The Ideal Life

1401 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Summary of the article the case against perfection

The Ideal Life

I awake to the sounds of bacon sizzling and eggs frying. It is another wonderful, lazy Saturday morning breakfast. This weekend is like so many others, and yet it is unique in and of itself. The shadows on the floor coalesce to form the german shepherd, Hg, we once rescued. Then, like Mercury himself, the shadows disperse leaving nothing but emptiness where he once was. "Breakfast!" comes the call from the kitchen. "Coming," I respond, fully intending not to. I remain where I am, reminiscing about the past, about elementary particles, about how I've reached the point where I now am, and about who I was 10 years ago.

I've never wanted my life to stand out much. I've never dreamed of winning the race, scoring the goal, or saving the day. I don't mind at all having the appearance of just another faceless mass in a crowd, because I am so much more than anything anyone could catch in a glimpse. Not that I think I'm special or anything, since there are very few people who one can know instantaneously. Spending the time and energy to make an impression on people I will never again see is not normally my style. I care much more for the depth of a single relationship than the mind-numbing breadth of a multitude. This attitude has both saved me from pain and caused extra. Not making the effort to reach out to people leaves me in my own isolated world, sparing me from the feelings of rejection and boredom which my brushes with society have caused me. It also

strengthens the ties with those few whom I choose to develop real, lasting relationships. However, purposefully secluding myself from others leaves me vulnerable when I do decide to open myself up. Since I do it so rarely, the times when I approach others and f...

... middle of paper ...

...m to. I know that I'm headed in the right direction, and that the future will, much like the past has, supply what I need for a happy life. I've already found the most important and difficult part of my ideal life. I have a great friend whom I've known for the past 10 years and who will continue to be there in the future. Beyond this though, I have found my lifelong companion. I have found my perfect soulmate, with whom I can relax and be myself. I can open up to her and say anything at all. Knowing that this wonderful woman knows who I am, and at a fundamental level accept everything about me, frees me to be the best that I can.

"Daddy," my little one squeaks, trying to pull me with her, "Breakfast is ready. C'mon! !" It's just another lazy Saturday morning and it is time to move on with my life. Reminiscing can be fun, but there is life to live in the present.

Show More
Related

  • Perception, Kinesics, Initial Interaction and Self-Concept/Esteem in "Pretty Woman"

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beebe, Steven A., Susan J. Beebe, and Mark V. Redmond. "Understanding Self and Others." Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others. Boston: Allyn and Bacon/Pearson, 2009. 43. Print.

    Read More

  • Unconscious Dynamics/Core Schemas: Story 1: My Suspicions Of Others

    1038 Words  | 3 Pages

    For instance, I have always been viewed as an extroverted person because of my ability to navigate social situations with charm and articulacy. Nevertheless, when a social situation begins to deepen, and I find a person getting too close to me, I withdraw and hide parts of myself from them. I control my conversations with others so that the focus is always on their life and issues. This keeps my relationship with them at a superficial level so that I am able to hide in plain sight; I appear open and approachable without disclosing too much about myself or emotions.

    Read More

  • Neuroeconomics of Trust: A Religious Perspective

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    I find that in order for me to do work and to be in relationship with others, there must be some form of trust or reliance in the other person or people. Our ability to selflessly give ourselves to others comes with a guarantee of reciprocation. We trust in order to be trusted. Every type of relationship that we have as human beings is anchored on our ability to be open and share ourselves with others. Trust is what holds everything together. A life without trust will be full of dread, fear, and paranoia. Without trust, we keep double-checking and questioning both ourselves and those around us. Trusting other people more can ease the weight and burden that we place on

    Read More

  • The Food Stamp Program: The Benefits Of The Food Assistance Program

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1939, at the end of the Great Depression, is when the Food Stamp Plan was established. It was part of the New Deal that was put in place by President Roosevelt. It was made for low-income families who couldn’t afford essential foods. Participants in the program bought orange stamps which bought household items such as starch, soap, and matches. For every one dollar spent in orange stamps, fifty cents of blue stamps were given back. These stamps would buy the surplus foods such as flour, eggs, cornmeal, and other healthy foods. The program ended in 1943 as World War 2 came to an end, boosting the economy, leaving less in poverty. In 1961, John F Kennedy re-introduced the Food Stamp Program. This program required participants to still purchase food stamps, but eliminated the special food stamps that were needed to buy the extra items, similar to how the program works in the modern day. Today, research shows that 9.25% of food stamps are spent on soft drinks alone. The recipients of food stamps are using them for the wrong purpose.

