Here is a fundamental proposition to which I subscribe: The only thing worth being in life is an adult. By the word “adult” I have something specific in mind. An adult is someone who, at a minimum, either alone or in a family structure, provides for himself or herself. That’s the minimum. Even more worthwhile is being an adult who also, through effort and within a family structure, creates and provides for a family. Still more worthwhile is being an adult who, after fully providing for a family, also assists others who may need help, beginning with extended family, and potentially then reaching to the broader society and to charity.
I understand that there are substantial numbers of people who are not capable of achieving the status of “adult” as I have defined it. They may have mental illnesses or incapacities that make it impossible to cope in our challenging world. However, for myself, I cannot imagine living any other way than as an adult. And I also can’t imagine why anyone who is capable of living as an adult would willingly give up that opportunity.
The alternative to living as an adult is living as a dependent on others or on society. You are relieved of all responsibilities, and somebody else somehow comes up with whatever you may need in life, be it food or housing or health care. Your own life is no longer burdened by the need to provide for yourself and family, and you can live without stress and without need to fulfill obligations.
In other words, this is the life of a zoo animal. Does any human being actually want to live such a life?
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