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David Parker's avatar

Meaning is earned.

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IJ Makan's avatar

It is never given.

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David Parker's avatar

It can not be; it can only be made.

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Hugh Hunter's avatar

I was reading someone who pointed out that across history most cultures helped their members, especially the young men, by symbolically moving them from childhood to adulthood. In the West, we don't do that. I think that makes the need for meaning even greater.

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IJ Makan's avatar

We need to revive a form of initiation. I did a small initiation for my 30th (better late than never) by eating ghost (naga) peppers both as a tribute to my tribe--Nagas--and as a reminder to embrace suffering.

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Hugh Hunter's avatar

Ha! That is cool.

I've often thought that martial arts helps with the initiation as well.

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IJ Makan's avatar

Agreed with you there! I'll have to write something on initiation because I've been thinking about it a lot

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