Happy Families, Unhappy Families

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   sgavazziposted 14 years ago

   Leo Tolstoy begins his novel Anna Karenina by stating that "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
   
   Do you believe this is the case? Why or why not?

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      falcon64posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If that is his point of view. We accept, but happiness is the other side of loneliness.

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         dish_networkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. some times it also depends on the situation. we can react differently for similar situation.

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         Niteriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I had myself convinced that the opposite of lonliness was inner peace. But then, maybe happiness and inner peace are the same thing.

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      vox vocisposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, I agree. Happy families are the same because the reasons of their happiness aren't really relevant - what matters is that they are happy. Unhappy families, on the other hand, each have a story of their own, different reasons for being unhappy, causes which need a lot of thought and work to fight the consequences. Have you noticed that tragedies are the basis for many novels written by writers other than Tolstoy?

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   Niteriterposted 14 years ago

   If that's all Tolstoy had to say, he had a rather dim view of happiness wouldn't you say?

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   Izzy Anneposted 14 years ago

   I don't know any happy families.  I know families who stay together no matter what happens.  That involves lots of patience and forgiveness and the ability to survive mind-numbing boreness.  Some people think that is a price they are willing to pay for always having financial and social support.

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   thirdmilleniumposted 14 years ago

   Tolstoy lived in  an age far removed from the present day chaos and complications. He could have been right about those days, you know!

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      Niteriterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Human nature has not changed.

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5. 76

   frogdroppingposted 14 years ago

   My family is a bone fide mess. Yet I'm not unhappy with the situation. The rest are though.
   
   That said - I don't have a family, I have a pack. And they fight and fall out like one too.
   
   I suppose regarding Tolstoy, it's possible that it's more likely unhappy families have problems unique to themselves? But then again - most families fall out over jealousy issues, money, greed and so forth.
   
   None of which are far removed from each other.
   
   Tolstoy gave me a headache at school. And he's giving me one now

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6. 0

   Justine76posted 14 years ago

   I imagine every family is ultimately different, tho some may have similarities, happy or not.

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