Welcome to Gaia! ::

EDIT: And I mean that metaphorically.

So I'm pretty sure you're all aware of the heated debates I've been having recently with NoLifeKing66 (well, heated on my end), one of which is a discussion of one's life experiences and the consequenting world views in the thread "Angel of Death: Willing or Not?" NLK's statement that Walter views the world as "a cheap, one-night, one-act comedy show" only pushed me to question my own views on life, and I found the answer.

To me, Life is a giant ballroom and we are dancers that constantly flow in and out. We all come onto the dance floor not knowing a single step, yet there is no place to sit down, so we must observe and learn from those who are already here before they leave. Some of us are insecure, some of us are crippled, some of us don't even like to dance, but for some obscure reason most of us don't want to leave (with the exception of those that go early via suicide), so what choice do we have? We keep dancing.

Different people dance in different ways (some go faster, some go slower, etc). Sometimes we clash with people who go at a different pace than ours (bump into them, step on their foot, etc) and conflict breaks out, so naturally we like to dance among people who go at a similar pace as us. Still, many of us long for a single partner to to harmonize our movements with, and many of us spend the entire night searching. Some of us never find that special partner, some of us find many partners, some of us are content to dance with a group of familiar people, some of us dance alone, some of us are ******** crippled and can't move; but what choice do we have? The party doesn't stop just because we're having a lousy time. All we can do is keep dancing.

That's my take on life. Now it's your turn HGS, I'm very interested to know: what is your metaphorical take on the world? biggrin

P.S. Please explain when you make your statement. It doesn't have to be long paragraphs like mine, it can be as simple as: "Life is a box of cherries: sometimes you get good ones, sometimes you get bad ones" instead of just saying "Life is a box of cherries" and leaving it blank. I'm interested in knowing what you think, but you gotta say it in words that people like me can understand. sweatdrop

This bears greater contemplation, but for now I'd hazard a guess that each person will use an analogy that they find personal and familiar to describe life. An artist or someone passionate about color might talk of an empty canvas, a music lover might hear life as a great symphony. For the short term response, I have to say I think in story terms. A spin off of my view that history is the greatest story ever told that will continue to be told as long as time exists. Thus each life is a portion of that greater story, some folks write themselves a chapter or even a volume, others try their hardest but wind up with only a footnote. Some focus on the details and descriptions, others on the grand movements and themes. The idea of a story is complex enough to encompass life and thus work as an analogy, in part because it is life that creates stories.

Hmmm, not so short and sweet there, guess I wrote something for you after all. smile

I do like the image of a great dance, Shadow. I'm one who in a dance room would hug the walls and keep very still though so the analogy invokes trepidation and anxiety rather than the full scope of emotions and activity that I think you intend. I can visualize it as such, but I don't feel it that way.

I kinda agree with the philosophy that it's kind of a cheap comedy show. I mean people are always running around without truly knowing what they want to do with their lives so they scurry about trying to find some group to belong to and scrutinizing other people so as to hide their own insecurities. All you can really do is laugh at their willingness to accept being labeled and try to seek a freedom from such nonsence. It's why I love plucky comic relief. 3nodding People are so silly sometimes. sweatdrop

Not really, when you consider that all our analogies of grand orchestras, empty canvases and dances include a place for you and your thoughts on, and approach to, life.

As NLK and I have each said, we'll all take our own approaches and each has it's own place and beauty. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and who can really define beauty itself?