Why do we keep going?

[Free in Freeport]

Not a trick question. I really want to hear honest reactions. Speak from your guts, not from biology textbooks, religious or philosophical debates.

[RBH]

I keep going because I'm curious. I had a spell of deep clinical depression decades ago, and what brought me out of it, along with some good therapy and some pharmaceutical support, was curiosity, plain and simple. Add in some friends, including a couple of knuckleheads who think they're people but are really big dogs, and a new telescope (well, used but new to me), and a class to teach with good kids in it, and so on, and there are lots of reasons to keep on going in spite of the physical aches and pains accumulated over 68 years of it. (I really should not have played follow the leader. In the dark. Off road. On a motorcycle with its lights off.)

[Master Taran]

I only go there to read 9W's posts. For that I don't have to log in.

[DMB]

I'm very slightly older than RBH, and I can endorse the idea of curiosity. But it changes a bit over the years.

I've always been an autodidact with a burning desire to know, to learn and to understand, and it was a fervent flame when I was in my teens. It took me until the age of about 50 to come to the full realisation that I was never ever going to reach my goal, but the journey is better than arriving.

[JamesBannon]

I'm a stubborn son-of-a-bitch! That plus the fact, at least I can experience something, even though I think it's pretty shitty most of the time.

[BWE]

because, why not?

[DMB]

Since I am quite ill at the moment, I do find myself redoing my calculations of whether the ups outweigh the downs.

[BWE]

Since I am quite ill at the moment, I do find myself redoing my calculations of whether the ups outweigh the downs.

sorry to hear that.

[Free in Freeport]

Since I am quite ill at the moment, I do find myself redoing my calculations of whether the ups outweigh the downs.

I'm sorry! I had no idea. What's going on?

[LoneWolf]

I just want to see what happens next.

[DMB]

Since I am quite ill at the moment, I do find myself redoing my calculations of whether the ups outweigh the downs.

I'm sorry! I had no idea. What's going on?

Don't want to go into the details here. :)

ETA I made that comment just to illustrate the fact that one's answers depend on circumstances.

[nygreenguy]

Actually, I dont believe going by my gut, but its because its natural to want to go on. Death is the end of it, you miss out on all the good experiences you may have. A handfull of good outweighs ALL the bad ive seen in my life. (and ive seen plenty)

[VoxRat]

Ultimately instinct, I think

[Redshirt]

I kind of like the answer Christian Bale's character John Preston got when he interrogates "sense violator" Mary O'Brien in the movie Equilibrium. :)

amY6wjfU48k

[tjakey]

My first thought is mostly habit. But I have a boat, fly airplanes, ride motorcycles, enjoy being with my wife of 34+ years, have 3 daughters and 3 grand kids, make a good living doing pretty much what I like, and am pretty healthy for a person as banged up as I am. Why stop now?

[BigEvil]

because, why not?

That's pretty much it in a nutshell for me. I am going, I would need a reason to stop. Not only do I not have a reason, I am not looking for one. Hence, I keep going.

[Anne]

Because the alternative will come around sooner rather than later. May as well see what we can make of this now.

[Alex]

I keep going because I'm on auto-pilot most of the time.

[Goldie]

Sunshine, green-growing things and... because I am loved and needed, especially by someone so small.

[BioBeing]

Because all the alternatives suck?

Nah, I like living. I got a lot I want to do still. Gotta see how my current batch of homebrew turns out... it's a Dogfish Head 60 clone. Hhhhhmmmmmm hops :)

[Danhalen]

I keep going for a number of reasons. First of all, I usually like experiencing. If that fails me, I really enjoy how I feel when I am with my wife. Failing that, my children would suffer if I was no longer around. And if that fails me, I usually like experiencing.

These are generally the steps I go through when I contemplate not going on. Fortunately I do have many things to live for.

[Goodchild]

Because tomorrow still holds plenty of interest to me. If tomorrow ever stops being interesting, that might be the point at which I no longer feel like I want to keep going. I doubt tomorrow will ever stop being interesting though :)

[dug_down_deep]

Because not going on seems like a very bad thing. I can give you a number of reasons, but I'm not so sure that answers the question. I don't have a philosophy that keeps me going, other than don't hurt people who don't deserve it. And not going on would hurt some people I care deeply about and who don't deserve it.

