Relationships - waste of time ?

[janey]

I'm with Janey on this one. I've been married for six years and miss being single dreadfully.

Then again they do say marriage is one of the few institutions where those inside are trying to get out and those outside are trying to get in.

the grass is always greener etc etc

[Gold Dalek]

Well, the veracity of his assertion is open to a subjective interpretation.

To counter you would need to propose an alternative viewpoint

[kimera]

I hate having to be accountable to someone and having to consider their wants and needs.

Will you marry me?

O hold on, that wouldnt work would it

[Dundeegeorge]

An alternative viewpoint

To counter you would need to propose an alternative viewpoint

Life is a chemical accident which has no meaning and no significance.
The attempt to impose meaning on this accident leads to madness and/or self-delusion (see religion).

[sunnysan]

Marriage or not

It is really up the individual.

I think that depending from where you come from, you will place more or less valence on family according to your cultural values

In Western Europe/America etc , life has generally been a lot easier, hence less reliance on family for support etc but when you examine other other cultures, there seems to be a lot more emphasis on family.

The reality is male or female in our society do not really need a family to get by, thus many people rejecting the family unit as in many cases its more of a pain than a pleasure.

I do think that unless you are aiming to start to family that a long term committed relationship will face much more strain if there is no real reason to be together and eventually if there is no joint venture the odds of a difference worth separating for are that much greater.

Its worth noting that in the UK, if you look at cultures that traditionally have strong family values you will most probably see a relationship with increased material prosperity. Whether they are happier or not is another argument but then in many other cultures, this obession with "happiness" comes second to tradition and responsibility.

[Mrs Smith]

My theory on this successful relationship thing.

From the day a couple meet, their relationship moves through phases, each approximately seven years in length. Each one is different to the last in the way you interact (e.g. interests, aspirations, Mr Smith's carnality etc.). You have just got to relax and accept things around you change. There is no such thing as a normal relationship.

That is how Mr Smith and I have survived all these years (oh, and the small matter of the threat of severed testicles helps as well)

[The Lone Gunman]

I agree that to keep the human race going people must keep having children, but lets face I don't think we're in any danger of the human race as a whole deciding not to have children!

I personally dont see why the Human Race dying out would be a bad thing. Considering the damage we do to our environment and each other, the decent thing to do would be to for the species to commit to its own demise.

[janey]

I personally dont see why the Human Race dying out would be a bad thing. Considering the damage we do to our environment and each other, the decent thing to do would be to for the species to commit to its own demise.

very good point... so I reckon a few of us deciding not to have children is a good thing!

[threaded]

To counter you would need to propose an alternative viewpoint

That was an alternate viewpoint.

[Dundeegeorge]

You're doing it again

I personally dont see why the Human Race dying out would be a bad thing. Considering the damage we do to our environment and each other, the decent thing to do would be to for the species to commit to its own demise.

Your basic premise that life serves a purpose is invalid. (actually that anything has purpose.)
It doesn't matter what damage we do the the environment.
Decent thing? Does not compute, you're thinking in terms of morality again.