Single Men Living Aboard and Cruising... an honest look.

[Mainebristol]

I believe that the "pursuit of happiness" is a phrase that is tossed off too easily. Being happy, and promoting happiness in others, is a religion in and of itself, in my opinion.

I understand the desire to share life with others. The richest people I know share love and life with many, and are shared with in return.

I no longer envy those with lots of money, although I once did. Now, I just treasure my wife and family, and consider myself rich beyond belief.

Yeah, I dream of taking my elderly but bulletproof Bristol 32 around the Atlantic, but the fact is that those whom I adore, for very good reasons, wouldn't come with me. So, we cruise the coast of Maine, and I consider myself one of the luckiest men on the planet. And I just feel sorry for our latest ruling class, also known as politicians. They pursue the wrong things, and seem fearful to me. Sad.

Okay, at the end there, I was kind of flip. But you get my drift.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

That is why I love the honesty of going to Sea.
We observe and adjust to real conditions, we prepare and are responsible for our own salvation, with the knowledge, that if found lacking, it is not gods or luck at fault, but ourselves.

Or as Moitessier put it in The Long Way:

"Sailing alone soothes me because the sea is fair, not cruel. It judges only your ability. It does not care who or what you are. It does not ask your age, color, sex, address, sexual orientation, education or IQ, but only your competence. It requires only that you can sail. If you can, you survive. If you can't, better stay ashore. That's fair, more fair than most of us experience on land...and refreshing."

[Exile]

Originally Posted by john61ct

My view is that there is truth at the kernel of all the great religions.

But human greed, power, social control take over the **organized** aspects, create hierarchical bureaucracy and authority structures take over.

Same as government functions too, power and selfishness override the original good intentions.

This seems to happen all too often to ANY significant human organization, actually. Not sure our species is really evolved enough to handle too much power over others.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Exile

This seems to happen all too often to ANY significant human organization, actually. Not sure our species is really evolved enough to handle too much power over others.

If you want to test a man's character don't give him adversity, give him power!

Not sure who wrote that.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

My mileage is different on that conclusion. I think most wars are a manifestation of greed, with a failure of diplomacy, and then, religion may be brought in as a justification--those other guys are all heathens, so it doesn't matter if we kill them.

Ann

I agree Ann, often religion is a justification. Greed, envy and jealousy, three negative virtues of the mind. The human mind is the nature or origin of all suffering, sure we look and find external stuff to justify our feelings, thoughts, but ultimately its what we decide to focus on.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that had two sides. One side was almost the perfect family, they were kind, loving happy people, the other side were angry, jealous and not so happy. We all shared the same world and circumstances, the only difference between the happy side and the not so happy side was what they focused on, and thought about.

I didn't know or fully appreciate the cause of their happiness /unhappiness back then.

Through circumstances I lived with a Geshe Buddhist Monk in a sangha for a short time many years ago. A full Tibetan, not a wantabe white guy on social security.

It's along story about how that come about, I'm not a Buddhist, then or now, circumstances had me there which is quite bazaar as the students of Geshla would have done anything to be in my position. Anyhow you can't help being exposed to Buddhism to some degree when living with a Tibetan Buddhist monk, specially one of such high standing. The interesting think I found was, most students end up there due to alot of suffering and they soon try to turn Geshla into a God and Buddhism into their religion. Anyway I digress. A takeaway I got from that experience is that there are negative and positive virtues of the human mind, love, generosity, patience, kindness, courage etc on one side..... Greed, anger, jealousy, hatred, pride etc on the other... We have a choice and can decide what virtues we choose to grow and which ones we don't.

Anyway my point is the human mind is the source of happiness, mostly it goes where it wants to but it dosent have to!
Geshla used to laugh at me in a very kind way, an incredibly infectious laugh, as he was laughing he used to say "you have a mind like a rogue elephant, it's goes where ever it wants".. Lol.

BTW I still do!!!

Actually, possibly could of got the same lessons from star wars.. Lol.

