“And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.“

[sserafim]

Thoughts on this quote? In my case, I don't want to move forward into the future though. I want to go back to the past

 

[EvisceratedJester]

?????????

 

[sserafim]

?????????

It's a quote from The Great Gatsby

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." is metaphor, that modern Americans are "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"; any attempt to progress, to move forward, is ultimately futile."

 

[EvisceratedJester]

It's a quote from The Great Gatsby

Okay, but what are we supposed to talk about? You posted a quote eithout any context as to what you want to discuss.

 

[sserafim]

Okay, but what are we supposed to talk about? You posted a quote eithout any context as to what you want to discuss.

It's a quote from The Great Gatsby

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." is metaphor, that modern Americans are "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"; any attempt to progress, to move forward, is ultimately futile."

"Borne back ceaselessly into the past: This phrase suggests that despite their efforts, the characters are unable to escape the influence of their past. It highlights the theme of nostalgia and the longing to relive or recapture past experiences."

 

[thenamingofcats]

It's been a while since I read the book but I think the last line had something to do with him not being able to obtain his dream and him reflecting on that. I know a lot of people love it but I don't really "get" the great gatsby.

 

[derpyderpins]

Thoughts on this quote? In my case, I don't want to move forward into the future though. I want to go back to the past

Isn't that kinda the point? Gatsby was stuck trying to recreate the past. Basically, your heart will always been drawn back to younger days, and in order to move forward and grow you have to be proactive. Gatsby went out and made a bunch of money, but never really got out of the mindset of being back on the village green, which inevitably led to his downfall.

It's a good quote. A classic for a reason.

 

[OCDsufferer]

Boring quote by a shitty man. The quote just means that try as you might you cannot fully let go of your past (or that your past weighs you down as you try to go on with your life). He's perhaps one of my least favorite USian writers and definitely my least favorite Modernist author.

 

[sserafim]

Isn't that kinda the point? Gatsby was stuck trying to recreate the past. Basically, your heart will always been drawn back to younger days, and in order to move forward and grow you have to be proactive. Gatsby went out and made a bunch of money, but never really got out of the mindset of being back on the village green, which inevitably led to his downfall.

It's a good quote. A classic for a reason.

Yeah but I don't want to move forward or grow. I don't want to beat on. I want my boat to capsize. I just want to stay still and be swallowed by the water

Boring quote by a shitty man. The quote just means that try as you might you cannot fully let go of your past (or that your past weighs you down as you try to go on with your life). He's perhaps one of my least favorite USian writers and definitely my least favorite Modernist author.

My point is that I don't want to go on with my life. I want it to end now. I don't want to live out a full life

 

[OCDsufferer]

My point is that I don't want to go on with my life. I want it to end now. I don't want to live out a full life

Your enterpretation of it is certainly more interesting than what Fitzgerald meant.

 

[greebo6]

I think it means memories can be powerful things and they can seldom be fully erased as people go through life.

On a personal note I think that when you have no future and you hate living in the present...then perhaps all that is left , for good or bad , is the past....

 

[damyon]

I don't know what to think about the part "we beat on boats against the current."

From the perspective of "Why resist the flow of things?"; Wouldn't pushing against the tide only make things harder?

