Is life fair?

1. 70

   Mr. Happyposted 14 years ago

   Is life fair?
   
      I think that life is unfair and that one's future is more or less determined by where and by whom he/she is born. Life expectancy in Somalia is I think somewhere around the age of 47. In Canada life expectancy is 78 years for men and 83 years for women. So to begin with (at birth) you can get a "bad" deal. With that in mind can we blame the Somali pirates for taking ships hostage when they are practically starving to death? Or can we blaime a homeless kid for stealing food or pick-pocketing you? Life is unfair ...

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2. 0

   jqs2009posted 14 years ago

   Wells, life is never fair, in terms of whatever facet you are looking at. Taking wealth, social status, appearance, intelligence, heredity...into account, life is so unfair when you try to differentiate individuals, following the way they live after they were born. Did Jews deserve to be brutally slaughtered and mutilated? the Hiltons were born with enormous wealth, while many others are suffereing from starvation around the world, and all they ask for is a meal to fit themselves.
   Some people inherited greater intelligence, while someone people just dont seem bright in every way. Life is never fair.
   
   Take me for instance, I've been traveling around, because my family is madly in love with traveling and exploring other segments of the world. If I didn't interact with people of different backgrounds, I would never realize that there are people out there who have never in their lives been to any other foreign countries! Life is never fair. But I think what we can do is to appreciate what we have, looking forward what's ahead of us, anticipating the future, while sticking with the presence. We are the ones who can change our lives, and ameliorate the underserved fate we were born with. We shouldn't be at the mercy of fate.

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3. 57

   disenthusedposted 14 years ago

   Life may be unfair, but as the Brother's Grimm pointed out, Death is perfectly fair. It's not the question, but when you kick the bucket, it's the same bucket whoever you are and whatever you've done.
   
   And although there are things that people do and seem to get away with unfairly, I put a good deal of faith in comeuppance. If Robert Mugabe suffers a slow and painful death sometime soon, I'll know I'm right. If not, then consider life to be completely and utterly unfair.

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4. 70

   Mr. Happyposted 14 years ago

   I thank everyone for your answers. The fault is mine for not being clear ... the implications from my question were not addressed. When I thought of the above question, I actually thought of sailors kidnapped off the horn of Africa. At the same time I thought that it is wrong for them to be put through a "kidnapping" situation, I also thought how "wrong" it is to be born in a country such as Somalia and having to live there.
      In the end I though: "Life is unfair ...", that's how it is. No point in complaining why "I was kiddnapped" or "why do I have no food, or a roof over my head", etc ...

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5. 62

   writesketchbeadposted 14 years ago

   Yes it is true that aspects of life can be unfair. Especially, as to where or when you are born. Babies can not control if theirmothers are hooked on drugs or their fathers are abusive. Some of us our blessed with a fair life in those respects also. But if you look at all the situations ,at the root of the problem is people. Greed. Hate. Laziness. Refusal to help. As the 'human nation' we struggle with finding balance.
   So, should we complain? It doesn't always hurt. Obviously, someones complaining has made you stop and think. That is not a bad thing. It may help keeping so many children from starving if we complain about their status. The root of the problems are our inability to find balance as people. So, we need to make sure people keep paying attention.
   BUT- complaining without action is useless. People who complain and have the power to change their situation anger me. People who complain and do not have the power to help themselves need our attention.
   AND- complaining about foolish little things is a waste of time. So what if your neighbor has four computers and you only have one. That is not unfair. That is just life.

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6. 61

   lkeippposted 14 years ago

   No, life is not fair, however I disagree with you about circumstances of birth.  Many people, for many centuries, have managed to get out of the situation they found themselves in as a child and not replay their lives child lives as adults.
   
   For example, many people who have been abused, starved, war victims, etc have gotten the fortitude and made every effort to change their lives as completely as possible.  Even in countries like Somalia, they change their lives.
   
   However, for every one that does change his or her life, there are many more who are stuck in this being the world as it must be - they cannot see a life outside of that in which they were raised.
   
   So no, life isn't fair - never has been, never will be.

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7. 74

   Ruchiraposted 14 years ago

   Life is a very under rated word. Life has been fair and unfair for most of us. Choice is totally ours to make it sound good or bad and lament about it OR to do something about it. Regarding the hostages who were taken captive by the somali pirates. They have a choice to either fight those guys and yes, in that pursuit they could lose their lives too but then life was worth it, correct? Rather than living as hostages under them. Fighting hunger can also be strived for. If there is a Will there is a Way!
   At the end of the day, it is how we look at our life and strive for it!

