Who cares? Life is meaningless anyways!

Pre-College Issues High School Life
41

<p>um, eugenia, that's pretty ignorant (ur not ignorant, ur statement is). u wouldnt have any money if it weren't for the government's establishment and regulation of money, interest rates, etc. and even if there was some way to have "money" without the government... without the government's protection of and involvement in business, entrepreneurship, trade, and international commerce, you would not be able to make nearly as much money.</p>

<p>that's why i get irritated when i hear rich people complain about the government taxing them, taking "their" money and giving it to other people. the truth is, most of it is not "your" money at all, and you wouldn't have most of it if it wasn't for government policies. for more analysis, read some peter singer.</p>

42

<p>o.O...a war between the conservatives and the democrats...anyhow...first eugenia...although it is true that OP would be seeking welfare...welfare barely makes up a certain amnt of percentage of our taxes...complain about social security and medicare instead. And mallomarcookie, for the benefit of the country, the government would actually prefer to have the rich people keep their own money so they can use it to invest which will help the economy--> although progressive taxing exists, a high percentage of the american population actually prefer a flat tax...so the majority of the American population will disagree w/ your belief in that the rich do not deserve what they earn.
hf! ~cheer!
edit: yesss =D an advocator of heart of darkness =D hehe life is meaningless, only death matters</p>

43

<p>I say get rid of social security and the social security tax. I mean even if you made like $50k a year, you can definitely save for retirement. Take the 8% tax for social security (that would be $4k) and put it in a solid mutual fund that will grow about 7% a year, then in 30 years your money's worth as much as $32k. I'd prefer NO tax but then like that's going to happen as long as the government leeches off of the people.</p>

44

<p>Very interesting article from WSJ about this:</p>

<p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117330772978430098.html?%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117330772978430098.html?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

45

<p>
[quote]
So I just had an argument. My parents want me to do something productive; I don't care. I can just work at Target, get a small apartment in the slums, and surf the Internet all day, while ordering my groceries online and simultaneously going on a raw-food vegan diet.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Or go live near a public university, that way you could use their internet access instead of paying for your own...
Sounds like fun, though. And maybe get a bike so you don't have to worry about car insurance, etc.</p>

46

<p>
[quote]
o.O...a war between the conservatives and the democrats

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Lol im not a democrat, i just hate it when people get their economics wrong. just because i understand that believing "every dollar i earn is my own private property" is wrong, doesnt mean i am a democrat. lol. dont get me started on stupid welfare crap--it's just as bad.</p>

<p>i do believe that the rich deserve what they earn. they also deserve to be taxed on it. my point was that a large percentage of what one earns is NOT a result of ones own efforts, and this is how taxation is justified.</p>

<p>but anyway, either way, i don't see a conflict with the OP's system. he said he would make a subsistence wage...did he mention that he would be using welfare at all?</p>

47

<p>lol.. that sounds like the kind of life the average mmo player has.</p>

48

<p>Actually, my intention is to try to get into graduate school. But I have a severe case of Asperger's Syndrome and my grades are poor <a href="so%20I%20rely%20heavily%20on%20self-study,%20unfortunately,%20grades%20cannot%20reflect%20this">I'm in college through an early entrance program</a>. So it's sort of a disjunct. On one hand, if I can find a professor who can recognize my diverse and intense academic interests, then I'll be fine. One problem is my intelligence, which may be limited [and I'm frustrated that you can't change intelligence by trying harder - sadly, it's highly correlated with genes]. However, if I cannot find such a professor [or my intelligence turns out to be low enough such that my chances at learning the material are hopeless], then I have but little choice, given my poor grades.</p>

<p>Or get Adderall, but this is looking increasingly hopeless. <em>sigh</em></p>

<p>So it's a disjunct. Either find a professor, or live the way I just advocated. There may be a 3rd option, but I won't consider such an option until my chances at graduate school/academia are truly hopeless (I value knowledge and learning more than anything else, and I actually intend to learn as much as possible if I cannot get into academia)</p>

49

<p>I'm so happy no one has yet assaulted me for putting up something wrong on this brd lol o.O...welfare includes social security and medicare so welfare includes the transfer of money from poor to rich lol</p>

