In this day and age, where we're exposed to success so often and told 'you can be this too if you try hard enough', it really does leave little room for even considering personal happiness. And once you realize it's a hopeless pursuit, you've wasted so much time.
If I was a couple years younger, I would tell my own story about how I found the American Dream to be a false ideal. But alas, my brain broke, so now I'm stuck starting over, doing an abstract autobiographical comic about depression and converting my writing into strange pictures.
It didn't help that I graduated just in time for the job market to crash.
I don't know 100% what I want anymore, but after spending time at rock bottom, I at least know I can act because I have no excuse not to. And that's satisfying enough for me.
What's the meaning of life?
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I have unrealistic and stupid goals, but I'm going to keep aiming for them for my own fun. That's my primary personal view.
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I literally imagined interviews from important publications about my future story and how cool and groundbreaking it was, like I'd script the questions and answers in my head.
I'm an American pretty much lol.
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I have unrealistic and stupid goals, but I'm going to keep aiming for them for my own fun. That's my primary personal view.
I'm saying this for your own good: have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, then plan to have no plan.
A better way to say this is while it's fun to try, don't make the mistake of putting emotional investment into your plans, because that can happen without you even realizing it.
@JERK:I literally imagined interviews from important publications about my future story and how cool and groundbreaking it was, like I'd script the questions and answers in my head.
I'm an American pretty much lol.
This thread is turning into a Pearls Before Swine comic (a running theme is that 'Low Expectations=Happiness.') I like that.
Best I can tell (before my mood changes my opinion again) is that when you work on what you like, even if there's no reward, you've found your niche.
…Of course, even I like a pat on the back once in a while, but that's a weakness of mine. -
The meaning of life is to enjoy it.
/thread
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@JERK:
Telling a big epic fictional story has been my dream since maybe 7th grade, and being an artist/storyteller has been my dream since before I can remember otherwise.
LOL that is my dream.
But this was my thing! This was my dream! This was the thing I was going to get famous off of! Be a household name! That would make my family proud, that would make friends and enemies see me as big man on the block, that would pay my bills for life, that would make me go down in TV/comic/movie history! I was going to write THE secular bible!
Exactly my case.
I literally imagined interviews from important publications about my future story and how cool and groundbreaking it was, like I'd script the questions and answers in my head.
And I have imaged the same soft of thing.
Living in Vietnam doesn't give me the condition to accomplish my dream. Yet my ambition is not dead. You guys don't know how lucky you guys are compared to me. I usually wonder a lot, like the meaning of my life, or why fate had me born in a third world country, a communist one like Vietnam, why do I only have electricity for like 10 hours a day, why can't I have enough money to buy that book in the store, why don't I have a comic industry to support my ideas.
Speaking of this reminds me of when I was a kid, about 6, 7 years old, I stole some copies of Dragon Ball from the shop because I had no money. For once an old man who knew my family catching me stealing one, but he didn;t say anything. Later when he visited my house, I asked why, and he answered jokingly that he didn;t need to teel the shop owner because he wanted me to ruin my eye reading it (and I ended up wearing these glasses because of reading manga in the lack of electricity). Even though I was a kid at that time I understood that he had deeper reasons than that. Now I grow up, and still drool over the big books like Les Misérables in the book shop without the ability to possess them.
Deep in my subconsciousness I have always wanted to be a manga artist (called mạn-họa in Vietnamese, which means the same as manga, manhua, manhwa, actually have the same root), but I was afraid to face it. Because of the condition in Vietnam. Look at Japan, America, they have a strong comic industry, and those who work in it can manage to live off their products and bring them to the world. And a lot, a lot of other things that Vietnam lacks.
I thought I would be a physicist or some soft of scientist, until I read One Piece and Bakuman.
I wonder if I can ever live in either Japan or America, to at least work like that Dustin Nguyễn guy.
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@JERK:
I literally imagined interviews from important publications about my future story and how cool and groundbreaking it was, like I'd script the questions and answers in my head.
I'm an American pretty much lol.
That just reminds me of something from Joe's Garage.