[reddhedd]

Why do I keep going?
Hmm...well, I want to see what's around the bend, how my kids turn out, what my husband looks like really old, finally get my yard the way I want it all at the same time! (I'll probably need to live forever to accomplish this task!):D There are books to read, classes to take, cool people to meet, parties I haven't thrown yet, grandbabies to spoil, animals to love, recipes I wanna try....
In short, why the hell NOT?!

[Garnet]

There are times when I honestly don't know why I keep going other than I'd hurt a few people if I checked out.

[Mung Dynasty]

There are times when I honestly don't know why I keep going other than I'd hurt a few people if I checked out.
Don't worry. They'd get over it. :D

Anyway I keep going because nobody has given me a good reason to stop. It'd need to be a pretty good reason. :parrot:

[His Noodly Appendage]

* I'll have all eternity to be dead, there's no rush.
* Every instinct screams HELL NO, no matter how much worse life appears at the time.
* I've been through a bunch of rough patches, but they've always been followed by experiences I'd hate to have missed.
* I matter to a handful of people, and support a few of them - most of whom I care greatly about. Inflicting my death on them would be unthinkable.
* Nothing yet has been unbearable. By definition, or I wouldn't be here. If you can ask "should I?", the answer is no.

(note: I have no good reason to even ask atm. Mostly.)

[Febble]

Funnily enough, although I've been depressed, I've never been suicidal. In fact, the more depressed I get, the more death looms as an awful deadline I have to beat.

[Eudaimonist]

Not a trick question. I really want to hear honest reactions. Speak from your guts, not from biology textbooks, religious or philosophical debates.

Considering that the alternative is nonexistence, I'd rather not waste the life that I have left. My life still has value to me.

If I were to be trapped in a concentration camp, perhaps at that point I'd change my mind.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Free in Freeport]

never mind

[epepke]

It seems to be pretty automatic to me. I breathe. I eat food and drink water. I go to the toiilet. I fart a lot. Everything else seems to happen without all that much effort. When I hurt, I go to a doctor and get it fixed, if I can afford it.

I don't suppose that's very impressive, but you wanted an honest answer.

[court and spark]

Why do we keep going?
We do what we must, because we can.

[Free in Freeport]

Interesting reads itt.

[katydidnt]

I keep going because even at it's least, life is better than nothing. Why hasten the inevitable? :dunno:

Besides, I'm having a blast and there is always something new to read or see or experience. :)

[Ray Moscow]

Wine and sex, mostly

[Barbarian]

Is it a problem if I never thought about this and have now discovered that I cannot force myself to do so?

In before repressed stuff.

[sohy]

I want to know what's going to happen tomorrow. Life is just too damn interesting.

[RBH]

I just want to see what happens next.As I said, curiosity. :)

[trendkill]

Inertia.

[Zebulon]

I keep going because I'm curious.

^^^ That.

And birthday cake.

[Zygote]

Not a trick question. I really want to hear honest reactions. Speak from your guts, not from biology textbooks, religious or philosophical debates.

Like many others, curiosity gets most of the credit for keeping me going. I'm a sucker for new information and a chance to get a bit closer to figuring how people work and how the world fits together.

Another big one is that I like projects - I like doing something and seeing the results. I like making things with my hands and I like having a positive (or so I selfishly see it) effect on some parts of the world around me. In addition to teaching at a school, I'm also getting ready to launch my nearly adult children on the world and I'm putting what finishing touches I can on their tools for dealing with each other and with the world at large.

But I can fairly easily visualize a time when the returns cease to be worth the effort. I've never wanted immortality. It's been a nice trip, but there will come a time for me to step aside and leave space for younger generations.

[Alex]

But I can fairly easily visualize a time when the returns cease to be worth the effort. I've never wanted immortality. It's been a nice trip, but there will come a time for me to step aside and leave space for younger generations.
I feel that way too. I'm reminded of a couplet by Dryden:

Not heaven itself upon the past has power;
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

[Tangiellis]

Not a trick question. I really want to hear honest reactions. Speak from your guts, not from biology textbooks, religious or philosophical debates.

Because I want to know. I want to unravel the mysteries of life. I know I never will but I am awe struck by them all the same.

Besides, I keep trying to give up but nobody lets me.

[Valheru]

Because contemplating the alternative is a non-event.

