I am doing well, but.....

walkertexasdruid · 02-02-2015, 07:35 PM

I am finally in a position where I can live comfortably. I do not have to live paycheck to paycheck, I have decent job, have an nice car. For some reason, however, all of my interests do not make me as happy and content as they used to. My books, meh, my tv series and movies on dvd and bluray, meh, my video games, meh. I wish I could be happy, now that I no longer have to worry as much about mere survival. wutupwitme?

Amake · 02-03-2015, 08:09 AM

Your priorities have shifted. Just like when the writers of Spider-man grew up and got married and started thinking Spider-man would be a better comic if Spidey grew up and got married. If I ask what you care about more than anything, you probably have a different answer than you did ten years ago. But whatever it is, try finding some entertainment relating to that, or making it.

synkr0nized · 02-03-2015, 01:59 PM

Perhaps it's due to the nature of your free time? When you were living paycheck to paycheck and, if I can read between the lines appropriately, without a job or in one you disliked and unable to afford a car payment and so forth, your hobbies may have been a greater escape than they are now.

For me, I find that I enjoy these things more ever since completing my Ph.D. and getting a "real" job and income due to no longer associating guilt (not tackling a project deadline, knowing I had more work to do in a dissertation chapter, etc.) with diving into/escaping into hobbies. Don't get me wrong -- the escapism from all of my real-life stress was fantastic, but then I would feel like shit when I got up the next day or before going to bed and planning the next day, etc. Now I can get home, jump into a game or a book and not care how long I spend, knowing I worked already for the day and have done my errands, etc.

But maybe a person can enjoy them less when life is good, as well? Kind of like, "Ehh, I don't want to waste my time with this, since life is so rad."

Or maybe that's the wrong line of thought. Are you unable to enjoy games and movies and books because other people aren't involved? (implying that there's another issue under the surface, such as a desire to go out with friends more, find a companion, that sort of thing)

This is just speculation on my part. I am not a trained psychologist or anything.

shiney · 02-03-2015, 04:19 PM

But you are a doctor!

02-02-2015, 07:35 PM	#1
walkertexasdruid I am the One Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Infinate Layers of the Abyss Posts: 533	I am doing well, but..... I am finally in a position where I can live comfortably. I do not have to live paycheck to paycheck, I have decent job, have an nice car. For some reason, however, all of my interests do not make me as happy and content as they used to. My books, meh, my tv series and movies on dvd and bluray, meh, my video games, meh. I wish I could be happy, now that I no longer have to worry as much about mere survival. wutupwitme? __________________ Naive Optimist

02-03-2015, 08:09 AM	#2
Amake Keeper of the new Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: A place without judgment Posts: 4,506	Your priorities have shifted. Just like when the writers of Spider-man grew up and got married and started thinking Spider-man would be a better comic if Spidey grew up and got married. If I ask what you care about more than anything, you probably have a different answer than you did ten years ago. But whatever it is, try finding some entertainment relating to that, or making it. __________________ Hope insistent, trust implicit, love inherent, life immersed

02-03-2015, 01:59 PM	#3
synkr0nized synk-ism Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: throughout the Wired Posts: 6,861	Maybe someone who is a therapist or researcher can tell me how wrong I am? Perhaps it's due to the nature of your free time? When you were living paycheck to paycheck and, if I can read between the lines appropriately, without a job or in one you disliked and unable to afford a car payment and so forth, your hobbies may have been a greater escape than they are now. For me, I find that I enjoy these things more ever since completing my Ph.D. and getting a "real" job and income due to no longer associating guilt (not tackling a project deadline, knowing I had more work to do in a dissertation chapter, etc.) with diving into/escaping into hobbies. Don't get me wrong -- the escapism from all of my real-life stress was fantastic, but then I would feel like shit when I got up the next day or before going to bed and planning the next day, etc. Now I can get home, jump into a game or a book and not care how long I spend, knowing I worked already for the day and have done my errands, etc. But maybe a person can enjoy them less when life is good, as well? Kind of like, "Ehh, I don't want to waste my time with this, since life is so rad." Or maybe that's the wrong line of thought. Are you unable to enjoy games and movies and books because other people aren't involved? (implying that there's another issue under the surface, such as a desire to go out with friends more, find a companion, that sort of thing) This is just speculation on my part. I am not a trained psychologist or anything. __________________ Find love. Last edited by synkr0nized; 02-03-2015 at 02:04 PM.

02-03-2015, 04:19 PM	#4
shiney Derrrrrrrrrrrrrp. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The land of fartz and buttz Posts: 8,266	But you are a doctor! __________________ boop