    Read More

  • Attachment in Groups

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    that person’s sense of trust and level of intimacy, and collected from self-report data. Self disclosure is reflected in actual behavior and can be measured through observation of a person’s situations such as the initial stage of a group. Attachment research has shown that secure attachment contributes to subjective well-being, high self-esteem, high self-efficacy, self-control, and well-adjusted interpersonal behavior. Insecure attachment seems to be organized around two basic dimensions: avoidance and anxiety-ambivalence. Avoidant adults tend to be uncomfortable about and have difficulties being close to and trusting others; anxious-ambivalent adults want closeness to others, worry that others do not love or want to be with them, and sometimes scare others away with their intense need for closeness.

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Added Sugar

    1789 Words  | 4 Pages

    Kris Gunnars of Authority Nutrition explains that “there are no proteins, essential fats, vitamins, or minerals in sugar…just pure energy.” This is why people call them “empty calories.” Added sugars can also cause tooth decay. Kris Gunnars says “it provides easily digestible energy for the bad bacteria in the mouth.” Our teeth begin to break down, rot, lose strength, and turn yellow. According the American Dental Association, when the normal bacteria inside your mouth come into contact with sugar, it produces acid that destroys enamel and results in tooth decay. People always hear dentists nagging them to limit their consumption of soda, cookies, donuts, and other sugar-filled snacks, but they really are of over exaggerating, added sugars really do have a history of causing tooth decay. Added sugars are also known to cause vitamin and mineral depletion. Added sugars use up our body’s stored B vitamins, calcium, and magnesium for digestion, while natural sugars are present in food that already contain these needed nutrients. By consuming these added sugars, these vitamins deplete and our nervous system suffers. According to Ann Marina of Livestrong, vitamin and mineral depletion may cause “… fatigue, depression, anxiety and lack of energy. Lack of calcium and magnesium may contribute to arthritis and osteoporosis.” Since added sugars are addictive, it may be hard to avoid tooth decay and vitamin and mineral depletion

    Read More

  • Intimate Relationships Essay

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Erikson saw the development of inatimate relationships as the crucial task of young adulthood. The need to form strong, stable, close, caring relationship is a powerful motivate of human behaviour. An important elemen of intimacy is self-disclosure, ‘revealing important information about oneself to another’ (Collins & Miller, 1994, p 457). People become intimate and remain intimate through shared disclosures, responsiveness to one another’s need and mutual acceptance and respect (Harvey & Omarzu,1997, Reis & Patrick, 1996).

    Read More

  • Self and Identity

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    The better which a person develops an understanding of themselves and of the other people around them, the better able they will be able to develop intimate relationships. A person who has a negative model of self and has a negative model of others , otherwise known as Fearful, is going to shy away from attachment and be socially avoidant which obviously is going to affect the crisis of intimacy versus isolation. The example describes a person who is hesitant to make long term commitments and resists urges to display intimacy, but is capable of forming a dependency on him by the other in the relationship. A Preoccupied person has a negative self model and a positive model of others. They often tend to be overly dependent and ambivalent. The example suggests a person who might be shy and conservative but is capable of not displaying their awkward feelings to the other person. A Secure individual has a positive model of self and others. They are comfortable with intimacy and autonomy and often do not have a difficult time in forming intimate relationships. The example describes this person as someone who is very capable of healthy relationships and good communication skills. It seems like a secure person has all the good qualities that any relationship requires. And finally, a Dismissing person has a positive model of self but a negative model of others. They are characterized by denying attachment and their counter dependency. All of the differences among the different models result from past experiences in the individual’s life. How they were raised in terms of different parenting styles and methods of child raising affect an individuals internal working models of self and others.

    Read More

  • Development of Friendship Between Roommates

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...es, I have found that too much self-disclosure too early in a relationship/friendship may lead to negative outcomes. This may occur, for example when a person self-discloses too much about themselves, leaving them vulnerable to rejection or embarassment. Also if the other person doesn't reciprocate, that could cause the self-disclosed person to feel uncomfortable. You need to build a relationship/friendship, and over time, as you disclose more, there will be a more trustworthy and supportive base to the relationship. So over all, the article did an excellent job reinforcing the importance of time in building a relationship through social penetration, or self-disclosure.