"Yes…he used to be a nice boy...He used to cut the grass...But now his mind is totally destroyed by music. He's so crazy now he even believes that people are writing articles and reviews about his imaginary guitar notes, and so, continuing to dwindle in the twilight realm of his own secret thoughts, he not only dreams imaginary guitar notes, but, to make matters worse, dreams imaginary vocal parts to a song about the imaginary journalistic profession... "
@Cuddles:
I'm saying this for your own good: have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, then plan to have no plan.
A better way to say this is while it's fun to try, don't make the mistake of putting emotional investment into your plans, because that can happen without you even realizing it.Exactly why I made my goals so incredibly stupid that I will never actually attain them. It's a case of the chase being better than the catch. Personally, I could probably be happy doing anything, but I like having my own impractical ambitions.
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@Sea:
LOL that is my dream.
Living in Vietnam doesn't give me the condition to accomplish my dream. Yet my ambition is not dead.
I thought you lived in Canada.
You guys don't know how lucky you guys are compared to me.
Well I do.
Plus I don't think a history teacher who has no intention of teaching from a Marxist perspective and following official government versions of history would be too happy in Nam.I usually wonder a lot, like the meaning of my life, or why fate had me born in a third world country, a communist one like Vietnam, why do I only have electricity for like 10 hours a day, why can't I have enough money to buy that book in the store, why don't I have a comic industry to support my ideas.
A foolish ambition can suck when it explodes in your face.
But yes, to not get the chance to even know if that's the case is worse.
I wonder if I can ever live in either Japan or America, to at least work like that Dustin Nguyễn guy.
To be fair our comics industry is pretty narrow even if it's huge, Japan really is the mecca (unless you really like color).
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Move to some first world country and write a comic about growing up wanting to make comics in Vietnam and you can be the next Persepolis.
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@Cuddles:
I'm saying this for your own good: have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D,
[hide][/hide]
then plan to have no plan.
Remember boys, no matter how random things may appear, there's always a plan.
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Now I'm just thinking of how most bands with the word 'Plan' in their names are pretty bad. Though DEP is pretty good…
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We should start a thread to organize Sea's escape from Uncle Ho.
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Let's set sail for
the Grand LineViet Nam so that we may bring freedom to the Sea! -
@JERK:
I've had to deal with the American Dream irl this past year.
Telling a big epic fictional story has been my dream since maybe 7th grade, and being an artist/storyteller has been my dream since before I can remember otherwise.
Uhh…......guilty.
For a long while now I wanted to be this awesome artist/ comic book writer type thing, but then as this past year went by, It just started to die off. Sure, I like to do it and make mini comics and stuff, but as a living? Hell no. It clicked that it just wouldn't work out. To see myself as this famous artist/writer was something that I thought I wouldn't do, and it became clear that I most likely wouldn't be a household name in this lifetime. So, I tried to think of something new to work towards, but I didn't know what, and it really got me frustrated because my school has been talking to us about College, the ACT and careers and I was just a Sophomore (Junior in 2 months) who didn't know what to do.
Then I decided to maybe try for Journalism. To maybe try to get a job at one of the newspapers around NY (which is a good amount) and live a life, start a family, and just have this quaint, peaceful life.
But I just hope I can work toward this career... -
I thought you lived in Canada.
That is my aunt (my dad's little sister).
She has a family in Canada now and usually in contact with us.Well I do.
Plus I don't think a history teacher who has no intention of teaching from a Marxist perspective and following official government versions of history would be too happy in Nam.Yeah. No non-communist is happy in Vietnam (Unless you just visit there, not living).
To be fair our comics industry is pretty narrow even if it's huge, Japan really is the mecca (unless you really like color).
I think so too. I will ask Aohige or Greg if they can be my…eh...intermediary (what is the suitable term?).
@JERK:
Move to some first world country and write a comic about growing up wanting to make comics in Vietnam and you can be the next Persepolis.
LOL, knowing the Vietnam government, they would probably call me a traitor to my country if I do that.
And the average Vietnameses would view me exactly as what the government calls me.
@JERK:We should start a thread to organize Sea's escape from Uncle Ho.
Let's set sail for
the Grand LineViet Nam so that we may bring freedom to the Sea!Sound like a good plan to me.
