the philosophical disc golfer

[BrotherDave]

Everything is a choice

Sure about that? I didn't have a choice being born so that shoots your theory down right there. I'm way more inclined to believe that there are absolutely NO choices than any semblance of Free Will existing.

And can I just sum up your first post with "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey?" Sound about right?

[JHern]

Disc golf is so much more than just a game...

-Its a kind of golf that we don't need to clear large fairways and keep the grass manicured over huge areas, so no need to keep out the "riff raff." We use the landscape, and its much cheaper. Its golf for the rest of us.

-Disc golf has been built by the efforts of its practitioners, who planned, who came out in work crews, who brought and applied their skills, who cleared debris and undergrowth, installed tees, benches, baskets, hosted tournaments, etc..

-Disc golf transforms mis-used parks and properties, cleans them up, and turns them into sustainable venues for affordable and accessible recreation.

-Disc golf is a conduit by which we can reject the ills of our societies, come together as a community, and do something positive for everybody.

[Smigles]

Jhern, I am sure that your point 2 also started like this in ball golf ( 100 years ago or more ), your points 3 and 4 also count for ball golf, and that we will get to point 1 when disc golf is more developed.

Still, I agree that DG is more than just a game.

[GRHE]

:) Hah, just me and my scoffers. Oh well. If we are an ignorant, unhappy people seeking life in the very things that destroy us then perhaps we should say so be it.

ignorance is bliss.

i personally enjoy the rounds were i am the only person on the course. those are my happiest and best rounds. other peoples out of whack and emotional vibes are agitating. plus your average disc golfer isnt very good for meaningful conversation, at least not what i find meaningful anyway.

Sure, I like playing by myself sometimes too but face it, without this forum and other friends to talk to about the rounds, they would turn dull and pointless. Consider again that you're the last person on earth. Would disc golf still be a lifelong sport? No, at that point its a survival technique and you are not finding any sense of purpose or satisfaction in life from it.

1. Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone
2. you sound like you either a. broke up/got divorced b. a friend/relative died c. you lost your job or d. your dog ran away

I'm torn between 2a. and 2c.

EDIT: Eat 2 big handfuls of cashews every day for a few weeks. you'll feel better and forget about this shit. also stay out of the heat. it's messin' with your head dude.

As for this I'll not poke back but you couldn't be more wrong. More to the contrary. I am actually finding my life more satisfying and fulfilling than ever before. I have an amazing wife who I grow to love more and more each day, some amazing kids that are the light of my day, and I can actually say that I'm happy. I'm not ashamed of the way that I live my life like I have been in the past and I don't feel guilty over most of the decisions that I make. I know this gets to sounding fluffy puffy and pink star dust and crap but I've learned enough about life to see that we are all the same on a base level.

For instance, all of us have a base need other than our three basic needs of food, shelter, and water. Consider for a moment the need of every single person to be known. We crave it and many of our actions are driven by this. Its why a strong marriage works best in monogamy, because while hollywood and television are playing up the attractive side of random sex and the exciting party life the fact is that these will never give the satisfaction of knowing another person intimately in trust. Conversely, and I will argue that this is where the true satisfaction of a strong marriage lies, knowing that another person knows every single detail about you and loves you in spite of it meets a base need to be known. The satisfaction is not in how great the sex is, it lies in the extent to which you feel known and loved by the other person. I'm not here to argue this concept, only to make a point that you may or may not relate to in needing to feel known.

Now, back to the subject at hand, when we get honest with ourselves we are all looking for something in life, otherwise we ball up on the couch and cry until we wither up and die or commit suicide, whichever comes first. We need something to seek after and most of the time we are looking for something that brings meaning to our lives. We have another base like the need to be known which is the need to feel like our lives have purpose and we act subconsciously at times to confirm this to ourselves. Feeling like we have something to contribute to this forum satisfies this in us in a way. But all this to say that disc golf in itself does not meet any of our basic needs in the absence of being able to interact and relate our experiences to other people. What I'm driving at is that all of our base spiritual needs are tied up in our interactions with other humans and our ability to interact and relate to people is often proportional to our satisfaction and sense of purpose in life.

Like I've pointed out already, there will be scoffers, but then there might be others who resonate with the idea that it is possible to be happy in life and seek a satisfying and fulfilling life. Those might be able to look past the jokes and jabs and find the heart of this idea. Do I claim to have mastered it and know every answer? No, but I have begun to seek it and this is life to me regardless of what anybody can say. I have something real in my life and I simply would like to make an attempt at expressing that in a way that relates to a game that I love

[Apothecary]

can i borrow your bicycle?

