Is the ultimate aim of everyone..

[Kerrangaroo 10]

... are you sure you haven't already started?

 

tch! tch! whatever do you mean?

[Womerry2 10]

....to be a person of leisure? to gain wealth and/or a social position to allow one's self to pursue pleasurable social, cultural, and athletic hobbies or pasttimes, rather than employment?

 

No. Although I would like to be in a position where I could choose the kind of work I do, I would not want to be without the mental and social discipline of work.

[Owethemnowt 10]

....to be a person of leisure? to gain wealth and/or a social position to allow one's self to pursue pleasurable social, cultural, and athletic hobbies or pasttimes, rather than employment?

 

No.

 

Is the answer.

 

Athletic pursuits are gone by the time retirement comes around and are mainly eschewed by the fat apathetic nation Britain has become despite being brainwashed to adopt the Olympic spirit and do what exactly? If it's not running the facilities don't exist.

 

If people were enthusiastic for much other than chocolate and a bit of running the golf courses, tenniss courts, cricket and football pitches couldn't provide for the demand.

 

Notice I didn't mention the continuous selling off of school playing fields that is still ocurring under Gove-ernment.

 

I think the class system as mentioned by another person on here has a lot to answer for as regards repression and lack of opportunity. Gove's return to GCEs will shortly be following by yet another Tory favourite - the resurrection of the grammar school.

 

Bring back caning and rationing and it'll be 1950 all over again. Never had it so good then again.

 

With a retirement age of 70 looming, few jobs and little chance of a career young people, for whom I have no sympathy whatsoever as I class them as unfit for purpose being a drug crazed, indulged, self fish unrespecting scum, they don't deserve all they don't get.

 

There remains little interest in politics and certainly little in affecting political change. Therefore people get what they deserve and that is going to be less and less of the cake.

 

As for the past; yes, in many respects things were better and that's as recently as the 60s and 70s though the decline has been constant even during those decades.

 

It can not be reversed as long as people remain complacent. We have a subculture of scum; a lingering working class with no self esteem or respect; a selfish, arrogant and chattering middle class selfcentred and smug; an upper class left on the margins and an aristocracy that floats above it all.

 

Add some where to that the celebrity class of talentless morons who fill pages of glossy magazines bought by brainless fat cow women while supermarket shopping; the tribe of followers and that is very much British society today, living in a cul-de-sac going nowhere and parking 3 cars.

 

Taxes, death and obesity - not necessarily in that order.

 

Do I care?

 

Not in the loop - not at all.

[Cyclone 10]

....to be a person of leisure? to gain wealth and/or a social position to allow one's self to pursue pleasurable social, cultural, and athletic hobbies or pasttimes, rather than employment?

 

I think maybe you should distinguish between aspiration and desire, and aims and goals.

 

I'm sure we'd all like to win the lottery or somehow have enough to stop working, but in reality I (for one) set goals towards which I can actually progress.

 

These might include an increase in my leisure time (I'd like to go down to a 4 day week in the next 5 years) or they might include earning more, or having more holidays, or whatever. But the difference between desires and aims is that an aim has a plan to achieve it, whereas a desire is just wishful thinking.

[lil-minx92 10]

Ever since I entered the "world of work" I made it my aim to find the easiest/laziest way of making the most possible money. Obviously the trade off is less earnings potential in favour of more free time to pursue the things you mentioned.

 

Here's the thing though - work seems less like work when you earn money from something you enjoy doing or are genuinely passionate about learning. It saddens me that so many people feel trapped in jobs they hate, working their tits off for a bunch of shareholders who seldom recognise your efforts or even results. I would rather take a pay cut and follow my passion, because I know eventually that burning passion will take me a lot further than trying to feign enthusiasm in a job I have little interest in outside the hours of 9-5.

 

Ah yes this reminds me of the old saying - "Get a job doing something you love and you'll never do a days work in your life'

[Halibut 12]

young people, for whom I have no sympathy whatsoever as I class them as unfit for purpose being a drug crazed, indulged, self fish unrespecting scum, they don't deserve all they don't get.

 

You sound like a very bitter and unpleasant individual.

[Cyclone 10]

No.

 

Is the answer.

 

Athletic pursuits are gone by the time retirement comes around and are mainly eschewed by the fat apathetic nation Britain has become despite being brainwashed to adopt the Olympic spirit and do what exactly? If it's not running the facilities don't exist.

Hmmm, I'd best tell the people at the climbing wall that they've imagined it. And the Judo club tonight, they all need to go home as we have no dojo... And so on.

 

If people were enthusiastic for much other than chocolate and a bit of running the golf courses, tenniss courts, cricket and football pitches couldn't provide for the demand.

Oh, so you admit that these do exist?

 

Notice I didn't mention the continuous selling off of school playing fields that is still ocurring under Gove-ernment.

 

I think the class system as mentioned by another person on here has a lot to answer for as regards repression and lack of opportunity. Gove's return to GCEs will shortly be following by yet another Tory favourite - the resurrection of the grammar school.

 

Bring back caning and rationing and it'll be 1950 all over again. Never had it so good then again.

 

With a retirement age of 70 looming, few jobs and little chance of a career young people, for whom I have no sympathy whatsoever as I class them as unfit for purpose being a drug crazed, indulged, self fish unrespecting scum, they don't deserve all they don't get.

 

There remains little interest in politics and certainly little in affecting political change. Therefore people get what they deserve and that is going to be less and less of the cake.

 

As for the past; yes, in many respects things were better and that's as recently as the 60s and 70s though the decline has been constant even during those decades.

The 70's that well known decade of plenty

 

It can not be reversed as long as people remain complacent. We have a subculture of scum; a lingering working class with no self esteem or respect; a selfish, arrogant and chattering middle class selfcentred and smug; an upper class left on the margins and an aristocracy that floats above it all.

And to which do you belong?

No, let me guess, you're different from the gross stereotyping you're indulging in.

[epiphany 10]

Ah yes this reminds me of the old saying - "Get a job doing something you love and you'll never do a days work in your life'

 

Exactly! Musicians are a perfect example. I spoke to one guy recently who played on average 3-4 shows per week with his band (only working mens type clubs, nothing particularly glamorous), each one 1-2 hours actual "work" and then the occasional function at weekends. He earns a very good living from this.

 

The drummer in the band I'm in loves working with wood, so he started his own woodwork business.

 

I love hearing about people following their passion and succeeding.

[AWOL 10]

Exactly! Musicians are a perfect example. I spoke to one guy recently who played on average 3-4 shows per week with his band (only working mens type clubs, nothing particularly glamorous), each one 1-2 hours actual "work" and then the occasional function at weekends. He earns a very good living from this.

 

The drummer in the band I'm in loves working with wood, so he started his own woodwork business.

 

I love hearing about people following their passion and succeeding.

 

Banks are passionate about robbing taxpayers and have done very well out of it.

[epiphany 10]

Banks are passionate about robbing taxpayers and have done very well out of it.

 

Well, I suppose the consolation is most bankers work 60+ hours per week so they can't have much time to enjoy the rotten fruits of their labour.

[melthebell 863]

no

 

my aim is to get drunk and die in the gutter

[AWOL 10]

no

 

my aim is to get drunk and die in the gutter

 

You are obviously half way there judging by your posts.