    Read More

  • A Life Well Lived

    1292 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a young girl at 14, I used to reminisce about the future, how badly I wanted to grow up, to drive, to be popular in high school, go to college and land an amazing job, have a huge home, nice cars, and an extremely handsome husband. The older I got, the more I began to realize all of the things I once desired for were not what I truly wanted. I began to realize the value of happiness, adventure, and creating memories rather than the value of temporary popularity, material items, and physical appearances. What I realized was that when one is lying on their deathbed, because the only thing guaranteed in life is death, they will not think, “oh what a lovely car I drove” but rather, “I remember when I went on my first road trip with my friends.” As mentioned in “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom, Morrie emphasizes the idea, “once you learn how to die, you learn how to live,” meaning, remembering that one day we will all depart from this world, one will realize what it truly means to live. Another pointer that can essentially alter one’s vision of living life: to live simply, as discussed in “Where I Lived and What I Live For” by David Henry Thoreau. Although thinking about death is a harsh reality on a young teenager, it is rather helpful to wrap our heads around it at a young age. Why? because as one grows older, they will see more death. Living a simple life may seem boring to a young teenager, but as one grows older and their schedules become bustled with work, and responsibilities, they will wish that they could step back, and choose a simple lifestyle.

    Read More

  • High School Graduation

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    After I was all dressed and ready for the big day, I made my way upstairs to eat breakfast. The smell of toast, sausage, eggs, and hash browns filled the air with an inviting aroma. Just as I was setting down to begin eating, my mom turned to me and asked how my morning was going so far. My reply was,” It feels li...

    Read More

  • Food Insecurity Essay

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    produces more than enough food to feed all of its citizens. Unfortunately, most of the food produced and resources used is put to waste; this extensive waste proves to be one of the most critical issues affect the U.S. today. The food shortages exist more as a lack of access to resources rather than a technical lack of food. Research goes on to show that food is stratified based on levels of income. Income gaps at the federal level only further contribute to the food insecurity issue. Furthermore, the welfare system is unable to prevent a sufficient safety net for those at lower income levels. There are several common themes discussed in welfare policy: compassion for the poor versus deterrence, private charity versus tax-supported welfare, local versus state, federal authority, symptoms versus causes, welfare reform versus, benefit levels, and means-tested programs versus entitlements. Food assistance programs can be looked at by each era, changing every time. Current welfare and food assistance programs are governed by legislation passed in 1966 by President Clinton, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Unfortunately, although the cost of food assistance programs appears high, they have a minimal effect on the individual and family. There are a few key elements vital to any successful welfare policy: adequate minimum wage, increased tax credits, subsidized housing, health care protection, as well as support for child care, training programs, and treatment of substance abuse and mental health

    Read More

  • The Best Life

    1567 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle argues that the ultimate good is eudaimonia or happiness and that ergon, the human function, determines what that happiness is. While some may argue that there can be more than one form of the ultimate good other than happiness, Aristotle believes that not all ends are complete. Unlike happiness, wealth for example, is not complete and thus, eudaimonia is the only ultimate good. In order to determine which good or goods happiness consists in, Aristotle asks what the ergon of a human being is, and argues that it consists in activity of the rational part of the soul in accordance with virtue. Aristotle also provides his view of what the best life is and consists of, however, it is illogical to identify a single sort of the best life for everyone, as it should be relative to each person in different ways. Also, the life of study, which is the best life according to Aristotle, is not the only type of life that will bring about happiness. The best life of someone who is ill versus someone who is poor will be different in terms of what it consists of and the happiness it will bring. Aristotle believes that eudaimonia or happiness is the ultimate good and that the best life is guided by rational contemplation; while it is true to say that happiness is the supreme good, Aristotle incorrectly argues that the best life is a life of study and provides an objective account of the good life which does not hold for all.

    Read More

  • The Aristotle's Idea of a Good Life

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    Question: What is Aristotle’s idea of a good life and why does he view a good life in this way? Is Aristotle’s understanding of a good life accurate? Why or why not? (Make sure to talk about the concept of the mean).

    Read More

  • Ideal Life Essay

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    The character of reputation gained from debt is a pivotal step to achieve the ideal life through the role debt plays in our economy.

    Read More

More about The Ideal Life

Open Document