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HOW THE MOVIE FIGHT CLUB CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND FITNESS
I'm positive many out there reading this have seen the movie Fight Club. Even fewer have actually read the book or know of it's existence though (highly suggest you read it). Anyways, Fight Club. It was made in 1999, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton (American History X). Does a pink bar of soap with the words Fight Club engraved into it on the cover of a movie case ring a bell? Probably heard Fight Club brought up in a conversation once or twice too. Like how the first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. Should I go any further? Okay, we get it... Fight Club is an interesting movie which gets people from all backgrounds thinking and talking. Also, the title Fight Club would make one believe that the movie would be about fighting such as in a Bruce Lee action movie. Not true. Although the movie does incorporate fight scenes and have the actual fight clubs in it there's way more to it. Fight Club is a philosophical movie. It has deeper meaning without a definitive message that has developed a cult following over the years. (All following quotes are from movie.)
Let's delve a little deeper into what this movie is all about. The movie focuses on the "narrator" (Edward Norton) who appears to be your average guy working a white collar office job. Living in a scheduled rut of consume, work, and sleep. Day in, day out. Never stepping outside the boundaries of how society said he should live. He begins what is later referred to as the "Ikea Nesting Instinct." Filling his humble living quarters with expensive furniture to accomplish what he believed society deemed as success. Despite his affluence he wasn't living the happy life he was told those things would bring him. Then his condo was destroyed by an explosion. Everything he accumulated and worked for had suddenly vanished. All he was left with was the clothes on his back. The narrator decides not to rebuild his life. Instead he decides to call up a guy named Tyler who gave him his business card on a flight.
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
The two get together at a bar one night and get deep into conversation. Later the two start fist fighting for fun. The concept for fight club is born... Tyler is naturalistic, rejects traditional values and wants to void his life of materialistic ideals. They move into a broken down shack.
"You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. We're the all singing, all dancing crap of the world." - Tyler Durden
Nothing we acquire in this world can be taken with us when we die. I remember reading a quote one day that said you can be wealthy in life but not rich. It made a lot of sense to me after I thought about it. We've all heard the news stories about wealthy or famous people with excessive lifestyles but behind the scenes they are sad. You don't need to have all the newest and nicest things to be happy. I'd rather enrich my life with knowledge and experiences. After awhile even a new Lamborghini gets boring and starts rusting. And there's never enough! Now I'm not saying you shouldn't have a nice car but don't place your value in stuff. It'll leave you empty. Fitness is a lifestyle; you're investing into yourself. It expands your horizon so you can do more with your life and take care of those closest to you as well. Put time into yourself and others and you'll start to discover a richer life.
Fight Club has a nihilistic theme.
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."
Basically, it's saying that nothing we do matters because in the end it all goes away. Let's be honest here. If you wait long enough... everything we so diligently build up will eventually come crashing down. It's a law of nature. You can either choose to be positive or negative about it. My philosophy is that since it doesn't matter then why not go for it... After the end it's not going to matter so don't let fear hold you down. But be smart about it. I have to constantly remind myself this. We are programmed for survival. Fear is that natural inclination to keep us out of harms way. But sometimes there is nothing to truly be afraid of and we let it hinder our growth. Especially in the gym when you start feeling the pain from exercise. Some people shy away but that's when you need to dig deep and keep going.
The narrator starts mentally breaking down and goes searching for Tyler. He starts realizing that Tyler might be just a mental projection.
"This is your life and it's ending one moment at a time."
There is truth to this. Time is the most valuable asset and we're running out of it. Sometimes I have magical thoughts that I'm going to stay young and then I remember I'm almost 25 and time seems to be speeding up. Life is short and none of us know how much time we have left either so cherish it.
Another scene that has stuck with me is when they go into a store and take a clerk hostage. Tyler takes the clerk's wallet and points a gun to the kneeling man's head. He starts asking questions. Tyler asks him what he wanted to be and cocks the hammer back on the revolver. Raymond was working in a shop but confessed that he wanted to be a veterinarian. After the confession Tyler threatens Raymond with these famous words “I’m keeping your license. I’m gonna check in on you. I know where you live. If you are not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in six weeks, you will be dead. Now run on home." Raymond runs away in tears.
The Narrator asks, "what was that for?" And Tyler answers...
“Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I ever tasted."
After almost coming face to face with death we realize how beautiful life is because we take it less for granted. Sometimes we are lucky and get a wake up call before it's too late. I hear many people say that their life is boring. Well, maybe you should put yourself in Raymond K. Hessel's shoes and think twice because if you we're about to die you'd start viewing things differently. You'd start to appreciate life more.
I'm positive many out there reading this have seen the movie Fight Club. Even fewer have actually read the book or know of it's existence though (highly suggest you read it). Anyways, Fight Club. It was made in 1999, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton (American History X). Does a pink bar of soap with the words Fight Club engraved into it on the cover of a movie case ring a bell? Probably heard Fight Club brought up in a conversation once or twice too. Like how the first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. Should I go any further? Okay, we get it... Fight Club is an interesting movie which gets people from all backgrounds thinking and talking. Also, the title Fight Club would make one believe that the movie would be about fighting such as in a Bruce Lee action movie. Not true. Although the movie does incorporate fight scenes and have the actual fight clubs in it there's way more to it. Fight Club is a philosophical movie. It has deeper meaning without a definitive message that has developed a cult following over the years. (All following quotes are from movie.)