[biscgolf]

i feel like kicking a puppy...

[Dogma]

I'm way more inclined to believe that there are absolutely NO choices than any semblance of Free Will existing.

Yes BrotherDave, you are a puppet. You had to find out sooner or later. Now go get me a beer.

[Smyith]

Sure, I like playing by myself sometimes too but face it, without this forum and other friends to talk to about the rounds, they would turn dull and pointless. Consider again that you're the last person on earth. Would disc golf still be a lifelong sport? YES, at that point its a survival technique and you are not finding any sense of purpose or satisfaction in life from it.

my father taught me how to throw a frisbee before he taught me how to throw a ball. if i went through the same childhood before becoming the last person on earth than YES i would continue to play disc golf. i can also use the disc to get food, for entertainment, its also a plate and a bowl,and since i'll still have my dogs its a toy for them as well. you know what the best part is? i can change all the course and redesign them any way i want. whose gonna stop me? the only bad part about being competely alone is not getting that 'something something' every now and then from a fine honey(this depends on level of intoxication...lol).
i dont play disc golf for companionship and/or to develop my community. I play because i love to throw discs of any kind and for competition between myself and the course. tournaments and leagues is for 'money' first, practice second, self-improvement third, blah blah blah. building relationships is way down that list. any DG development i do is at heart for myself. and for anyone to deny that is stupid, you benefit in some way otherwise you wouldnt do it.
also, why ask me a question if your going to assume you know the answer right away? you know what assuming means right? i can say i am one, what about you?

As for this I'll not poke back but you couldn't be more wrong. More to the contrary. I am actually finding my life more satisfying and fulfilling than ever before. I have an amazing wife who I grow to love more and more each day, some amazing kids that are the light of my day, and I can actually say that I'm happy. I'm not ashamed of the way that I live my life like I have been in the past and I don't feel guilty over most of the decisions that I make. I know this gets to sounding fluffy puffy and pink star dust and crap but I've learned enough about life to see that we are all the same on a base level.

not trying to be a dick, honest, but this sounds like AA.

Also i dont need another human to feel known. 'animals' are just as intricate as 'humans' (humans are a type of animal) and can solve that issue easily. your mixing up cultural factors with basic needs. our species has been around a long time, and before we invented culture life was about survival and breeding. since there would be no culture there would be no need to be known. if you want a purpose it would be to seek out something to propagate the species with. have you ever fasted? it only takes a day or two before you throw out all your cultural food taboos and crave the weird things that would be most advantageous to your body. whens the last time you craved bone marrow? our bodies LOVE that shit! yet we dont eat it in most cultures because its taboo. when they say food, water, and shelter they mean thats what you need to survive (although i think they should add sex to that list).

i have one more question(s). why does there have to be a purpose in life? cant it be to just exist?

[GRHE]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. All this isn't macho enough for real disc golfers. Take it or leave it, I'm not here to debate. I'm just expressing my personal experience and I can say for myself that the road less travelled is worth it. When all you self-centered sorts come to the point in life when you wonder if there isn't more to life than simply existing, or you're going through your mid-life crises, or perhaps you're on your death bed and you finally realize that your life is short and perhaps you should have made more of it just keep in the back of your mind somewhere that a need for a sense of purpose is built into you. Lonliness is a reality and the result of living your life completely for yourself is bitterness, anger, and lonliness.

Disc golf alone can be taken however you like but I hold that the pursuit of skill and talent alone in neglect of the fact that the only wealth in life is in the people that we know and the friends that we make along the way will always leave you empty and wanting for something more real in life.

That's all for me. Its clear that most would disagree but its relevant and a reality for me so take it or leave it. Thanks for the discussion and I look forward to seeing you all around the boards

[Frank Delicious]

I already graduated college.

[Smyith]

GHRE

[holyschemp]

I blame the heat for all of this shenanigans; a few of my friends have also started philosophizing. I don't think you sacrifice relationships for disc golf unless you're a fucking pro and have to live on the road...or have really bad relationships. Beauty of this sport is you can bring literally any one out to any course (except for the ones on really really bad parts of town). This isn't a job and I don't think anyone should make it out to be one; that's when we become overcompetitive assholes. On the other hand, the philosophical disc golfer needs to go home. If you're in a field or course holding a disc and thinking about the purpose of disc golf more than what you're trying to throw, grab a roc. If it still doesn't feel right....go home and do something else for a few days.

You'll be back. And thats why this sport is amazing.

[BrotherDave]

Look guyz, the dolly llama haz grazed hour presents width his wholly-ness!

BroD:<-----------:iz reel smart.