• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Being your own person.

Is this insane to you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • No

    Votes: 35 87.5%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 2.5%
  • Rootabega.

    Votes: 3 7.5%

  • Total voters
    40

Slartibartfast

Jesus loves you.
Supporting Member
DP Veteran
Monthly Donator
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
71,374
Reaction score
57,518
Location
NE Ohio
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Liberal
Something I am curious about. Not really a political thing.

I was speaking to a friend last night and let him know that my parents are quite well off. He replies with "you realize that you could live a much better lifestyle, right?"

I replied "I could, I have access to the resources, but I want to do it on my own"

He basically thought I was being insane, but for me its a matter of principal (side note, this guy is much more financially successful than I am). I want to be my own person, so when I am old, I can look at my life with satisfaction knowing I was my own person. Is this insane to you?
 
Last edited:
Sounds more like it proves that liberals don't ask for handouts. Good for you, megaprog.
 
Makes you sound like a conservative. :ssst:

I live my personal life in a very conservative manner actually. But I don't believe that the things that work for individuals work always well for large groups, which is one of the major reasons I trend liberal politically. Individuals and groups are subject to different sets of dynamics.
 
I live my personal life in a very conservative manner actually. But I don't believe that the things that work for individuals work always well for large groups, which is one of the major reasons I trend liberal politically. Individuals and groups are subject to different sets of dynamics.

huh? personal responsibility and pulling your own wieght don't work for large groups?
 
huh? personal responsibility and pulling your own wieght don't work for large groups?

There are many ways to do that when dealing with groups. If the group as a whole is successful, then it has achieved those things you are asking about.
 
huh? personal responsibility and pulling your own wieght don't work for large groups?

That is NOT what he said. He said that what works for him or others may not work for everyone. I can identify with the posts from some here. Months ago I related how I got through college and some responded that I lived a rather conservative life despite so called progressive political views. I guess that stereotyping has its limitations in the real world with real people with real differences living really different lives.
 
I live my personal life in a very conservative manner actually. But I don't believe that the things that work for individuals work always well for large groups, which is one of the major reasons I trend liberal politically. Individuals and groups are subject to different sets of dynamics.



Wouldn't it make sense then to push others to live up to this ideal instead of creating nanny state programs for those who don't follow your personal ideals.
 
Wouldn't it make sense then to push others to live up to this ideal instead of creating nanny state programs for those who don't follow your personal ideals.

I believe that the group as a whole needs to make the decision on how to proceed over an issue (assuming that the group is cohesive enough that people just don't go off and do their own thing) and there will always be disagreement over it. Thats the nature of groups.
 
It's not insane to want to make your own life. I've been doing it for decades myself. Some people have more than me, and that's fine. I also know that it's not possessions that 'make' a person who they are. Some people have a hard time grasping that.
 
I'm pretty conservative, financially. I could probably be driving a newer car and living in a bigger house, but I prefer the idea of paying off my house in the next five years and having zero debt.

I prefer to live in my own way, on my own resources. I don't think that's a liberal/conservative dichotomy. There are a ton of liberals out there who live very non-materialistic minimalistic lives and are self-supporting.
 
There are many ways to do that when dealing with groups. If the group as a whole is successful, then it has achieved those things you are asking about.

really? so if you have a group of 10 and 9 of them sponge off of the one, that is a successful group?
 
really? so if you have a group of 10 and 9 of them sponge off of the one, that is a successful group?

It depends on whether the group maintains cohesion over time on its own power (meaning nobody is forcing the people to stay as a group) and achieves the purpose for which it is created. If it does, then yes it is successful. If not, it is not successful.
 
Last edited:
I'm pretty conservative, financially. I could probably be driving a newer car and living in a bigger house, but I prefer the idea of paying off my house in the next five years and having zero debt.

I prefer to live in my own way, on my own resources. I don't think that's a liberal/conservative dichotomy. There are a ton of liberals out there who live very non-materialistic minimalistic lives and are self-supporting.

a couple of years ago, I refinanced my house almost doubling my mortgage in order to pay it off in 5 years instead of 15. have had to cut back on other things, but in the long run it will be worth it.
 
a couple of years ago, I refinanced my house almost doubling my mortgage in order to pay it off in 5 years instead of 15. have had to cut back on other things, but in the long run it will be worth it.

