Dare to Live. Most People Just Exist

Invest in experiences that guarantee flow

Thomas Oppong
5 min readJun 5

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Photo: Editorial rights purchased via Freepik

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde

In a highly connected and busy modern world, it is all too easy to fall into the mundane routines that dominate our lives.

We wake up, go through the motions, and repeat the same patterns day after day. We become accustomed to the familiar and comfortable, never daring to venture beyond the confines of our daily routines.

Yet, deep within us, there lies a burning desire for something more. We yearn to break free from the shackles of mere existence and truly live.

Life is not meant to be a monotonous journey of survival.

It is an invitation to embrace the full spectrum of human experience — to savour the richness of every moment.

True fulfilment lies in stepping outside the boundaries of the ordinary.

Most people lead lives of quiet resignation.

They settle for mediocrity, opting for safety and familiarity rather than risking the uncertainty of the unknown.

They allow fear to hold them back, chaining their personal goals and aspirations to the ground and surrendering their potential to the forces of complacency.

However, within everyone lies an untapped reserve of courage to live a meaningful life, waiting to be awakened.

It’s the courage to challenge our dull responsibilities, pursue our interests with unwavering determination, and shatter the self-imposed barriers that confine us.

Existence, in its simplest form, is the basic state of being alive and conscious without actively influencing our lives’ trajectory.

Existence alone is not enough for a meaningful or fulfilling life.

Daring to live, on the other hand, implies an active participation in life. It means the pursuit of purpose, curiosity, and personal growth.

Living involves taking risks, exploring new experiences, and embracing life’s full spectrum of emotions and challenges.

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Thomas Oppong

Author | Habits, Philosophy & Psychology. As seen on Forbes, Inc. and Business Insider. For my popular essays, go here: https://thomasoppong.com

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