People buy and buy and spend and spend and run and run because they either do not want to face the void or cannot fill it, or are prey to the messages that high levels of material consumption equal being happy and having a desirable life. Starving under a bridge is no way to happiness, either, but I think the essential things in life are not things that are bought. Warm and supportive relationships with family and friends, companionship, enjoying the moment, those are what make life have meaning...the rest I think is hollow. How many contented academics do you see versus those endless striving and stressed. This is NOT the path to Nirvana from what I see.

True, but if I look at the current world, with its high divorce rate and broken up families, not many people have those luxuries.



Isn't this the same of happiness? Or Love? If we boil it down we do what we do because it serves a need deep within us.

People do PhDs for a myriad of reasons. Some because they feel they want to show others that once doubted their abilities. Others believe they will become great thinkers. Some to mitigate against their own insecurities. The list is endless. There must be something in this line of work that keeps us both here, I guess its finding out what.

I don't think of those as luxuries, I think of them as necessary--human relationships of value. The divorce rate is perhaps a symptom of why these are so hard to find, that people are racing around trying to locate happiness outside of themselves in large cars, large houses, more TVS, or what have you.

Why am I doing this? No answer for you. The answers I had are not holding up for me anymore, and there is a real question of why that I am trying to answer.

I have all the "intellectual" I can want in my life, and have a great supervisor and good research environment, etc. And I think I find it very unfulfilling when the things I value and miss are an ocean away. I question whether the "cost" ( not a monetary one) of doing this is worth any "benefit."

When I saw the title I tohught it was going to be one of those why do... notes, so.....
why do bees hum


coz they don't know the words

sorry about that, I've just had a good meeting with my supervisor, next hurdle is about to be crushed underfoot (never was much good at hurdles)so feel the effort put in was worth it, so feel a mini celebration is in order, maxi when I get onto the next stage.

Incidentally I think it is quite difficult to avoid this kind of behaviour, I just tend to be non-committal and they then go away to find someone who is more responsive. Love the idea of 'proximity pal' too, sums up most work relationships nicely.