Sex and alcohol make you happier than kids and religion, study finds

I think they should have studied which is "EASIER", not which makes someone "more happy."

Sex and alcohol are EASIER.

Raising children is THE HARDEST JOB THERE IS - and anyone who isn't aware of that, and committed 100% to doing their best (including LEARNING parenting) - should NOT have kids. It's the most exhilarating, intense thing in the world, having a baby - the magic of the immediate "bond" and "love" is incredible and indescribable to those who haven't experienced it. But parenting also ALWAYS INCLUDES heartache, worry, and enormous responsibility, flexibility, the ability to think on one's feet...not easy. But a job well done is certainly very gratifying.

As for religion - like FF said, it's a waste of energy and an exercise in guilt, self-loathing, doubt, and uneasiness.

Meditation is fine, though. Even feeling part of the Divine Creation is fine. There is NO NEED FOR RELIGION to find happiness.

Too much of a good thing can become a bad one.

Lots of Sex and Alcohol usually transforms into a family that eventually goes to Church.

On the other hand:


Which is worse? I'll take the ducks over "fear of hell" ANY DAY!!

When I was pregnant with my first child, at Lamaze class one day I asked the instructor a question:

"I'm really worried that my baby is okay. Does that ever go away?"

She looked me in the eyes, in all earnestness, and said,

"NO."

AND SHE WAS RIGHT.
Now, 25 years later, I have two beautiful kids, a girl and a boy; they've had their moments of sadness and have made mistakes - but I LOVE THEM with every cell of my body. I suffer with them, but the memories of the awesome good times, like being told "I love you, thanks for being such a great mom"....
FAR outweighs those bad times.

With religion, there is no REAL joy like that...only "hope" and "faith."

With KIDS, you get RESULTS. In this lifetime Between the two - KIDS over religion. Every time. Case closed.

Sex? Meh..I'm totally.over it. Alcohol? Still good, now that the kids are grown and doing okay.

reply to post by olaru12


If I had to choose between sex and alchohol or my daughter.....There is no doubt 100% I would take my daughter in the choice of what makes me the happiest!!

I feel this poll was done with more people that didn't have children....This is an easy answer if you don't have a child....No doubt I would pick sex and alchohol over a family BEFORE I had my little angel....But not now

Slightly ironic the the purpose of sex is to create kids

But since I don't get sex these days it hardly matters that I don't like kids, despair at religion*, but enjoy alcohol as a means of forgetting that everyone else has sex, kids and religion ......


* seriously, it's the 21st century and we really don't need to invent fictional beings to explain why it thunders, people die, what stars are or why we find fossils in the ground

I've only ever experienced one of those in my life, religion, so I can't speak for the others. I will admit that I have not been quite myself ever since I graduated college and became a full-time homebody. I feel... empty, maybe even mildly depressed. It was the daily forced social contact that made me fulfilled on the inside, I now realize. All physical pleasure and creature comforts do is see me through the day, and successfully distract me from how I feel.

I could focus on my spirituality, which I keep meaning to. I used to be a Christian up until seven years ago. That was after three years of being consumed with nothing but a fear of backsliding, which eclipsed every bit of spiritual fulfillment that I would have had otherwise. Ironically, that's what drove me out. Being in daily fear for your eternal soul is a mentally tiring way to live.

So, my days are filled with learning, limp attempts at practicing my hobbies, and distraction. In a way, I think I'm just waiting for death. 6_6

I think you can have all four. Just because you have kids, or find religion, does not mean the sex and alcohol cease. Only people without kids think that way!

Regards

reply to post by EllaMarina

I will admit that I have not been quite myself ever since I graduated college and became a full-time homebody. I feel... empty, maybe even mildly depressed.

Ella....
I thought from some of your earlier posts/threads that you were a teenager? I could swear that somewhere you said you were 19 or something like that.

You've not had sex, alcohol, or kids - that would make sense if you were a teen...
but....graduated college indicates you are at least in your 20s...
??

That's pretty funny, sex and alcohol over kids and religion.

I raised 3 kids to college age, I was a step-dad, so it really was a waste of time, a thankless job, I answer to the name "asshole" after being called that by the kids for years.

I was conditioned to be religious, but one day I stumbled onto my own thoughts after the religious brainwashing failed to explain anything to my satisfaction, faith?....

I used to drink quite heavily, now the hangovers last about a week which really takes the fun out of those few hours of drunken bliss, and makes 40 miles a really excruciating experience on a bicycle.

Sex?, I must be getting old, it only enters my mind about 10 or 20 times a day....