Yep. I drive a 2001 Camry. It looks like crap, but it runs just fine. My goal is to owe no money and travel the world, once my kids are raised and educated. :D
 
Yep. I drive a 2001 Camry. It looks like crap, but it runs just fine. My goal is to owe no money and travel the world, once my kids are raised and educated. :D

I haven't gotten that far yet. I am still paying off my student loans. The house is next. Good job.
 
Yep. I drive a 2001 Camry. It looks like crap, but it runs just fine. My goal is to owe no money and travel the world, once my kids are raised and educated. :D

I supect that if we all revealed our hands, we would discover that some folks who are political liberals do indeed adopt rather conservative life styles and make conservative economic choices. And we would discover that some who are political conservatives have personal habits and economic choices which are not at all conservative.
 
I supect that if we all revealed our hands, we would discover that some folks who are political liberals do indeed adopt rather conservative life styles and make conservative economic choices. And we would discover that some who are political conservatives have personal habits and economic choices which are not at all conservative.

Pretty much, this is why stereotypes often do not work.
 
I supect that if we all revealed our hands, we would discover that some folks who are political liberals do indeed adopt rather conservative life styles and make conservative economic choices. And we would discover that some who are political conservatives have personal habits and economic choices which are not at all conservative.



How insightful....... :doh
 
Yep. I drive a 2001 Camry. It looks like crap, but it runs just fine. My goal is to owe no money and travel the world, once my kids are raised and educated. :D

up until it finally died a few years ago, I drove a 1985 honda civic. thing had 327K miles on it when it finally croaked. I now drive an '03 Jeep Cherokee that I inherited from my mother.
 
When I was a kid, I grew up in the woods without any other people around sans my immediate family and 4 other couples, none of whom had children. The saw mill and cluster of company houses was 40 miles from the closest store and about 20 miles of that was unpaved. As a result, I grew up pretty darned unsocialized, and so I think being my own person is pretty hardwired into me by now. About the only thing I remember from my first 5-6 years of life is being interested in plants, and as I grew up, I never wavered from my interests.

Later on we moved to town, and when I was about to graduate from high school, it was just assumed I would go to a good school, but my heart wasn't into making scads of money, nor was it into making a career in science, as I just wanted to grow plants. I ended up dropping out of school, taking lots of drugs and joining a hippie commune. You've heard the term "turn on, tune in and drop out" . Well, that was me because there is about 5 years of popular culture in the 70s that escapes me because I was so far out of the loop.

Anyway, fast forwarding to today, I'm now an old fart without a prestigious career, but by golly, I'm doing what I like to do. I own a nursery, I grow plants, and I hybridize. I suppose if I always did what others wanted me to do, I could very easily be somebody else, today, and have more things, but in my twisted view of the world some pollen with great potential or some new variety of a plant I haven't seen before is worth more to me than lots of fancy gadgets or impressive possessions.

I don't know if I am my own man, and my dog sure thinks I'm his, but I have to admit that if we measure our lives by impressive accomplishments, others would probably consider me a failure. Success to me, though, is accomplishing what you want to accomplish, and I feel I'm getting there. That is all that really matters.
 
Last edited:
Success to me, though, is accomplishing what you want to accomplish, and I feel I'm getting there. That is all that really matters.

I totally agree with this. My parents helped me go to college, with the goal that I'd do something high-earning, like being a doctor/attorney/pharmaceutical sales rep/accountant. I worked in sales right after college, but it was totally unsatisfying. My job choice (working with inner city gang members) wasn't at all what my parents wanted for me, but it's always made me happy (if not rich). But wealth, to me, is learning to be happy with what you have and not being owned by "the man." I have one and am 90% of the way to the other.
 
I've always been left to sink or swim on my own. Being my own person's never been a choice for me.
 
Back
Top Bottom