Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Gurdur · 01-25-2003, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by viscousmemories

I don't know if your question was rhetorical or not,

It was both rhetorical and designed for answering.

Quote:

but if I knew what would convince me, I would be convinced.

....
I believe (and I know, the difference here is subtle) that I did what I did because I resigned myself to alcohol.
...
I haven't found anything that has made me think, this (whatever it is) is worth staying sober for. ....

Ah well, that's a problem that alkies, non-alkie problem drinkers, and just generally severely depressed people often face ---- and in the end it's no different from the problem we all face.

None of us is alive because of any Grand Master Plan; no Meaning Of Life will be handed to us on a platter.
In the end, each one of us must make our own reasons for living.

All of that, BTW, plays a role in answering your OP, and addressing the central existential problem.

viscousmemories · 01-25-2003, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gurdur
It was both rhetorical and designed for answering. Ah well, that's a problem that alkies, non-alkie problem drinkers, and just generally severely depressed people often face ---- and in the end it's no different from the problem we all face.

None of us is alive because of any Grand Master Plan; no Meaning Of Life will be handed to us on a platter.
In the end, each one of us must make our own reasons for living.

All of that, BTW, plays a role in answering your OP, and addressing the central existential problem.

Right. Probably the closest I've ever come to a reasonable explanation for how to deal with my existential angst has been Victor Frankl's "Mans Search for Meaning". A great book, but I have (as yet) failed to find that meaning. I'm still looking, though, I'm just self-medicating a lot in the process.

livius drusus · 01-25-2003, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by viscousmemories
I did a lot of that in my early 20's, but none lately. I was with my last girlfriend for about 5 years, and in the (ugh) 3 or 4 years since we broke up I haven't even dated, much less fornicated.

I've actually never dated in my life. I've always fornicated first and asked questions later. Actually, much of the time I managed to avoid the q&a portion of the evening altogether. Ahhh, good times....

Quote:

Hey, look, I'm a poet. That should score me some favor, no?

If you're good, women should be throwing panties at you. If not, well, there's always college freshmen.

Quote:

And when exactly was your day, liv?

Late 80s, early 90s. This might fill in some blanks for you, to coin a phrase.

Quote:

I like feeling dwarfed by the Universe too. That's a large part of the reason my most recent drifting has landed me in a beach town. The ocean is awe inspiring, and I love that it's warm and sunny year 'round. I've always been the type to spend most of my time in a very dark, smelly little bar, playing pool and drinking beer. I'm pretty much doing that here, but the bar is ground level with lots of windows, and the crowd is more yuppie/sports-fan, so it's a bit less depressing. A very tiny bit.

Hmmmm, let's see... Yuppie/sports-fan on the one hand, worn barflies on the other. Tough choice really. Still, if the clientele and ocean view depress you less, even just a very tiny bit, that has to be seen as a good thing.

Have you ever left the US? I know at some point (goals thread, I think) you mentioned in a desultory fashion at least a desire to to travel. Have you ever managed to escape the seemingly endless borders of this land? There are so many different kinds of living out there and since you seem to have a peripatetic bent, I imagine you would get off on international living in a deep way. There are more bars in heaven and earth, Horatio....

monkey mind · 01-25-2003, 09:33 PM

Hiya, I have a thought on this I'd like to share..

Quote:

Originally posted by viscousmemories
If I had to sum up my life philosophy in a paragraph, it would look something like this:

I am eventually going to die. After I die, the fact that I ever existed will be irrelevant to me. Therefore, what I do while alive is unimportant except in whether or not it contributes to my current happiness.

I think it is a good goal to increase your current happiness.

Quote:

The problem is that some things which make me happy immediately ultimately make me less happy. For example, I am happy that I am able to go to the bar and get drunk tonight, but I will in turn blow all my money. As a result, I will be unhappy tomorrow because I have blown all my money and therefore can't go to the bar and get drunk.

Well, if what you are happy about is going somewhere else (the bar) do something else (get drunk) at a later time (tonight) then is it really contributing to your current happiness?

Proxima Centauri · 01-27-2003, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Amie
...at least he doesn't follow Gemma around giving her a hard time like someone eh B.Shack?...

speaking of Alcoholism I took one of those self tests while I was waiting for a friend at her office and when i turned it over to check my score it said "seek help now"

Gemma sets out to give us a hard time, tries to make us feel guilty about atheism etc. Did you seek help?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.