Are we mentally treading water without a meaning to life?

[GGT]

Thanks, but I said it didn't make sense to me *when I was younger*, not that I don't understand it now.

[Adamant]

It makes me a little sad to revisit a thread and discover it's past me by.

[LittleFuzzy]

Also, women have virtually no rights and men believe having sex as much as possible (without protection) is a sign of masculinity (that frequently includes having sex with other women as well). Third world countries where women work and have political rights tend to have much lower birth rates.

I DID say "culture matters, blah blah blah" :P

[Loki]

Well, you were a little fuzzy with what you said.

[Nessus]

And it may be that you need to experience a little more life before you can understand how a high income earner might be unhappy despite having a lot of money. Or how he might feel compelled by duty or honor or self-respect to stay in his unhappy circumstance.

I doubt life experience will much change a man approaching his thirties who, with a straight face, suggests 17-year-old high-school drop-outs should form sexless common law marriages for the economical benefits. It's not even about moving the goal posts anymore, we're holding a soccer ball in his baseball court.

[EyeKhan]

Baseball is on a diamond and why does it have to be sexless? Oh and Loki was being delightfully dense in this particular discussion. I think he must be exceptionally happy.

[Draco]

Seeing how human civilisation has been living under such feudal lords and religious leaders for a few millenia, it's no surprise that it's difficult to make that transition where your 'meaning to life' doesn't revolve around what they're saying. People are able to look into themselves now days and make something of that, but it seems a lot are still nervous.

[GGT]

In lieu of a new thread:

Americans Are Still Overwhelmed by Excess

A lack of moderation by U.S. consumers has made an abundance of everything from food to technology too much of a good thing. Where does all this excess come from?

By Venessa Wong

America is the land of plenty. Unfortunately these days, that often means plenty of foreclosures, bankruptcies, childhood obesity, greenhouse gases, stress, and even plenty of debt. We have so much debt that on January 6, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that Congress needs to raise the federal debt level beyond the existing $14.29 trillion ceiling during the first quarter of 2011 or risk defaulting on U.S. debt and losing access to global credit markets.

continued: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...112_642520.htm

[Illusions]

Perhaps discussing needs, wants, and requirements would be beneficial to a lot of people (not on this forum but in life in general). For example:

You need to eat in order to stay alive. Needs are things you must have in order to continue living.
You do not need a Mercedes, you want a Mercedes. You will not die without one. Wants are nice things that you'd like to have, but not having them will not cost you your life.
You are required to show up for work. While you do not need to show up for work, as in you will not die from not working, work can provide you with things you need, therefore unless you have an alternative to get your needs, working to get them is a requirement.

[GGT]

Perhaps discussing needs, wants, and requirements would be beneficial to a lot of people (not on this forum but in life in general). For example:

You need to eat in order to stay alive. Needs are things you must have in order to continue living.
You do not need a Mercedes, you want a Mercedes. You will not die without one. Wants are nice things that you'd like to have, but not having them will not cost you your life.
You are required to show up for work. While you do not need to show up for work, as in you will not die from not working, work can provide you with things you need, therefore unless you have an alternative to get your needs, working to get them is a requirement.

That's Maslow's hierarchy of need. S'pose it's all relative.

Americans overwhelmed by excess / lacking moderation might be the symptom of a society that exploded relatively fast over the last century? A chicken in every pot, a car in every garage, homeownership as the American Dream, all that. We're pretty much the Super Size Me Nation now, Super-Super Markets, fast food on every corner, even Starbucks making a 32 oz. Trenta now. Hell, our grocery stores have aisles full of more dog and cat food (even gourmet) than some countries have people food!


edit: Lo and behold, I just saw this article about cooking organic food for our American pets. While I'm a big animal lover, and can understand the lengths we go to for our pets (they're like family) but these dogs and cats are eating better than the billion or so humans that subsist on $1-2/day. Something seems very out of whack here. Yes, it's a tangent. But when it comes to placing "meaning to life".....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/di...agewanted=1&hp