existential conundrum

[Khan]

All through life one is assigned roles: child sibling student spouse parent employee...

If one is not any of these roles, what is one?

 

[Sam]

No longer significant?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Self?

No one?

 

[bpp]

Protein.

Free.

Monad.

Citizen.

Descendent.

 

[Arc]

Worm food.

 

[astromeria]

Come up with a new role, or bask in being role-free.

=astro, dilettante

 

[CCdaCE]

If one is not any of these roles, what is one?

C'mon, it's a gimme... retiree?

A free man? Living a carefree life? Vagabond? Where are you goin' with this?

-CC

 

[unclemick]

Hmmmm

Curmudgeon??

I've got the coveralls, old pickup with rusty fender and good old dog, summer straw  or winter baseball caps - and down to three candidate doughnut shops - wherein old pharts sit and jaw long after their doughnut quota while getting a few refills on their coffee.

Do you really need a label - when you have style.

Heh heh heh heh - keep the Jimmy Buffett shirts handy for shock value - before the cold weather hits.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Trout Bum. 8)

 

[dmpi]

All through life one is assigned roles: child sibling student spouse parent employee...

If one is not any of these roles, what is one?

Theses are not "roles", rather they are "labels". The labels are not assigned, rather one chooses to wear the label.

 

[Khan]

C'mon, it's a gimme... retiree?

A free man? Living a carefree life? Vagabond? Where are you goin' with this?

-CC

Not sure.

Freed of most definitions and attachments, what is next?

What to wear?

Where to live?

What to eat?

...

 

[Caroline]

I've gotta examine the premise a little more closely here. (Always a good idea when one sees the word "existential" in the topic line!)

Are these categories all the same, or can we make the case that while you may not always be a spouse or an employee, you will always be someone's child? If you've ever been a parent, won't you always be a parent? Ditto "sibling?"

 

[Sam]

Are these categories all the same, or can we make the case that while you may not always be a spouse or an employee, you will always be someone's child?  If you've ever been a parent, won't you always be a parent?  Ditto "sibling?"

Unless you were disowned

 

[Khan]

Unless you were disowned

Sort of disowned.

Not that there was anything to inherit anyway.

 

[flipstress]

If one is not any of these roles, what is one?

slacker seeker

Go and find who you are, grasshopper 

 

[BigMoneyJim]

An interesting point to take away from this question is that you can choose to redefine your role. I think I was an employee before I quit a decent job at 30. (Reemployed later and recently quit again and looking for work, for those not keeping track.) Since then I've been developing an independent identity. I think this helps greatly keep other roles in perspective and makes it easier to leave one. It frees me to a large degree. I think this may be a key to who retires early and who retires when they can't work anymore.

 

[heyyou]

Often served as a "bad example".

 

[polloloco]

Hard Core Cavers are truly unique. Nothing else comes close.

 

[justin]

If only I could trade a big bag of existential conundrums for a few million bucks, I'd be having my own existential conundrum right now. As it is, I'm a "wage slave". Things could be worse though.

 

[ash]

I don't know what I am, but it's fun trying to figure it out.

 

[sgeeeee]

I think, therefore I am
- Rene Descartes

Perhaps the greatest example of analytical thought in the history of man.

After that, it's all conjecture.

I would suggest that you not even try to consider your question until you have created and secured on the top of your head the perfect aluminum foil hat.

:

 

[donheff]

If only I could trade a big bag of existential conundrums for a few million bucks, I'd be having my own existential conundrum right now. As it is, I'm a "wage slave". Things could be worse though.

Do not go gentle into your assigned plight. Rage, rage against what others say is right.

 

[d]

If one is not any of these roles, what is one?

unecumbered

 

[Donzo]

Organic

 

[haha]

I have usually given myself a fairly low bar to clear. Get some pleasure, give some pleasure, do a good job on the biggie of being a parent, and shoot for C's on the rest.

I feel basically Ok about this and it seems to stand the test of time pretty well.

When I was younger, like up to my early 20s, it seemed much more complicated.

Ha