What causes so many people electing to live a gray and nondescript life?

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   What causes so many people electing to live a gray and nondescript life?
   
   So many people prefer to live a life within parameters.  They follow the rules of their family, religion, and society.  They oftentimes accept such rules with little question.  They follow the particular life script of their family, religion, and society.  They are afraid to venture out of this prescribed script because this is a familiar zone to them.  To venture out of this zone would make them quite uncomfortable to say the least.  They prefer a life of security/comfort although mediocre than to venture and really live their BEST life!
   
   

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2. 82

   grand old ladyposted 11 years ago

   I think many people go through life when they pass through a grey period. I've seen it happen a lot, and then the grey period ends. Life is like that, ups and downs. Some, however, are simply caught and know no way out of pain. These are people who have been so hurt psychologically. They learned to believe they are unworthy and subconsciously, they resort to self destructive behavior. Intervention can sometimes help them. But sometimes, some people don't reach out to others, and when you realize their pain it's too late. I'm thinking here of Cory Monteith who always seemed so wholesome. He was so young when he died. We have to keep our eyes open and our hearts ready to find people like this in our community and to reach out for them.

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   Angela Jeterposted 11 years ago

   Well I think we grow to stability with those social standings because we are afraid to step outside our comfort zone, as we don't know what to accept.

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4. 88

   Billie Kelpinposted 11 years ago

   Oh boy, you're singing the refrain of my life, here, GM.  As we speak, I'm trying to get my husband out of the Swedish-grandkid-of-immigrants-to-America-at-the-turn-of-the-century and pastor's-grandkid synonym of "Well, that's it cha know" uttered with a sigh of resignation and try to get him to think outside of the box for his 66th birthday party, for goodness sake! Uff-da! Talk about pulling teeth!  "But this is too expensive. We have to wait until the house is sold."  Meanwhile, do the adult kids look really forward to the same old boring birthday party?  No! Are we creating a peak experience for them? No!
   
   So it's all psychological programming.  The problem as I see it, in answer to your question, is that no one even RAISES this question!  No one explains well enough the effect of past programming on our belief system.  No one asks, "What if there WERE no heaven or hell?"  Thank goodness, my freshman sociology professor had the courage to ask that question.  Studying other cultures that year opened my eyes to the fact that my beliefs were from my family, my culture, the religion I was born into. But that doesn't make those beliefs right or good or even beneficial to the soul.
   There is recently a strong conservative force in America that pushes us to "walk the line." You should go to MY church, cut your grass like I do, rise to the top like I'm able to, never grieve someone's death (just celebrate their life), don't let anything get you down, be positive, and on and on and on. 
   
   It's in the asking of the question as you have, that people begin to think.  It's good that you asked, GM

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, Billie.  I was just thinking that so many people are so fearful of really living life on their terms.  It is for easier for them to follow the parameters set by their family, religion, and/or society. The "reward" is quite purgatorial!

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   2. 88

      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      GM,Thank you! "Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character had abounded;...the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of...mental vigor..courage which it contained."John Stuart Mill

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5. 52

   tbHistorianposted 11 years ago

   Fear causes people to live a gray, nondescript life. This is caused by lack of wisdom within the individual due to tyrannical leadership during the youth years.
   The current USA government is a prime example of the tyranny that generates a gray, nondescript lifestyle for individuals.  Under the current radical concepts being embraced by the federal government, the individual has no right to choose.
   This denial of personal freedom to choose then leads to a manifestation of lethargic and apathetic thinking.  With this growth of unmotivated individuals, the disinterested cancer spreads a deviant rudeness through the society.
   While the adventurous individual easily recognizes that passive, emotionless people are more vulnerable to loss of self-control, the weak individual does not possess the wisdom required to seek adventure.  Society recognizes the weak and the strong, but seldom repairs the weak due to the apathetic fissure within the society.  It may be caused by our lack of faith in our neighbors.  It may be a result of the apathetic political process.  But more likely it is due to the huge increase in welfare-slavery that has descended upon the USA.
   The apathetic individual is easily conditioned by tyrannical government, so the politician continues the welfare-slavery as a means to control.  The weak apathetic individual normally gravitates to a feeling of cowardice.  Through lack of positive inner power to change his own destiny the welfare-slave easily throws away his natural right to liberty.  The apathetic welfare-slave will gladly surrender his liberty and support surrender for his neighbor to anyone promising to relieve his need to reason, plan a future, and assume personal responsibility.
   The demands of liberty scare the apathetic individual because they must possess the internal power to pursue their own desires.  This means they must challenge any opposition to that plan.  The apathetic person does not recognize the true worth of the capitalist world because they do not understand that capitalism is based on the natural law and principles of self-achievement.
   While some individuals prosper through learning to overcome the fear of society, many continue to seek only the gray, nondescript existence because it is much easier to rely on others for advancement and direction.  This is why the USA society has currently reached a dangerous level of destruction.  This in turn has continued to fuel the fear of those who are apathetic.

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6. 60

   GeorgeMarisposted 11 years ago

   I have one word that can answer that question, acceptance .I'm in the process of writing another book based on societal views. In the latter part of the question refereeing to "best life" people are willing to give up their "characteristics", themselves, before living a full life. The reasons are based on how one views himself/herself. Societal roles play a lot in ones "deemed behavior" and want to feel accepted. When in fact, they find out much too late, it doesn't matter. It's a do, don't society. You either do this or conform to the environment in which you live. People have to give up something in order to get something, and their not willing to do that.

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