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Life is about trying to find something you can be happy doing from day to day, even if its not every hour of the day. Be that in loving your job, reaching others, or being cotent with your homelife, making money to spend on luxuries, or a combination of all of the above… it varies from person to person. But its about trying to make the most of it.
@JERK:
is worse.
To be fair our comics industry is pretty narrow even if it's huge, Japan really is the mecca (unless you really like color).
The american comics industry is pretty terrible, and at this point mostly only supports spandex superheroes. Million things wrong with the system.
I've been living the dream, and still love the format and what comics can do, but the actual industry sucks ass.
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@Sea:
LOL, knowing the Vietnam government, they would probably call me a traitor to my country if I do that.
And the average Vietnameses would view me exactly as what the government calls me.The expats over here would be lining up to give you blowjobs.
Who knows what you'd find elsewhere?
A girl I dated was of Laotian/French background.
Her dad fled Laos when they went red, and had to scrape a living together as a chef in the US.
Met a french lady who was also an immigrant and they learned English together ….and love.That can be you Sea.
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For me, it's expressing what I feel through music. Simplistic, but it floats my boat.
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For me, it's expressing what I feel through music. Simplistic, but it floats my boat.
I wish I had an ounce of musical talent or the balls to admit to myself that I need to take lessons and can't possibly teach myself because I cannot give myself a solid schedule.
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@JERK:
The expats over here would be lining up to give you blowjobs.
Who knows what you'd find elsewhere?
A girl I dated was of Laotian/French background.
Her dad fled Laos when they went red, and had to scrape a living together as a chef in the US.
Met a french lady who was also an immigrant and they learned English together ….and love.That can be you Sea.
Haha, thanks. That indeed makes me feel relieved. I am trying to earn a scholarship or something to go abroad. Now I have to back to study to… get one (while I wish I can draw comic instead).
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I wish I had an ounce of musical talent or the balls to admit to myself that I need to take lessons and can't possibly teach myself because I cannot give myself a solid schedule.
You're a music guru, though. You've absorbed so much music, from what I can tell, that talent might be a moot point. I bet it wouldn't take very long for you, if you committed to a solid schedule, to become a pretty good player.
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You're a music guru, though. You've absorbed so much music, from what I can tell, that talent might be a moot point. I bet it wouldn't take very long for you, if you committed to a solid schedule, to become a pretty good player.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it's really all inspiration with little potential in my mind. I'm going to try in college, but I think it's a matter of being all theory with no action.
[hide]OtuYWyjk4ZI[/hide]
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@JERK:
And I found a deeper purer…real joy in the sudden simple idea of teaching history at a school not far from my hometown. Live a nice little life, meet a girl to settle down with at grad school, have 1-2 kids, and eventually be a beloved patriarch in a close extended family circle like my own grandmother.
I think that definitly qualifies as the American Dream.
From Wiki, the notion comes from the citizens of every rank feel that they can achieve a "better, richer, and happier life" and the ideal of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
That doesn't necessarily mean running Standard Oil, becoming the next great artisan or the best in your field. Hell, for a lot of people its a good house in a nice neighborhood with 2.5 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence. Or what you're choosing (which might definitely be in the cards for me. Who knows.)
Oh, the meaning of life? Two words: Carpe Diem.
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God damn, it seems like most of you guys have already grabbed life by the balls.
I feel ashamed.
By the way, great scene, Sea!
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God damn, it seems like most of you guys have already grabbed life by the balls.
I feel ashamed.
By the way, great scene, Sea!
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This is maybe the best discussion ever graced AP.
But I just gotta come clean, I have noooooooo idea what to do when I "grow up".
I'm 19 and my dream is just one big blurry image. I know it has something to do with money but that's about it. It's so sad.And I found a deeper purer…real joy in the sudden simple idea of teaching history at a school not far from my hometown. Live a nice little life, meet a girl to settle down with at grad school, have 1-2 kids, and eventually be a beloved patriarch in a close extended family circle like my own grandmother.
It's funny, this is exactly the kind of thing I don't want. I don't want kids, a nice suburban life, a dog named Sparky etc.