50

<p>
[quote]
</p>

<p>So it's a disjunct. Either find a professor, or live the way I just advocated. There may be a 3rd option, but I won't consider such an option until my chances at graduate school/academia are truly hopeless (I value knowledge and learning more than anything else, and I actually intend to learn as much as possible if I cannot get into academia)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Editing:</p>

<p>My parents want me to find such an option, but I don't want to waste time pursuing such an option when graduate school is still possible. I consider subsistence living just as good as anything else, provided that I don't get into graduate school. Of course, it's conceivable that I may be able to get into some job that's semi-skilled and of slightly higher pay than the one I just mentioned.</p>

<p>==</p>

<p>
[quote]
Read Ain't No Makin' It (a lot better than Nickeled and Dimed) and learn what what these 2 groups of kids go through living in the projects.</p>

<p>It's not the kind of life you want to live.

[/quote]
</p>

<h1>I read it for class. It's not the same life as the one I'm intending. I'm intending to live a life alone, not with other people of low SES [I'm fine with relying solely on Internet friends, even then, I don't have much of a desire to socialize]. Many of the people in the book were clueless as to how to better off in society - in sociological terms - they lacked cultural capital. I have far higher levels of that, since I go to College Confidential and know exactly how I could succeed, were I neurotypical.</h1>

<p>There are quite a lot of stereotypes portrayed in this thread. They may be accurate with respect to most people on a subsistence lifestyle. However, I would not be a representative sample of them. Certainly, the best way to describe the lifestyle of someone like me would be one of a person set out on academia, who became disillusioned [it's pretty easy for that to happen - tenure is not easy, quite a few PhDs are unemployed] and then had little choice but to live at the bottom. One such book has already been mentioned. </p>

<p>Not all of those on the bottom of the social spectrum are druggies/gangstas, etc... And if I live in the slums, I can choose not to interact with them. Statistically, murder rates in the US even in the slums are very low [compared with those in primitive hunter-gatherer societies and many other societies]. There are other disadvantages to living in the slums, perhaps [such as say, poor building quality].</p>

<p>Also, most murders aren't committed by strangers. They aren't random incidents. By merely following a few common sense rules, I can easily reduce my chance of being murdered to almost 0, even in a slum. </p>

<p>==</p>

<p>
[quote]
Or go live near a public university, that way you could use their internet access instead of paying for your own...
Sounds like fun, though. And maybe get a bike so you don't have to worry about car insurance, etc.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Haha yes, that's another option. I go to one now.</p>

51

<p>Back to the original poster, You've obviously never lived at the poverty level. If you choose too, fine whatever. You'll realize your mistake in years to come. However, I really hope you never plan on having children. As a child, I did live at the poverty level and it was a living hell. I got beat up and other things by junkies and others who lived in my area. I think it's incredibly selfish and cruel to bring a child into that situation.</p>

<p>However, if you don't bring one in then more power to you to live the life you want =].</p>

52

<p>
[quote]
Back to the original poster, You've obviously never lived at the poverty level. If you choose too, fine whatever. You'll realize your mistake in years to come. However, I really hope you never plan on having children. As a child, I did live at the poverty level and it was a living hell. I got beat up and other things by junkies and others who lived in my area. I think it's incredibly selfish and cruel to bring a child into that situation.</p>

<p>However, if you don't bring one in then more power to you to live the life you want =].

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, I agree. It'll be child abuse for someone with a case of Asperger's Syndrome as severe as mine to have children. </p>

<p>That all being said, the subsistence lifestyle is certainly of lower environmental impact than that of many people now. Certainly, I'm trying to avoid driving whenever possible (and it is possible to do that if you live in a neighborhood serviced by the bus). Though bus route costs are certainly something to take into account. Now, one's moral views may differ (and I'm no moral absolutist), but I consider avoiding cars and waste more moral than avoiding welfare (and I don't intend to go on welfare; hopefully, I never will need to do so, though this is a hope). In that, I sort of idolize the lifestyles of Paul Erdos, Richard Stallman, and Ralph Nader (though they managed to live their lifestyles with their ideas)</p>

<p>Oh, and I don't need organic foods. I can just go by vitamins and grains. There is a stereotype associated with the vegan lifestyle, sure.</p>

<p>Of course, my intention is to still to try to go into academia. But academia has its risks. Anyways, consideration of such possibilities is important if one majors in say, a non-applicable field. [the fbook group "I picked a major I liked, and one day I'll be living in a box]</p>

