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Fonkou Djoendia

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Does life really get better?

I hear it everyday "Life gets better!" But does life really get better? What is your view on it?

Topics: life
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  • Terry Haynes

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    Jun 13 2012: I will try to give you the basics for a better life in my opinion. First for a better life you need a good education and to go along with that, the list is opportunities and motivation ( Drive ). Wisdom in decision making is another key factor in making life better. You can be wise at almost any age not just when you are old and gray haired. Push yourself and you chances for a better life increases.

  • Deric Cain

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    Jun 12 2012: Life absolutely gets better. The more we live, the more we learn, the better life gets. At least, that has been the case in my life.

  • Steve Goetz

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    Jun 12 2012: I think that as long as you try to do better for yourself first (education and a career), your life will get better along with you. But, no matter how hard you try, life always throws a few curve balls here and there. It happens to everybody. Thankfully they are pretty rare, and in the meantime we can accomplish many good things for ourselves without interruption. When bad luck strikes, all one can do is try and get back up after it hits you and keep moving forward as best you can. Even after some bad days, life does really get better as long as you never give up and always work hard.

  • Danielle sonnenberg

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    Jun 12 2012: I do think life gets better if you take steps to making it better. It doesn't just get better on its own. I am realizing that my thoughts change my life. It is also about taking the actions to change your life.
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    Verble Gherulous 20+

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    Jun 12 2012: Life only gets better as your outlook improves. Quaility of life is all in the perception.

  • Paul Lauer

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    Jun 12 2012: Life is all about how you live it and the choices you make in it. If you make bad choices or decisions in your life it probably will not get better. If you start making good choices and decisions then I believe that life will get better.
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    Grace Rodriguez 500+

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    TED AttendeeTEDx Organizer
    Jun 12 2012: It depends on how you define "better." If you think "change" and "interesting" are better, then I would say "yes." Life continues to change and get more interesting as you experience more and new things.

    If by "better" you mean improvement in comparison to your current situation, however, that depends on how you approach life. "Improvement" is relative. If you have a positive attitude and believe you are the agent of your destiny, life will get better because you will do what it takes to get better. If you have a more pessimistic attitude and believe "sh*t happens" all the time, it would be difficult to imagine life getting better because you're primed to look for negative outcomes...which tends to make you overlook (and often steers you away from creating) positive outcomes.

    I believe in the former: Life gets better. But that's because I've convinced myself that everything I do/experience is a learning experience. Even if the results are not what I expected (or wanted), I try to learn from it and store that knowledge for future reference. (Sometimes it takes a bit of cursing to vent my frustration, but I eventually get to the appreciative part. It gets better. ;) )

  • Mariana Serrano

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    Jun 12 2012: Ok, ok I was reading every comment here and I understand everyone have a different opinion because nobody have similar live or life similar situations. So, itś completely understandable. We life in different countries and doing different things, also the life in everywhere its so different too, for example in my country the security its a reason for living not too good life, and it makes my life more difficult. But I really think we see the life change everyday its depend of the daily situations. So smile always and try to be happy!

  • N SHR

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    Jun 12 2012: I think life doesn't necessarily get better. You just learn to cope with it better, so your attitude towards life gets better.
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    leslie milam

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    Jun 12 2012: Does life get better......I know what your saying when people respond that "life gets better" but I think life can get better. It depends upon how you look at your life. I think life gets better when we stop feeding our ego to want more and come to appreciate the small things in life. I know this sounds a little over said but it is true.

  • Richard Horowitz

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    Jun 12 2012: In loyalty to their kind
    they cannot tolerate our minds.
    In loyalty to our kind
    we cannot tolerate their obstruction.

    Life is Change
    How it differs from the rocks
    I've seen their ways too often for my liking
    New worlds to gain
    My life is to survive
    and be alive
    for you. -Jefferson Airplane

    Life gets better if you get better; worse if you get worse.
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    dean crawford

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    Jun 12 2012: Does life get better than what? Life will be what you make it or perceive it to be. There's no better than or worse than there is life there is death. Which of these is better and how do you know? You have to go through 1 to get to the other. So does life get better I guess if there's an after life we will see.

  • Andrew McCarthy

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    Jun 12 2012: I think life gets worse before it gets better. When life sucks people stand up and fight to make it better. The pilgrims that first came to America probably really hated their lives when they lived in England but the hope that things could be better drove them to take great risk crossing a vast ocean into the unknown so that they could have a chance at making their lives better.

    Will life get better with technology? The movies Wall-E and Limitless offer a grim view of the future. I'm sure we will have more stuff in the future but will that really make us happy? Everyone wants to live in a utopia where life is good and no one has any problems but the fact is for humanities entire existence there has always been a struggle between the the majority and the social elite.

    I think that life will only truly get better when people stop looking for personal gain and start doing things that are good for everyone.

  • Pavels Jelisejevs

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    Jun 12 2012: I don't think it gets better. But I say that not in a sad depressing kind of way. We fulfill our desires for something and we immediately crave something else. The problem is that everything we can measure like security, wealth or intelligence doesn't really correlate with the term "better" and doesn't make us happier. People don't get happier over time, life doesn't get simpler, it just becomes different.
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    Obey No1kinobe 50+

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    Jun 12 2012: Suggest it depends on the individual situation, perspective and the points in life you compare.

    In the end it gets worse for most of us. We age get sick and die.

