View Full Version : Whitewater kayaking.
If I had enough guts to do this, I would.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uNXh9gXDd2Y
If I had enough guts to do this, I would.
i wouldn't even if i could, since this exercise in futility brings nothing relevant or important, only temporary thrills, self-satisfaction, bragging rights, puts your name on some list & on some lips along with a few other trinkets for exposing your life/health to a completely unnecessary (or too extreme) risk level - what difference does it make if the record is at 20, 30 or 50m or if there is no record at all? essentially none, its irrelevant - in this particular example, it would be more relevant if the kayak driver resisted the urge to do this stunt (since that way it would be his will prevailing over the urge, sensing the auto-destructive impulse) and put some effort into figuring out where does this impulse come from, why does it push so hard, who is actually in control of the outcome, how does one overcome it, what does it mean & what relevance does it have regarding his own existence - i'm pretty sure none of these questions got any kind of serious contemplation, but thats common for adrenaline junkies i guess
but ofc, everyone is responsible only for their own life (with a few exceptions), which means they can do with it whatever they like, or in other words: to each his own
and sure, its cool & interesting, however such achievements are merely of superficial/illusory significance, which is also what makes them so popular/common (taking them at face value)
The achievement may be illusory but for some people who are into different sports like this one it's part of what they like about life. You could look at it as a form of self-achievement in a corner of one's life. Everyone has goals. Whether they are short-term or long-term goals. Much like a career-oriented goal this is a recreational goal. Just of a different type. Some people have a goal to become literate b/c of what-ever hindrance they experienced previously. Some have work-related goals b/c they want to achieve something whether it be riches, a positional goal, or a sales achieved goal. As briefly mentioned earlier in this case, it's a recreational goal.
Also, for many it's a form of entertainment and not just a recreational goal. And this kind of entertainment brings a love of life. Who doesn't enjoy their life when they do something they like and have a passion for?? It's kind of like work or your employment. If you like your job alot, your going to look forward to coming to work. The same is like one's personal form of entertainment. If, for example, you love to go skydiving on weekends, your going to love getting that rush and think to yourself that you enjoy your life the way it is and all that you do in life.
@SealLion:
And this kind of entertainment brings a love of life.
sure, that is the superficial goal-orientation in life (acquiring/achieving/exercising entertaining or pleasing goals/activities, the popular: 'search for happiness'), to experience it for its results/rewards, as opposed to its meaning (for what it is) - which is why they are basically stuck with repeating such exercises/behavior/activities, which form a pattern/habit much like the hamster wheel, where one keeps running in circles (singing: i like/love it!) oblivious to the wheel, failing to closely inspect this setup/pattern
As briefly mentioned earlier in this case, it's a recreational goal.
kayaking would be recreation, this could be called extreme (ie. borderline suicidal) kayaking at which point the original recreational goal takes a back seat to the adrenaline addiction/craving - applies to any sport & their extreme cousins/variations
Who doesn't enjoy their life when they do something they like and have a passion for?? It's kind of like work or your employment. If you like your job alot, your going to look forward to coming to work.
actually, employment would be an even worse pattern, one which is imposed by the societal/system framework, creating dependence on its financial (and other) rewards, where the employee is a (company) slave/pawn - however, this is a more obvious situation (and it takes some displeasing effort to maintain pleasing results/rewards), so even though a similar pattern is still being followed, you'll notice less (joyful) singing involved
interestingly enough, the surrounding matter/plants/animals are similarly stuck in their repeating patterns, more hopelessly than humans, yet humans prevalently satisfy themselves with such superficiality even though they have the ability to scratch & go beyond the surface - so if someone starts crying: 'why am i stuck in here?' the answer would be: 'you haven't done anything relevant to get unstuck, ie. your position is perfectly natural regarding your current condition or state of existence'
btw. exercising activities like recreation, entertainment, employment,... is all fine & dandy, as long as one doesn't identify with 'the hamster', obliviously stuck in his superficial patterns, hooked to their often enticing appeal - for, if one continuously identifies with 'the hamster', he shouldn't be too surprised to one day find out that: 'being the hamster' is all that he is/remains/knows
Well I don't know what to say then. :confused:
Maybe this will help explain it. If a recreational sport can (in some abstract or concrete way) be a goal orientation for someone who want's to gain experience in becoming better or more advanced in it which could actually have positive repercussions onto that person's life such as an increase in courage to face what-ever situation and this recreational goal is not necessarily supposed to be in any way directed to exposing him/her to find out the meaning of life then all I can respond back with is that maybe this goal could actually be interpreted to discover the meaning of his own life.
For all we know, for him, his meaning to life is to just simply enjoy life. That life is meant to be enjoyed rather than trying to figure out the philosophical angle of it. And the reason why he's 'stuck' in repeating it is b/c it's part of his tendency to enjoy his recreation. He wants to enjoy life so he continues to participate in it on a recurring basis.
As with the hamster (neglecting for a moment the difference in intelligence levels btw humans and rodents and yes, even rodents do have a sense of intelligence) it's not really so much as inspecting the setup of the wheel as opposed to just simply enjoying it. For what reason would a hamster ( or a person cogitating philosophically) need to inspect a wheel to figure it out so as to enjoy it. Why not just simply enjoy what the contraption brings??
