If Life is a Dance (and it is), Are You a Wallflower or a Participant?

The post is just the titular question.

Q: If life is a dance, are you a wallflower or a participant?

The post isn't to discuss the relative merits of being a wallflower or a participant in the dance. Nor is it to say one is more good than the other.

All I will say is that if you can find your middle-way in life, you will find a perfect balance of wallflower and participant for you! Too much wallflower is bad for you. Too little is bad for you. Find the middle-way!


Exploring This a Bit Further...

Wallflower = Not actively participating/contributing to society
Participant = Actively participating/contributing to society

When I'm playing a computer game I'm being a bad wallflower.
Why? Playing computer games is an unproductive pastime. Unlikely you are acquiring any useful knowledge or skills (especially if you keep playing the same game again and again.)

When listening to Alan Watts on YouTube, I'm being a good wallflower.
Why? Anything that benefits you in a positive way, and in turn makes you more of a benefit to society/friends/family, has got to be a good thing.

When I'm creating blog posts, I'm being a good participant.
Why? Even if no one ever reads my blog post, at least I am making an effort to contribute in a (hopefully) positive way.

When I'm working well - helping people, helping customers, helping colleagues, helping my company - I'm being a good participant.

When I'm working badly - bad attitude, being rude, being unhelpful, wasting peoples' time, wasting my own time - I'm being a bad participant.

It's fine if you don't want to participate, but remember you need to find that middle way!

When I was young (actually in my teens), I really just wanted to be a hermit. Alas, being a hermit doesn't seem to be a career option these days. I think even being a bum, living off the land, going where you want to go like a hobo, even that seems to be restricted these days.

Then for a long time, I just wanted to play computer games, get lost in computer games. I completely did not get the point of society, working for a salary, all I wanted to do was play/dance (you see, we naturally know the point of life is to play/dance). Then society got through to me.

So, finally, at quite a late age, after doing many menial temporary jobs, I finally found a vocation, and got my first proper employment contract. Even when that happened, I still didn't see the point in it all, but like the saying goes "if you can't beat them join them" I'd finally become a productive member of society at the age of nearly 30!

Now, I'm realistic. There is a middle way which you have to find - not too much wallflower for instance - and once you've found it, it still requires effort not to fall off the path.

Life shouldn't be taken so seriously. Really it is very silly. But you have to play along with it. Play your part.

I'm very lucky to have a fantastic job. My job is fairly interesting. The pay and benefits are very good. But if I was to win the lottery tomorrow, yes of course I would jack it in and do what I really want to do...