What Is the Difference Between Life, Fun, and Enjoyment?

In modern society, many people can no longer clearly distinguish between what it means to “have fun” and what it means to truly “enjoy life”. More often than not, people treat both as if they are the same thing. Young people nowadays constantly try to make their lives look colourful and exciting in search of freshness and stimulation. They hope others will see them as different, and they often believe that such a “fulfilled” life means they are not wasting their time. Because of this mindset, many spend years travelling, eating, partying, and chasing entertainment. Yet when they look back after every decade of life, will they ask themselves: how much have I truly grown over the years?

In this society, many people lack a certain way of thinking — that is, learning to look at the present from the perspective of the future, and asking themselves whether their future self would truly agree with everything they are doing today. Or perhaps, would their future self feel angry at the person they are now? In many university sociological studies, countless elderly people were interviewed, and most of them admitted that they regretted certain things they did when they were young. This is because the things you do today will eventually become part of tomorrow’s history. Very often, when people look back later in life, they realise they could have done better back then. Unfortunately, time can never be turned back.

Many people treat “fun” as a way to relax themselves, breathe fresh air, and give themselves a little space before continuing to strive for the future. Because of this, many people use “fun” as a way to prepare themselves for life. Today, let us use this as a reference point to discuss the difference between “fun” and “enjoyment”.

Personally, I feel that what many young people today call “fun” is more about exhausting their own physical energy just to chase dopamine-driven happiness. In my opinion, this is a behaviour that carries certain risks. One of the reasons is that when a person becomes overly obsessed with chasing pleasure, they continuously drain their energy while keeping their body in a long-term state of high dopamine production. According to some scientific studies, when a person produces unusually high levels of dopamine over a prolonged period of time, it may bring side effects that affect the development of the mind — such as weakening language abilities, slowing down thinking capabilities, and even reducing self-discipline. At the same time, the body also becomes more exhausted as physical energy continues to be consumed. It is difficult to imagine whether someone who spends years being deeply immersed in endless “fun” would, ten years later, feel angry at the younger version of themselves who only knew how to chase pleasure.

As for “enjoyment”, to me personally, it is not merely a verb, but rather a result. In my understanding, enjoyment comes from having the right productivity, or from eventually achieving results after effort and sacrifice. The journey itself becomes part of the enjoyment. In my life, I may sit outdoors in a Western country, enjoying a cup of strong hot brewed coffee while smoking a cigar and exchanging thoughts with the local people about their way of life and their thinking. At the same time, I share and promote our elegant cultural values and my country Malaysia allowing Westerners to look upon us with admiration and respect. To me, this itself is a form of enjoyment.

Malaysia is a multicultural and multi-religious country. At the same time, it is also a nation that respects human rights, and this itself is one of the most valuable treasures a country can have. To be born and raised in Malaysia is truly a privilege. If, during our younger years, we constantly remind ourselves to search for productivity in life while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and mindset and continue living our lives without forgetting who we truly are, then when we reach a certain age, we will come to understand the deeper meaning of “enjoyment”.

When you grow old one day, if your life experiences are rich enough to be written into a thick diary, and your future generations read it with admiration and respect for who you were, then your life has not been lived in vain. Because you would not only have an answer for yourself, but also leave behind values worth passing on to your country, society, and future generations. That, perhaps, is the true meaning of life.

Translated from original article source:

https://www.enanyang.my/news/うあうがあかいぎ/Testimonia-Column/いうかええきい