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Are we wasting our lives?

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I am sure everyone here knows what I'm talking about: when I mention Star Wars and all the issued related to it, sometimes people react like "oh shut up you geek, get a life...". Are we really wasting time on fiction and fantasy that exists only in our minds? Are we losing precious times of our lifes pretending to be someone else in outer space? Is it worth spending time and money (lot's of it) on such childish dreams? Maybe instead of watching Star Wars and debating if the new sarlaac pit is better than the old one, we should be enjoying REAL life?
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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Well, my opinion is that if anyone is actually on this forum enough hours of the day that their personal life suffers, then, yes, they need a life. However, I don't see that happening. I'm the top poster around here and posting on this site has far from screwed up my personal life (it was pretty screwed up before this site existed, so don't worry). Debating and having an opinion is a healthy thing, even if it is a sci fi movie series. I have found that many people I have talked to about this subject are actually happy to know that there is someone who knows what is going on and can help them understand. I don't go espousing this stuff like some televangelist, but if someone shows interest, I'll talk to them. It's just like any other topic. You have to be selective about who you talk to and what you say? Would you try to impress a girl on a first date by talking about baseball stats? Not likely. Same goes with this. Just don't let it control your life and you're fine.

As for the people that are spending so much time on re-editing the films and creating new DVDs... I can't say how their love of the films affects their life. But I won't hold it against them because they are the ones that I rely on to get my fix. God bless 'em.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
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Bossk I didn't mean us here, at this forum. When I'm at work I leave the forum on an mozilla browser open (as well as other 24 applications and 11 browser windows I use at the same time), and I post whenever I feel like taking a break from ERPs configurations and SQL queries. I'm pretty sure it's the same thing for anyone here.

What I meant as an example was, generaly speaking, every single movie or series fan there is. Star Wars, Star Trek, whataver it is... Don't you think we generally spend too much time on fantasy, on unexistent things, such as movies and sci-fi in general? We all spend money and time of our lifes in Star Wars, or any other thing, did we LOSE this time of our actual lifes?

BTW, don't worry Jay, I don't log in, so even though I leave the browser opened all the time, it's not using the session object from your server.
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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Everyone has to have passions. Mine happens to be movies. Why not tell motorcycle enthusiasts that they're wasting their lives? Model train builders? Book fans? Etc. Etc. Ad infinitum.

Our passion just happens to be Star Wars. Yeah, we've spent money on it. We've collected the toys, read the books, watched the movies, talked about it with friends, debated it, and frequent websites about it. The same goes with anyone with passions. I don't feel like I've wasted my life. My wife might tease me for being obsessed with it, but c'est la vie. There might be some people who need to get a life because they take it too far and, as I said in my first post, you just have to control your level of obsession. I can't speak for all Star Wars and scifi fans, but I know I don't go overboard.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
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I'm not trying to sound like a hardass, but I used to have some rather bad habits. So in my case, and I'm 26, I see watching sci-fi, talking on the internet, playing video games, ect as far healthier enterprises than what I have done and could still be doing. I know that the original question is, by being such avid sci-fi lovers/geeks, are we in fact wasting time that could be used for building inter-personal relationships and enjoying the 'outside' world? For me at least, a little bit of that stuff goes a long way. So if people think I "need to get a life" that's fine, but I'm pretty happy and pretty proud of myself.
40,000 million notches away
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I'm with Bossk; as long as it doesn't cross the line from hobby to obsession, I think we're OK. My wife would say that film for me is an obsession, but so is the MSN Zone for her, if we're making comparisons.

Princess Leia: I happen to like nice men.
Han Solo: I'm a nice man.

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Ooohhhh... MSN Zone. I was hooked on that once. Forced myself away. Haven't been there in almost two years. Phew. Those word games are addicting.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
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everyone pretends at one point of another, ric.

when guys get together on sunday nights and watch the game, when girls get together and discuss male superstars and their wives/girlfriends or when the ice skating world championships are on.

i love sports, but i also love movies - especially star wars. i dont feel like wasting my life or my time.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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I never let the fantasy world from books, movies or TV get into my life: I watch 2 or 3 hours of TV per week (one hour of discovery channel at saturdays, half hour of fox on sundays, 10 to 20 minutes of local news every day), I haven't seen a movie in a long time, and I stoped reading books lately, as I stoped my business travels for a while and I'm only able to read at hotels and airports.

Yet, when I'm watching Star Wars, or I'm reading Hitchiker's Guide or whatever, sometimes I think to myself "Why am I doing this? Why am I spending money and taking time out of my schedule to admire something false, some unreal world? Why do I love those geek things? Why do I enjoy being such a nerd?" - Have any of you ever feel guilty or bad about it? Did you ever think about it?
“Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” — Nazi Reich Marshal Hermann Goering
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Never once felt guilty. Never once questioned why.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
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kapgar.com
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Ric, I'm just curious, but what do you consider to be 'real' time? Socializing? being around other people?
40,000 million notches away
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Everyone needs an escape now and then. Shooting Gungans to relieve stress...The problem is if the escapism gets in the way of the important things in life.

I think, however, that I am with Ric on this.

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The real world stinks.
Crime, pollution, politics, jimbo, famine, lawyers, war, UN, disease, hunger.