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   debugsposted 14 years ago

   No, it isn't and we all grow up to find that out. For instance, if one were born in some place that had no basic things like water, shelter and your parents have AIDS... that seems not fair, is it? AFter all, you didn't ask to be born. I think people can make life fair-- and perhaps, if we did something (like one good deed a day) it may matter. (Or maybe it may NOT but who cares as long as we know we did it right?)

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9. 0

   reeltaulkposted 14 years ago

   Yep indeed life can be unfair....but I am sure if you look back on every negative thing you have experienced you will see that there was an opportunity of some sort for you to turn it around in your favor.   At some point we all got to suck up the "unfairness" and make it work

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10. 59

    outdoorsguyposted 13 years ago

    LIfe is completely fair.  no one escapes it alive.

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11. 51

    JaMeSb00Mposted 13 years ago

    If life was fair, would America be fighting a war that is constantly killing men, some that I knew. One of my friends said he saw men he worked with die, and he also killed people. I also think life is unfair due to that if you are not 'ROYALTY', then appearently to them you are nothing. I truly think that there should be more of a social way to deal with this, but there is not. People will always be people. There is nothing we can do to do about it, exept try and lead them in the right direction. My life is not fair, my father just had his operation to remove his cancer in his tongue, luckly we caught it early, but now we have alot of medical bills to pay. What happened to free health care? Life will always be unfair and I am hating every minute of it.

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12. 78

    kallini2010posted 13 years ago

    I find that it is impossible to answer the question.  It is too much of a generalization.  And all generalizations are wrong including this one.  I asked here only one question with no reply and it was much more specific or so I thought.  Apparently it wasn't.  Point taken.
    
    What is life? What is fairness?  I bet you anything all people who tried answering this question had different opinions.  I love Douglas Adams question "The life, the universe, everything?"  I hope you know the answer to that one!
    
    Taking Somalian situation in particular, I think that it is horrible.  I don't want to be in the place of either pirates or their hostages.
    
    Was I lucky being born in Russia?  I thought so until the floodgates of information opened and I realized how far behind the modern world Russia is.  Am I lucky to live in Canada?  I don't know.  I suppose there are better places, but for sure there are places much much worse.
    
    I think there are choices we can make.  And there are circumstances over which we have no choice.  I did not choose to be born, I did not choose to be a woman, I did not choose my parents and my country...  There were plenty of choices I made and they  were NOT the best ones.  But that is how I learned.
    
    If you stay at home and do nothing, things still can happen to you.  Life is life, not fair, not unfair.  Unpredictable.  Make the best of what you can.  Try not to be too hard on yourself and avoid judging others.  You don't know what would you do if you were them.

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13. 59

    Youniverse Worldposted 13 years ago

    In Latvia - 63 years for men and 71 years for women only

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14. 67

    MOEFLATSposted 13 years ago

    It is a techno-psychic jungle where only the:  nice, righteous, amiable, positive thinking and slow moving survive.  If you miss the days when Americans had MENTAL FREEDOM, you will need to be everything I mentioned above, plus:  the slyest, sneakiest, most unregular person that is (like me).  You bust out of that Binaural Brainwave Rut and kick out the psychic lethargy, but try and keep your mind clean of despicable thoughts.  Few have survived this assault on the human mind.  To survive, read my other articles.

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15. 76

    Adventure Coloradposted 13 years ago

    Whether fair or not, just becuase you are born into a certain class doesn't mean that you can only live your life that way.  There are many examples of people that have risen to greatness from nothing.  And I am sure you could look through the news to find a handful of children of rich parents that have not contributed anything worthwile to society.  Life is what you make of it, or what you choose not to make of it.

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16. 71

    Zazuzuposted 13 years ago

    i have to say that there is a logical fallacy in some of these comments.
    
    The fallacy is, "life can be unfair, but lots of people have overcome large obstacles so it proves anyone can overcome any adversity."
    
    To see why this is false, remember all of the people who tried and failed. They exist and are numerous, but you don't hear about them because they never became anyone.

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    1. 50

       pointmakerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Nail on the head!
       
       And what people don't realise is that the people who do manage to overcome adversity, don't just do it with effort. Luck plays a big part. Only from that moment onward is it possible to "make your own luck" as (lucky) people say.

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17. 47

    mishelrobertson12posted 12 years ago

    Pleasure does not result from carrying out easy task but out from the light of total satisfaction that comes following the accomplishment of the tricky job that demanded our own greatest hard work
    http://www.quotesaboutchanges.com/

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18. 70

    livelifeworryfreeposted 10 years ago

    It's not fair, but it's just.  What comes around surely will go around. Life plays no favorites, we are all favorites. 
    
    Follow me so you can get my new book this summer: Life Can't Weight

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