Discussion Do you think life is a ''gift''? Why/ why not

[lostangel]

Hello, I have always heard that life is a ''gift''. I am always confused when someone says that to me. As my situation was far from a ''gift''. This ''gift'' is the reason why I want to ctb.

I'm curious to hear what you guys think.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Brick In The Wall]

I believe life is a gift. However quality of life is a big determining factor here for me. It sounds like it is for you as well.

In the end though this is a subjective question. It will have many varying answers depending on who you ask. There are antinatalists who'd strongly disagree with my first sentence.

 

[KibblesNBits]

Hello, I have always heard that life is a ''gift''. I am always confused when someone says that to me. As my situation was far from a ''gift''. This ''gift'' is the reason why I want to ctb.

I'm curious to hear what you guys think.

Thanks for reading.

I think quality of life is a gift. Life without quality is just surviving. It comes down to the hand you were dealt.

 

[not-2-b-the-answer]

My "Gift" was empty from the moment I opened it.

 

[Good4Nothing]

I'm sure to some it's a gift, but not to me.
Everything life has given me it has taken away, in the cruelest manner possible.

 

[TotallyIsolated]

That "life is a gift" is pro-life bullshit. People believe, especially religious types, that your life was GIVEN to you and so you need to be grateful. You don't own your own body, and so by extension your life. It's just loaned to you and they expect it back with interest. They want you to work and make profit for them. They want you to shit out babies for them.

Make no mistake, the people yelling "life is a gift" at you NEVER cared about you or what you want, and they never will.

 

[SpottedPanda]

Life is a gift in so far it's extremely unlikely that there are eight billion or so intelligent lifeforms on this planet, and for all we know in this galaxy.

At some point you'e got to stop and wonder if it's a gift you want. From the cave men, to modern man, each so called gift is but an insignificant 'gift' in what is potentially billions of years of life form.

I don't believe in God, so this 'gift' isn't much more than marking a remarkable event. I'm happy to give this gift up, and abandon it.

 

[GoodPersonEffed]

Doesn't mean one has to keep a gift just because they received it. Otherwise, I'd still be lugging around every gift I've ever received since I was a baby.

Nowadays, it's appropriate to include a gift receipt so the recipient can exchange the gift for something they actually like or want.

 

[not-2-b-the-answer]

Doesn't mean one has to keep a gift just because they received it. Otherwise, I'd still be lugging around every gift I've ever received since I was a baby.

Nowadays, it's appropriate to include a gift receipt so the recipient can exchange the gift for something they actually like or want.

I think my "Gift Receipt" expired the day before I tried to return it.

 

[Jean Améry]

No because a gift can be refused. We never had that chance with life. A gift implies transfer of ownership which in turn implies the right to destroy the property. Clearly we are not allowed to dispose of our lives so as far as society is concerned we do not own ourselves. That also contradicts the notion of life as a gift.

Before our parents mated and our mother conceived us we simply didn't exist. How can you give someone something when that person only starts existing with said gift? We couldn't possible have refused since we didn't have a choice as we weren't able to make a choice.

In fact we only start to exist as a person much, much later than when we're technically alive so that pretty much compounds the problem.

Life is not a gift, it's an imposition. Receiving a gift is supposed to engender gratitude (provided the gift is seen as valuable) while forcing an obligation on someone (say a pet dog that is left on one's doorstep) is rightly seen as unfair and will usually engender anger at the arrogance and irresponsibility of the person doing the imposition.

 

[Despondent]

My "Gift" was empty from the moment I opened it.

You got a gift?? I never got one!

 

[Jumper Geo]

Yes a horrible gift, lol no I had a great life once I was in charge but it turned sour.

Cheers

Geo

 

[Deleted member 1465]

Some gifts are shit.

 

[InTheAirTonight]

No. DNA was a fucking mistake

 

[KiraComplex]

its a "gift" that you need other gifts for, like batteries in a toy. sometimes those gifts are held by monopolies, and government, and social statuses. sooo basically your first gift, life, is useless and fucking sucks.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

To me Life is not a gift but a prison that i need to escape soon.

 

[TrailerTrash]

It's a prison for me - so if prison is a gift then I guess that makes life a gift. I take responsibility for messing it up though and at this point am just happy it'll be over soon.