Let's delve a little deeper into what this movie is all about. The movie focuses on the "narrator" (Edward Norton) who appears to be your average guy working a white collar office job. Living in a scheduled rut of consume, work, and sleep. Day in, day out. Never stepping outside the boundaries of how society said he should live. He begins what is later referred to as the "Ikea Nesting Instinct." Filling his humble living quarters with expensive furniture to accomplish what he believed society deemed as success. Despite his affluence he wasn't living the happy life he was told those things would bring him. Then his condo was destroyed by an explosion. Everything he accumulated and worked for had suddenly vanished. All he was left with was the clothes on his back. The narrator decides not to rebuild his life. Instead he decides to call up a guy named Tyler who gave him his business card on a flight.
"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."
The two get together at a bar one night and get deep into conversation. Later the two start fist fighting for fun. The concept for fight club is born... Tyler is naturalistic, rejects traditional values and wants to void his life of materialistic ideals. They move into a broken down shack.
"You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. We're the all singing, all dancing crap of the world." - Tyler Durden
Nothing we acquire in this world can be taken with us when we die. I remember reading a quote one day that said you can be wealthy in life but not rich. It made a lot of sense to me after I thought about it. We've all heard the news stories about wealthy or famous people with excessive lifestyles but behind the scenes they are sad. You don't need to have all the newest and nicest things to be happy. I'd rather enrich my life with knowledge and experiences. After awhile even a new Lamborghini gets boring and starts rusting. And there's never enough! Now I'm not saying you shouldn't have a nice car but don't place your value in stuff. It'll leave you empty. Fitness is a lifestyle; you're investing into yourself. It expands your horizon so you can do more with your life and take care of those closest to you as well. Put time into yourself and others and you'll start to discover a richer life.
Fight Club has a nihilistic theme.
"On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."
Basically, it's saying that nothing we do matters because in the end it all goes away. Let's be honest here. If you wait long enough... everything we so diligently build up will eventually come crashing down. It's a law of nature. You can either choose to be positive or negative about it. My philosophy is that since it doesn't matter then why not go for it... After the end it's not going to matter so don't let fear hold you down. But be smart about it. I have to constantly remind myself this. We are programmed for survival. Fear is that natural inclination to keep us out of harms way. But sometimes there is nothing to truly be afraid of and we let it hinder our growth. Especially in the gym when you start feeling the pain from exercise. Some people shy away but that's when you need to dig deep and keep going.
The narrator starts mentally breaking down and goes searching for Tyler. He starts realizing that Tyler might be just a mental projection.
"This is your life and it's ending one moment at a time."
There is truth to this. Time is the most valuable asset and we're running out of it. Sometimes I have magical thoughts that I'm going to stay young and then I remember I'm almost 25 and time seems to be speeding up. Life is short and none of us know how much time we have left either so cherish it.
Another scene that has stuck with me is when they go into a store and take a clerk hostage. Tyler takes the clerk's wallet and points a gun to the kneeling man's head. He starts asking questions. Tyler asks him what he wanted to be and cocks the hammer back on the revolver. Raymond was working in a shop but confessed that he wanted to be a veterinarian. After the confession Tyler threatens Raymond with these famous words “I’m keeping your license. I’m gonna check in on you. I know where you live. If you are not on your way to becoming a veterinarian in six weeks, you will be dead. Now run on home." Raymond runs away in tears.
The Narrator asks, "what was that for?" And Tyler answers...
“Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I ever tasted."
After almost coming face to face with death we realize how beautiful life is because we take it less for granted. Sometimes we are lucky and get a wake up call before it's too late. I hear many people say that their life is boring. Well, maybe you should put yourself in Raymond K. Hessel's shoes and think twice because if you we're about to die you'd start viewing things differently. You'd start to appreciate life more.
- PRIMITUS
- BLOG 1 : PATHWAYS
- BEGINNER WORKOUT PROGRAM
- BLOG 2 : LEAVING FOOTPRINTS
- BLOG 3 : THE SPICE OF LIFE
- BLOG 4 : 4 REASONS TO RETHINK FACEBOOK USAGE
- BLOG 5 : MOTIVATION
- BLOG 6 : THE CASE FOR CAFFEINE
- MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES PART 1
- BLOG 7 : FIGHT CLUB
- BLOG 8 : FREE FALLING
- MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES PART 2
- BLOG 9 : BRANCHING OUT
- BLOG 10 : BLAST FROM THE PAST
- BLOG 12 : PATHWAYS PART 2
- MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES PART 3
- BLOG 13 : PATHWAYS PART 3
- BLOG 14 : ARMAMENT
- MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES PART 4
- PERSPECTIVE REDEFINED
- BLOG 15 : BREAK DOWN
- THE COLONEL SANDERS STORY
- BLOG 16 : WRECK
- BLOG 17 : NIGHT VISIONS
- BLOG 18 : CHANGES AHEAD
- BLOG 19 : PATHWAYS PART 4
- MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES PART 5
- BLOG 20 : PATHWAYS PART 5
- 3 MILITARY SKILLS TO LEARN
- BLOG 21 : ROAD TRIP PART 1
- QUOTATION COMPILATION
- BLOG 22 : THOUGHTS