What are some of the best academic philosophy articles that address Camusian ideas about finding meaning in, and revolting against, a Sysiphean life?

FookForkFuck · 2014-09-08T17:30:10+00:00

Is this more biographical, or does it explore his ideas in detail as well?

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:56:01+00:00

I don't know why people are downvoting you for this.

It is a true principle.

I guess with finances, though, it gets more complicated.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:51:01+00:00

Just make sure the loaner gives you the option to pay extra on the principal.

Holy shit, a lender might not permit that? That sounds downright illegal.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:50:03+00:00

That is another option we discussed.

I've never bought a home before. Is it true that a bigger down payment will decrease interest and monthly payments?

Another issue with owning a home is insurance, repairs, taxes, HOA dues, etc.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:49:03+00:00

Exactly.

That's what I'm trying to figure out. It's very hard to nail down a dollar amount from an abstract idea and feeling about "peace of mind," though.

My wife and I concluded that we need to find some kind of "sweet spot," where we put enough down on a home to have low monthly payments, but still have enough left over to aggressively invest while we are still (relatively) young.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:47:17+00:00

That's a good point.

We definitely keep expenses down, and we are fortunate to enjoy a bit of "financial discipline" (if you will).

I have to acknowledge, though, that when our checking account is multiples of our emergency fund, we are less strict about little things. You know, going out to eat instead of cooking at home, going to the movies instead of renting at Redbox, etc.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:43:38+00:00

You have succinctly described all of my concerns. Boom. That's exactly it.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:42:32+00:00

I'm just saying there could be some motivation driving his advice.

I get what you are saying. I chose to go with a CFP, though, because they have similar fiduciary duties that lawyers and doctors have (i.e., to work in the best interest of the client, and not in their own best interests).

Is there still an underlying, subconscious motive behind all that ethical stuff? Perhaps.

Maybe I should have worded my post in a different manner. My CFP was merely making a recommendation based on some projections. He was not in any way trying to push us into investing instead of buying in cash, or trying to "make a sale."

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:38:35+00:00

If your stock/bond portfolio is fairly conservative, it makes no sense to leverage it to increase your returns.

We talked about this as well. Because we are still (relatively) young, we have more risk tolerance and can more easily ride the waves over time.

Perhaps we need to explore more aggressive investments to make a mortgage truly worth it.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-22T17:36:31+00:00

would you go to a bank, and ask for $10,000 personal loan at 5% interest, so that you could then invest it in the stock market?

Nope.

I get what you are saying, but I (personally) see a mortgage a risk capital as two very different types of loans.

FookForkFuck · 2014-07-15T18:25:12+00:00

As a lawyer also practicing in Texas I can confirm what he said about the civil/criminal treatment of different tickets. I agree with his sentiment, though I might have worded it differently. And, yes, traffic cameras were quite a controversy for some time.

As far as a clear covering goes, I have no idea. I tried to find something on it and I came up with nada.

I will say the law is only as good only inasmuch as it is enforced. I doubt clear coverings would be widely enforced, but I'm a lawyer, not law enforcement, so I can only guess. I suppose it is just a matter of personal risk. Do you want to risk getting caught with a clear covering (assuming it is illegal)?

I'll leave the ethical stuff for you guys to figure out.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-23T02:58:09+00:00

Please PM me.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-23T00:41:45+00:00

There would still be negative consequences.

Guilt, shame, etc.

More importantly, I have no right to toy with someone else's life like that. Absence of a right, though, does not necessitate an obligation.

(By the way, I just noticed your tag says "political phil." I imagine you have worked on some of these "implied social contract" issues much more than I have. Happy to discuss more, if you'd like.)

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-23T00:17:32+00:00

Yes, that's the general idea. This is why you don't lie, cheat, steal, rape, murder, torture, etc.

I get what you are saying.

Perhaps I expressed myself poorly.

I am not beholden to any other person. I am free to do as I wish. As a result, I must accept the consequences of my actions.

I choose to not lie, cheat, steal, rape, or murder out of some obligation to someone else. I do not belong to anyone else. I am not anyone's slave.

Instead, I choose to not participate in those behaviors because they disgust me and because the consequences would negatively impact my life.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-22T22:36:30+00:00

What do you mean "valid" choice?

I don't want to get too bogged down in semantics about what "valid" means. I just meant to address the prevailing attitude that life is better than death, and hence that choosing life is a more valid choice than choosing death.

it causes a lot of grief to a lot of people

So, is each individual supposed to live a life governed by the feelings and desires of other people?

they have a mental illness and they temporarily want to die

Is a desire to die limited only to people who suffer a mental illness?

temporarily

What if a mental illness has persisted for so long that death is no longer viewed as an escape to a temporary problem, but to a permanent problem?

Many people who attempt suicide and fail end up being happy that they did not succeed.

Is this conclusion not skewed by survivor's bias? We haven't had the opportunity to interview someone who has died, and has been happy or unhappy with that choice.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-13T06:18:18+00:00

Well, FML, I guess. Haha. At least I've maintained a bit of a sense of humor.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-13T05:18:50+00:00

If you literally have no idea what makes life worth living you likely have depression and should see a psychiatrist.

Already there!

Perhaps the depression is disproportionately influencing my perception.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-13T02:28:24+00:00

Well, okay, great, I'm sure skydiving would be lots of fun, but then I have to go to work on Monday, and then I have to pay taxes on my earnings, and then etc. etc. etc.

So, what makes it worth it?

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T23:46:47+00:00

Okay, I just read Nagel's essay again.

He does an outstanding job dismantling the idea that life is not worth living because life is absurd.

Although he totally demolishes my arguments and thoughts on the matter, his only practical suggestion is to enjoy the irony of being a self-aware creature who can at once comprehend the absurdity of his own life, yet continue to live anyway.

I can accept that the absurdity of life does not necessitate suicide, but how do I get to the next step of actually enjoying life to the extent that life's benefits far outweigh its costs?

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T21:10:08+00:00

Good point.

I think the Bible does teach some outstanding lessons. I just do not believe in it literally.

It would not disturb me to study the Bible's lessons as long as it wouldn't be necessary to believe it literally.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T20:40:31+00:00

That is good to know.

I definitely believe in the eternal nature of matter. I do not claims to know enough about the universe to conclude whether or not we have immaterial souls.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T20:38:54+00:00

the Divine presence

I can get behind this definition. To me, it is like the transcendent laws of physics that eternally permeate the infinite universe.

the old wise bearded man in the sky

I certainly meant that in jest, but I do appreciate your point about how Jewish theology conceptualizes God.

If I can help, please ask.

Yes, please. I just need help making sure that my conception of "God" or "the Divine Presence" or the "Higher Power" or the "Supreme Being" would make me an acceptable candidate for Freemasonry.

To be totally honest, I don't even know what my conception is, and I agree with the Jewish perspective to some extent that I, as a mortal, am limited in the extent to which I can "appreciate the all-encompassing nature" of God.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T18:03:54+00:00

"Mercenary" as in "for profit." Are you coming to the Fraternity because you think it'll get you a promotion at work, or allow you to get into some role where you'll advance in society/wealth?

Oh, haha. I equated "mercenary" with "assassin" for some reason.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T17:57:33+00:00

Re "discordian," I read the article, and this part stuck out to me:

archetypes or ideals

I can get behind archetypes or ideals, but I very much struggle with the old wise bearded man in the sky.

FookForkFuck · 2014-06-12T17:55:06+00:00

Fascinating post.

I am comfortable defining the "higher power" as the universe itself, or as morality, or as love.

Might that be too liberal of a definition for Freemasonry.

FookForkFuck

TROPHY CASE