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/Loud_Huckleberry2363]

I have an important university entrance exam coming up in a month, and I haven't seriously started studying yet. This isn't how I used to be. In school, I was a high achiever; I took my studies seriously. While I enjoyed watching cartoons and playing games, I always managed to study on time. Now, this is my third gap year after finishing college, and I don’t know what happened to me. I’ve become anti-social and rarely go out only once every 3 to 4 months. I feel like I've hit rock bottom in my life.

I know I procrastinate a lot and tend to aim for perfection, but I don’t have the answers on how to fix it. I desperately want to return to my former self, yet I still haven't found a solution. I work on improving myself, but I keep failing again and again. This cycle of misery just continues.

[u/Sunshine1606 → u/Loud_Huckleberry2363]

That happened to me when my husband was tragically killed. Then I lost family members & had to move away from friends. I just laid in my bed & scrolled for a really long time over Covid. Getting out of bed was like crawling through thick mud with no arms. But life does get to a point that you have to push yourself. Because if I had kept it up I may not be here today. Thank heavens my blood caught something very early & praise God I changed health habits & am fine. I guess it comes to a point with motivation, even if you have depression, a pill is going to help but you’ve gotta really just love yourself. Push even if it’s painful. But don’t work so much you regret the lost special times with loved ones. Or being in nature. Putting your health at risk bc of procrastination. Obviously we all have to pay our bills, have a comfortable home, I had a roofing company for many years & very fulfilling but life really goes fast. It’s what’s most important to you. Do you really need the mansion, the boats, the trucks and the fishing condo in Fl Keyes? Ok, yes we need the fishing condo but the truck & mansion may make you work so hard you can’t enjoy them. Moderation. Tell your spouse & loved ones that you love them a lot. Life can change drastically in a blink of eye. I pray for everyone here it changes for the better!!