[PinkMobilePhone]

(Original post by geetar)
Sure. I do like the idea of doing something 'out of the ordinary', like writing a best seller, or being a professional adventurer, or something more unusual like that. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with having the 2.5 children, wife, subruban house, dog, solid yet unremarkable job and salary thing. I've actually used this quote once before on this website, but, as Montaigne said, 'All the fame you should look for in life is to have lived it quietly.'

I've started reading a collection of Van Gogh's letters. He may have led an interesting life, and produced great works of art. But would you actually have wanted his life? He was a very lonely man, and I'm sure he looked at his 'ordinary', unremarkable peers with envy. Stepehn Hawking may have done some extraordinary and very intelligent things, but I certainly wouldn't want his life, even if I wouldn't get his intelligence either. It's better to be a happy and ordinary person, rather than a miserable and extraordinary one. Obviously the choice isn't always going to be that stark, but I'm just using it to illustrate my point.

And, of course, the ordinary scenario that the OP described is far more than most people in the world can ever hope to achieve. In the sensethat we live in one of the most affluent countries on earth, in a time period that is more comfortable, stable (barring some kind of nuclear holocaust in the future, of course), and advanced, we are already leading a pretty atypical life compared to most of the population. It's good not to forget that fact.

I also tried to +rep this, but as above, I've run outta rep.

dagnammit

[madders94]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

Happy with the ones in bold but I wouldn't want a semi-detached (would rather have a log cabin in the woods), don't want a static caravan in an obscure Welsh village because I already live in an obscure Welsh village and I'm hoping to live in a nearby obscure Welsh village, and as for the Costa Del Sol... give me a holiday at a British holiday park any time

I'd be happy with an ordinary life as long as I have my husband (well, he'll be my husband by then hopefully), kids and we can live at least fairly comfortably.

[de_monies]

(Original post by theonefrombrum)
That mini tirade was completely irrelavant and missed my point completely. I am grateful, i'm grateful every time i eat a damn meal and have a good laugh. I say it out loud to myself sometimes and i definitely always think it, but it doesn't mean that i shouldn't want more for myself. It's horrible that people out there are suffering in third world conditions but that doesn't mean that those who are fortunate enough to be born in a country like England shouldn't want to strive to have the best things.

In fact, if i was able to afford a ferrari then you'd think that i was rich and with that money i'd do as much as i could to help give to charitable causes to help eradicate these problems; can you say the same? Just don't assume something about someone, it's a trait not coveted, or liked at all.

This is true, but your post seemed to reek of arrogance earlier. Also, you missed my last line. Realistically, how many of us are going to be millionaires?

[theonefrombrum]

(Original post by de_monies)
This is true, but your post seemed to reek of arrogance earlier. Also, you missed my last line. Realistically, how many of us are going to be millionaires?

Well i'm sorry that it came across that way, that wasn't my intention at all and i'm not arrogant in the slighest. I just want the best for myself, like everyone should.

Not many people but just because the majority wont, some will and have and there's no reason why that can't be me or you, i know these things seem to only happen to 'other people' but i'm aware that to other people, i am other people.

[Charlaux]

(Original post by geetar)
Sure. I do like the idea of doing something 'out of the ordinary', like writing a best seller, or being a professional adventurer, or something more unusual like that. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with having the 2.5 children, wife, subruban house, dog, solid yet unremarkable job and salary thing. I've actually used this quote once before on this website, but, as Montaigne said, 'All the fame you should look for in life is to have lived it quietly.'

I've started reading a collection of Van Gogh's letters. He may have led an interesting life, and produced great works of art. But would you actually have wanted his life? He was a very lonely man, and I'm sure he looked at his 'ordinary', unremarkable peers with envy. Stepehn Hawking may have done some extraordinary and very intelligent things, but I certainly wouldn't want his life, even if I wouldn't get his intelligence either. It's better to be a happy and ordinary person, rather than a miserable and extraordinary one. Obviously the choice isn't always going to be that stark, but I'm just using it to illustrate my point.

And, of course, the ordinary scenario that the OP described is far more than most people in the world can ever hope to achieve. In the sensethat we live in one of the most affluent countries on earth, in a time period that is more comfortable, stable (barring some kind of nuclear holocaust in the future, of course), and advanced, we are already leading a pretty atypical life compared to most of the population. It's good not to forget that fact.

I think that the reason that we want to be extraordinary is that we somewhat want to be eternal.I mean Van Gogh was lonely but we still do remember him today,apart from just remembering he inspired many artists or people that might changed their lives.For example a person who finds the meaning of life in his one of the paintings you actually save his/her life.If I would do something important(which would change peoples lives) just by being extraordinary but being lonely I would prefer to live in that way;my 80 years predicted life for tons of life

But every people do change the world;you die and new flowers will grow in the graveyard and a new life will start.What I do want to live a life is not really about the money,job and stuff.Its all about saying " I had a good life.I enjoyed every second of living.

