What are the Three Inevitable Realities of Life?

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The discussion centers around three main points: death, taxes, and the necessity of hard work for making substantial long-term contributions. Participants agree that death and taxes are certain aspects of life, though some challenge the universality of these claims. The conversation explores the idea that significant contributions typically require hard work, with examples like Harper Lee's dedication to her craft. Counterarguments suggest that wealth or serendipitous discoveries can lead to contributions without hard work. The dialogue also touches on the complexities of child-rearing as a substantial contribution, emphasizing that raising a successful child involves significant effort and cultural transmission. Overall, the thread examines the interplay between certainty, effort, and the nature of contributions in life.
  • #31
humanino said:
Well, as soon as "someone" at some point at to work hard for humanity so survive, which can always be argued, nothing would have been accomplished by humankind otherwise. :biggrin:

Mankind can still survive if no one worked hard.
 
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  • #32
Proton Soup said:
the hand that rocks the cradle makes the most substantial long term contributions. whether that's harder than any other work is debatable, but it requires a certain amount of consistency.

So the thing you are making a substantial long term contribution to is child upbringing. That takes more than rocking the craddle. Child bringing can be very easy but to be substantial (in other words to make it a successful upbringing), it takes a lot of work.
 
  • #33
tgt said:
So the thing you are making a substantial long term contribution to is child upbringing. That takes more than rocking the craddle. Child bringing can be very easy but to be substantial (in other words to make it a successful upbringing), it takes a lot of work.

the hand that rocks the cradle is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)"
 
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  • #34
Proton Soup said:
the hand that rocks the cradle is the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hand_That_Rocks_the_Cradle_(poem)"

I hate poems but in any case, there is no need to rock any cradle to successfully raise a child.
 
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  • #35
tgt said:
3 things are certain in life?

1. Death
2. Taxes
3. To make continued substantial contributions (in anything) in the long term, one must work very hard.

Wouldn't that make 4 things, with the rule itself included? Or would it be five since we have to say there is an additional rule. or is it? Then there's six things... I am so confused.
 
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  • #36
tgt said:
I hate poems but in any case, there is no need to rock any cradle to successfully raise a child.

i hope you realize it's symbolic language and not the physical act of rocking a cradle. geeze...
 
  • #37
Phrak said:
Wouldn't that make 4 things, with the rule itself included? Or would it be five since we have to say there is an additional rule. or is it? Then there's six things... I am so confused.

Please refer to post 28. I challenge anyone to come up with a counter example.
 
  • #38
Proton Soup said:
i hope you realize it's symbolic language and not the physical act of rocking a cradle. geeze...

In that case, post 32 adequately explains it.
 
  • #39
tgt said:
In that case, post 32 adequately explains it.

in that case, i would say: not if you work smart.
 
  • #40
Proton Soup said:
in that case, i would say: not if you work smart.

Bringing up a child is a practical activity with a lot of trial and error so how can one work smart straight away? If they did work smart, it must mean they've gone through it before, in which case, they have had to work hard to bring up the previous child.

The general case is that with all practical activities, no one is born being skilled at it. Raising a successful child more so because success has different meanings in different cultures and time periods.
 
  • #41
tgt said:
Bringing up a child is a practical activity with a lot of trial and error so how can one work smart straight away? If they did work smart, it must mean they've gone through it before, in which case, they have had to work hard to bring up the previous child.

The general case is that with all practical activities, no one is born being skilled at it. Raising a successful child more so because success has different meanings in different cultures and time periods.

this is very much the meaning of the poem, culture. it is a culture that you are instilling in the child. and it is that culture which gives her the tools to raise her own children successfully, without having to resort to starting from scratch. just maintaining that culture from one generation to the next is the most significant thing we do as human beings. without that, we stumble and fall behind.
 
  • #42
Proton Soup said:
this is very much the meaning of the poem, culture. it is a culture that you are instilling in the child. and it is that culture which gives her the tools to raise her own children successfully, without having to resort to starting from scratch. just maintaining that culture from one generation to the next is the most significant thing we do as human beings. without that, we stumble and fall behind.

If you raise a child by letting most of today's culture do the work then may God have mercy on the child.
 
  • #43
tgt said:
If you raise a child by letting most of today's culture do the work then may God have mercy on the child.

And anyone unfortunate enough to ever meet the little demon.
 
  • #44
  1. Birth
  2. Life
  3. Death
 
  • #45
i think the 3 things certain in life are, 1) death 2) taxes 3) lies

P.S i highly doupt *birth* counts as one of the 3 things certain in life...
 

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