The longer you play a game, the boring the game becomes
It applies to even the most interesting game, which is life Milton H Erickson said "Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy" Creating joy... ... ... (By the way, it is very wise that he used the word 'create', not 'find') When we play a game for the first time, (Assume it as a PC game) we are not good at it, but we just have fun playing it But as time goes by, we devise all kinds of methods to make the game enjoyable because the way we played in early days cannot bring the same enjoyment anymore We becomes good at it, but we becomes bored at it It's kind of pathetic to see that an old game remains played by a few old users (For example, 'Starcraft' in South Korea) with all kinds of gimmicks, ideas, methods, or whatever being used to make it enjoyable Creating joy is nothing more nor less than that Life is much more complex and has more possibilities and options than any other game Nonetheless, life becomes boring like any other game When they are infants, just moving arms and legs is pleasing When they are 7, just riding a bike is pleasing just watching an airplane fly is amazing just watching a train move fast is interesting As they get older, they don't find pleasure in them They devise more sophisticated ways to make life enjoyable The situations here is the same as the situation of the old game I exemplified above Even though life has infinite possibilities unlike any other game, the more you play, the more you devise new ways to overcome boredom, the more difficult 'creating joy' becomes And, some people stop to devise new ways, giving up, feeling the futility of life Is that not "constructive"? Is it the right thing and the way to go, to try to create joy forever? Answer, Milton Erickson You command that I endlessly try to create joy until I die? Maybe he is right, I don't know I'm not sure (By the way Milton H Erickson is among the few figures I sincerely respect) Anyway, (whether I agree with him or not) The pathetic feeling I feel when I see the old game users' efforts, is undeniable, and I kind of feel the same pathetic feeling when people have to devise new ways to make life enjoyable I wonder what would make a man happy if he is 1000 years old Think about it Even if he becomes the king of the world on his 1000th birthday, still I think he would not be that happy I'm starting to repeat, but... Even though life has infinite possibilities the more you 'consume' ways to create joy, the less the number of remained (new) ways to create joy becomes (Digression: The 1000-year-old man's joy (if it's possible) would not be compatible with normal people (Raising children, Having families, Involved in relationships, etc.) I am curious to know what it would be) Imagine that the 1000-year-old man followed Milton Erickson's advice For 1000 years, he became bored and found new ways, and became bored and found new ways... And let's assume he lives forever So horrific and daunting One more thing to mention: The ways devised earlier (to create joy) are more natural and better than the ways devised later It's a mixed blessing that I am a very fast consumer