So you curl up in a fantasy world where you know things are going to end up working out. Everyone wants something to provide them with a deversion from their problems.
Some people want more a deversion than others (ST fans that dress up as Klingons vs. ST fans that don't).
Some people want a different kind of deversion from other people (ST fans vs. SW fans).
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I'm still a bit drunk from my ex's birthday drinks last night but I thought I'd chime in anyway.

While it's true to say that our obsessions could be more a more productive one, no-one chooses the things that they like, the things that get them off. It's like who you find attractive or love, it's an unavoidable unquestionable desire to spend more time with the person, subject or object that draws you to it. Like a moth to a flame sometimes but so be it.

We ARE living our lives, we wouldn't be able to post if we weren't, well maybe Zombie Chewbacca could still post, but to suggest we're wasting our lives... what should we be doing with them?

I don't think that being a fan of scifi, horror, westerns, French comedies, Godzilla, porn etcetera stops me from going out and meeting people, having fun and being successful in my chosen field (which happens to be film) any more than barrackers for the Roosters and Bulldogs game last weekend were unable to live their lives to the full.

But as many have said before me, all things in moderation.
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Goering.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." - Goebbels.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - Orwell.
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Soren Kierkegaard at one point or another made a case for the point of existence. He said that to be considered truly alive, truly existing, we must have passion.
Im sure that you can argue the line between passion and obsession. But the point is still relevant. Accepting the mundane, not exercising our amazing imaginations, not having passions, things we love, etc. thats just a silly way to live life. IMO.

I felt that this was relevant, sorry if its really not. *Crawls back to the shadows*


EDITED FOR SILLY SPELLING
"You don't own space, so stop actin' like you do."
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Lethe in all honesty, that above post represents why you are one of my favourite posters here.

A Star Wars fan who quotes Kierkegaard!

*HIGH FIVE!*

(anyone?... high five goes begging... ahlrightythen...)
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Goering.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." - Goebbels.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - Orwell.
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Right on man, Ive definitely appreciated your thoughts over on the "its official" thread. Im glad a few others have heard of/read Kierkegaard, its a bit tough I think, but its great stuff.
"You don't own space, so stop actin' like you do."
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Søren Kierkegård has some interesting view and thoughts, but the problem with SK is that its a heavy read. you really have to be in it.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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Hey guys, I have been interested in philosophy for a while now but have no idea where to get started when it comes to reading it. I know this may be a bit off topic here, but what would be a good first book for someone with interest and no clue whatsoever?
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
-------------------------
Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
kapgar.typepad.com
kapgar.com
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aristoteles, socrates, seneca, rousseau, voltaire, spinoza... that should keep you occupied for some time.
"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."
Qui-Gon Jinn (R.I.P.)
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On Liberty by John Stewart Mill.

Anything by David Hume.
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Goering.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." - Goebbels.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - Orwell.
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Any fan of SK is worth talking too. But you are right he is a bit of a heavy read, not something you thumb through on the toilet.

On topic:

Life has to be balanced, and if one doesnt have a balance, of in this case leisure and productiveness, one will wilt. Ever spent all night wrapped in philosophical thought, wrestling with the so called grand questions? Yeah when i do that after a time i feel like i need to come up for a breathe. That is where entertainment like SW comes in, or when my wife comes in and pulls me from my brooding mode. I turn into a awfly hard person to be around, when i dont breathe so to speak. Not to mention i regress back into my extreme introversion... Thank the Maker for some form of light heartedness...

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Hey guys, I have been interested in philosophy for a while now but have no idea where to get started when it comes to reading it. I know this may be a bit off topic here, but what would be a good first book for someone with interest and no clue whatsoever?


Bossk: if you are interested in a starting off text, go find Looking At Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter by Donald Palmer. It is by no means the most unbiased book, but it does a very good job in summarizeing philosophy in laymens terms. It is a good place to start out...
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Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I appreciate it.
"You fell victim to one of the classic blunders, the most famous of which is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia'."
--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), The Princess Bride
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Kevin A
Webmaster/Primary Cynic
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kapgar.com
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When we first tackled Soren in my Existentialism class last semester, I didnt get it. It takes some real focus and occassionally lots of re-reading. But honestly, after assimilating his work, its become some of my favorite.

Bossk id also recommend Nietzche and Sarte. I primarily recommend existentialism to people when they are first getting into philosophy. I feel like its a lot more relevant for people - I mean, it tackles questions that have import to most everyone.
But you should also consider some more foundational stuff. Descartes, Hume, Locke. From them you will get an idea of the foundations of contemporary philosophy. Older, "classics", like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, etc. are important, but I dont feel, as relevant.

Regicidal, what do you think of Dante? And have you by chance read any of Virgil's work?
"You don't own space, so stop actin' like you do."
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I'm familiar with some of Alighieri's philosophy and I tried to read the Commedia, I got a great deal of the way through but many other things got in the way and I'm not a huge fan of that style of prose.

I've not read any Virgil yet.

I feel that Plato, Socrates and Aristotle are necessary reads alongside Descartes, Hume, Locke, Bacon, Mill, Popper, Quine, Kuhn, Kant, Nietzsche, Satre, Voltaire, Russell and Chomsky.

Especially Bertrand Russell.

Maybe I'll get around to Virgil one day.
"The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Goering.

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." - Goebbels.

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - Orwell.