Existential Ennui of the First Order

[garbon]

What in the world are you talking about? PP posted a thread about being unhappy / has too much time on his hands.  You suggested he get a spouse and have kids and he won't have such free time. I said that I thought it was less than ideal to have kids if you are unhappy with your life (with the added suggestion that you're really just kicking the problem down the road if an unhappy person has kids so that they don't have time to reflect on their unhappiness).

Where do you get from such that I think people are typically unhappy?

[crazy canuck]

What in the world are you talking about? PP posted a thread about being unhappy / has too much time on his hands.  You suggested he get a spouse and have kids and he won't have such free time. I said that I thought it was less than ideal to have kids if you are unhappy with your life.

Yeah, you keep missing the part about falling in love, getting married and then having kids.  I understand much of this is foriegn territory but please try to keep up.

[garbon]

Yeah, you keep missing the part about falling in love, getting married and then having kids.  I understand much of this is foriegn territory but please try to keep up.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think one can force oneself to fall in love.

[garbon]

Really CC, I think the our difference of opinion rests on you thinking that such unhappiness stems from idle hands and thus getting entangled in relationships will be a cure all - whereas I'm more inclined to think that it has more to do with a person's perspective on their life and thus wouldn't be helped by marriage/children as the negative perspective is still lingering.  Would that be a fair assessment?

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, you keep missing the part about falling in love, getting married and then having kids.  I understand much of this is foriegn territory but please try to keep up.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think one can force oneself to fall in love.

Yeah, you would think you would have to wouldnt you.

[crazy canuck]

Really CC, I think the our difference of opinion rests on you thinking that such unhappiness stems from idle hands...

What in the world are you talking about? PP posted a thread about being unhappy / has too much time on his hands...

Are you even trying to be consistent in your position?

[garbon]

Really CC, I think the our difference of opinion rests on you thinking that such unhappiness stems from idle hands...

What in the world are you talking about? PP posted a thread about being unhappy / has too much time on his hands...

Are you even trying to be consistent in your position?

You're right that was your characterization bleeding in not mine (nor not near what he expressed).  That said I would agree he has too much time on his hands but I'm not inclined to think that getting rid of said time would make him happy (but certainly would make him relatively happier by distraction). I guess the underlying difference is that I think he'd still have to deal at some point with whatever it is that has him so unhappy.

[Martinus]

Really CC, I think the our difference of opinion rests on you thinking that such unhappiness stems from idle hands and thus getting entangled in relationships will be a cure all - whereas I'm more inclined to think that it has more to do with a person's perspective on their life and thus wouldn't be helped by marriage/children as the negative perspective is still lingering.  Would that be a fair assessment?

I am not sure if this is really what CC is saying or whether you are misinterpreting his position but if it was true, it would be a hell of a dysfunctional attitude. You cannot form a happy relationship if you are not happy on your own in the first place. Treating another person as a crutch to personal happiness - whether it's a partner or a kid - is very fucked up, not to mention pretty unfair to the person in question (and on top of that, unethical under Kantian morality which I espouse).

[garbon]

Yeah, you keep missing the part about falling in love, getting married and then having kids.  I understand much of this is foriegn territory but please try to keep up.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think one can force oneself to fall in love.

Yeah, you would think you would have to wouldnt you.

I suppose a sharp blow to the head could induce the same feeling.

[garbon]

Really CC, I think the our difference of opinion rests on you thinking that such unhappiness stems from idle hands and thus getting entangled in relationships will be a cure all - whereas I'm more inclined to think that it has more to do with a person's perspective on their life and thus wouldn't be helped by marriage/children as the negative perspective is still lingering.  Would that be a fair assessment?

I am not sure if this is really what CC is saying or whether you are misinterpreting his position but if it was true, it would be a hell of a dysfunctional attitude. You cannot form a happy relationship if you are not happy on your own in the first place. Treating another person as a crutch to personal happiness - whether it's a partner or a kid - is very fucked up, not to mention pretty unfair to the person in question (and on top of that, unethical under Kantian morality which I espouse).

I think he's saying that PP seems in want of a purpose and falling in love/getting married/raising kids is as good as any.  I'm not sure if that's not simply a good way to wake up 50 wondering where one's life has went - unless that's really what makes one happy. PP sounded so dispirited about it though when he raised that issue to me.

[Eddie Teach]

I think he's saying that PP seems in want of a purpose and falling in love/getting married/raising kids is as good as any.

And that's true.

[garbon]

I think he's saying that PP seems in want of a purpose and falling in love/getting married/raising kids is as good as any.

And that's true.

Yes if solely lacking a purpose is preventing one from being happy, that could very well be true.

[crazy canuck]

You're right that was your characterization bleeding in not mine (nor not near what he expressed).

Ok now I know why you like Mittens so much.  Once you figure out what your position is get back to me.

[crazy canuck]

I think he's saying that PP seems in want of a purpose and falling in love/getting married/raising kids is as good as any. 

Finally a ray of cognition pierces the gloom.

[garbon]

Why so combative all the time, CC?