# OK, so does life suck, is a paradise, or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582 "2014-12-07T17:18:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/1 "2014-12-07T17:18:43Z")
[Inspiring thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17955550#post17955550) (for those of you who are of the extreme semantically nitpicky persuasion, or who are just interested in cheap whooshes to pad your post count, I mean of course that said thread inspired this one, and nothing more). So, the Big Question: is life (existence) wonderful, hellish, something in between, or what? [Yes, escape option at the bottom as per usual] Try to answer more from an impersonal wider perspective, not so much from a “Well my life sucks yes, thus it must suck for everyone else…” tho in the end that is probably an unavoidable bias… Well, to me it is what you make of it. I have never been happier, and each day is chock full of new wonders-I can take the most mundane event and make something special out of it (don’t ask me how or why, I’m not even sure myself how I got to this point, exactly). The point is, your attitude is what matters, not what happens to you per se-tho in a world of duality shit happening is probably unavoidable. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/2 "2014-12-07T17:25:58Z")
It’s better than the alternative. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/3 "2014-12-07T17:40:19Z")
Life is pretty fucking good for more of humanity right now than it has been in the past, although in the end life is basically an RPG where you start with random stats on a random server(some very inferior) and the rest is up to you to find meaning or make what you want of the game. No point, no real story events(well a few based on location in hame) so yea even with the best stats on the best server you can be fucking miserable, if that is what you make of it. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/4 "2014-12-07T17:54:15Z")
If I’m talking about humanity as a whole, there’s really no other answer than sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad. Most people have ups and downs throughout, but I’ve met a few who are on the edges of the bell curve; people who are miserable no matter what good luck strikes, and people who are ridiculously optimistic and cheerful 24/7. Personally, I like life. It’s an interesting way to spend a couple decades or so, and more exciting than the nothingness you get the rest of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/5 "2014-12-07T22:41:21Z")
Life has slowly moved up from a cesspool of depression and unhealthy life habits, to a rating of either “not too shabby” and at times “pretty good”. If I could figure out a dynamite job, living location, and strong relationship I would probably move up to excellent. For Humanity? It’s better than it was. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/6 "2014-12-07T23:01:53Z")
Life is fine. It’s the people who make it suck. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/7 "2014-12-07T23:04:24Z")
Heey baaby, [life’s what you make it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G42rmPvbbU). Nothing can change it, yesterday’s favorite. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/8 "2014-12-07T23:06:40Z")
Sorry to be so flip. My take is this; we are designed, by biology and evolution, to try and survive till we reach puberty, then have children, then raise _them_ till they reach puberty, **and then die,** since we’re no longer contributing anything any more. As far as I’m concerned, anything after 28 is just gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/9 "2014-12-07T23:09:58Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Life is pretty fucking good for more of humanity right now than it has been in the past, although in the end life is basically an RPG where you start with random stats on a random server(some very inferior) and the rest is up to you to find meaning or make what you want of the game. My problem was what I didn’t have a clue how the game worked or what the objectives were when I started. I’ve basically been treating this life as a first play through of a Hitman level, where you run around opening doors and causing random mayhem, until you figure out where everything is and what you’re supposed to be doing. The results have been as expected: A gawd-awful mess. But now I know how to \*nail \*it on my second attempt. … I \*will \*get a second attempt, right? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/10 "2014-12-07T23:23:17Z")
For the most part life is okay. But all bets are off in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/11 "2014-12-07T23:42:41Z")
[Life’s gonna suck when you grow up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsYEJjHSwrM) and then you’re gonna dieeee! ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/12 "2014-12-08T02:17:12Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > It’s better than the alternative. This, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/13 "2014-12-08T02:31:03Z")
why does it have to be one or the other? sometimes shit sucks, sometimes it’s pretty OK. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/14 "2014-12-08T02:42:34Z")
Blessed but cursed. Yin/yang. The duality of life. The lowest lows have a dynamic/symbiotic relationship with the highest of the highs. It’s horribly wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/15 "2014-12-08T03:05:13Z")
“The world is poor and man’s a shit, and that is all there is to it.” Bertolt Brecht, The Threepenny Opera ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/16 "2014-12-08T03:19:51Z")
Jimmy Buffett nails it: “Some of it’s magic, and some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.” My life is pretty good and it’s far better than at least 95%\* of the rest of the world over the course of history, really. \*95% is my SWAG ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/17 "2014-12-08T03:39:21Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > It’s better than the alternative. I disagree. We don’t know what “the alternative” really feels like. In many instances I can see it very much being an improvement on the status quo. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/18 "2014-12-08T03:46:44Z")
Life is what you make of it - I have known well-off people who were sick of their lives, and poor, rural blacks in the south who were absolutely joyous. Of course, I reserve the right to suicide, so take that for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/19 "2014-12-08T03:46:58Z")
My answer is a mix of 3 and 4. Life is good and bad, but life is mostly bleak and bland. I think it depends on your genetics and level of trauma how you answer this question. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582/20 "2014-12-08T03:51:41Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > It’s better than the alternative. Not necessarily. People seem to respond with suicidal ideation as a default when you inflict pain on them (I say as a default because about 90%+ of people seem like they contemplate self destruction with enough pain and trauma). I have no idea what that is about. Why would evolution create pain so intense that we’d rather die than experience it? But if you inflict enough physical or psychological pain on someone they will wish for and actively seek death, and it doesn’t take much to push them to that. I cannot wait for a golden age of neuroscience to open up higher quality of life over what we have now. Right now life is fragile and boring much of the time, with mental wounds that never properly heal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-does-life-suck-is-a-paradise-or-what/706582.md?page=2)