. The focus now on an apparently 'good point': 'The only serene truth is to realise that every moment is meaningless'. This is a change of OP's initial claim re 'Serenity': 'Serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time'.

Now you are saying that 'the only way we can talk about a serene feeling is to ask if it is a serene truth'.
Again, we are getting further away from the starting point: the definition of the concept of 'Serenity'.

We can ask: 'is it true that serenity is 'X' ?'

marjoram_blues wrote:

JS: I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time.

Where did you hear this?

I can't remember. Does it matter?

The point I mean to make is not whether life is meaningless or meaningful, but that there is a feeling that it is meaningful, and that feeling is called "serenity." I also tried to sneak in some psychology. Does life suck? If so, why not be super brave and just say it instead of hiding behind phrases like "life is meaningless" (I'm aware not all comments on the possible meaninglessness of life are from a depressed state)?

Jaded Sage wrote:

marjoram_blues wrote:

JS: I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time.

Where did you hear this?

I can't remember. Does it matter?

It matters in the sense of giving it some context. Also, I usually like to follow any potential words of wisdom to their source.
No matter if you can't remember.

How do you define 'Serenity' ?

Jaded Sage wrote:The point I mean to make is not whether life is meaningless or meaningful, but that there is a feeling that it is meaningful, and that feeling is called "serenity." I also tried to sneak in some psychology. Does life suck? If so, why not be super brave and just say it instead of hiding behind phrases like "life is meaningless" (I'm aware not all comments on the possible meaninglessness of life are from a depressed state)?

actually, life has no apparent meaning, even in the absence of depression, which in itself is quite depressing (for people who are truly inquisitive, and truth oriented). things like existential depression for instance.

marjoram_blues wrote:

JS: I have heard that serenity is the feeling that nothing is a waste of time.

Where did you hear this?

I can't remember. Does it matter?

It matters in the sense of giving it some context. Also, I usually like to follow any potential words of wisdom to their source.
No matter if you can't remember.

How do you define 'Serenity' ?

Good point. It was just a quote I found. The first part is "bordem" is the feeling that everything is a waste of time. It might cheer some of us up to know that we are not sad, only bored. Once I heard that definition of serenity I fell in love with it. It also seemed very true. The only problem is that it seems inspiration and serenity are often in the same place at the same time. So I wonder if inspiration can be defined as a kind of excited serenity.