[ufo2012]

How many years down the line are you talking about?

28k say 10-15 years down the line should be unacceptable, you would expect much more than that after such service

[Xarren]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

Never. Then again, I'm an overly ambitious prick, and its killing me. I'd love to be able to be "normal" and happy with it.

[TobeTheHero]

a bare minimum is a ferrari in the front garden but I will happy with 'ordinary life' so long I am happy with my job and wife obv

[im so academic]

(Original post by PinkMobilePhone)
See, I used to think the same way you did. Two things changed my perspective though.
1) I had kids. Your whole world changes when you have kids. You want a stable life so that you can raise them well.
2) I hit rock bottom. We nearly got repossessed. We were living on handouts from my mother-in-law and I've never felt so crap. It makes you truly appreciate how marvellous an "ordinary" life can be.

When you have kids?

Are you saying every girl is going to have kids? Not everyone wants kids.

As for your second point, not everyone hits rock bottom.

[Aspiringlawstudent]

No. I couldn't handle the overwhelming sense of mediocrity that would develop.

[bmqib]

no. if i was in that position i would definitely strive to improve myself, i would never settle with a typical 9-5 job, would rather be bear grylls or something.

[Herr]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

£28k per annum? No not really as in reality your life would struggle quite a bit unless you have plenty of tax-credits or at work benefits. This is especially so if you are a single income family. Would I be happy with that salary? No definitely not, remember you will lose quite a bit of it in taxes and plenty of things are going up in price by the day.

Wife? Well I would love to have one again. But I don't think it is necessary to have one that you are legally married to in order to be content.

2 kids? I already have 3, sometimes I wished I never had any of them. I certainly won't want to have 2 on £28k per year though.

Semi-detached house? Depends on the neighbourhood. But in Britain I'd rather have a completely detached house, just too damn many ASBOs out there. Plus I do like my gardens (though not necessarily maintaining it

A Ford Mondeo in the drive, in US when this car was first launched known as the Ford Contour it was often bought by very middle-class parents for their university going kids. I'm a US trained investment banker and when I first came to Britain I finally learned the thing called vehicle snobbery and it was often used as a "punishment" if you weren't performing. If you were doing very well in your job you were given a BMW 3 series. If you were doing according to expectations you could expect a VW Passat. Now if your boss thinks you are starting to lose it and wants to give you an informal "warning" he tells the fleet manager to replace your company car with a Ford Mondeo. Now if you were underperforming you would be given a Vauxhall Vectra. Hence ever since that time I never quite liked Fords or Vauxhalls due to the negativity they represent, so no I won't be content with one.

Holidays in a caravan? No thanks, I'm claustrophobic. Plus I can't think of anything more boring to do than to be stuck in some obscure Welsh village. Holidaying in Spain? I rather not go on holiday than to go to Spain.

Inheritance money? No thanks, I prefer to earn my own way.

[Soph(:]

No not really, I wouldn't go to university and bother working hard to end up with this life style, I wouldn't be sad but I would prefer to be able to have a more luxurious lifestyle if i'm being honest.

[DeftLeftHand]

Take a look at this -

http://www.getrichslowly.org/images/...lmentcurve.jpg

There's a point where the more you spend, the less fulfilled you feel. In other words, the richer you get the less satisfied you feel with life.

[Psyk]

(Original post by im so academic)
When you have kids?

Are you saying every girl is going to have kids? Not everyone wants kids.

As for your second point, not everyone hits rock bottom.

I don't think she was saying all women will have kids, she was talking about herself.

[ForKicks]

(Original post by iwantcurlyhairtoo)
Would you be content earning £28,000 a year, having a wife/husband and two kids, living in a semi-detached with a Ford Mondeo on the drive? Going on holiday to a static caravan site in some obscure welsh village, maybe 10 days on the Costa Del Sol with that nice slice of inheritance money you've got coming in?

I know this is the Student Room and many of you will have loftier ambitions, but a good chunk of the crowd on here will end up in a vaguely similar scenario to the one I've presented.

How do you feel about that.. excited.. depressed.. indifferent?

For the rest of my life that would be terrible and I don't think a good chunk of people on TSR would max out at 28k! Below the age of 30 would probably be fine though.

[Rascacielos]

What exactly is wrong with Ford Mondeos?

[No Man]

No, because that's not what I'm striving for. I don't plan on having kids anyway, which opens your opportunities in life even more imo.

[Chumbaniya]

(Original post by DeftLeftHand)
Take a look at this -

http://www.getrichslowly.org/images/...lmentcurve.jpg

There's a point where the more you spend, the less fulfilled you feel. In other words, the richer you get the less satisfied you feel with life.

How very scientific.

[damilola]

I really wouldn't mind, I've been in worse situations. I'll be happy to have a family who love me just as much as I love them, I don't have an inclination to be wild anyway. But I hate caravans, I'm germophobic...