I was really just addressing your statement "I am confounded by able-bodied people who do nothing. By nothing, I mean they have no real goals in life."
I don't think of having a job as, by definition, having a goal. So I thought you included those who have a job but have no goals in your confusion. But I think I just misunderstood your point! Sorry, I should read things more carefully sometimes :)
But I don't really see why you're confused by people who are content to be unproductive? Different people want different things. Some people live for pleasure, are pebbles content to roll along the bottom of the river as long as they can get stoned (no pun intended) or party or get some kind of gratification from something. Other people aspire to be mountains, impact the world around them, be as powerful, rich, creative as possible. Then there are all the people in between (like me).
I am not the most ambitious person on earth, I will admit, but doing nothing? I don't understand the happiness that can be attained from having no means of self-support, no reason to leave the house unless it is to get intoxicated. How do they even get money to smoke the weed, bumming it off of others? That would make me uncomfortable.
It would make me feel uncomfortable too. But perhaps that's why most people don't do it; because they see it as morally dubious. Those people happy to live off others, go out only to get wasted, clearly don't have that sensitive a conscious for whatever reason (I'd usually assume it was down to their upbringing).
Some people never grow out of that childish dependency, and in some way I can understand how it might be appealing. If you're fed, watered, sheltered and given some kind of allowance (to buy weed or whatever) virtually for free, without having to lift a finger, the basics are covered. That, to some people, is bliss.
Like I tried to demonstrate with my terrible rock analogy, you have the pebbles rolling along the bottom and the mountains everything moves around, then all the rocks in between. People have different trajectories and aspirations, some people are content with little if they can get it without trying too hard, other people struggle for more.
Yeah, I understand that. I just can not fathom the thought of my being young, able-bodied and mentally competant and not doing anything with my life =/
I don't think of having a job as, by definition, having a goal. So I thought you included those who have a job but have no goals in your confusion. But I think I just misunderstood your point! Sorry, I should read things more carefully sometimes :)
But I don't really see why you're confused by people who are content to be unproductive? Different people want different things. Some people live for pleasure, are pebbles content to roll along the bottom of the river as long as they can get stoned (no pun intended) or party or get some kind of gratification from something. Other people aspire to be mountains, impact the world around them, be as powerful, rich, creative as possible. Then there are all the people in between (like me).
Some people never grow out of that childish dependency, and in some way I can understand how it might be appealing. If you're fed, watered, sheltered and given some kind of allowance (to buy weed or whatever) virtually for free, without having to lift a finger, the basics are covered. That, to some people, is bliss.
Like I tried to demonstrate with my terrible rock analogy, you have the pebbles rolling along the bottom and the mountains everything moves around, then all the rocks in between. People have different trajectories and aspirations, some people are content with little if they can get it without trying too hard, other people struggle for more.