Is it worth working? (1 Viewer)

Frothingslosh

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The word 'Theory' becomes important when trying to explain things to Bible-thumpers, anti-vaxxers, and the like simply because they hear 'theory' and assume it's the same as in the colloquial, which is basically 'educated guess', when the reality is that that is a hypothesis. It's their typical attempt to "prove" to people who don't understand the scientific method that scientists are just randomly guessing, and that science is no more thorough or accurate than throwing darts at a board while blindfolded. That's why you see so many arguments going on about what a 'theory' really is in those discussions.
 

Libre

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Thank you, AB.
Just think, I'll be able to hang around, post threads, and quibble with Frothingslosh even more than ever! Won't that be just dandy?
 

The_Doc_Man

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I'm looking at a few more months - maybe about 6 or so - and then I'm outta here too.

We can make the retiree discussions a three-way!

As to theories, there are at least three or four applications of the word THEORY that have different meanings to some degree or another.

Common language: THEORY = "I think I know how this happened/happens"

Scientific: THEORY - a structured description of what happened/happens, based on the results of a hypothesis plus experiments that led to refinement of the description to include compliance with actual facts.

Legal: THEORY - a lawyer's statement of what happened/happens, plausible to the point that it might engender a reasonable doubt as to the opposing lawyer's theory.

Conspiracy: THEORY - a prime example of why one tries to avoid generalization from the most miniscule amount of information possible. The ONLY reason this is not classified as pure fiction is because sometimes (see, for example, Edward Snowden) something bad really WAS happening and it just took a while to percolate into someone's conscience.
 

kevlray

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Technically I could retire tomorrow, but I would lose a lot of long term benefits. Thus I work for a few more years. According to the IRS, if I retire 66.5 then I will get the full benefits from Social Security. So if I put in about 7.5 years I should be set with Social Security. I think if I wait until 65, my employer gives me the full amount for retiring. If I can find another government job that pays more and I work there for six months, then I get a higher retirement benefit.
 

The_Doc_Man

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kevlray, I'm in the boat where as long as I retire after the end of February, I'll get a 16% bonus on my Social Security. This year I will turn 68 but based on my age group, my "official" retirement age was 66(.0) - so I get 8% per year for working and continuing to contribute to the pot. But after that - I'm done. It will be 28 years of continuous service on the same project out at the office. I don't owe them any more than that. Now it's just a matter of getting the ducks in a row before I pull that trigger that turns on the IRA annuities and turns off the regular salary.
 

Libre

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I'm opting for "early" retirement.
My "full" retirement age is 66. I'm pulling the trigger at 65.
Seems to me, there is always some incentive to go on just a little longer.
As anyone who is considering claiming Social Sec benefits has realized, waiting longer gives you a higher monthly benefit amount, but you are also missing out on so many months of benefits (since you're waiting instead of collecting).
If you skip out early, there is a "catch-up point" at which person A who continued to work will outpace person B who was collecting benefits while person A was still working. In my case that point is about 8-10 years down the road. You know something, I'm going to enjoy those years, having worked 1 year less and being richer for it, for all that time. I'll be person B.

I also have other assets besides Social Sec to make the decision easier.

Look at it this way:
Suppose you get an ice cream bar. Middle of summer. You crave that ice cream but decide to delay your gratification - you're going to save it for a "rainy day". Time and again, you think of that ice cream in the freezer. You want to eat it and enjoy it, but that miserly bastard on your left shoulder keeps reminding you that once you eat it, it will be gone and you won't have it to look forward to. So you wait. Summer turns to autumn, and fall to winter. Time marches on.

A few different things can happen at this point:
1- you finally eat and enjoy the ice cream - an still feel guilty about it.
2- you go to get the ice cream and it's gone.
3- you die before you can eat the ice cream.
4- you eat the ice cream but it's stale and full of freezer burn and tastes like the fish you put the ice cream bar next to in the freezer.

Seems to me that there is a good chance that I would regret not eating the ice cream when it was fresh and sweet, calling my name...
Libre........
Libre........
Libre........
 

Libre

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I could post this here or the athesim thread -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35471624

What is happiness? Is it a process or a destination?

Seems to me that most people would describe it as a destination: After I do X, Y, and Z I’ll arrive a place where I can be happy.

I want to look at the state of being happy and examine whether or not it’s all that it’s cracked up to be. First of all, let’s define what we mean by being happy.

