Rewards & Punishments

Income and job satisfaction aside, to what degree is your life beholden to rewards and punishments meted out by external parties?

Non besides the practical, i.e. mortgage, food, etc.

Psychologically, I punish and reward myself. I have enough with the wardens
around the prison of my mind.

Originally posted by FMF
Income and job satisfaction aside, to what degree is your life beholden to rewards and punishments meted out by external parties?

Zero.

Originally posted by FMF
Income and job satisfaction aside, to what degree is your life beholden to rewards and punishments meted out by external parties?

To a huge degree, for me.
When I say huge, I mean a surprisingly big amount, a surprise to me, in that looking abstractly at my life, I can see living it without the people sharing it would be pants.

Punishments in this definition being marriage partner desertion, sulking offspring and sharing in loved ones pain that I can't alleviate.

Rewards here being spending time with loved ones, sharing in thier joy, being me with them (the freedom).

Really where dose finances get you? IMO money can only take your happiness so far: it has its limits. Same for carer too, really. Believe me I love my job. Using my brain is very rewarding, but that positive feeling has a ceiling: it is rewarding up to a point & not as far as a night out with my friends.

Originally posted by FMF
Income and job satisfaction aside, to what degree is your life beholden to rewards and punishments meted out by external parties?

Big time. But I have a cunning plan...

Originally posted by divegeester
Big time. But I have a cunning plan...

Is that you Baldrick?!

Originally posted by yo its me
Is that you Baldrick?!

Ah, my Lord...

Originally posted by divegeester
Ah, my Lord...

Yes. Tell me, is this the plan which painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing 'Cunning plans are here again'?
I do hope so.

Music is a beautiful reward.

Infact isn't everything that exists a variation of reward or not reward?
Spotting a flower on the path, enduring muddy feet, watching a sunset, walking home in rain soaked clothes. Seeing a lamb run on the downs. Waiting on a windy train platform for another hour because there's a delay.
What is life if not a multitude of moments, running in succession of a juxtaposition of reward and punishment?

Originally posted by Seitse
Non besides the practical, i.e. mortgage, food, etc.

Psychologically, I punish and reward myself. I have enough with the wardens
around the prison of my mind.

If its a beautiful day, your health is enjoyable, your loved ones are all content and you have music to play which feeds your soul; but for some reason you're going to punish yourself. I am curious, what will you do to do that?

Originally posted by yo its me
Infact isn't everything that exists a variation of reward or not reward?

Yes I think so. And I think people can get so used to them being there that they forget.

Originally posted by FMF
Income and job satisfaction aside, to what degree is your life beholden to rewards and punishments meted out by external parties?

I am very self motivated and really have no one in a position (other than authorities and the like) to reward or punish me.
It is lonely yes but I am a true lone wolf.

Originally posted by Gambrel
I am very self motivated and really have no one in a position (other than authorities and the like) to reward or punish me.
It is lonely yes but I am a true lone wolf.

What about health, nature, weather. The good stuff.
How loan is a lone wolf? There must have been parents at some point? And grandparents? Cousins? Friends? Neighbours? Collegues?

Originally posted by yo its me
If its a beautiful day, your health is enjoyable, your loved ones are all content and you have music to play which feeds your soul; but for some reason you're going to punish yourself. I am curious, what will you do to do that?

When it is an awful day, health is cracking, loved ones are gone or evaporating
in a whirlwind of misfortune and illness, and all the music at hand is from
Diamanda Galás... and, you know, deep inside yourself, that you just did not
enough to soak in when the time was good, and you couldn't avoid the downfall
of everything you hold dear and precious. Because, after all, everything and
everyone declines and eventually succumbs to the cruel tornado of the clock
arms; and we all end up alone and forgotten, as life is nothing but a whisper.

Life. Is. pain. Isn't knowing that, every single conscious second of one's
existence, the truest of punishments?

Originally posted by Seitse
When it is an awful day, health is cracking, loved ones are gone or evaporating
in a whirlwind of misfortune and illness, and all the music at hand is from
Diamanda Galás... and, you know, deep inside yourself, that you just did not
enough to soak in when the time was good, and you couldn't avoid the downfall
of everything you hold dear and precious. Bec ...[text shortened]... sn't knowing that, every single conscious second of one's
existence, the truest of punishments?

Sounds like you're saying you are pessimistic Seiste. Not in control of your rewards and punishments. In control of your reaction, yes, for sure, as are we all. And we're all responsible for our own happiness.
Yes one day we'll expire, bit on all the other days we won't.
"Life Is Pain"?
Life is so many more adjectives than pain. There are people out there who enjoy pain. I don't date those people because that's messed up.