Tyler Durden: “We’re consumers. We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don’t concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy’s name on my underwear. Rogaine, Viagra, Olestra.”
Narrator: “Martha Stewart. ”
Tyler Durden: “F*ck Martha Stewart. Martha’s polishing the brass on the Titanic. It’s all going down, man. So f*ck off with your sofa units and Strinne green stripe patterns. ”
The movie fight club is filled with memorable quotes like this one…But embedded in the movie are also some great lessons that can be applied to everyday life.
1. Listen to people…Don’t just wait for your turn to talk
There is a scene in fight club where Edward Norton’s character talks about the reason he goes to group sessions for people with cancer and other illnesses. He says that “When people think you’re dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just (waiting for their turn to speak)” The sentence is finished by another character in the film. What this shows you though is that people DO realize that you are not paying attention when they are talking to you. Shut off the cell phone or blackberry, do not glance around the room for someone more interesting. Stand there, make eye contact, and really listen to what someone is saying.
2. We are victims of consumerism
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt’s character) states…”The things you own end up owning you. Right. We are consumers. We’re the bi-products of a lifestyle obsession” We do not NEED all the things we think we need, and NEWSFLASH! when we get the things we think we need…they probably aren’t making us any happier.
3. Do something for someone else
There is a scene in the movie where Tyler Durden takes a young store clerk behind the store and puts a gun to his head. He scares the shit out of the young guy, then he asks him what he wants to do with his life. He ends up saying that he would like to be a veterinarian. Tyler then tells him he is keeping his license and he is going to check in on the young man, if he isn’t on his way to becoming a veteranarean in a few weeks…Tyler will kill him. A bit drastic agreed, but as Tyler Durden explains…”Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel’s life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted. ” You can bet that Raymond also probably enrolled in school…We should try to have an impact on someone else’s life. Maybe a big life altering impact (but perhaps a little more subtle than a gun.)
4. Steer clear of major corporations
The small gang made up of the “fight club” has a major problem with corporations. A good deal of their energy is spent trying to bring down these massively powerful corporations. While this approach they take is rather primitive, it does reinforce a good point. Corporations are becoming too powerful. Everywhere you look you see nothing but chain restaurants, chain gas stations, and chain retial stores. Forget the few dollars you will save at the chain…Give the mom and pop shop a try. Chances are, you will get better tasting food, better quality products, and better service.
5. Seize the Day
“This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.” This quote is a somewhat negative way to look at life, but the idea behind it is to live for the moment. Don’t put off till tomorrow, what you could do today.
6. Do that thing that you have always wanted to do
Tyler Durden is threatening a driving crash and he asks the people in their car what it is they will regret they hadn’t done before they died…two of the men have immediate answers “paint a self-portrait”, “build a house”. Figure out the answer to this question, then go do it.
7. Accept things outside of your control
“I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let… lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.” We do not have to do/have everything. Accept your life. Be proud of it.
8. Challenge the status quo
The question is raised…Why do they have oxygen masks on a plane? The response…”Oxygen gets you high. In a catastrophic emergency, you’re taking giant panicked breaths. Suddenly you become euphoric, docile. You accept your fate. It’s all right here. Emergency water landing - 600 miles an hour. Blank faces, calm as Hindu cows.” This is obviously not the rationale that is given, or even what would be accepted. But…when you think about it…it seems like it could be possible. Approach all situations creatively, the solution may not be what is obvious and apparent.
9. Persistence is key
Tyler tells Edward Norton’s character, “All right, if the applicant is young, tell him he’s too young. Old, too old. Fat, too fat. If the applicant then waits for three days without food, shelter, or encouragement he may then enter and begin his training.” Sometimes we are tested by people or situations. Be persistent, don’t let “quitter” define you.
10. Not everyone is a winner
The current generation that is being raised is a generation where every kid on the team is the “MVP”, everyone is picked for every team, everyone is special. The real world is not like this. There are winners and losers, and the people that learn from their losses are the ones who end up winners. Much of what happens in life is a result of the hard work you put in, and the “luck” that you create.
11. Live your LIFE!
“If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don’t you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can’t think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you’re supposed to read? Do you think every thing you’re supposed to think? Buy what you’re told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned”
Photo Credits: deep-focus.com
P.S. I have entered this post in a contest for “best title” being run at problogger.com
If you have a couple minutes head to his site to check out some other good blogs. Thanks for reading.
37 comments ↓
This is great advice, even if some of it was demonstrated a bit too extremely in the movie. As far as consumerism goes, if you unplug the TV and stop reading magazines full of 90% advertisements, then you see what you really need to buy vs. what something that is just being ad-bombed into your brain.
