Was It Truly Worth The Hassle To Start?

[Keith Maitland]

Just some napkin math.

Let's assume an average person in the average first world country. This average person can expect to live, again on average, 80 years. This is 700,800 hours of existence.

This person's gotta sleep. If they sleep about 1/3 of a day, that eats into about 231,264 hours of this average person's existence. This leaves 469,536 hours.

This person's gotta go to school or work, or at least spend time foraging in the woods or in dumpsters for food (for example). Factor in homework, extracurricular activities, writing and sending resumes, commuting to and from work, social activities related to work, that's probably at least another 9-10 hours blocked out for school/work related activities until a person is at least 65, retirement age. This is an "ideal" estimate since there is no social security left for my generation in America. This is another 2/5 of 65 years, or ~227,760 hours blocked out from the original total.

We are down to 187,814 hours. I'd estimate the average person takes another hour a day to eat food and urinate/defecate. Shave another 29,200 hours and we're at 158,614 hours. Also, the period of time where physical ability and mental acuity peak together (>childhood, <retirement age) certainly lowers this number.

That is 6,609 (rounded up) days, or 18 years worth of time, that this average person has to pursue something outside of the basic necessities. To perhaps justify that their average life was worth creating by their naive and average parents, to leave an average legacy for more average generations they will never see with their own eyes. Maybe to instill meaning in an inherently purposeless parade towards death.

18 years of "free" mental bandwidth, to make sense of it all.

Was it truly worth the hassle to start?

[Aruntraveller]

Was it truly worth the hassle to start?

The fact that most of us prefer those 18 years (if your maths is correct) would suggest that it is worth it to us as individuals.

I speak only for myself but it is preferable to the only other alternative.

The use of the word average in your argument seems flawed to me. Are generations average? Or are they truly, outstandingly wondrous.

I say this because I watched a programme on BBC2 last night about the mass extinction event that precipitated the downfall of the dinosaurs and what the human race can do and comprehend is truly mind-boggling to me (speaking as an average person )

[BeRational]

Keith,

You do not have to live if you do not want to.

The choice is yours, and you keep choosing to live.

Why is that?

You must also think it worthwhile.

[Nearly Sane]

Why are we getting rid of the time for having a shite? Definitely when things make sense to me!

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Why are we getting rid of the time for having a shite?

Is someone proposing to DUMP it?

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Hello again Keith

Just some napkin math.

Let's assume an average person in the average first world country.

I spend part of every year living and working in a second world country. Does that mean that I live for longer, or shorter?

[Sassy]

And whose to say no one enjoyed the hours they ate and slept etc.
Living is making the most of every hour of every day whilst you can.
The youngest in our family passed away at mere months of age even those at 13 years and 22  years.
But life is not about the length it is about the living in those years. My sister was happy and lived her life to the fullest.
On of my friends of the last 5 years whom was only an acquaintance for many years had a daughter who was at school
with my sister. My friend has told me how her daughter was protected by my sister and became her best friend in school.
She still calls her, her best friend ever. Life, can be difficult, I like so many others know from personal experience.
But the truth is what you put into the years you have which makes them count not how many hours you have had.

My sister was well-like and well thought about by others. But she lived her life to the full. During those years she got to experience a lot of good times and make a difference in the lives of others. Our parents spent their lives putting us first.
I think the person who wrote the original never lived. They never knew the closeness of family ties and the love and happiness as a family we can have. It isn't the hours it is what you give and receive. God is good.