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I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

theguardian.com

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Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#751

Post by anbende »

nwienert wrote: post #749
anbende wrote: post #747

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the fact that he doesn't leave that's delusional, it's all the ideas he has about leaving that can't be based in reality as he has not experienced them. It's similar to anyone who has strong opinions about something that they don't have evidence (scientific or experiential) to support. Again, the delusion isn't that he's happy with what he has, it's that he appears to have some strong opinions about what it'…

He seems to be saying people have told him as much, or he's heard as much. It’s not like he’s stating it strongly either, I think mostly he’s just making conversation. To even bring the word delusion is delusional.

It sounds like you're reacting strongly to the word delusional, and it may be my mistake for using a word that often comes with such strong negative connotations.

My intended meaning was that there are beliefs here that aren't and can't be grounded in reality. Not necessarily more than other people tend to hold, but in the context of this article, which I thought romanticized the man's viewpoint a bit, it seemed relevant to pick up on.

Saying that bringing up the word delusion is delusional seems a little unkind in this context, though I think you're right that a milder term would fit better.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#752

Post by Gene_Parmesan »

mekkkkkk wrote: post #493
Gene_Parmesan wrote: post #413

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The specific happiness that we're talking about here is contentment -- with your life, with who you are. I think it looks so odd to so many of us because we tend to be an ambitious bunch, and I find ambition to be pretty inversely related to contentment. The sort of acceptance that this man displays feels like giving up, in a sense. And in many ways, it is -- but that's something that Buddhists have been teaching for…

"Giving up" seems to imply unfulfilled ambition, though. It only feels like giving up because we project our own ambitions onto him. If his ambition always was to lead a simple, predictable life close to nature, he's achieved flawlessly. Maybe I'm just re-stating what you said, sorry.

No, yeah, I agree totally with what you're saying. It feels like giving up to us but that is a whole lot of projection.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#753

Post by earth_walker »

slyall wrote: post #388
usgroup wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the romance, but those of us who have children leave behind much more than stone walls we built in our 20s. He’s a 72 year old Batchelor who’s once stepped foot outside a Welsh valley. If happiness is a lobotomy then credit to us who don’t choose it.

Think of all the people who made an impact on history and the world. How many of them did it by having children? This guy at least got an article written about him, what have you done?

Well, Einstein's mom, for one.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#755

Post by earth_walker »

asidiali wrote: post #610

What struck me the most from this article was that he has had multiple strokes and was hospitalized for two weeks once. His diet doesn’t sound the worst, he seems to be active, just genetics? The beans every morning? He didn’t mention what he does for dinner.

Just guessing, but a 72 year old farmer from Wales probably smoked most of his life.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#756

Post by marmot777 »

scubbo wrote: post #17
marmot777 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, he kind of reminds me of the aesthetics in India and elsewhere. Respect.

(In the interests of educating, not of "dunking") I suspect you mean ascetic? The difference is explained [here]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/aesthetic-vs-a... ). (Of course, it's also possible that that was just an autocorrection failure)

Yes, I meant ascetic. Lol. Not aesthetic.

Thanks for catching that.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#757

Post by marmot777 »

giantg2 wrote: post #42
kohanz wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but his diet has clearly worked for him. Is it clear, given the multiple strokes? We don't know with certainty whether the diet was a significant factor, but it's possible.

I know of people who do not eat veggies an have lived into their 70s before they have a stroke. The are also people who have strokes or other problems before 70 even if they eat their veggies. I fully expect that my high stress and sedentary life of a software developer will kill me long before 70. Such are the trade offs of a well paying profession.

Yeah, I have had similar thoughts that stress will get me in the end.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#758

Post by marmot777 »

throwawayboise wrote: post #160
SturgeonsLaw wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You must be young if you think that dying in your 60's is a long, well lived life. The retirement age is around 65 (depending on where you live and work). Surely you want some time to live life without the obligations of work? Otherwise what is it all for?

As I have gotten older and felt the speed-up in the passage of time, I realize a few years one way or the other won't matter. You'll reach the end of your time before you know it either way. The key is to be satisified with your life now, not waiting for some "later" that will be over and done with far too quickly.

John Lennon once said that life was what happened to you while you were busy making other plans.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#759

Post by marmot777 »

watwut wrote: post #339
giantg2 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know of people who do not eat veggies an have lived into their 70s before they have a stroke. The are also people who have strokes or other problems before 70 even if they eat their veggies. I fully expect that my high stress and sedentary life of a software developer will kill me long before 70. Such are the trade offs of a well paying profession.

Vegetables lowers the chance of stroke. They are not supposed to completely prevent it. There are many more factors that go into whether you get stroke. But, vegetable intake makes yours blood pressure go down somewhat and make you less likely to have stroke.

Yeah, it’s impossible to know why this guy had a series of strokes. It could be genetics, diet, other lifestyle factors.

He might have had a genetic predisposition for high blood pressure or other contributing factors that can lead to strokes.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#760

Post by marmot777 »

chubbyish wrote: post #301
marmot777 wrote: post #9

A buddy of mine has rice and beans nearly every dinner though he knows how to cook variations so it’s a surprisingly tasty diet. I’m surprised the guy in the article could go decades without eating any veggies but his diet has clearly worked for him. The strokes could just be genetics and/or old age catching up.

Humans ate only meat for 2 million years. https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-2-million-years-humans-ate...

He wasn’t exactly on the paleo diet... his diet seemed to be missing some things he could have gotten more than one way.
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