Why Americans are dying earlier than their international peers

POSTED BY: Niki2
UPDATED: Thursday, November 24, 2022 19:21
VIEWED: 5137
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BYTEMITE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 9:24 PM

Jobs are work. Jobs earn money, which is a meaningless concept.

Hobbies and interests are jobs that don't pay money.

Jobs nor hobbies nor interests have any significant impact or tangible benefits on the individual or the world.

RIONAEIRE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 10:45 PM

I know you have hobbies Byte, writing Firefly stories for one. The thing though is that its hard to do a lot of hobbies during the week because everyone is working and so are you. I would love to go watch concerts in the evenings for instance, but no one I know wants to go out on a Wed. night.

Byte, you're lucky you don't live in my town, because I'd probably be always trying to get you to do stuff with me, but not on workday nights I know what your work schedule is like. Ahhhhhhhh. :)

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 10:52 PM

Quote:
I know you have hobbies Byte, writing Firefly stories for one.

It's not very fun. I do it because I have an obligation. Like a job. But without money.

And shoooooosh, it's supposed to be a secret.

As you were.

RIONAEIRE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 11:13 PM

Oops, I didn't know it was a secret. :)

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of obligation as a form of connection to human kind.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 11:17 PM

It's not a very good secret, but most people don't know about it anyway. Plus dubious displays of denial and deliberately terrible logic is pretty much the only entertainment I get.

Obligation is all there is.

RIONAEIRE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 11:40 PM

At least its something eh? And its not fickle like love and it doesn't wear out like the way "like" does.

Niki, that's exciting that you're going to start helping at the animal center! I hope that works well for you, I know you're good at it so I think its going to be great!

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 11:48 PM

i think what you have said perfectly illustrates the dangers of not taking breaks from work, and then totally unable to imagine what purpose life could hold apart from work.

I generally enjoy my work and get a lot out of it, but its not the sum of who I am.

I take a leaf out of ferris bueller's book of life, it goes to fast, you have to take some time to stop and look around.

BYTEMITE

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 11:59 PM

Well, agree to disagree then, I just don't see the point in differentiating between anything. The transience doesn't make me appreciate stuff more, impermanence is not a good reason to admire something.

PEACEKEEPER

Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:05 PM

I take note of the fact that a lot of Americans are being diagnosed with depression.This is a serious point I'd like to address.Do you think this has something to do with your culture of aspiration?
It seems to me that your kids are pushed constantly into "realising your potential" and "living the American dream" etc etc. Now, although this is, in itself, not a bad thing, and it's healthy to try and better yourself, I feel that perhaps you can put TOO MUCH pressure on your kids. Unfortunately, in a culture where competition is highly prized, there is going to be abject disappointment for so many, and only the very best are ever going to succeed.
It seems evident that most of you seem to have a bloody therapist to help you with the most basic functions of life. Every time you have a minor hiccup, you seem to dive into the therapist's chair,rather than learn to cope with these things on your own.Now, to me, being able to stand on your own two feet and accept your lot and get on with it, is a far greater measure of success than getting one up on the next man?
You are a very emotional nation, which again, isnt necessarily a negative thing, but maybe The Briitsh(as an obvious example), with our culture of "stiff upper lip" and "keeping things close to our chest", may put us in a better position to cope with adversity.You do, in all honesty, seem to have somewhat of a "victim culture" on occasion.
Hey, maybe we are just too cold and unfeeling as a nation, and maybe that causes its own problems, but it's just an observation of comparisons that might explain why so many Americans dont seem to be able to cope. This failure to be able to realise your expected potentials may be a reason why so many of you turn to the gun for your releases of your frustrations?
I'm happy to be proven wrong, guys???

With the grace of age, commander, we learn to accept.

BYTEMITE

Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:18 PM

That's a lot of generalizations, Peacekeeper. I have never felt like I am better than others or been disappointed when I fall short of expectations, and my parents gave up on me when I was about five, shortly after my depression developed. I don't blame them. It is the reality of the world, some people are exceptional and I am on the deep end of the shit bucket, why waste time on that?

And I don't go to therapists because they're all evil bastards who manipulate you and medicate you into a coma and cause all sorts of side problems that degrade quality of life, then they have the gall to call that "progress".

Anyway, no. If anything Americans aren't too competitive, rather they're too coddled, told they're great at stuff when they're really terrible. I'm not blind, I see how it is, us isolated and content in our little cages from the hardships of the world. And as for standing on my own two feet, I will always have to stand alone. No one to hold my hand through the hard times, as though that makes any difference what-so-ever, the hard times still happen and affections and friendships are powerless to stop it.

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