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Contentment and Progress...are they antithetical concepts?

by Michael Newman
6 replies
I've been hearing about the virtue of contentment since I was a clueless boy.
As I grew older, I decided that progress, growth and development are the keywords in my life. There is a tension. Where does one draw the line? Can we really be over-ambitious? Or is contentment a mask for small dreams and indolence? Contentment...Progress...Are they antithetical concepts? Would appreciate your thoughts?
#antithetical #concepts #contentment #progressare
  • Profile picture of the author Jeffrey Betman
    Michael:

    I think it is possible to be overly ambitious to the point of ruining your physical and emotional health.

    I see contentment as, perhaps, the ultimate goal. It is getting to a point in your life where you are completely satisfied with who you are and where you are at - both physically and psychologically.

    ~Jeff
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  • Profile picture of the author zannix
    The purpose of life is growth, at least in my opinion. So you should never be satisfied (ie content). Grateful? Yes. Satisfied? Heck no!
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph G Spiteri
      We should always strive to achieve something better by having goals to accomplish.
      But if you don't have contentment in what you have right now it's harder to
      accomplish the goals you have set yourself to achieve.
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  • Profile picture of the author GT
    I believe the two concepts are antithetical. If we are content, why would we strive for anything further? And if we strive, it means we seek something more or different than what we currently have.

    I am sure there must be some example of a situation of balance between the two. Perhaps when a person is immersed in a skill or talent or activity that brings them great joy and they are content with the present results, but striving to get better at the skill simply because they just love doing it, not because they are trying to get more from it.

    How about that? Does that work?

    GT
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  • Profile picture of the author buckeyes09
    I live life "never satisfied" because I can always do better. That's pretty much the opposite of contentment.
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    Christian

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  • Profile picture of the author stanli
    Active contentment is a very powerful state of mind, one of joy. This is not bland resignation, but the outlook described "when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy". I know it's dangerous to reference the G word but the fact remains that the Intelligence that is Good is the source of joy, and to know that we have that as a being-right is empowering and freeing and en-joying. Good is not bland. It is power itself, actually the only power, which ultimately overrides any mistaken appearance or feeling of anything unlike it. That's where real energy, direction, and inspiration comes from. It's always here, just needs to be tuned in to. And we can never be disconnected from it, we exist because it does. Simply being aware of this fact helps to improve the tuning. Concentrating on it clarifies it and brings it into the focus of ideas. Those are the ideas that spread the joy and the wealth.
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