Shutaro Aoyama

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Living in a Way that Clears the Fog of the World

Jul 05, 2024, 7 min read

Summary:

  • Acknowledging that there is no “purpose of life” or “meaning of life,” the author still wants to believe in something.
  • The author believes in finding value in “experiencing things they have never done in life.”
    • They want to learn various things, live in different places, create different things, and experience different emotions.
  • Inspired by the world of the app “The Mist of the World,” the author calls this the “way of living in the mist of the world.”

Text: 20230205

  • After many twists and turns, I have come to think that the “way of living in the mist of the world” is my perspective on life.

    • If asked about the “purpose of life” or the “meaning of life,” I think I would answer with this.
    • So, I want to write about it again.

  • First of all, I believe that there is no absolute “purpose of life” or “meaning of life.”

    • Since there is no absolute morality or norm, I cannot consider and pursue something like the “fundamental evaluation function of life.”
    • Even if I say “I want to pursue happiness,” there is no absolute definition of happiness.
    • Maybe this is nihilism?

  • However, even with this belief, I have a desire to believe in something and use it as a basis for decision-making and actions.

  • In terms of what to believe in, I have recently settled on the value of “living in the mist of the world.”

  • What does “living in the mist of the world” mean?

    • There is an app called “The Mist of the World.”
      • image image image image
      • It is a life logging app where the “mist” of the places you have been clears up.
      • That’s all, but this simple mechanism greatly changes my behavior.
      • For example,
        • When I walk or travel, I think, “Let’s take a route I don’t usually take to clear the mist.”
        • As a result, I can see things I have never seen before and have new experiences.
        • Conversely, troubles such as getting lost or taking the wrong train can also be seen as experiences where the mist clears.
      • Details: The Mist of the World and Exploration of the Fascination of World’s Mist

  • I call this perspective on life “living in the mist of the world” (blu3mo).

  • I believe in finding meaning in “experiencing things I have never done in life.”

    • I want to learn various things, live in different places, create different things, and experience different emotions (blu3mo)(blu3mo)(blu3mo).

  • When making choices, I want to choose something unpredictable or unexperienced, like Choosing the Unexperienced.

  • With this perspective, even minor troubles can be seen positively as “new experiences.”

    • Just like thinking, “Even if I choose a detour due to the mist of the world, it’s okay because the mist will clear.“- That’s Also Life

  • Example:

    • Surviving alone in Tokyo without a smartphone or iPad on June 26, 2021
    • Various unreasonable things happening in the United States/New York (blu3mo)(blu3mo)(blu3mo)

  • I think this is a relatively easy value to achieve.

    • At least, it seems to have fewer environmental factors for achieving it compared to things like “becoming rich,” “getting promoted,” or “becoming happy.”

  • On the other hand, when can’t you maintain a “world of mist” lifestyle?

    • Maybe when you don’t have the freedom to choose something you’ve never experienced.
      • In the metaphor of The Mist of the World, it could be like being forced to stay at home during a lockdown.
    • Or when you can’t recognize the available choices.
    • However, I feel like having absolutely no freedom in life is rare.
      • (At least if you can control how your life progresses.)
      • For example, even if you were put in prison, I think you could still enjoy new experiences to some extent if you could read.
        • But maybe I’m being too optimistic since I’ve never been to prison (blu3mo).
    • So, should we make decisions that do not narrow down our options, as stated in Having Many Options is Justice and Making Decisions without Narrowing Down Options?

  • Aside: If we look at this process objectively/meta-analytically,

    • The reasons why I wanted to believe in something that can serve as a criterion for decision-making and action:
      • It’s more convenient to have somewhat fixed and generalized guidelines for decision-making rather than introspecting my preferences every time, for practical reasons.
      • There might be more psychological analysis on this, like active nihilism.
    • The reasons why I wanted to believe in a “world of mist” lifestyle:

  • Aside: How does this align with Is it happiness to affirm the current situation and aim for gradual progress??

    • It might not align (blu3mo).

  • Seeing the Everyday with Fresh Eyes | Yuuki Hiroshi’s Story

September 2021

  • I realized that what I wrote below is a bit different.
    • It’s not about having a personality that prefers new discoveries, but rather, it’s about enjoying new experiences.
    • The joy of the world of mist is not just about moving to a new space but about discovering new things there.
  • I finally resolved the issue that had been bothering me about this passage.

April 2021

  • I think the worldview of The Mist of the World is quite close to what Myself wants in terms of how to live.

    • To live aiming to have as many experiences as possible.
      • Finding happiness in having new experiences.
    • It’s similar to Choosing the Unexperienced.

  • Exploring nearby areas on foot or by bicycle.

  • Driving on major roads at high speeds by train or car.

  • Intensively exploring distant regions during travels.

  • If you aim to have new experiences, even if there are troubles, you can perceive them as “new experiences” and see them positively.

    • (Ex: Surviving in Tokyo without a smartphone or iPad on June 26, 2021)
      • That’s impressive! (tkgshn)(tkgshn)(tkgshn)(tkgshn)(tkgshn)
    • It’s similar to the idea that in the world of mist, even if you choose a path that is not the shortest, you won’t feel stressed because the mist will clear.
    • About aiming to have new experiences,
      • When choosing something, it’s actually difficult to know whether it will lead to new experiences or not.- Addition: Well, I feel like I understand to some extent (blu3mo)(blu3mo)
      • So-called Planned Serendipity

  • Therefore, instead of sticking to something that seems like a “new experience” at the time of choosing, I thought it would be good if we could think later on, when looking back at our choices/experiences, “I’m glad I had a new experience.”

  • I feel like “having as many experiences as possible” is not the goal in itself

    • Joy, excitement, impression, confusion, and various emotions obtained through those experiences

I was thinking about this matter and it developed a bit. Why is “movement” important? The human field of observation is limited, and we can’t see well into the distance or notice things beyond our limits. Movement is an opportunity to see things that were not visible before, and it is one of the useful means to answer the initial question of “how to know our choices” https://t.co/rUv1Jtszr1 @undefined June 11, 2021

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