
Losing everything, and seeing it as an invitation to a better life. - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/weekinreview/11carey.html?ref=weekinreview
======
tdavis
_"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."_

Yeah, I suppose Fight Club quotes are trite by now, but I still believe it to
be true.

Before I left for a year to Afghanistan, I had a decent programming job, was
going to college, had an amazing girlfriend, and a few good friends left. By
the time I got back, I had nothing. I also had no more excuses. I started
TicketStumbler with Dan, by some miracle we got into YC, and I am now living
and working in Boston, happier overall than I've been at any point in my
entire life. Somehow, losing everything I cared about gained me exactly what
I'd needed all along.

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llimllib
I'm surprised that article didn't mention the result that quadraplegics are
only slightly less happy than other people, and no less happy than
paraplegics:
[[http://books.google.com/books?id=P5GsREMbUmAC&pg=PA724&#...</a>]

~~~
timcederman
Having run a few ethnographic studies to observe how they maintain their
independence I'm not that surprised. The coping mechanisms for human beings
truly are amazing.

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numair
I live in Malibu, where we have those all-too-famous wildfires on a regular
basis. Several of my neighbors have quietly told me that they really wouldn't
care if their house burned down - yeah, they will lose some nice stuff, but
they will also find themselves in a position where they don't have to think
about the house, and taking care of it, and paying for the people who take
care of it, and so on. Sometimes it is nice to just cut everything out and
start over.

After all, isn't this how modern-day America came about? Lots of people
cutting out everything from their former lives in Europe/Asia/etc and making a
decision to come to America to see if they can make it work?

------
mvid
one could always join a fight club