53

<p>I'm just speaking from personal experience is all. Thank you for not taking it personally =]. I didn't realize you had Asperger's</p>

54

<p>Anyways, this thread serves as an interesting foil to the rest of College Confidential. After all, many of us are here precisely because we think alternatives to say, "a good college" are untenable. </p>

<p>I was that way under my old CC account as well, but I think I became more cynical since then. :p In any case, I don't get so emotionally wound up about getting into say, "the top graduate school" anymore.</p>

55

<p>I'm like you in that I do not care too much about money. However, I do want to have kids. To raise my kids the way I want, I need to have money. But I suppose while I'm in my 20s, I can just save up for a family in my 30s.</p>

<p>I like the idea of traveling. If I ever need money, I can get some odd ball job and keep going.</p>

<p>When I come back to the USA, I'll have money in the bank for when I want to get serious with my life.</p>

<p>
[quote]
It'll be child abuse for someone with a case of Asperger's Syndrome

[/quote]

AWWWWW! That would be child abuse!! Haha!
Wow, I can tell from your posts that you are Aspergerish. :P</p>

<p>
[quote]
I don't usually come across too many threads like this...</p>

<p>Personally, I think it's a shame that's how you feel about wealth and life in general. If you do in fact come from an well-off family, you need to be more grateful with what you've been provided with, and what to do with your life, instead of aspiring for the unrealistic Bohemian lifestyle.</p>

<p>If you think you can live like those in "Rent"... wake up. A positive change in attitude would do wonders.

[/quote]

Boo. I don't see anything /WRONG/ in the lifestyle OP wants. There is no negative attitude, either. I think "life is meaningless" is objectively truthful. Subjectivism gives life meaning.</p>

56

<p>THIS THREAD HAS BEEN SCANNED BY NORTON ANTI-HOPELESS vers. 2.2.1.0</p>

<p>THREAT LEVEL ** ORANGE ** </p>

<p>NIHILISM AND/OR NIHILISTIC ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN DETECTED ON THIS WEBSITE...QUARANTINE? Y/N.</p>

57

<p>
[quote]
Wow, I can tell from your posts that you are Aspergerish. :P

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Interesting. I wonder if this holds for my other posts [it's easier to seem like that here, with my asserted apathy towards everything of non-academic interest.</p>

<p>Haha, I remember your thread
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/archive/index.php/t-97674.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/archive/index.php/t-97674.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><= formerly simfish. </p>

<p>==</p>

<p>
[quote]
THIS THREAD HAS BEEN SCANNED BY NORTON ANTI-HOPELESS vers. 2.2.1.0</p>

<p>THREAT LEVEL ORANGE</p>

<p>NIHILISM AND/OR NIHILISTIC ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN DETECTED ON THIS WEBSITE...QUARANTINE? Y/N.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>There is a difference between epistemological nihilism and existential nihilism. :p</p>

<p>Also, nihilism is a powerful antidote to depression/feeling so stressed out about what's going to happen next. Seriously, I could fail a class and care little about it - since I'm just one of many, and could consider myself as just another student, no more important than anyone else (most people get so obsessed with themselves). Hell, it would be funny to see someone with my 10th grade stats fail a course. It's an understandable obsession, but one can think of another thing to do: observe the world, forget about one's status in life beyond the essentials. As long as the essentials are met, one could care little about one's status</p>

58

<p>I'd call myself a normative skeptic, moral skeptic, existential nihilist, etc. But I'm moving towards the word skeptic. </p>

<p>Actually, my ideal life style is to live as a detached observer, as an alien from another planet who couldn't be noticed (although on the other hand, I probably would want to manipulate some variables, to test things out). I try to think of myself as someone from another planet - it works wonders when I'm analyzing things and trying to free myself from the "go as high as you can" mentality, but on the other hand, it still does not free myself from the give-and-take of social obligations. I wish I didn't need food or shelter</p>

<p>Another issue is that it's easier to analyze things and free oneself from social obligations when one is in academia and has tenure.</p>

59

<p>You didn't think I was serious right?</p>

60

<p>InquilineKea, the only flaw I see with your plan is the lack of protein, specifically meat-based protein. I need beef.</p>