And I've always kind of envied people who do. It sounds really awesome and peaceful life but for some reason, I can't see myself to be happy with that scenario.Like I just know, that I want to move far away from where I know live, do something competively, (money, stox, gambling, start my own firm, sell stuff, anything related to money) travel alot and be that cool uncle to my siblings kids. But that's still pretty blurry image when you think about it, where the fuck do I start etc?
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I love doing the art that I do (sculpting and piano) more than almost anything, but I conceded a long time ago that neither of those are viable paths, career-wise. If Bandai or McFarlane somehow offered me a job tomorrow I would probably take it, but for the most part I've resigned myself to the fact that, like a good 40% of Dartmouth grads (and 90% of those with an Econ major), I will go into I-banking. If I had to verbalize a "dream" at this point, it would be that I could build that career in Japan and somehow manage to wrangle an amiable waifu there.
My meaning of life, though, is reaching retirement so that I can once again enjoy life as I have up to this point (maybe more, without school or work, but maybe less, considering the arthritis and heart problems I'm bound to develop early on… probably colon cancer too). -
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Creativity is the most important thing in life. Being a nice person, trying to gain understanding and trying to be happy are up there, but creativity is where it's at.
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@Sea:
LOL that is my dream.
Exactly my case.
And I have imaged the same soft of thing.
Living in Vietnam doesn't give me the condition to accomplish my dream. Yet my ambition is not dead. You guys don't know how lucky you guys are compared to me. I usually wonder a lot, like the meaning of my life, or why fate had me born in a third world country, a communist one like Vietnam, why do I only have electricity for like 10 hours a day, why can't I have enough money to buy that book in the store, why don't I have a comic industry to support my ideas.
Speaking of this reminds me of when I was a kid, about 6, 7 years old, I stole some copies of Dragon Ball from the shop because I had no money. For once an old man who knew my family catching me stealing one, but he didn;t say anything. Later when he visited my house, I asked why, and he answered jokingly that he didn;t need to teel the shop owner because he wanted me to ruin my eye reading it (and I ended up wearing these glasses because of reading manga in the lack of electricity). Even though I was a kid at that time I understood that he had deeper reasons than that. Now I grow up, and still drool over the big books like Les Misérables in the book shop without the ability to possess them.
Deep in my subconsciousness I have always wanted to be a manga artist (called mạn-họa in Vietnamese, which means the same as manga, manhua, manhwa, actually have the same root), but I was afraid to face it. Because of the condition in Vietnam. Look at Japan, America, they have a strong comic industry, and those who work in it can manage to live off their products and bring them to the world. And a lot, a lot of other things that Vietnam lacks.
I thought I would be a physicist or some soft of scientist, until I read One Piece and Bakuman.
I wonder if I can ever live in either Japan or America, to at least work like that Dustin Nguyễn guy.
Eh~?Eh!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH????????????
You lived (or live) in Vietnam? Woah! I can't believe it. There is actually a Vietnamese here! I can't believe I have a fellow here. shakes hand
Ehem…anyway Vietnam today is not that bad. Actually I really liked living there. Well of course Vietnam is still slow but it has improved. Comparing 1975 and 2010, it had really gotten better. I lived in Dalat and I loved it so much. And trust me, it is much more friendly than Japan or America.
I just moved to America and I can't tell you how it's like living here. However, from my dad's perspective (my dad lived in Japan for 4 years), Japan isn't really like other Asian countries. Japanese people can be all nice and such in foreign countries but when they come back to fatherland, they become high and mighty, even to Asian people, so beware. That's pretty much what I can tell you, since I don't live in Japan. Hope you find it useful. -
Creativity is the most important thing in life. Being a nice person, trying to gain understanding and trying to be happy are up there, but creativity is where it's at.
Ah, I want to agree with that, but my best friend doesn't really have a creative bone in his body (I would've found out by now if he did), but I find that while his life isn't perfect, he's pretty happy with himself without having my 'gift.'
I'm actually in the exact opposite situation: Creative enough to power an engine, but depressed as hell.
I think I have the Bile Humor (Black Bile, to be more specific).
EDIT: @Sea: I'll send you a message in a bottle showing my support for your escape plan. -
Two dogs, name one Hitler and the other Emergency Food Supply.
Oh, and 6 kids.
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Whoever can decipher my message gets cool points.
