Why do anything?

santana75

I've been reading a lot about how we are born complete, perfect already, that nothing we do can add or take from our value. I feel that this is true, but one question bugs me and thats, why would we do anything if nothing we do will change what we are? Why do we get so worked up about things and worry about our value and worth in the world, when we've already got the keys to the kingdom?

JustTheOne

santana75 wrote: »

I've been reading a lot about how we are born complete, perfect already, that nothing we do can add or take from our value. I feel that this is true, but one question bugs me and thats, why would we do anything if nothing we do will change what we are? Why do we get so worked up about things and worry about our value and worth in the world, when we've already got the keys to the kingdom?

Kind of like predeterminism.

Everything we do and will become was always gonna happen.

Free will is an illusion. Everything is just following a path it was always gonna take.

santana75

JustTheOne wrote: »

Kind of like predeterminism.

Everything we do and will become was always gonna happen.

Free will is an illusion. Everything is just following a path it was always gonna take.

You know what an answer just came to me and I think its along the same lines........we do the things we do because its an expression of who we really are. We dont do these things to gain anything or to make us more worthy, because if you do then you'll always suffer because outcome will be your master. I think its the same thing as saying, Expect nothing, just do what your heart wants you to do, not to get anything but because its your nature.

Black Swan

In the nature vs nurture debate, does it appear that this OP focuses primarily on the nature side of the question? If so, how do you describe, explain, and predict learning; i.e., one of many forms of nurture?

Joe1919

santana75 wrote: »

I've been reading a lot about how we are born complete, perfect already, that nothing we do can add or take from our value. I feel that this is true, but one question bugs me and thats, why would we do anything if nothing we do will change what we are? Why do we get so worked up about things and worry about our value and worth in the world, when we've already got the keys to the kingdom?

You might be interested in a key principle (in Taoism) of 'Wu-wei' or "non-doing." Wu-wei refers to behavior that arises from a sense of oneself as connected to others and to one's environment. It is not motivated by a sense of separateness. It is action that is spontaneous and effortless. At the same time it is not to be considered inertia, laziness, or mere passivity.

http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/june98/tao.html

voz es

santana75 wrote: »

I've been reading a lot about how we are born complete, perfect already, that nothing we do can add or take from our value. I feel that this is true, but one question bugs me and thats, why would we do anything if nothing we do will change what we are? Why do we get so worked up about things and worry about our value and worth in the world, when we've already got the keys to the kingdom?

I would put it down to Knowledge, hope and external influences both the attractiveness of situations and negative phenomena all interlinked with time.

experiMental

The world is functioning in such a way that we have to do stuff in order to support ourselves.

In theory, you could live in a jungle, which has food and water all year round. However, you will have to put in some effort, in order to get that food and water.

There are not enough jungles to accommodate every person on earth, and not everyone can live with tropical diseases.

So unfortunately, we live in a civilised world, and it has a whole pyramid of things, where the owners are on top, and producers on the bottom. So if you want to live in a civilization, you either have to be a producer with lower standard of life or keep rising through a pyramid of things and activities to be an owner. To achieve either of those things, you have to do stuff.