[Wayfarer1008]

Reading all these comments makes for an interesting look at the human psyche and what society has made us into. Being a big history buff I've worked my way back to pre history and the settling of the Americas by humans its interesting how far from the natural world we have become. The first humans in the Americas Lived in small family units constantly on the move following game and resources with the seasons. As time wore on people moved into the pattern of having set campsites for the seasons and following a patter of being in one place to hunt and storing food for the winter then being in a central location with food to survive the winter with other people of their now tribe. From that point with the pressure of more and more people restricting the need to wander it did not take long for the maladies we see now to appear in society. Being a solo sailor I feel that much like our dogs and other animals we are hard wired to constantly be out there in small groups living by our wits in nature. Cruising is probably the only way anyone can experience what truly makes us human in a modern society and escape back to touch our primitive state.

[daletournier]

Thoughts?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-1...c-gender-roles

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Thoughts?

Feminist Professors Slam Selfies For "Perpetuating Classic Gender Roles" | Zero Hedge

Thoughts? Hilarious.

LOL

[john61ct]

Well first off, social commentary from ZeroHedge?

I think a lot of feminists have moved beyond putting down women who choose to embrace the patriarchy's gender roles for themselves.

Anyone male or female should be free to trade/use their youth and beauty for/as capital if that really is their preference.

Of course women should be in an ever-improving position to make such decisions from a position of power, with full information, well educated growing up to realize that most have much more rewarding and fulfilling options.

And most critically those options should be there in reality, at all levels and in all industries and professions, equally for all sexes, all the diverse categories of humanity.

[KiwiKen]

"Cruising is probably the only way anyone can experience what truly makes us human in a modern society and escape back to touch our primitive state."

As the land slips over the horizon, one is now free of the so called real world, your world becomes the yacht and the challenges of sailing it and safely navigating to the planned destination. The "real world" and all it's hassles, problems and worries are no longer part of your everyday consciousness, because you can't do anything about it, and it doesn't exist till one makes landfall again.

This is the freedom the sea gives one, it should be savioured and cherished, because it sets one free.

If I could recruit a crew of lady nymphomaniacs, I would either end up going mad or otherwise die with a big smile on my face.

This freedom should exclude all the preconceptions, prejudices and issues including political correctness, because while at sea they should be completely irrelevant. it should purify and restore the spirit.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Well first off, social commentary from ZeroHedge?

I think a lot of feminists have moved beyond putting down women who choose to embrace the patriarchy's gender roles for themselves.

Anyone male or female should be free to trade/use their youth and beauty for/as capital if that really is their preference.

Of course women should be in an ever-improving position to make such decisions from a position of power, with full information, well educated growing up to realize that most have much more rewarding and fulfilling options.

And most critically those options should be there in reality, at all levels and in all industries and professions, equally for all sexes, all the diverse categories of humanity.

I knew you'd pick up on the zero hedge thing... Lol. They didn't write it by the way.

[Olddan1943]

For Centuries women have been swapping sex for favors for things such as security and/or money.
Anything we say in here is not going to change that.
It has been said many times, 'women control the majority of the wealth and 100% of the .....'
Men gotta live with that. SHRUG

[P3sailor]

I had sailed with the same woman twice, her boat, great shipmate and person. I would sail with her anytime.
We've had many discussions, while together (I'm married, she is not), which almost always evolved into the topic of sex. I eventually told her, "When the sex begins, the friendship ends!" Though, in all likelihood, it could have happened, we never did do the "dirty deed" but we still have a great friendship, that's what's important!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer1008

Reading all these comments makes for an interesting look at the human psyche and what society has made us into. Being a big history buff I've worked my way back to pre history and the settling of the Americas by humans its interesting how far from the natural world we have become. The first humans in the Americas Lived in small family units constantly on the move following game and resources with the seasons. As time wore on people moved into the pattern of having set campsites for the seasons and following a patter of being in one place to hunt and storing food for the winter then being in a central location with food to survive the winter with other people of their now tribe. From that point with the pressure of more and more people restricting the need to wander it did not take long for the maladies we see now to appear in society. Being a solo sailor I feel that much like our dogs and other animals we are hard wired to constantly be out there in small groups living by our wits in nature. Cruising is probably the only way anyone can experience what truly makes us human in a modern society and escape back to touch our primitive state.

Interesting observations.

Ever been exposed to a Homeowners Association? :facepal m:

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Interesting observations.

Ever been exposed to a Homeowners Association? :facepal m:

YES! Point well taken!!