And you would swim with the current, navigating if needed. Why not exploit that opportunity if you have no other option?

~~~
Haven't read any of his books.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Oh I get it, the lights were green to symbolize how he was jealous of that other guy!

 

[derpyderpins]

Yeah but I don't want to move forward or grow. I don't want to beat on. I want my boat to capsize. I just want to stay still and be swallowed by the water

My point is that I don't want to go on with my life. I want it to end now. I don't want to live out a full life

I hear you. You're kinda like Gatsby that way, imo. I think Gatsby could've given up on making things perfect and met some other woman and been a lot better for it. He refused to accept that he was a different person and that different things might give him fulfillment; he refused to accept that he fixated on certain ideas that weren't 100% true. Daisy was beautiful, and maybe had some okay qualities, but she will also a useless idiot. Gatsby only saw the one side, until his death.

 

[sserafim]

I hear you. You're kinda like Gatsby that way, imo. I think Gatsby could've given up on making things perfect and met some other woman and been a lot better for it. He refused to accept that he was a different person and that different things might give him fulfillment; he refused to accept that he fixated on certain ideas that weren't 100% true. Daisy was beautiful, and maybe had some okay qualities, but she will also a useless idiot. Gatsby only saw the one side, until his death.

We're not obligated to have to become independent though. We're only forced to because of societal reasons. There's also a strange dichotomy. Trust fund babies and people who live off of inheritance aren't shamed, and yet NEETs are. Both don't work. We're also not obligated to get any older if we don't want to. It's just that we have no choice because we can't stop or reverse time. Time only moves forward; we're powerless against the current and river of time. You're not obligated to live out a full life, and living out your full life doesn't make you any better for doing so

 

[derpyderpins]

We're not obligated to have to become independent though. We're only forced to because of societal reasons. There's also a strange dichotomy. Trust fund babies and people who live off of inheritance aren't shamed, and yet NEETs are. Both don't work. We're also not obligated to get any older if we don't want to. It's just that we have no choice because we can't stop or reverse time. Time only moves forward; we're powerless against the current and river of time. You're not obligated to live out a full life, and living out your full life doesn't make you any better for doing so

I've been meaning to apologize to you because I'm sure I've annoyed you at least a bit, but I hope you know I don't think you're obligated to do anything. I don't think ill of you at all for being a NEET. If I thought you were really happy with your lifestyle, I'd say "good for you" and move on, but - then again - you wouldn't be here.

I think you, personally, could actually get something out of life. Maybe not. I think people have the right to end their life, so obviously I think it's possible for life just not to work for some people. I respond to you because I think you have a chance, even if small, to find meaning in life, and I think you're introspective and have a moral compass you stick by and the world is better for you being in it, but I also think your views are partly distorted based on real trauma you've had. Sorry again, I'm a little drunk. I know I'm being too nosey.

 

[sserafim]

I've been meaning to apologize to you because I'm sure I've annoyed you at least a bit, but I hope you know I don't think you're obligated to do anything. I don't think ill of you at all for being a NEET. If I thought you were really happy with your lifestyle, I'd say "good for you" and move on, but - then again - you wouldn't be here.

I think you, personally, could actually get something out of life. Maybe not. I think people have the right to end their life, so obviously I think it's possible for life just not to work for some people. I respond to you because I think you have a chance, even if small, to find meaning in life, and I think you're introspective and have a moral compass you stick by and the world is better for you being in it, but I also think your views are partly distorted based on real trauma you've had. Sorry again, I'm a little drunk. I know I'm being too nosey.

It's okay. It's just that I *don't want* to live out a full life. I've always felt like I was meant to die young. I have a firm conviction about this. I wasn't meant to live this long. I never wanted to live past 18, and now it's 25 maximum. I don't want to get anything out of life. I don't see anything worth getting from it, nor anything enjoyable about it. I'm only still living because it's hard to die. I don't want to find meaning out of life. I never even wanted to exist anyways

 

[derpyderpins]

It's okay. It's just that I *don't want* to live out a full life. I've always felt like I was meant to die young. I have a firm conviction about this. I wasn't meant to live this long. I never wanted to live past 18, and now it's 25 maximum. I don't want to get anything out of life. I don't see anything worth getting from it, nor anything enjoyable about it. I'm only still living because it's hard to die. I don't want to find meaning out of life. I never even wanted to exist anyways

I hear you, and little kids have a firm conviction that they *don't want* to eat their vegetables. You weren't "meant" to do anything. Saying you don't think you weren't "meant" to live this long is religious talk.

You didn't see anything to get out of life because you haven't lived it, imo. I'm not saying find meaning as in some spiritual magical fulfillment. I mean, "hey, I like doing this or experiencing that and am looking forward to continuing it, even if things suck asking the way."

 

[sserafim]

I hear you, and little kids have a firm conviction that they *don't want* to eat their vegetables. You weren't "meant" to do anything. Saying you don't think you weren't "meant" to live this long is religious talk.

You didn't see anything to get out of life because you haven't lived it, imo. I'm not saying find meaning as in some spiritual magical fulfillment. I mean, "hey, I like doing this or experiencing that and am looking forward to continuing it, even if things suck asking the way."

Should I be obligated to continue living just because it's the default? I never asked to be alive anyways. I was born without my consent. I want to ctb because I *don't* want to live life. I don't want to do or experience anything

 

[derpyderpins]

Just because life is the default, should I be obligated to continue it? I want to ctb because I *don't* want to live life. I don't want to experience anything

I don't think you have an obligation. I personally encourage you to try more things, first, while knowing ctb is an option down the road.

I know I'm taking it on the chin today, but I figure if you're bothering to ask me questions it must not be for nothing.

I think you are really really fixated on some absolutes that aren't true about life being nothing but bad and the world being absolute evil. I've talked to people where I've thought ctb was possibly if not probably the right choice for them, and I don't think you're there yet, but you're digging yourself such a deep pit. You're taking suicide ideation and making it more of a religion, like suicide worship. I think you're taking these mantras: "I don't want to experience anything," "I have no interest in X Y Z," "I see no point in life," etc. and making them your whole identity. To the point where I think even if I offered you unlimited money you might not take it, because working on yourself is opposed to who you are telling yourself you are.

I mean, consider "I don't want to experience anything." Then why are you messaging me? This, right here, is an experience. I think it would be a big step for you to start with wording things more in-line with reality, eg "There isn't much I want to experience." It may seem silly but it at the very least will make you better at discussing philosophy or debating, and it may help you in the long run.