Are You Content?

[Atlas]

I've always thought it nice to entertain the endless dream of contentment. Am I content? I'd like to say so. That is, of course, until my humanity gets the best of me and I can't live without something once again.

Although, let's take contentment and widen its horizon. At the end of the day I can truly say I am often content. The few moments that occur before sleep finds me, my mind simply wanders into a state of contentment regarding my life -- whatever season it is.

Lost love, lost cash, lost iPod, I am content.

Gained job, gained philosophy, gained payment plan, still: content.

What are we if we're not content?

Are you content?

[Indigo]

Yes. Everything in my life, all of my mistakes have worked out perfectly. I'm now at a great position. I'm a successful student with high hopes. I've had amazing relationships and I regret nothing at all.

[Inari]

I can definitively say that I'm not at that point in my life yet. BUT I hope that I don't move farther away from it as I get older and get sucked into materialism.

[Phakiel]

No, i need more money.

[Hyde]

“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is a very simple and effective one: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge”
- Elbert Hubbard

No I'm not content. The minute you become content with who you are or what you have, you have effectively lost the fight. Striving to be more, to be better, to always improve yourself, to discover new things and new abilities, this is what makes us Human....striving to be more than they are, to be something nobler and more difficult than they had been.

I will never be content. I can be happy with what I'm doing, and still never be content.

[Inari]

I think those kinds of words are nice to say and nice to hear. They look cool on posters and make people feel good. But personally I don't think anyone can be more than what they naturally are, and that the most ultimately fulfilling thing you can do is to try to be who you are fully and do what you do to the best of your abilities. And I think that that the belief that a person can do anything leads to disappointment and cognitive dissonance, and a misplaced sense of entitlement.

I think that it's totally fine if people are self-motivated to push their boundaries because there's a trade-off for that. But I don't agree with the idea that being content is equal to failure. The idea that being human is to strive, to elevate one's self, to create, consume, and never be satisfied is one belief of many regarding the human condition.

[Void]

I am not content. But I don't expect anyone to care why, so I'll skip to chase and you can all thank me for not explaining.

Well, I am actually quite content with my sex life. For the first time ever.

[Matron]

No. There's never enough money, never enough time, too much to learn, to read, to experience.

I'm happy enough, but there's so much more I want to do and learn, if I could only afford to do any of it.

[Polygon]

I guess I would have to say that I'm not content. I like my life but I'm always aspiring to more than that.

[Data]

I'm less than 2 weeks from graduating and do not have any job prospects. I am facing the possibility of having to return to dental hygiene. I have $100 left in my checking account. I need new tires, a new timing belt, a tune-up, and an oil change. I need new running shoes. I want some kids. I want to buy a house.

In short, nope.

[Atlas]

What did you originally have planned career wise, Data?

[Data]

What did you originally have planned career wise, Data?

I'm guessing you mean what am I now in school for? Cytotechnology. You look for cancer and infection in cells, mostly cells from Pap smears but can be basically be from any body site. I was a dental hygienist but quickly grew tired of serving the general public. So now I want to be a labrat. But cytology is a relatively small field and you need to be willing to move to where the jobs are. Moving isn't really an option for me right now. So . . . either I apply at my local McDonalds or go back to hygiene until I can find a job.

[Void]

I'm less than 2 weeks from graduating and do not have any job prospects. I am facing the possibility of having to return to dental hygiene. I have $100 left in my checking account. I need new tires, a new timing belt, a tune-up, and an oil change. I need new running shoes. I want some kids. I want to buy a house.

That's almost exactly what I would say. Except I don't need new running shoes, and I have 92 cents in my chequing account.

[Phakiel]

I have 424 bucks in my account.

Yay.