Simple Survival Isn’t What Mankind Is Meant For

There’s a quote that came out of ancient Greece that I have always really loved. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Fundamentally, the only thing that truly separates man from the rest of the animals is his capability to consider his life and to better his situation and circumstances. The animal kingdom never thinks about life in those kinds of terms.

But a human merely living for simple pleasures and for plain survival isn’t much different from an animal. That’s the reason why the quote is so significant. If you aren’t thinking about your life, why you’re alive, how to better your present circumstance, and your place in the grand scheme, then you’re really missing out. Let’s be honest, life is short. Living just to survive isn’t a good long term answer.

If this is where you’re at, in a situation where you’re just surviving, you really ought to try to find methods of doing more meaningful things with your time. It can be extremely difficult to do, especially in this economy, but it’s really essential. Everybody has something they care about or could care about, they just need to discover what that is.

I have personally had to watch two business projects go under, projects I had poured years of my life into, not to mention a bit of investment money. Even now, after multiple screw ups, I realize the value of following things you care about. The mess ups were not total losses anyway, they taught me perseverance and persistence.

Doing something you care about is what takes somebody from simple survival to living their life to the limits. If you’re too busy or too scared to go after what you care about, you may find that you wake up one morning with the dark feelings of regret regret. Life is short after all and you only get one shot at it. Nobody wants to look back on their days and come to the realization that they should have done more.

Ben Mester is a writer who loves to write about life in general and how to find inspiration for doing things you care about. If you enjoyed this, check out Bible verses about perseverance and Bible verses about wisdom.