Should i live my life to it's fullest even if it means...

There isnt one rule or philosophy to this kind of stuff. People will always make out that there is but there just isnt.

 

Prepare for a long, rambling post.

The thing I dislike about the phrase "living life to its fullest" is that it suggest there IS only one way to "live life to its fullest". And usually, when this is being discussed, it has to do with risk. And it's true - you DO need to risk some things in order to achieve any rewards. That's where the "risk/reward" thing comes into play. You weigh the potential risks vs the potential rewards. If the potential risks are low, and/or the potential rewards are high, it's usually worth the risk. If the risks are high and the reward not so high, then it probably isn't worth it.

Example. Most of us go outside and do stuff. Even though doing so increases your risk of (say) getting struck by a car. But walking along the sidewalk minimizes that risk to nearly zero, and most of us feel relatively safe walking along the sidewalk. Darting across heavy traffic between parked cars raises the risk factor by a lot, but doesn't seem to increase the reward any. So in general, people stick to the sidewalk.

Different example. Some people like parachuting. There's a definite risk involved, but if they take all the necessary precautions, they get the rush (the "reward") with a low degree of risk. (It's this sort of "extreme sport" that seems to be at the commercial edge of the "live life to the fullest".) But wouldn't jumping WITHOUT a parachute give these people an even bigger rush? Well, yeah, probably, but at that point, they'd almost certainly die when they hit the ground. At that point, the risk is so severe that it's ludicrous to go that route. It would now be "living life to the fullest for a very very short period of time".

Now on to your question. Should you risk getting emotionally hurt? Depends on how risky it is, and how great the potential reward is.

Example one. Should you try to remain open to people, start up a couple conversations, see if they might lead somewhere, and see if you make friends? Yes. Because the risk is fairly minor there. Just chatting a bit doesn't risk much more than perhaps a conversation that sort of fizzles out. There wasn't much at stake there. You MIGHT have ended up hitting it off and becoming good friends, but if you didn't, it's generally no big deal. You risked about 30 seconds and ten or fifteen words.

Example two. Should you pick out a guy you find attractive across the room at school, walk over, and say "You're cute. Will you be my boyfriend?" No. Because although the reward might be great - hey, he COULD say yes - the risk is pretty heavy. Even if he IS gay, and even if he MIGHT have been interested, most people would immediately say "no" if somebody walked up and asked them to be their boyfriend. At that point, the risk isn't worth the reward.

Mind you, that doesn't mean you should never approach the guy. You should just approach him a lot slower, a lot subtler, and with a mindset that there's a VERY good chance that he'll be straight and therefore not interested in being your boyfriend at any point. You might end up with a straight acquaintance, or a good straight friend, or (who knows?) a boyfriend. But it's best to go in slowly with low expectations. That will minimize your risk and maximize your reward.

Lex

 

Lex if this was facebook I would 'like' every one of your posts. you always have such good advice.

 

From what I've found, avoiding emotional hurt is pretty much impossible in life. That said, you shouldn't put yourself in a situation where you know you will be hurt.

I couldn't agree with this statement more.