As for the employment scenario. To have employment is important. disregarding the societal dues aspect but more importantly for keeping one's mind occupied. To be honest, I'd rather work 10 hours a day than sit in the living room chair and stare at the wall all day. My mind would literally sink into oblivion never to be recaptured for better use elsewhere.
I don't quite understand how a displeasing effort in the form of actual work whether it's for a company or single employer could be construed as a displeasing effort to gain a pleasing reward. The actual work effort can be pleasing because the person actually enjoys the task. The task is something that the person is looking forward to each morning. Kind of like having a latte with a pumpkin-cranberry muffin I had the other day. Yumm. It was pleasurable. And so just like with finishing my work after a 10 hour work day, I see the reward that I've given myself. I look at my work and I am pleased with it and at the end of the day I get another reward in the form of a pay-cheque.
I might be slave to the societal framework but that's the way it is. What else would I rather do than work?? I'd rather work to keep myself physically and mentally occupied. I'd rather work to give myself a reward of some kind than to sit and do nothing all day.
And with respect to the 'crying' and crying about why one is stuck in some position, I'd interpret that as that they are stuck b/c they keep themselves stuck. One has options in life. And more than one at that. It's not so much that they are in a position which is perfectly natural for them regarding their current condition or state of existence. It's only natural b/c they maintain that position by their own accord. Then that would be a natural state of existence but not b/c of some kind of natural selection or something. Their own position is maintained simply b/c they chose that position. It's the same as one choosing to have a job or not . One can choose to do some kind of employment that they like to do and experience some pleasurable reward later on or choose to work a 'dead-end' job with little to no satisfaction where there isn't going to be any singing of "I like/I love" rather " I hate" But I think that if I'm reading you right, I think that where you use the term 'relevance' in your post is similar to what I've just said with respect to choice. Though as I'm reading your post, your suggesting that one's position is naturally construed which I disagree upon.
@SealLion:
Well I don't know what to say then.
Maybe this will help explain it.
if you like...its just looking at a thing from different perspectives, a more usual/common one (guided by an adopted personal/societal set of values/goals) and a more fundamental-aspiring one (guided by finding/recognizing the essentials)
maybe this goal could actually be interpreted to discover the meaning of his own life.
on one hand, if one discovers the essential meaning of one's own life, he would automatically have the answer to any life or all life, since thats what they fundamentally share or have in common (their essence) - on the other hand, kayaking, a form of recreation, a casual activity, is hardly something leading in this direction - granted, as in everything, there is something to learn there, there is something useful for the present/future, though of little importance regarding the aforementioned goal
For all we know, for him, his meaning to life is to just simply enjoy life.
hence superficial, his path of discovery will result in nothing more than perfecting/re-iterating the enjoyment (pattern) as long as he is physically able to do it, which is hardly something essential
For what reason would a hamster ( or a person cogitating philosophically) need to inspect a wheel to figure it out so as to enjoy it. Why not just simply enjoy what the contraption brings??
there's no problem with enjoying the wheel, but one cannot expect relevant discoveries by continuously indulging in this activity as its primary goal is to bring enjoyment, not enlightenment
To be honest, I'd rather work 10 hours a day than sit in the living room chair and stare at the wall all day. My mind would literally sink into oblivion never to be recaptured for better use elsewhere.
hehe, sure, you have to 'do' something ('thinking' is also a form of doing, 'staring' as well), but x hours of lets say 'shuffling' papers/numbers/data/material/tools hardly brings essential insight, especially since that 'shuffling' is not primarily aimed at this goal - as for the 'sinking' part, that would happen only if you can't really handle/control your mind, ie. if you don't really know it
The actual work effort can be pleasing because the person actually enjoys the task. The task is something that the person is looking forward to each morning.
that would be rationalization for the majority of employees (to keep 'em going as opposed to damning it all to hell & back again), for another minority it would be the enjoyment mentioned above, for others its automated activity, etc. - what they have in common is focus on completing the task (& the rewards), not examining it for what it really is
I'd interpret that as that they are stuck b/c they keep themselves stuck.
in effect yes, more accurately:
'what they did' + 'the external factors' = continuous interaction, the result got them stuck
'what they do' + 'the external factors' = continuous interaction, the result keeps them stuck
if they want to get unstuck its necessary to make relevant changes to 'what they do' and they might stand a chance, otherwise they're leaving it to chance
whatever the result, its a perfectly natural outcome
Hey SealLion;
Take a look a this video,:top:
http://vimeo.com/31240369
Hey SealLion;
Take a look a this video,:top:
That must be a blast!!
That, much like extreme kayaking in the video above, takes both fortitude and a set of skills to accomplish.
What a great video, Blocker.
On a side note, I have always found that Vimeo has some better quality videos than YT has. This is just another example of that quality.
I agree with you Seal Lion ,yeap Vimeo is a like a fancy YT with quality videos instead of quantity in most of the cases.
Hey what about the part of the video (2:46) when the guy did not wear a parachute or any security harness,he has the guts for that ,wooooww....:eek:
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