What do you think are the advantages/disadvantages of taking life seriously, versus living life relaxed and a little bit careless?

Advantages of taking a relaxed approach:
You take things with a pinch of salt,
you suffer less disappointment,
everything just flows easier, you spend less time worrying and stressing over nothing and more time enjoying life as it comes to you, you can see what’s in front of you rather than thinking about what you don’t have.

I live my life like this, at least I try, I really love it, I don’t care about making shitloads of money or getting respect from people that don’t even know my first name or any of that rubbish. I care about making the ones in my life, the ones close to me, happy, and enjoying their company. Basically I’m not going to invent a cure for cancer anytime soon.

The problems with this is that when a serious situation hits, which it will at some point or another, it is difficult to deal with it, when you need to step up and take responsibility, it is hard to adjust. This has caused problems with my academic work mainly, it needs me to be organised and, just, there, i can’t sit back and watch it happen.

In any case I think it would be better to have a balance of the two, makes for a well-adjusted person.

Really great answer @TheOnlyException. You’ve summed it up really well, and made some good points. I do agree that when serious situations arise taking responsibility and dealing with the situation, is much harder.

“All input will be thoroughly read and encased in my brain for me to dig up and ruminate on when necessary.”

Sounds like you need more of approach number 2. Seriously, life has to be a balance. The first approach can make you crazy if applied to the messy aspects of life, but the second approach without some of the first will land you in a mess.

@marinelife I’m only joking with that line by the way ;) , I’m not really going to ruminate on all input, well maybe a little. I get what you’re saying though, I think I’m balancing both approaches pretty well. What about you?

@HTDC I do my best.

In the end it doesn’t make any difference….we all end up dead anyway.

SERIOUSLY….why does this whole experience that is “life” happen?

I’m having one of those days

Do you want to guess which is closer to my approach to life?

Damn – I was sure that you could guess.

(You can react in a relaxed manner – but life is something that you really have to take seriously. )

@marinelife Ah, good to know.

@j0ey I have those days almost everyday. I think everyone ponders those types of questions more than people think or would like to admit anyway.

@DarkScribe

Is it too late to guess now?

Or you can react in a serious manner, but live life relaxed. Both sound plausible.

I’ve taken life too seriously for too long. I don’t even know how to have fun. Which sucks, I think a front lobe lobotomy is in order.

If you take life seriously most of the time, you can afford to lighten up and enjoy it when you want.

Go ahead and enjoy the skydiving weekend but have some decent life insurance.

I’m in the take appropriate action when necessary but otherwise hang loose camp.

People are their own worst enemies…always needing to create problems when there are none.

Whenever I get a bit stressed I always ask myself what ‘problem’ do I have right NOW?

9 out of 10 times I have no problem in the present moment that needs attention.

I live by the mantra of I’ll deal with it when it happens!

I waste no energy on fictitious mind stuff…all that ‘what if’ crap that controls the human mind to the point of never being present in the present moment.

I don’t let the fact that I have to prepare my taxes by the 15th get in the way of the dinner party I am having tonight!

Live in the moment!

I definitely try to live life carelessly, and I think I do too good of a job at it sometimes. I don’t know if I would recommend it as a way to live. I sometimes feel like because I’m so laid back I miss certain things and/or I subconsciously ignore them in order to stay carefree.

I’m my own psychologist.

It depends entirely on what your goals are. If you want to advance in education and career, you have to work hard and take most things seriously, but allow yourself some ‘down’ time as well. If you want to be relaxed, and you have the ability to just take life as it comes, then follow your nature.