# IS life a curse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 29, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040 "2016-10-29T18:40:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/41 "2016-10-31T06:51:24Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Because I don’t remember not existing. I like my existence and I don’t want to give it up. There’s no proof that nonexistence is preferable to existing. Who’s talking about proof? We both didn’t exist and now we do, and…I dunno, I guess you get to decide which you like better. I personally look forward to not existing. I just find it weird that people dread it. You will not be around to be sad about not being alive anymore. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/42 "2016-10-31T10:16:37Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > Who’s talking about proof? We both didn’t exist and now we do, and…I dunno, I guess you get to decide which you like better. I personally look forward to not existing. I just find it weird that people dread it. You will not be around to be sad about not being alive anymore. You asked what is bad about not existing. If you don’t exist, you don’t get to feel, taste, smell, or experience life. You don’t get to have pleasure, or on the other side of the coin, pain or sorrow. What is there to not dread about no longer being to do these things? What is weird about dreading death? I find that most normal people do, at least those who are in their prime. I find it weird to look forward to not existing. I think **Leaper** is right. It’s a gift and a curse. But I think Adrian Monk stole that line from Peter Parker. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/43 "2016-10-31T10:23:51Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Instead of posting these threads wouldn’t your time be better spent putting on black eyeliner, blasting My Chemical Romance, and pouting into the mirror? > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Go away. Enough with this. Take it to the Pit, if you must, but leave it out of here. You aren’t being forced to participate in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/44 "2016-10-31T11:10:01Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > But aren’t such feelings just the chemical impulses going through the body. Do you think your feelings of angst are the result of something other than chemical impulses going through your body? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/45 "2016-10-31T15:13:47Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > I mean isn’t that what life boils down to? Just a stimulus and a response? You can dress up the stimulus all you want but it seems like it all leads to the same end. A brief feeling of goodness as the result of a chemical. Action-chemical, action-chemical, that seems to be the sum of our lives. Why are \*you \*alive? Don’t \*you \*have nothing more in \*your \*life than mere chemical stimulus? Not attacking you, just asking. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/46 "2016-10-31T15:30:13Z")
Is your entire existence invalidated by the fact that it is nothing more than persistent chemical and biological processes? That’s kinda what Life is. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/47 "2016-10-31T15:32:02Z")
OP, many people feel the very opposite of how you feel. Have you considered that not everyone sees the world like you? That your feelings and views might be just your opinion, and not reality? Why do you persist in believing that your view is correct, when complete strangers are telling you that yours isn’t an accurate view? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/48 "2016-10-31T15:51:58Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Is your entire existence invalidated by the fact that it is nothing more than persistent chemical and biological processes? > > That’s kinda what Life is. Not to get all Einsteinian on ya’ll but biological is chemical. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/49 "2016-10-31T16:12:03Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Not to get all Einsteinian on ya’ll but biological is chemical. biological is a subset of chemical ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/50 "2016-10-31T16:28:30Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > But you still haven’t addressed my stimulus-response comment Your response to nearly all stimulus seems to be to create these repetitive threads. You’re getting the same answers that you’ve gotten in the past, and you’re going to ignore or dismiss them all and finally start a new thread with a variation of the same question. That’s an interesting stimulus-response cycle to examine. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/51 "2016-10-31T16:57:04Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > OP, many people feel the very opposite of how you feel. Have you considered that not everyone sees the world like you? That your feelings and views might be just your opinion, and not reality? > > Why do you persist in believing that your view is correct, when complete strangers are telling you that yours isn’t an accurate view? Because there is a chance the masses can be wrong (which has happened before). But so far no one has said anything about it being inaccurate. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/52 "2016-10-31T16:58:27Z")
[Life’s a piece of shit, When you look at it.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ECUtkv2qV8) ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/53 "2016-10-31T16:58:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Why are \*you \*alive? Don’t \*you \*have nothing more in \*your \*life than mere chemical stimulus? > > Not attacking you, just asking. That’s what I’m asking. Because that seems to be the sum total of human existence. Just physiological states as the result of chemicals flowing through the body. Emotions are little more than physical states. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/54 "2016-10-31T17:01:49Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Your response to nearly all stimulus seems to be to create these repetitive threads. You’re getting the same answers that you’ve gotten in the past, and you’re going to ignore or dismiss them all and finally start a new thread with a variation of the same question. That’s an interesting stimulus-response cycle to examine. When they actually get towards answering my question then I can take them seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/55 "2016-10-31T17:03:14Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > That’s what I’m asking. Because that seems to be the sum total of human existence. Just physiological states as the result of chemicals flowing through the body. Emotions are little more than physical states. Let’s say that is the case. In that case, clearly you’re still around, and so are we. So even if it’s all about chemical stimulus, it’s not worth it (for most people) to go to the trouble of terminating their lives. Good enough? ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/56 "2016-10-31T17:06:16Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > I mean isn’t that what life boils down to? Just a stimulus and a response? You can dress up the stimulus all you want but it seems like it all leads to the same end. A brief feeling of goodness as the result of a chemical. Action-chemical, action-chemical, that seems to be the sum of our lives. You are correct, that all of human culture, religion, language, etc. is nothing but very elaborate window-dressing, devised by apes to conceal an existence based on eating, shitting and fucking. Even human kindness can be ‘boiled down’ to the evolutionary advantages in cooperation. But if you fail to engage with any of these human constructs, where’s the fun in that? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/57 "2016-10-31T17:15:18Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > When they actually get towards answering my question then I can take them seriously. People are trying to honestly answer your questions in good faith. You persist in dismissing their answers. It doesn’t seem you’re even interested in taking anyone seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/58 "2016-10-31T17:29:28Z")
Correct. If you are going to approach others with a legitimate question, then you need to make the effort to understand the answers that are provided. Coming back with a dismissive attitude and the belief that you’'re not getting the answers you wanted is very… _Human_. But it doesn’t play well. If you start to feel that others are dismissive of you, first look at how you entered the conversation with that attitude towards those you invited to converse. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/59 "2016-10-31T17:38:56Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > When they actually get towards answering my question then I can take them seriously. Having been through this lather/rinse/repeat cycle of anhedonic angst with you in virtually every thread you post, please explain to us why we should be taking you seriously at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Machinaforce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@Machinaforce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machinaforce)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040/60 "2016-10-31T17:46:06Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > People are trying to honestly answer your questions in good faith. You persist in dismissing their answers. It doesn’t seem you’re even interested in taking anyone seriously. They actually haven’t addressed the question so far as to why stick around when life isn’t and grand as we make it out to be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-life-a-curse/770040.md?page=4)