I like to ride my bicycle, and that's about it, sex and alcohol don't even enter my mind, and religion can't convince me to feel guilty about it somehow, kids?........

reply to post by wildtimes


I'm 28, actually. It must have been someone else who mentioned being 19. Of course, I might as well be half my own age, considering my life experience and inner maturity (or lack of).

reply to post by olaru12


This could be seen as a debauched low for our species...

Or it could be a long overdue enlightenment.

I suggest the depth and fulfillment one feels from either set of circumstances comes from within, regardless.

Though really, if you have a kid ...well, you're committed and duty bound to engage and at least pretend it's fun most of the time... unless you want to destroy a psyche.

Why do we need a study to tell us that selfish acts give us (short term) satisfaction whereas altruistic acts are more complicated and don't provide immediate satisfaction?

reply to post by olaru12


Even 35-40 years ago the research documented that "religion" is an inadequate research variable.

There are INTRINSIC religionists

vs

EXTRINSIC religionists

and THEY ARE EXTREMELY DIFFERENT ON A LIST OF VARIABLES.

Pretending they are the same will always distort the facts and realities involved.
Pretending they are the same will always present a false picture.
Pretending they are the same will virtually always be very untrue in terms of the results.

Sooooooooooo, imho, this study in terms of religion is meaningless nonsense.

Those who put religion on like a coat on Sonday and take it off for cut-throat business on Monday are very much UNLIKE those for whom Jesus is a passionate and intimate Friend, Brother, Lord, Savior 24/7 . . . and who Love God wholly and others as themselves.

Those two groups of people are extremely different but may on the surface SOUND quite similar to the layman and unprofessional observer.

reply to post by kosmicjack


Possibly because we are all (including social "scientists") becoming apes again. There is nothing comparable to having my brothers and sister and all the nieces and nephews together for some event with my kids - the sounds of joy and the bonds they are forging while running rampant through my house blow away any rave. That said, a few scotch's and a little late night booty call after the event and things are now positively grand.

CJ

reply to post by ElohimJD


Beautiful!!!


People think we are here for ourselves. We are here on this earth(for now, most of us) for others, not our self.

Happier with alcohol? Really? Alcohol= The great Lie


Sex, Drugs, Alcohol Abuse and addiction. Insecurity, unresolved past, and a few others, and It Is A Choice.

reply to post by olaru12


yeah sex and booze are great. They make you feel good.

Like cake. Cake is great. Thing is cake will never satisfy you like a great run in which you get the runners furry and fly at what feels like light speed. It hurts, is hard to do, and takes consistency but is more satisfying then eating a huge tasty cake. All difficult tasks and challenges are like this. They are also very rewarding in a whole host of ways.


Kids are similarly hard on us, require consistency, and aren't as "good" as cake. They are much more rewarding then all the parties of free loaders, fake friends and "pretend" time for grown ups. Sex....that is fun, but I should remind us that kids need for us to have sex to even exist so I see it as part of the same thing.

Sex is also a vital component to most happy marriages which maintain a happy family.

When mom and dad are prudes to eachother life sucks for all under that roof.


So in the end give me the hard task any day over the " good times". When the party is over and the zippers go back up you are back to being that sad dope looking on, waiting for the weekend as the world finds love and purpose.

I will be with my family literally MAKING the future of mankind......rocks.

reply to post by Aliensun

How long does (enjoying) annoying family last?

Forever ?

THere, I fixed that sentence for you

johncarter
reply to post by olaru12

 

I am sure the alcoholics and sex addicts have a lot of fun, especially during the final stages before their early demise from the horrible diseases attached to this sort of fun, and can confirm this 'report'.

Man, I know the human race is advancing towards the oblivion of sheer stupidity as depicted in the movie, 'Idiocracy*, but this is ridiculous.

edit on 9-9-2013 by johncarter because: (no reason given)

I think you guys are taking it too seriously.

I'd bet money if you went back into the past, hundreds or thousands of years, pretty much any point in history where there was a decent sized civilization, the people would put sex and drinking pretty high up on their "happy" list.

People love sex, and love getting drunk. It's literally been that way for thousands and thousands of years. I don't suspect modern day people are any different in their priorities (both their deep down true priorities, and their superficial ones) than people of the past were.

olaru12
Sounds like New Zealand has a different take on attitudes contrasted with the emotionally constipated American masses. Or perhaps not....

Star & flag for "emotionally constipated American masses" alone!

I'm not sure why they felt the need to pay for a study to confirm this, it's pretty much a Captain Obvious moment. Whatever makes you feel good, will make you feel good. Self-indulgence is pretty much solidly at the top of that list.