• Question: What is the difference between living and being alive?

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      Asked by Raquel to John, Laura, Luke, Rob, Ruth on 17 Jun 2016.
      • Photo: Laura Finney

        Laura Finney answered on 17 Jun 2016:

        This is quite a philosophical question. I think the difference to me is that lots of things are alive and many people are alive, but living is going about and being alive and trying to reach your full potential, whether that be doing things if you are a human or growing and flowering as a plant.
        There are many people who are alive but not really living in my opinion.

      • Photo: Ruth Patchett

        Ruth Patchett answered on 17 Jun 2016:

        I think scientifically they mean the same but emotionally these are quite different words. I suppose being alive is associated with bodily functions like heartbeat and breathing but living is about being conscious, having ideas and personality and living a full life.

      • Photo: Luke Williams

        Luke Williams answered on 19 Jun 2016:

        I don’t particularly make the distinction as I find it usually means that you are making some sort of value judgement about someone else.

        If someone chooses to live their life in a manner that I would not, that is their option.

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