Blah . . . women and love. :roll: Your questions lead in several different directions. In relation to our need for community ("the state"), Aristotle once wrote: . . . [H]e who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god. To which Nietzsche replied 2,000 years later: To live alone one must be a beast or a god, says Aristotle. Leaving out the third case: one must be both -- a philosopher. Aristotle was a family man and, by most accounts, led a happy and successful life as a philosopher and educator. Nietzsche, by contrast, was sickly for most of his life, eventually went mad, and spent the last eleven years of it in a bed mumbling to himself. Can human beings live alone? Of course, we do it all the time. I live alone and have for most of my adult life. And while living without love in an unenviable mode of existence, it's certainly possible. Is it worthwhile to live without love? If we identify the characteristics of what makes us human, then add a value to them, maybe not. As I mentioned, Nietzsche spent the final years of his life in a state of madness, meaning that he lost his ability to reason. Reason is a unique characteristic of human existence, as no other known species exhibits such an ability. When we lose our ability to look at the world and understand it in rational terms, we've also lost a core part of our humanity. Love is similar in that we've infused physical and emotional nurturing with various meanings over time. I believe that the first type of love was mother-child, which eventually inspired the other kinds of love we know today: platonic, romantic, et. al. One cannot imagine a child being able to flourish without the love of a mother. The same truth holds for the rest of us, so while there is too strong an emphasis on romantic love, we do need it in some form. And I find my purpose in being smug, glib, and aloof. Only if you're lucky.
Yes, I am undeniably awful. Life has no inherent meaning. Contrary to popular perceptions about the nature of the universe, everything doesn't happen for a reason. There is no good reason why I am writing a response to your question, instead of building a home in Mongolia 15,000 years ago. I am just here, thrown into a moment in space and time that I will inhabit for a spell then eventually pass away. The good thing about a lack of inherent meaning is that it frees us from necessity, thereby giving us control over our own existence. Under these circumstances, life becomes a sculpture that will see multiple revisions until the artist dies. To all the men, do not bring your woman within twenty feet of me. To all the women, if he has a decent job and cleans up after himself you are already ahead of the curve. Yes he's not as good looking, smart, or funny as you'd like him to be, so you'll have to A.) compromise or B.) look elsewhere. If you have a passion for it, then you are doing something with soul. It doesn't matter what it is, only how it feels when you're doing it.
Nah, it's Hakuna Matata. :smt036 (Note to self, don't answer that question after reading the little one The Lion King as a bedtime story). There was an episode in the 80s version of The Twilight Zone TV series about the meaning of life. Basically, if you found out what it was, you immediately went crazy. How's that for an answer? LOL!!
no no no, the answer to the ultimate question concerning the meaning of life is 42. I salute you, fellow nerd.
http://www.imeem.com/mirages/music/BgXU8xUR/lion-king-hakuna-matata/ I totally had to listen to this after reading your post. It made my boyfriend laugh. hahah. Then he sang along
DH: I stand corrected - you are absolutely, definitively on point. When are we leaving??? :smt039 <-- Immagine towel there. Saty: Once again have you stunned me with your all encomassing knowledge. Ya know - I think I can do that! One of my hobbies to whip up some Bakverk.. and my coffee will need a knife and fork - (I am European, Amercian coffee is weaker than my tea can u handle????
LOL I am totally hooked on Golden Girls reruns at the moment!!! Thankfully WE and Hallmark both have daily Golden Girls marathons
WOOOHOO!! My husband thinks I am crazy, in fact I was SHOCKED to learn he has never even watched the show!! Now I have someone to relive the funny moments with!!! I love when Sophia, in her many funny ways, calls Blanche a slut. And when Stan comes over, and says, "Hi, it's me, Stan"!!! LOL. Timeless comedy.
