From: Adam Rifkin (adam@KnowNow.com)
Date: Tue Sep 12 2000 - 06:02:37 PDT
Hey Dan, wanna see my backbone? \me sets flamethrower to extra crispy...
Dan wrote:
> I wish more people thought seriously about the implications of
> marriage (and were equally thoughtful about other societal norms),
> rather than doing things because they have always been done that way.
What color are the trolls on your planet? I wish more people thought
seriously about the implications of posting sweeping generalizations on
mailing lists, rather than take a contrary position just to show how hip
their attitudes are.
What do you like to do besides cheerlead for divorce? Go down to the
orphanages and tell children they're better off without parents? And
what are these "implications" of marriage of which you speak?
> (And for the record, yes, I know some truly happily married couples,
> though less than 5.)
It's a sad universe you live in, my friend. I know six truly happily
married couples just out of the pool of people who have worked at KnowNow.
Heck, I know six truly happily married couples (at least) just out of
the pool of people who posted on FoRK yesterday.
> Americans born since mid-century marry for the same reason they do
> anything else - to be happy.
If you think the reason any person gets married is for his or her own
personal happiness rather than for the combination of the happinesses of
the spouses (spice?) *and* the children, then it's no wonder marriage
will never satisfy you.
> ...with the overriding goal of being happy for all your adult life...
Perhaps humans weren't meant to be happy for all of their adult lives.
Perhaps sadness and suffering help people create art and science and
music and poetry, and give them the empathy needed to relate to one
another better.
And by the way, happiness certainly seems to be mutually exclusive of
marriage. I know lots of happy people both married and not, and I know
plenty of unhappy people both married and not.
Hey, thanks for reminding me how much I miss my wife. Remind me to give
you a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it the next time I see you. :)
---- Adam@KnowNow.ComI find it kind of lonely or depressing that there is no greater plan. -- http://www.dankohn.com/religion.html
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