(no subject)

[usernamenumber]

metahacker recently posted the following. I'm not sure what my answer is, but I think it's well worth thinking about, and repeating here, as I'm curious how it strikes y'all:

Some people see the world as theater, and strive to speak the lines given them as eloquently and as passionately as possible.
Some people see the world as LARP, and improvise based on the character they've been given.
Some people see the world as sport, and strive to win out over perceived rivals.
Some people see the world as sandbox, and make their own games heedless of the rules of others.
Some people see the world as dance, and practice to fill their part with aesthetic grace.

How do you see the world?

Comments

[contradictacat.livejournal.com]

I see the world as an experiment.

[preraphaelite.livejournal.com]

My instinct is really to fight the question, here.

Like what is "the world?" Is it your social relationships? Your career? Your choices about home furnishings or recreational activities? Your thoughts? What you like to learn about? Does anyone really have the same type of relationship to every part of their life?

Everyone has places where they are competitive, places where they are independent and confident, places where they worry about what others think, places where they strive for grace and beauty despite limited options.

What do you find useful about the question?

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

At the moment I'll say that I see the world as a party I'm helping to host--try to make sure other people have what they need and make time to enjoy myself, too.

[mirrored-echo.livejournal.com]

My first response to the question was: "wait, other people get lines? I want lines! That would make things so much easier."

All of those options (except the sandbox world) implies that you go into life with very basic and fundamental information about yourself and what you're supposed to be doing; even in a LARP, you have an assigned character and probably some goals.

The world just doesn't lend itself to patterns that last for that long. Your role, your public and private personas, your friends and rivals...all of those change, sometimes quite frequently. From my experience, it's more of a constant struggle to figure out what you're supposed to be doing, and to do that to the best of your abilities.

Which...may make it closer to LARPing than any of the other options, really. If it's an amnesia-type LARP where you don't begin with a character sheet or goals, but still have to improvise based on intuition and the situation.

[lowellboyslash.livejournal.com]

The world is an anthology of stories. Some I get to write, some I get to read, and some I'll never know.

[sandrylene.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful. I like it, and I think I'd agree.

(Also, much love for the avatar. :))

[witticaster.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Let's not forget the Good Omens-esque collaborations. :)

[nevacaruso.livejournal.com]

I really like mirrored_echo's "Amnesia LARP" analogy. We get little white envelopes handed to us as we go!

[manana.livejournal.com]

Of those, definitely a sandbox; anyone who claims the world is fundamentally any more structured than that is too caught up in their own personal game.

[tiurin.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that I see the world far less optimistically than you and most of your commenters.

[rigel.livejournal.com]

I see, and have always seen, the world as a music video. Or several music videos, I suppose.

While there's more going on than any one viewer gets to see, there are these brief, glimmering moments -- sometimes due to apt theme/analogy, sometimes due to emotional intensity, and sometimes due to exquisitely perfect timing -- that tell you more than the music or the scene could ever do on its own. Sometimes it seems like perfect nonsense, and sometimes layers of synchronicity, but it's that swell of melody that keeps it going on.

[real-green-tea.livejournal.com]

That's a tough one, and an easy one.
I was at an appointment today and a placard facing me had the ubiquitous Footprints story printed on it. I found myself reflecting on my own world view, and why I consider myself spiritual, but not religious. Thus, (and forgive me if this comes off overly preachy, I do not intend it that way):

Some people say our lines were handed to us from the ancients and ultimately from above. I say we have written our own lines, and had to do a lot of editing, and must be careful what we say, as others will remember these things too.
Some people might say our thoughts, actions, and words, are guided by divine inspiration. I would say we are driven by our own inspiration, to create and express as we want and need.
Some people see life as a race, where either you're a winner or you're not. Most days I see life as a race, too; but I'm usually trying to beat my best time, go further, or just keep running like the clock will stop if I don't. Many days, I'm just trying not to DNF. And that's okay.
Some people say we were made of clay. We were made of species not too dissimilar from ourselves, and it was our will to do all the things we do that separated us. Well, that and dumb luck.
Some people say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Despite, or maybe because, of this, I try to fill each moment with just as much grace as I can muster. If I have done this, and done it well, then I needn't really worry about whether other people think I believe the right thing or not.

[rhosyn-du.livejournal.com]

The world is a giant game of Telestrations.

[lightgamer.livejournal.com]

I see the world as a mind-bogglingly complex clockwork which, despite its mechanical and logical essence, manages to be greater than the sum of its parts.