Rules to Stop Wasting Life [Discussion]

[u/hardwireddiscipline]

Most of us aren’t really living, we’re just wasting time.
We tell ourselves we’ll start tomorrow.
We drown in comfort.
We numb ourselves with noise.

The Stoics warned us about this. They weren’t just philosophers, they were people fighting against the same weaknesses we face today. Seneca put it brutally: “It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”

Lately I’ve been asking myself: how much of my time is really lived, and how much is just wasted?
The 4 Stoic rules that keep coming back to me are:

1. Remember you’re dying (Memento Mori)
2. Choose pain over comfort
3. Stop lying to yourself
4. Do the work in silence

For me, comfort as a slow poison is the hardest truth. It’s so easy to slip into scrolling, eating, or procrastinating and call it “rest.” But it’s not rest. It’s wasting life.

What about you? Which of these rules feels most urgent in today’s world, and why?

[u/Arijan101]

LoL who's drowning in comfort? You think the average person who's forced to work for a living and has kids to take care of is drowning in comfort?

[u/MegaGecko → u/Arijan101]

I think you are being disingenuous with these responses. I understand what you're trying to say but it's kind of coming off like you're straw manning his point. It's not a leap to say that collectively people waste a lot of their time, and that's not advocating for "hustle culture", it's being human. Even the most devoutly disciplined I dividual with a precise and rigid routine will find time to waste. There isn't anything inherently wrong with taking a break and getting some r&r. That being said, everything in moderation and I'm sorry but saying that someone is safer at home scrolling vs going to work or the gym is beyond missing the point, bordering on asinine.

I have two kids and my wife and I both work two jobs, and we're starting a business. I don't feel I am in this "hustle bro" category at all, but I also don't think I'm in "work or die" category either, but I definitely have been. People need to find their balance but they also need to stop lying to themselves. Sometimes it is within our best interest to push a little more and to get a little more uncomfortable. It doesn't have to be a permanent thing, and it shouldn't be. If we are in a bad living situation we should ask ourselves what we want and establish SMART goals then start working on them. This might mean you get less sleep for a while, and you can't go do all the things you want to do, and it might even just straight up suck... But only for a while.

If someone already feels hopeless, burnt out, and defeated I promise it is only going to compound those feelings if you you choose to waste time. This is me being honest with myself more than anything... Case in point, there are a great many things I should be doing but I am laying in bed after a night of 4 hr of sleep and having to get up early to get my kids off to school. I know my anxiety isn't going to get any better sitting here but it's my choice and I'm making it.

[u/Arijan101 → u/MegaGecko]

I think you are being disingenuous with these responses.

Said the guy who's entire response is a thinly vailed humble brag.

I have two kids and my wife and I both work two jobs, and we're starting a business. I don't feel I am in this "hustle bro" category at all, but I also don't think I'm in "work or die" category either, but I definitely have been. People need to find their balance but they also need to stop lying to themselves. Sometimes it is within our best interest to push a little more and to get a little more uncomfortable. It doesn't have to be a permanent thing, and it shouldn't be. If we are in a bad living situation we should ask ourselves what we want and establish SMART goals then start working on them. This might mean you get less sleep for a while, and you can't go do all the things you want to do, and it might even just straight up suck... But only for a while.

The definition of hustle culture. If hustle culture was a company they'd have you as their mascot.

If someone already feels hopeless, burnt out, and defeated I promise it is only going to compound those feelings if you you choose to waste time.

If someone indeed feels hopeless and burnt out, just let them know it's their fault for not working hard enough, that should set them straight.

This is me being honest with myself more than anything... Case in point, there are a great many things I should be doing but I am laying in bed after a night of 4 hr of sleep and having to get up early to get my kids off to school.

But are you really being honest to yourself? Because by the looks of it, what you should be doing is having more rest and taking better care of yourself, at least for your family's sake if not for your own.

[u/MegaGecko → u/Arijan101]

*veiled, ftfy.

Do you think everyone is humble bragging when they share things about their life? It's not a brag at all, its context.

Maybe we should get our definitions straight because I don't think what I said is hustle culture at all. My definition of hustle culture is being a workaholic AND thinking everyone else should be too. I don't believe that at all, and I'm not a workaholic whatsoever. What's your definition?

I never said it was the fault of the individual. There are more things that happen to us than because of us. We can't control most things and we will only drive ourselves crazy thinking we can. If you agree, then wouldn't it also follow that we should focus on what we can control? Also, the last bit about no sleep and such is probably what you equate to hustle culture mentality but it's far more of a reality as we get older and have more responsibilities.

I appreciate you talking about self care, and you're right. Good sleep is important and we should make that a priority in our lives, but we shouldn't fall apart if we have a bad night of sleep. It happens, and this won't be the last time.

I get that you don't agree with me and you feel like you have me all figured out, which is fine. This feels like an agree to disagree situation.

[u/Truestew → u/Arijan101]

You don't understand how the body or mind works. Also just kind of a dick. He was just sharing his experience, that doesnt make it a humble brag. Not sure if you are a bot or just an angry person.

Resting doesnt make you stronger or healthier. Challenging yourself through Eustress does. Distress is a different thing. Its a fact of our evolution, we are built to push ourselves in healthy ways. Not pushing yourself is what makes you weaker. But keep twisting it into hustle culture, I assume to make yourself feel better?

Things arent black and white, telling someone to work hard is not blaming them. I was severly depressed, and while the drugs made me non-sucidal, the only thing that made me feel better was months of consistent exercise, healthy eating, and putting down my phone and putting in work. It doesnt have to be to make money, but only by doing something challenging will you find meaning. Resting did not make me feel better. It just made me more depressed, lonely, and sick.

I dont expect you to read or educate yourself on the matter though, so I look forward to your downvote and snippy reply.