 

[Brick In The Wall]

Life can be a blessing or a curse. But I would likeatleast we have free will to determine our own fate to some degree.

I believe life is a gift. However quality of life is a big determining factor here for me. It sounds like it is for you as well.

In the end though this is a subjective question. It will have many varying answers depending on who you ask. There are antinatalists who'd strongly disagree with my first sentence.

You know this is all a subjective opinion again. But again thanks for the mad support, as it's still support and raising my numbers

 

[Torbasco]

If life is a gift then catch me at customer service because I'm returning that crap asap.

 

[DeadButDreaming]

It's a pretty shit gift.

 

[Theresa Riot]

A gag gift, maybe. The kind you get from someone who doesn't like you and thinks they're being funny.

 

[SuiSqueeze92]

To me it's only a gift if you put a bit of selflessness into the world. Motivate another, add to their life, guide one with your shitty experiences as teachings because you know that pain and don't want another to bear it. Save one life to replace another (if you CTB). Seeing the change in someone can spark interest back into life making you feel like you matter or have purpose.

 

[EmbraceOfTheVoid]

Life is a "gift" that no one asked for and it's the type of gift I'd freely give away. The people that spout this drivel are the kind who have never had a day of real adversity in their entire life and will conveniently ignore all of the bad things that life contains because it isn't affecting them personally.

 

[KLUF]

Life is not a gift. It is a burden. Parents do not ask children whether they want to be born or not. They give birth simply because they "are supposed to", they want someone to do household chores, they need someone to dominate, there are many more reasons and some of them are disgusting. And children have to face life's challenges after that.

 

[262653]

I would also ask: Why would anyone say to themselves or to others that life is a gift? What's the intent?

I've heard an argument that some believe so because the alternative makes them feel bad. And we generally don't want to feel bad, now do we.
I find it strange that It doesn't seem to be enough for a reason for some other people, considering they/we don't want to feel bad either.

Why not believe in something just to feel good? I can only speculate for myself. It would be contradictory to my experience. My back hurts as I write this message... I've decided to do some stretching exercises and it feels better now, for now. But just believing that I feel alright despite the back pain wouldn't be enough to make me feel alright.

I had a period of social seizure once, I felt like talking to strangers. I talked to some fat guy, presumably in his forties, licking ice-cream. He told me how he hates government, and his work conditions. I assumed that ice-cream was a form of recompense, but I don't think that would be sufficient for me. I don't know why I mentioned it. The only possible explanation I can come up with is that a lack of awareness seems to me a common theme here.

I don't think I have the aptitude or equipment to investigate the depths of this question, as it usually goes. I wonder what others have to report.

In fact we only start to exist as a person much, much later than when we're technically alive so that pretty much compounds the problem

I really like this point. I'm imagining a stranger barging into someone's home and claiming ownership of it with all included possessions. If life is a gift, it doesn't look like it was addressed to me, yet I still feel like forming a complaint.

My "Gift" was empty from the moment I opened it.

Reminds me

 

[TrappedSoulhere]

I have never understood that statement. Is my life a gift to me or a "gift" to the parents who had me because they wanted to?
If I am the recipient of this "gift", what was I before that gift? If we could tell what we were before we were given this "gift" then we could accept or deny the conclusion. This life has been hell. Can I return it to sender?
If my life is a gift to my parents.....
Why do people say that at all? It's so unoriginal.....I've lost steam.

 

[No_more]

The phrase, 'gift of life' makes me angry.

 

[Jean Améry]

The phrase, 'gift of life' makes me angry.

In as far as it's used to try to guilt-trip you or anyone else that's an understandable reaction.

However as an argument against suicide it's easily refuted: if life is indeed a gift why should it be a problem to dispose of it when it's no longer useful? Who in his right mind will claim a gift implies that it comes with strings attached? In that cases it's properly called a loan or an obligation. If you give something away it's no longer yours and you have no say in how it's used or even when it's discarded.

 

[SuicidalSymphonies]

I mean, technically it's a gift, but it's a gift I didn't ask for.

All thanks to chronic pain, autoimmune disorders and crippling anxiety and depression.

 

[Iamamistake]

From a subjective perspective~ a free gift, I didn't ask for and want to get rid off. - _ -