    I guess the point is to make the most of it and appreciate the good bits etc etc.
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    pranoy sundar 20+

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    Jun 12 2012: are you asking, does life get better with time?
    it gets over with time, unless you dont do anything about it, to make it better...

    but, if you are teen, more possibilities are for life geeting better from here...cos, when you will be your own, you get the freedom and with freedom life always gets better....and you possibly will start earning money and with that you starts doing things you like most..and you might will fall in love as well.
    if time is what bothering you, it will get better.... and if facts are what bothering you, you must work on it.
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Jun 12 2012: I think that is true in almost every case. Our lives improved once we vacated our teen years.
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    Edwin Nazarian 10+

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    Jun 12 2012: Hi all,

    Fonkou,

    Life gets better compared to what exactly?

    word BETTER is comparative adj.

    To me - Life gets as I want it to get.
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    Linda Hamilton

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    Jun 12 2012: We are continually faced with situations that make life better, or make life more challenging... it is always changing... when we realise there is someone who is worse off than us, we can only see life as better.

    Sincerely,
    Linda
    www.thanknest.com
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      Jun 12 2012: Linda has articulated something real and important. After awhile I got out of bed (I was still vomitting but it was no longer the only event in my life) and I met many lonely and ill people. Therapists were busy with the "heavy lifting' of restoring people and I knew I had some skills which could help. I could touch a shoulder and even in my condition I could listen to their story. No one else had the time and I had nothing but time. When I went to them originally, I was certain that I had experienced the worst and then I listened to the sad and lonely injured people. Many had no hope at all but just one other injured person listening with true interest seemed to change something fundamental in them and in me. I took on the tough, resistant cases and I met every incoming stretcher to say it could be done. And guess what??? They did it- many recovered- including that generous young man with half his brain removed= he want home with his very lovely wife whose eyes shone with admiratoin for him and that beautiful baby that I have referred to before.
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    Don Wesley 50+

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    Jun 12 2012: Yes it can get better.

    Educate yourself out of ignorance to a life of contentment; the highest virtue.

    Don
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    Loren Trimble

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    Jun 12 2012: Are you an optimist? I am, my life is better every day.
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      E G 10+

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      Jun 12 2012: Let me say you you confuse you're life with you're view upon it (because you are an optimist) . It's not an wonder you just answered to the topic questions .

  • Ed Schulte 50+

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    Jun 12 2012: In ALL ways

    How could it be otherwise?

    (By the bye, you ask good questions)
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      Debra Smith 200+

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      Jun 12 2012: I agree Ed, Asking good questions is a real art and this young person already excels!
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    Antonela TedFan

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    Jun 12 2012: I feel like life is what you make it. It may be really tough on you, but what really matters is the outcome. If it tough, it makes you stronger and develops your character. If life was just black and white, or a field with flowers, than what would be the fun of it? You have to overcome all these "obstacles" in order to achieve your best interests and wants. However, it may sound easy to talk about life, when we are not suffering because of lack of food, shelter of cloth. If we compare it to these needs, there is enough evidence to make us feel that life is good, and you do not need anything else.

    One of my curiosities and my goals in life, is finding the purpose of it, part of which is your wonderful question. In an optimistic view, you would say that life does get better, and you keep hoping that you will achieve your goals and so on. But I feel that in a more realistic view, life does not get better. You get better, your point-of-views get better because the change, while gaining different experiences that make you grow and look at life differently.

    In addition, life would be pointless without suffering. The point is "how much suffering". If we are able to reduce suffering and learn how to live, to serve the community and be happy, then yes, life gets better.

    Best wishes!
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Jun 11 2012: i think the answer is yes, maybe. I feel that in many ways I am more equipped to handle life so fewer things annoy or defeat me- but the new challenges just keep getting bigger. If I look back at the whole scope of my life- I think many of my choices now are really informed choices but if I am really introspective and honest with myself - I think this love is more lovely but I still wish I could go back and visit with my children when they were young. Sometimes the days crawled by but that was because of unreasonable demands by my then husband who did not appear to take the same delight in our babies. Those tiny children were such sweet souls. I wish I could spend more time with them again just loving them and playing with them. They really were tremendously fun and sweet.
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    Beste Arslan

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    Jun 11 2012: I dont think it gets better,its just that we get used to it :)
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    Bharath Kumar Kunjibettu 10+

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    Jun 11 2012: Its completely dependent on how you perceive things or situations in your life . So to me life is fabulous and wonderful , what about you?
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    Fritzie Reisner 100+

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    Host
    Jun 11 2012: It depends how old you are, where you live, the problems you face, and whether you mean does it get better each day or as a matter of general trend. For example, adolescence for many people is not "better" than childhood, but young adulthood may be better than adolescence- if one is lucky to be living in an environment of opportunity. Young adulthood can feel worse than the high school years if one is out of school and unable to find work to match ones new responsibilities.
    Families confronted with Alzheimers often do not feel those last years were their best.
    Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel laureate in economics from Columbia, has just released a new book in which he documents how inequality is increasing over time, with the greatest gap among industrialized countries in the United States. If some measure of sharing the wealth is part of a definition of life's getting better, that does not seem to be the trend in the US. What his work may not address (I have not yet read the book) is whether the low end is better off than before or not. Individuals' happiness depends often not just on their absolute state but also how their state compares with others nearby.
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    Cynthia Wells

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    Jun 11 2012: For me, life gets better. As I age my mind becomes less complicated. I am happier and healthier than ever. I choose beauty and light. I am a better wife, doggy mom, friend, artist.
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