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[Lord Jade Cross]

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[Salmiakki]

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[AceMissBehaving]

I think once your basic needs are securely met, it’s a matter of perspective  more than it is a tangible thing. Some days I feel completely fulfilled, other days frustrated and empty. Nothing in my life will have changed but the way I see things because of mental health, negative things I allow to take root etc can color the same picture so many different ways.

[andreas1033]

My answer = Inner peace.

 

The search for the holy grail, is to find your inner self.

 

Some people finding it, will forever be lost to society, as society in west can only function if everyone is obsessed with the ego.

 

Most people in west, are driven to it to mean, loads of material rubbish. This is how the govs of west you to think. If thats your bag, its fine. But it will never really bring any fulfilment.

 

But everyone to there own.

 

You live your life how you want, as no one has a right to tell you what will fulfil you.

[gisiebob]

have you heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? not saying it's the devine truth, but it is something that has been researched in this area

[Karst]

The problem with looking for fulfillment is that it's one of those things that's never where you're looking for it.  If you spend all your time trying to be happy, you'll be miserable, or, at least, bored.  in contrast, if you seek things like being of service to others, fulfillment will organically show up.

[firewallflower]

49 minutes ago, AceMissBehaving said:

I think once your basic needs are securely met, it’s a matter of perspective  more than it is a tangible thing. Some days I feel completely fulfilled, other days frustrated and empty. Nothing in my life will have changed but the way I see things because of mental health, negative things I allow to take root etc can color the same picture so many different ways.

I agree with this; well said!

[Gloomy]

Depends who you ask. Some people say getting married and having kids fulfills their life, but to me that would be a nightmare. Personally I feel fulfilled with my cats, my solitude, some anime, and some iced coffee.

[Guest]

I think fulfillment can be found through a deep spiritual connection, either with God/gods, yourself or another person. Though I am not certain you can have that kind of connection with just anyone, I would think you would need to feel a connection to them from the start. Also, I'm not sure you can have that kind of bond to someone you're friends with, it may need to be a romantic partner. And then through following your path by doing the things you feel you need to, and giving gratitude for what you have and for what is going right in your life. Gratitude is pretty key to feeling contentment, because it gets you to focus on the positives instead of the negatives.

[Homer]

Entirely depends on the person. What might be fulfilling for one might be excruciatingly boring or rage-inducing to another. There's no checklist.

 

1 hour ago, Jade Cross said:

another BS societal norm ideal that people dont really think about before vomiting it forward to a dozen others

This is kind of funny, as it sums up what I think about the concept of "societal norms" people keep complaining about.

[Skycaptain]

Brexit being abolished 

[fooledbysecrecy]

27 minutes ago, SkyenAutowegCaptain said:

Brexit being abolished 

saw the title of the topic and instantly thought something along these lines.

[kenny.]

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[Nima]

I think my sense of fulfillment depends on my current mood. There are days when I'm totally content with the world, look at what's out there and reflect where I've been and think, this is a good life. If I had to die now, I'd be okay with that. And on other days I'm a malcontent,  think my job and petty life is a trap, I could be doing so much better and what the hell did I really accomplish with my life?

So inner peace is the key here. Usually when I have less, connect with nature, feel wind and rain in my face, watch the stars, have no stress and no worries, have no regrets and no agenda, know that my loved ones can hold their own,  understanding that somehow, somewhere I made a difference to someone, feel tiny and significant at the same time... I know this might sound like a bunch of tree hugging hippy crap, but it's like getting a big hug from mother nature and knowing you did alright. my fulfillment. 

 

[ColeHW34]

Not much.

Just food, water, security, some good friends would do and no goverment or bosses to pressure you.

 

Also reduce the "wants" because IMHO there is no difference between a fancy car and just a regular car (besides you'll need constant repairs, gas, etc.), two ply vs 3 ply toliet paper, and no need for a large tv (just go outside, read a book or take on a hobby like ship building or whatever).

[InDefenseOfPOMO]

Coherence.

[FindingTheta]

Fresh and healthy food, a roof over my head, hygiene products, teas, nature walks, gardening, and a closely-knit community that looks after each other.

 

I don't need electronics or anything (says the computer engineering major); I'm perfectly happy without them. The only reason why I use them is so that I can function in this society.

[Soul Searcher]

I have never felt fulfilled in my life, so i can't say.