You might define being happy as a state free from stress, worry, and anxiety. I could respond that the state of being dead encompasses all the terms of that definition. Anyone that is not dead, is not free of all stress, worry, and anxiety, yet some living people would still describe themselves as happy. So that definition is not going to cut it.

Ask people what they want most – if they don’t answer that they want to win the lottery, they may answer that what they want most is to “be happy”. First of all, if all you want is to be happy, what is stopping you? Just be happy. Well, you might tell me, you can’t be happy because you have all these problems, but if you could solve at least some of them, you would be happy – or at least, happier.

I doubt that is true. I don’t claim that someone in a sea of difficulties is likely to be in a permanent state of happiness. Prisoners in solitary confinement, sex slaves, refugees in leaky crafts trying to cross the ocean – they can be excused if they say that they are abjectly miserable. But aside from those in desperate circumstances, everyone has problems (it’s a part of life and an essential one) and yet, some people would still describe themselves as generally happy, despite their troubles.

Me, I’m happy sometimes but I’m just as comfortable in my skin if I’m wrestling with a monkey on my back. I’m “happiest” when I’m lost in a project, inventing something, creating something. If the project is finished successfully, I’m happy about it for a moment, and then I have a feeling of loss and emptiness. It’s a natural outcome of finishing something that had completely absorbed me.

Do you think that seeking happiness is a worthy goal, in and of itself?

I don’t – not really. Yes, I do want to be happy. It’s not that I or anyone wishes unhappiness – it’s just that it is a temporary state that pretty much anyone can achieve without lifting a finger, using only the power of their mind. Yet, we don’t do it – instead we seek happiness as though it is the endpoint of a long and arduous journey, rather than a moment in our day, along with all the other moments, some of which are downright infuriating.

Question: WHY do we want to be happy?

Answer: Because it feels good. Because we don’t like stress, worry, and anxiety.

That’s life, chum.

I think everyone is after something that they will not find until they stop seeking it, and even then, just enjoy it while it lasts. It will fade but it will come again.
 

AnthonyGerrard

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What is happiness? Is it a process or a destination?

Seems to me that most people would describe it as a destination: After I do X, Y, and Z I’ll arrive a place where I can be happy.

I want to look at the state of being happy and examine whether or not it’s all that it’s cracked up to be. First of all, let’s define what we mean by being happy.

You might define being happy as a state free from stress, worry, and anxiety. I could respond that the state of being dead encompasses all the terms of that definition. Anyone that is not dead, is not free of all stress, worry, and anxiety, yet some living people would still describe themselves as happy. So that definition is not going to cut it.

Ask people what they want most – if they don’t answer that they want to win the lottery, they may answer that what they want most is to “be happy”. First of all, if all you want is to be happy, what is stopping you? Just be happy. Well, you might tell me, you can’t be happy because you have all these problems, but if you could solve at least some of them, you would be happy – or at least, happier.

I doubt that is true. I don’t claim that someone in a sea of difficulties is likely to be in a permanent state of happiness. Prisoners in solitary confinement, sex slaves, refugees in leaky crafts trying to cross the ocean – they can be excused if they say that they are abjectly miserable. But aside from those in desperate circumstances, everyone has problems (it’s a part of life and an essential one) and yet, some people would still describe themselves as generally happy, despite their troubles.

Me, I’m happy sometimes but I’m just as comfortable in my skin if I’m wrestling with a monkey on my back. I’m “happiest” when I’m lost in a project, inventing something, creating something. If the project is finished successfully, I’m happy about it for a moment, and then I have a feeling of loss and emptiness. It’s a natural outcome of finishing something that had completely absorbed me.

Do you think that seeking happiness is a worthy goal, in and of itself?

I don’t – not really. Yes, I do want to be happy. It’s not that I or anyone wishes unhappiness – it’s just that it is a temporary state that pretty much anyone can achieve without lifting a finger, using only the power of their mind. Yet, we don’t do it – instead we seek happiness as though it is the endpoint of a long and arduous journey, rather than a moment in our day, along with all the other moments, some of which are downright infuriating.

Question: WHY do we want to be happy?

Answer: Because it feels good. Because we don’t like stress, worry, and anxiety.

That’s life, chum.

I think everyone is after something that they will not find until they stop seeking it, and even then, just enjoy it while it lasts. It will fade but it will come again.

Its playing football, guitar or anything where you are in the moment, Or achiveing something.
 

NauticalGent

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So...was a consensus reached on the original question: is it worth working?
 

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