Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.
Socrates
Putting religious and cultural beliefs aside, it is reasonable to assume that we live only once, at least as far as our present material body is concerned. In the grand scheme of things, our life is but a fleeting moment. What we make of this brief stay in the material world goes a long way to define how and whether we will be remembered.
It is important to enjoy life. A life spent purely on academic and/or financial pursuits isn’t exactly a life well spent. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. That said, devoting our lives entirely to material pleasures is far from leading an ideal life. This is especially true of our times, when education has become synonymous with securing a high-paying job, friends have no more value than disposable dishes, and weekends have come to mean night-outs, hook-ups, and whatnot.
Instead of living a goal-oriented life, most people are leading meaningless lives. For them, life is all about sleeping for long hours, making money by whatever means, and wining and dining. They squander the most precious years of their lives like headless chickens, exhausting their youth on senseless quests. It is generally too late by the time they realize how long they have wasted on momentary pleasures. On the other hand, there are a few others who keep their worldly needs to a minimum, actively seeking ways to make the world a better place to live. They are the ones who come up with breathtaking inventions or ideas that change everyone else’s lives for the better.
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher from Athens. Known as the father of Western philosophy, Socrates once wrote: “Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.”