5 Life Lessons from Fight Club

Fight Club starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton (which was first a book by Chuck Palahniuk, almost the full book here), should be required viewing for all Americans. This movie is genius.

If you havn't seen it (you should) the story line exists in a confusing world poised on the brink of mayhem, where Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a projectionist, waiter, and anarchic genius, comes up with an idea to create clubs in which young men can escape their humdrum existence and prove themselves in barehanded fights. The movie is full of stuff that we can take away to use in our lives...

"You are not your job. You are not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. Reject the importance of material possessions. "

Like Tyler Durden says, "We are consumers. We're the bi-products of a lifestyle obsession." In this life, especially in the US, so many people think your life is what you own, you have to have stuff to be important, screw that. Take it from the people in New Orleans, "stuff" can be gone in a second.

American corporations have brainwashed us to think this (which is a great marketing strategy because they make more money if we do), and most Americans are too dumb to see that they are mindless consumers, buying things they don't need and spending money they don't have (hence the mortgage/debt crisis that is slowly wrecking our economy) . To be truly happy you don't buy more stuff, you build what people or nature can't take away from you, like knowledge, memories and inner strength.

"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."

Life is short, planning and acting for the future is important, but living for today is the most important. Don't spend your whole life saying, "I'm gonna kill myself working today and not have any fun in a dead end job so I can make a little money and so I can enjoy tomorrow.." Because chances are, you'll die tomorrow.

"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."

Without pain, without sacrifice there would not be good times in life. You have to have seen dark to have the light. Only after pain can we know the true good times. It's like breaking a bone, if it heals correctly in comes back stronger. That is how the soul works too. Sure there may be a scar, but you are stronger for it. Inner strength is a beautiful thing.

"You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

For all you cocky bastards out there, what made you special? We all came from the same place and we are going back to the same the same dirt. What makes you special? Oh, you made some money last year and you drive a fast car? Congratulations, get in line. Somebody will always be better than you in life, get over yourself.

"Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken."

To all the pretenders and liars who fake it, just because you talk to the talk doesn't mean you are successful. All these people buying things to make themselves seem important are just sticking feathers up there butt. You are the condition of your soul, not the materials you own. To be successful is not to live in a 6,000 sqft home and drive a Bentley, its working everyday to do what you think is right and being happy doing it, that's success.