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Eh~?Eh!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH????????????
You lived (or live) in Vietnam? Woah! I can't believe it. There is actually a Vietnamese here! I can't believe I have a fellow here. shakes hand
Ehem…anyway Vietnam today is not that bad. Actually I really liked living there. Well of course Vietnam is still slow but it has improved. Comparing 1975 and 2010, it had really gotten better. I lived in Dalat and I loved it so much. And trust me, it is much more friendly than Japan or America.
I just moved to America and I can't tell you how it's like living here. However, from my dad's perspective (my dad lived in Japan for 4 years), Japan isn't really like other Asian countries. Japanese people can be all nice and such in foreign countries but when they come back to fatherland, they become high and mighty, even to Asian people, so beware. That's pretty much what I can tell you, since I don't live in Japan. Hope you find it useful.Haha, nice to see a fellow Vietnamese here.
Living in Vietnam is not that bad, yeah, it is quite peaceful, and people is friendly. But it is not a place to lauch my dream, to allow the blossom of my ambition bloom. And the way people think, still, is all about getting in a good scholl, getiing good grades, entering a good university, getting a good job, marrying a good wife, having good children, living in good house, and then giving the children those same thing, the traditional way of living, a path that llead to nowhere other than a meaningless circle of life. That, and democracy.
Excuse me, can I know about your age?
Despite my old-fashioned style of writing and interest, I am still a young dude, with hot blood, boiling enthusiasm, and foolish dreams.
Thank you very much though. Looking toward a meeting in real life.
I am quite active in this forum. Maybe the only active Vietnamese. Really want to see more Vietnamse here ^______^ -
You could watch Monty Python's Meaning of Life….
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Hopefully some of you have seen some of Kurosawa's films since this forum has a lot to do with Japan. If you really want to watch a movie about life, try Ikiru. It's fantastic.
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Carpe Diem. Not wasting time asking questions you'll never get an answer to.
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About the whole "dream" conversation, I've had the same dream now for 10+ years and I'm absolutely willing to dedicate my entire life to it. For this reason, I'm going to attempt to not fall in love during college (key word there being attempt) because I know it's something that's capable of taking me off my path. I don't mind falling in love, not at all, but if I do it then I don't want to do it in America.
I want to go to Japan and attempt the manga thing and I know I'm bound to fail miserably but fuck it, I'm going to try. And whether I blow up big or sell doujinshi on the street corners or get my ass kicked because my neighbor's son has three legs and that's America's fault, I'm going to do this shit. So basically, I'm attempting the whole "shoot for the moon and if you fail then you'll land among the stars" scheme only I'm making sure my stars are moon-worthy because hey, living in Japan and getting some new experiences would be pretty bitchin. So it's like I'm shooting myself at Jupiter and I don't mind hitting any of those moons but I want Europa so…
In any case, I'm majoring in Electrical Engineering because... son, I ain't gonna make money any other way. The manga deal is my dream and my aim but I need to have something to fall back on just in case I hit a different moon. Either way, positive or negative (and I mean true negatives, not just something like the overall positiveness of this post) I feel I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm someone that appreciates life simply from experiencing shit no matter how bad it is.
Because I'm alive. So it's all good.
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@Uncle:
I'm someone that appreciates life simply from experiencing shit no matter how bad it is.
I am with you on this. Fuck Heaven. Fuck Nirvana.
A life with all happiness means nothing to me. I was a Buddhist. Like most of my countrymen. Until I grew up enough to realized a life in nirvana would be meaningless even if it exist. When you can't feel sorrow, you can feel the true happiness and appreciate it. When you can only feel happiness, it is not different from your emotion dies off. If the ultimate goal of human is to reach a realm like Nirvana, why should they have existed from the beginning? (if you study Buddhism, you will understand what I am talking about.)
I want to experience this life, this human life, this mortal life, which is full of all kinds of emotions, situations, shittinesses and joys. -
To eat and drink and to find joy in between all hardship. Some would say to get to know 'God' is the meaning of life. Whatever 'God' might be, since everyone seemes to have different beliefs on that (not only as in who is 'God' but also what is). If you'r christian like me, 'God' could also be the same as 'love', which would make my meaning of life to get to know love :3