[Faerie]

Because its INTERESTING. Life certainly is not boring.

[Cheese]

Because Cheese gets better the older it gets! :notworthy:

[DMB]

Because Cheese gets better the older it gets! :notworthy:

Evidence? :D

[rlogan]

Since I am quite ill at the moment, I do find myself redoing my calculations of whether the ups outweigh the downs.

If it makes you feel any better, I just came through something I don't want to talk about either, but I thought for a few days it was either fatal or of questionable value trying to fight. Until the tests came in negative, with the exception of a surprising non-fatal thing.

I've been gradually pulling out of it though. Part of the reason I got so fat is because for more than a week it was really painful to even get up. My poor wife. She cried a lot seeing me suffer. Nothing she could do though. I was in a lot of pain.


But that is an outlier. Normally I am just so happy and bubbly I just can't imagine not wanting to find out how big that moose is out back, taking Lira to my top secret spots, etc...

[Christina]

I've been trying to figure out my answer to this for a while. I like my life, love to learn things, want to see my garden grow and I love my partner but those aren't really my reasons. The suicide rate among bipolar people is scarily high and I remember what it was like to have that horrible drumbeat in my head. The question for me really is "why don't you commit suicide?" and the answer is simply because I don't have to. There so much relief that comes with knowing it that I can't really get myself to look at it in any other way.

[Ray Moscow]

I suppose I generally experience a lot more pleasure than I do pain. As such, I very much enjoy life.

If it turns the other way without much prospect of improvement, I might feel otherwise.

[SallyAnne]

Faith.

[SallyAnne]

Because Cheese gets better the older it gets! :notworthy:

Evidence? :D



A good aged Stilton?:D

[Garnet]

:bang:

I really need new glasses. I read that as a "good aged Stilson" and thought, what the hell would a wrench prove about cheese?

:bang:

[SallyAnne]

:bang:

I really need new glasses. I read that as a "good aged Stilson" and thought, what the hell would a wrench prove about cheese?

:bang:

:D

[MadMez]

You don't have a choice. You're part of a massive infection of "life" on this planet that "wants" to survive.

I think if I give up, then I've lost my usefulness. Life goes on.

We keep going because we're programmed to.

[MrFungus420]

Not a trick question. I really want to hear honest reactions. Speak from your guts, not from biology textbooks, religious or philosophical debates.

Because of the squirrels:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b50/MrFungus420/nihilism.png

What more reason do you need?

[Bane]

I dunno. There's a reason for everything....but I don't know what. Or at least I'd like to believe there IS a reason for everything. But I'm still here because when I don't want to be, I get distracted for long enough for the storm to pass.

[gilraen]

I'm still here because my kids still need me for a while, and because if I committed suicide it would devastate my mother (age 85).

I am not actively suicidal, but often I think "if and when gets too bad, I can still take myself out."

These last couple of decades haven't been easy ones, emotionally, and as I can't see into the future, I don't know if the coming ones will be any better....

I live day by day.

[willynilly]

Because after the first suicide attempt I promised I would never do it again. It hurt too many people. Now I have a child I do at least have something to keep me motivated. But some days it's really hard.

[Garrett]

I've always thought that if things got too bad, I'd take off walking and not come back. Anything could happen. Probably things would end in a blaze of some sort, but maybe not. At least I tried to keep going.

[diana]

On my bad days, I keep going for the same reason I keep playing Mafia Wars. I can't think of a good reason to stop. Most days, though, are filled with little pleasure: hot coffee in the morning, good food, good friends, interesting books.... What more does one need?

d

[Jobar]

The memory of good times in the past, and the hope of good times in the future.

[Ray Moscow]

I can't find the comic itself, but this came to mind:

Calvin: I dont understand this business about death. If were just going to die. Whats the point of living?

Hobbes: Well, there's seafood.

Calvin: I dont know why I even talk to you before dinner.

[Garnet]

:D

[Tangiellis]

Rethinking this question and I'm just not sure. I'm at the point where I'm just trying to not give up. I'm running out of reasons.

[Eudaimonist]

I can't find the comic itself, but this came to mind:

Calvin: I dont understand this business about death. If were just going to die. Whats the point of living?

Hobbes: Well, there's seafood.

Calvin: I dont know why I even talk to you before dinner.

Yes, precisely. :)


eudaimonia,

Mark