Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with epiphanies

What happens when young dreams grow old?

twirlypen — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:16:25 -0800

How have your life lessons/philosophies/epiphanies etc changed over the course of your life so far? What has changed now? What don't you believe in now that you did ten years ago? And vice versa. I'm trying to get an idea for how things you believe in when you're, say, 21 (as I happen to be), change over the course of your life. I'm sure I wont always have the same perspective on things as I do now, and I'm interested in how other people, as they've grown older, have changed in their mindset and outlook and all that.

For example; 'when I was 21, I thought I'd be in love forever and be a movie star, now I'm 42 and I'm happy but love doesn't last and dreams only exist to get you through the days'... or, you know, whatever.

Share your epiphanies.

WCityMike — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 23:46:21 -0800

Share your epiphanies. I am interested in hearing about people's religious epiphanies -- 'eureka' moments, moments of realization in their life that involve religion and spirituality.

I'm specifically interested in not only those moments that involve adoption of a religion (going from atheism or agnosticism to Christianity, for example), but also those that involve conversion (from Christianity to Wicca, for example) or those that involve only eschewing religion (going from Islam to atheism, for example).

If you don't have an epiphany to share that involves religion, I would still be interested in hearing about a moment in your life where you learned something you still feel is a Great Truth, something you still carry with you and abide by as a maxim.

It probably need not be said, but please respect, at the very least in this thread if nowhere else, everyone's right to believe as they see fit.

What would you tell 20-year-old you?

twirlypen — Sun, 13 Nov 2005 13:55:26 -0800

What did you wish you knew when you were 20? I'm 20. There are a few things I've learnt in the last few years that could have been really valuable had I learnt them earlier. What have you learnt since you were 20 that would have been valuable then?

This isn't a specific problem that needs answering, but a more general question seeking 'life lesson' kind of things.

About me- 20, at university, will graduate in two years with majors in Geology (which I'm ok at and will get me a job) and English (which I love but wont get me a job). I'm two years into a long distance relationship, and there's no end in sight (to the distance or to the relationship). So: what should I know? What's something you come to learn only after more than two decades on this little planet? What would you tell yourself if you could speak to 20-year-old you?

Epiphanies

wtfwjd? — Fri, 14 Jan 2005 18:25:07 -0800

I recently had a major epiphany. The kind that has resulted in a rather radical shift in how I live and the choices I make each day: "You don't own the stuff-- the stuff owns you." Sure, you might think it facile or cliche, but since this new framework suddenly, deeply and firmly established itself in my noggin, I have stopped buying stuff all the time (like I used to) and I have been relentlessly getting rid of all the crap I had accumulated over 15 years. My question is what major epiphany have you had most recently and how has it changed your life?