Discussion Unfulfilled or unfulfillable dreams, no dreams at all or something else? Poll

[Forever Sleep]

I wonder if we fall into certain categories here. I often get the sense we are of one of four things:

Either we have no dreams to begin with. No ambitions or goals. Anhedonia maybe in part- no sense of joy so, no desire to pursue anything.

Or, we had/have dreams but, for whatever reason, they failed and feel impossible to recover.

Our dreams feel unachievable to begin with.

Or, we actually fulfilled some or all of our dreams but found that all that glitters isn't gold and what we thought would make us content or happy isn't working out.

What do you think? Is that too simplistic? I'm curious where you think you fall.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I would vote for 3 (and 4) bc the dreams I have achieved fulfill me and somehow I still profit from them - otherwise, it'd be much worse after my big failure in life. The dreams I've not achieved yet seem to be and most likely stay unachievable bc I won't ever be able to generate the amount of money needed for them - I have everything else.

Maybe you can still add sth like that: "I achieved some of my dreams but the rest are unlikely/impossible to achieve" ?

 

[Kavka]

Interesting topic!

I voted for no dreams, but I do often have some short- or medium-term goals in my life when I'm not feeling depressed. They don't necessarily contribute to a bigger picture, dream or sense of purpose, though. I've realised that my teenage dreams, or rather expectations, have been impossible to achieve.

I honestly don't know many people who have a clear purpose or dream in their lives and when they do, it's often having children or based on religion.

I think the cultural narrative of following your dreams and being ambitious is a bit flawed. It puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people and most often sets them up for disappointment.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Maybe you can still add sth like that: "I achieved some of my dreams but the rest are unlikely/impossible to achieve" ?

This one best describes me actually. I think in a way, that combination might be covered though between options 3 and 4. As in- some dreams have been achieved but don't fulfil us fully (otherwise, we wouldn't be on a suicide forum presumably) and the others feel impossible. I opted for multiple votes to try and account for this.

I think the cultural narrative of following your dreams and being ambitious is a bit flawed. It puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on people and most often sets them up for disappointment.

I think you could well be right. I had a friend who used to say they hated the phrase: 'unrealised potential' because it put so much pressure on people. What seems more important to me is that people are able to pursue things they are genuinely interested in. Sadly though, that can't always be done. Some abilities are more highly sought after than others in this world.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

This one best describes me actually. I think in a way, that combination might be covered though between options 3 and 4. As in- some dreams have been achieved but don't fulfil us fully (otherwise, we wouldn't be on a suicide forum presumably) and the others feel impossible. I opted for multiple votes to try and account for this.

Taking this into account I vote for 3 and 4 in combination with my comment. :-)

 

[Darkover]

i have dreams like being a complete advanced ai machine fused with biology to have consciousness and emotions with no pain receptors what so ever being able to simulate stuff directly in mind and being able to do physics calculations in mind having all human knowledge stored directly in ones brain knowing all maths science technology this will be possible in the next 50 years when we have the computing power and software and hardware to run it

highly advanced technology
Machine intelligence is the last invention that humanity will ever need to make. Machines will then be better at inventing than we are.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I honestly don't know many people who have a clear purpose or dream in their lives and when they do, it's often having children or based on religion.

I never had the "dream" of having children and that all that being based on "religion". My dream always was to live my life with as less efforts as possible and with the most gains of financial income/stability - that is was makes a good life in our society as long as there are no health issues and other things that can't be cured with money.

 

[NoPoint2Life]

I voted for the first choice. This is one of the reasons I always say I'm not wired right. I have never had any ambitions or goals. I wanted to be a decent student at least, but I only did two years of community college because I didn't want to go and it was a compromise. I got a job because I had to and had no dreams for an actual career and nothing fulfilled me and I never had the urge to try to advance to a higher position. I knew early on I didn't want kids which I realized was going to make it very hard to ever find a partner. So I never bothered to dream about that.

 

[RosebyAnyName]

When I was young I had no ambitions. I just hoped things would "work out" by the time I became an adult or I'd CTB.
Now that I'm an adult, I've had things I wanted to pursue, and I was successful in pursuing them, but it's helped less than I was hoping. Meanwhile, the one thing I've always wanted to do is out far out of reach.
I secretly wonder if checking out of reality and forgetting about having any aspirations is the only way someone in my situation could be happy, I wish I didn't want anything.

 

[ra1nw3rldd]

i wish i could have played guitar in a band & made music
i definitely used to have the skill for it
if i had the right people around me now, i could regain it
being a full-time musician is unrealistic, but this goal is still pretty straightforward

but life circumstances get in the way

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I never had a dream, I never will. I think that it's absurd that normies expect me to have dreams and ambitions in life when I was born against my consent. It's like kidnapping somebody and expecting them to enjoy something about their surroundings is ludicrous. Similarly, I think that people expecting me to enjoy something in life and have dreams about something in life is ludicrous as I never asked to be here in the first place. What I don't understand though is how many people do have dreams despite being born here against their will. I guess that this planet is meant for them and that I'm an alien when compared to people here

 

[nux_walpurgis]

I wish I could marry by bestfriend and live in the countryside with no kids, and me being a stay at home wife or work from home at least. I have imagined all of our lives together while he doesn't even know I like him and probably doesn't feel the same.

I am thinking of expressing my feelings to him someday, but if he rejects me, I will cbt soon after.
He is the only good thing in my life and if I cannot have him, life has no meaning for me.