Thursday, March 26, 2009

What does it mean when a person chooses to live their life vicariously rather than actively?

And what could be the pros and cons of such a choice? For example living a life vicariously can allow for more thought and analysis of life in general, yet offers no sense of accomplishment. And living an active life allows for plenty of fullfillment yet can leave an emptiness and a loss of meaning when a person has no time to stand back and observe their accomplishments and get a sense of pride or pleasure from them. What do you think?
What does it mean when a person chooses to live their life vicariously rather than actively?
I think you misunderstand the use of the word.





When you live life vicariously, you%26#039;re not just observing, you%26#039;re deriving your life goals through another. A PERFECT example is what%26#039;s called a %26quot;helicopter parent.%26quot; They screwed up or their life didn%26#039;t go as planned, so they put pressure on their children to excel at all the things they failed. Their success becomes the parent%26#039;s success, their failure becomes the parent%26#039;s failure and is often met with disdain and belittlement. They give them everything in the interest of giving them a %26quot;better life,%26quot; in essence denying them the chance to figure it out on their own.





You have time to enjoy your accomplishments when you actively participate in your own life. This is what vacations are for. :-)
What does it mean when a person chooses to live their life vicariously rather than actively?
I think vicariously usually means living your life through others or the media, as when you identify with the characters on television. You can also vicariously live through other people in your family, such as your spouse or children. What you seem to be describing is more like introspection or reflection, though I guess that can also be a kind of vicarious depending on how you define it. If you look at it like that, I suppose it%26#039;s good to have a balance between active and vicarious living.

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