 

But i will say that the idea of finding my inner self and my purpose sounds pretty fulfilling to me. And of course, a happy family with love and care wouldn't hurt either. 😀

[eeeve]

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[IrishArcher]

I think, as a general rule, living up to one's own values would tend to make one feel fulfilled. I guess that goes along with what others have said about inner peace - if you are not living in conflict with yourself or experiencing cognitive dissonance, you'll most likely feel satisfied. This presents itself differently for everyone. Some people might value family, so they only feel fulfilled once they've created one of their own. Some people value friendship, so they can feel fulfilled through strong, platonic relationships. Others value service, so they feel fulfilled by helping others. Some people might value all of these things, so they need all of them to feel fulfilled. I think it's an entirely personal experience, and a lot of the time, people end up being wrong when they think they know what will fulfill them. I think it's hard to obtain fulfillment without truly knowing yourself, and it usually can't be satisfied by surface-level remedies, because most people's values are deeper than that.

[GlamRocker]

I think you have to give up to feel fulfilled. Like Fight Club said. Or Buddhism.

[Your friend]

Well, according to generally accepted positive psychology theory, happiness and fulfillment come from being self-actualized. This means that you are constantly improving and constantly working towards something better. It's the happiness of pursuit rather than the pursuit of happiness. A lot of people get this wrong and think that acquiring more material things, or living a life of hedonism, will make them happy, when in reality those things are just recipes for feeling empty inside. The truth is simply having achieved or acquired something won't fill the void. What actually makes you feel fulfilled is the process of getting to those achievements. Living a lifestyle based on consumption is also a recipe for feeling empty. To feel truly fulfilled one should live a lifestyle based on exploration and creativity, a life where you spend as much time in a high-consciousness state as you can.

[Epitaph]

Depends on a lot of things. Some of them come from fulfillment of one's own values, and some of them come from achieving goals one has set for themselves. Some of it comes from being aware of what one already has in their possession. What we pick however, determines the level of fullfillment. I guess the best example is to just recite what fullfills me.

 

What fullfills me is quality in everything. Finding the difference in what feels, looks, tastes, and functions better than the rest. When you stop and compare a bowl of soup you took from a can in the supermarket, to the same type of soup made by a master cook, or even your own home-made cooking, the fullfillment arrives.

 

I gain fullfillment from seeking knowledge. How does this labryinth game we call life function? What can I learn in my lifespan that enables me to survive? To create? To be self suffiecient and self reliant? 

 

I gain fullfillment from trying to be the best that I can. I physically push my body to the limits as much as I'm able to because I want to see what I can do with my own hands and strength. I want to be healthy and fit. I gain fullfillment by trying to fight my heritage. I won't become a mirror image of my parents. I won't inherit their flaws nor give in to their passed on failures and teachings. I try to be the opposite person to all the bad shit I've seen in the world. To never hurt anybody intentionally, to help when and where I can, and to be a human being that you can count on if you ask for help, somebody that you can trust absolutely.

 

I gain fullfillment from my environment. I try to protect and harbor life as much as I can. To live with it and amongst it rather than apart from it. To realize how small yet interconnected I am to all of it. I'm a grain of sand in a machine I can't understand, and yet the tiny ripples I make still determine the outcome at the end of the chain.

 

Most of all, what gave me utter fullfillment, what gave me true peace in life was love. And I don't think many people in life ever really get to experience it at such a depth. This love of mine runs so deep that even though I make no solid claims on an afterlife or a soul, I want to find her soul again. If there's an afterlife, or another life after this one, I want to find her again. Her soul, her mind, everything that she was, was tethered to me. And I was tethered to her.

 

It didn't matter how bad the days got. It didn't matter how shitty the situation was, or how hurt and tired I was, because I had her. We were in this game together. She knew me inside and out, as I to her. She knew my dark secrets, she knew my good sides. It was like being alive and having a piece of yourself that always missing finally be there. We were whole. And in that, I found peace. True peace, true satisfaction, true conentment. Every day I got to see her smile, or to hear her laugh, to get a glimpse of her humor, or know her mind, I just had...absolute peace.

 

But to answer your question, I don't know if true lasting fulfillment exists. You don't reach a bar and pass it and then go, "Yes, I am fullfilled 24/7 now." Fullfillment is something that comes in moments. And in order to truly appreciate it, I think you have to be acutely aware of when, where, and how those moments are created and earned by the person who controls them, that being yourself.