Check out Kristi’s blog for a look at some other films that provoke questions…
URL: http://kikolani.com/what-films-provoke-profound-questions.html
great post.
Perfect job on the title. Out of all the people in the writing group on problogger, I clicked on your post first. Excellent work!
Great post. Came in from Problogger. Great title!
Lol all great advise. I’m beginning to understand why my son keeps telling me to watch the movie!
Thanks.
Ava Semerau
And God Was Pleased: Biblical Principles for Creating Christian Success
Yep, here from ProBlogger. You got me on shock value combined w/the ol’ convict herself.
Well done.
Brilliant post - loved the movie and simply could not resist a title-contest entry with the F-word in the title.
I know you’re into the Man thing and all, but I’m really digging your stuff. In order to regain balance in the universe, I’ll send a link for your blog to my husband.
Annie
You’ve got my vote for best title, too. Plus, your content is excellent and your ending KICKS ASS!
Not only am I sending my hubby your post, and even though I’m a lady (debatable at times), I’m coming back for more as well.
Keep up the great work.
Hot bananas! You speak the truth. Hot title as well….you’re my current fav of the Problogger’s Killer Title’s submissions so far.
Carry on ~
Great post. I love the title. Just popped in from ProBlogger. Great minds think alike, I just posted a Fight Club lesson guide last week on my blog. From the consumerist angle mainly.
http://thegreenroutine.net/fightclub-consumerism/
While not a man, myself, I have to admit I enjoyed my first visit to The Blog for Men. Great post–and great title. I love this movie and couldn’t help but click. I’m happy I did!
you had me at “F*uck Martha Stewart”!
wonderful post. you made a lot of good points — i am guilty especially of not paying attention when talking to people, and i appreciate the reminder!
quit your job, start a fight… message recieved.
I call douche baggery on #11… can’t we just be bored at work and waiting for a build to finish?
yeah what a great idea to study the philosophy of a fictional character who is the schizophrenic alternate personality of a loser who later shoots himself in the head
gee, did you really need a movie to tell you those things?
If so, then you missed the entire point.
Read the book, it’s far better than the movie (and has been there first)
I just loved it for this Saturday lazy morning, while Stumbling over the web…gave me lots to rethink about:)
Hey, anything with “Fight Club” in the title will get a read from me. A very interesting post. Thank you.
Hey, I try to support my local shops, but some days I just gots to have my Panda Express Orange Chicken. It’s not even advertised, I buy it entirely of my own free will, but that stuff is delicious.
#1 could not be anymore TRUE. Most people just want to state their point of view and really aren’t even listening to what you have to say.
great movie, great dialogue, and great selection.
good post.
seize the day, your life is ending one minute at a time. what a quote that is, very powerful. this makes me want to live every single moment to the fullest.
Hola,
Started as a regular old blog but I see the depths in the posts. Very nice. Congratulations for giving “hope”..
Oh. That’s a great post! I’m very encouraged to test the real life, amazing real life.
Get out of a big store and drink a beer or coffee in the next corner…
This is the worst advice based on characters in a movie , these people don’t exist folks. Yes they are cool and they are good actors. Please be entertained by this movie but don’t live your life by lines in a movie uttered by characters that do not exist. Get up get away from the TV AND GET A LIFE.
I am an old man now but my heart is as young as it was when aged 20 I walked out on my life my job and my family to marry an ‘unsuitable’ girl. (Their words not mine).
I have always followed my heart, I have no money as such but I still have my beautiful girl , children and grandchildren and I still live my life the way I want to!!
Way to go folks
Nice article. Although I would have though this was self evident.
Kind of a new twist on motivational speaking…
Always good to stumble upon FIGHT CLUB or DAVID FINCHER related stuff. And this is a good one, too! Congrats. My favorite quote from that movie would have to be: “Is that your blood?” — “Some of it, yeah.”
What a masterpiece!
Ok… I am seeing this philosophy all over the Internet, but I don’t get it.
How are we to fight consumerism, live our life to the fullest and seize the day? Wouldn’t we have to consume. Didn’t the founders of these major corporations that we are avoiding seize the day, live life to the fullest and challenge the status quo to get to the top?
Does this mean that once we are at the top, we will just become the victims of people living according to this stream of thought?
I just don’t get it. I say be yourself, live life to the fullest and reward others who do the same. Even if they have more money, higher status, and a larger following. That is how they got where they are to begin with.
Hi, I think fight club is more than just a movie against consumerism, it is based on Nihilism, its not a new philosophy but the movie is very well made and proponents it beautifully, the basic idea of it being nothing unnecessary is not required, at some level of course all the philosophies merge.
Total B.S. ……Consume, Consume, Consume, Drill, Bay, Drill. No guilt in living good.
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