How many of you feel that birthdays are over rated?

[akd_dka]

I mean ,no offences to those who find birthdays are great , but I don't quite feel the same on my birthday these days as when I used to feel when I was 10 years old.I am 24 years old now.

Come to think of it a birthday simply means how many revolutions one has completed around the sun. How is this even significant in the cosmic scheme of things ?
And it is not as if our age increases in discrete steps. As our age is a continuous function of time , I personally feel we should celebrate each and every moment of our life and not just birthdays.

Furthermore , if some bloke has a birthday and you have had a quarrel with him the previous day , the society makes you forgive him just because he has a birthday. I find this very irrational.

P.S - I haven't actually had a quarrel with someone on a day before his birthday.

 

[JaredJames]

I mean ,no offences to those who find birthdays are great , but I don't quite feel the same on my birthday these days as when I used to feel when I was 10 years old.I am 24 years old now.

Come to think of it a birthday simply means how many revolutions one has completed around the sun. How is this even significant in the cosmic scheme of things ?
And it is not as if our age increases in discrete steps. As our age is a continuous function of time , I personally feel we should celebrate each and every moment of our life and not just birthdays.

A birthday is a milestone. In the same way reaching each hundred / thousand would be if you're saving a bit each month.

Furthermore , if some bloke has a birthday and you have had a quarrel with him the previous day , the society makes you forgive him just because he has a birthday. I find this very irrational.

Where I live, that doesn't exist.

Besides, no one can make you forgive someone.

 

[Chi Meson]

I mean ,no offences to those who find birthdays are great , but I don't quite feel the same on my birthday these days as when I used to feel when I was 10 years old.I am 24 years old now.

Come to think of it a birthday simply means how many revolutions one has completed around the sun. How is this even significant in the cosmic scheme of things ?
And it is not as if our age increases in discrete steps. As our age is a continuous function of time , I personally feel we should celebrate each and every moment of our life and not just birthdays.

Furthermore , if some bloke has a birthday and you have had a quarrel with him the previous day , the society makes you forgive him just because he has a birthday. I find this very irrational.

P.S - I haven't actually had a quarrel with someone on a day before his birthday.

As someone nearly twice your age, I can assure you that the significance of birthdays will continue to drop each year. As a parent of small children, I can also assure you that birthdays are very significant to the little ones; not only their own, but those of their parents. That is, my recent birthday was far more important to my 7-year old son, than it was to me.

Here at PF, it is nice to have members chirp-in a "HBD" once a year. It reinforces a sense of community (or club or clique or whatever) and humans seem to be hard-wired to desire community (yes there are exceptions).

I do not agree that people are generally "let off the hook" just because it's their birthday. There is a difference between doing something nice for a friend on their birthday, and allowing them to do whatever they like. The first is a basic indicator of friendship, the other is sycophancy.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

It's not just birthdays. Everything has changed since I was 10. My parents knew how to make kids feel special and celebrating birthdays was just a part of it. I did the same for my kids. I even made a big deal of my own birthday for their sake. As Chi Meson points out, it's a part of the bonding process.

 

[arildno]

How is this even significant in the cosmic scheme of things ?

DO come up with something that is significant in the cosmic scheme of things.
I'll disprove its significance.

And it is not as if our age increases in discrete steps. As our age is a continuous function of time , I personally feel we should celebrate each and every moment of our life and not just birthdays.

Immpossible goals are silly goals.

 

[Evo]

I think Chi did an excellent job of summing it all up.

My extra 2 cents - for children it's a celebration of when they came into our lives. It makes them feel special about themselves. And it's a PARTY, and there are PRESENTS!

 

[lisab]

I think Chi did an excellent job of summing it all up.

My extra 2 cents - for children it's a celebration of when they came into our lives. It makes them feel special about themselves. And it's a PARTY, and there are PRESENTS!

Also, for children, their age is part of their very *identity*.

For adults, of course, age isn't part of who you are. I never introduce myself as, "Hi I'm Lisa, and I'm 47 years old!"

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I never introduce myself as, "Hi I'm Lisa, and I'm 47 years old!"

Me either.

 

[akd_dka]

Also, for children, their age is part of their very *identity*.

For adults, of course, age isn't part of who you are.

quite correct

I do not agree that people are generally "let off the hook" just because it's their birthday. There is a difference between doing something nice for a friend on their birthday, and allowing them to do whatever they like. The first is a basic indicator of friendship, the other is sycophancy.

well , I was just being a bit humorous , when I said that.

DO come up with something that is significant in the cosmic scheme of things.
I'll disprove its significance.
.

Yup nothing seems significant in the cosmic scheme of things.But doesn't it seem strange that taking birth is the one thing over which a person has no control at all , and that moment is the most celebrated.There are also other events such as new year celebrations and new millenium celebrations which just seem a bit illogical.Anyways , its not that I am anti-celebrations or anything . For ex - I think it is natural to celebrate if one gets a promotion or one gets married or something, cos the event is quite a recent one. But it would seem a bit odd if I threw a party 4 years after I had a promotion saying this is my 4th anniversary of getting promoted. So why the same about birthdays .

 

[Evo]

But it would seem a bit odd if I threw a party 4 years after I had a promotion saying this is my 4th anniversary of getting promoted. So why the same about birthdays .

We celebrate anniversaries of marriage.

 

[arildno]

You cannot speak of illogicality or logicality without specifying the system of logic you are working within.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

You cannot speak of illogicality or logicality without specifying the system of logic you are working within.

I took it for granted that the OP was working within that system of logic wherein it's irrational for society to make you forgive someone just because they have a birthday. No?

 

[Evo]

I took it for granted that the OP was working within that system of logic wherein it's irrational for society to make you forgive someone just because they have a birthday. No?

I've never heard of having to forgive someone because it's their birthday.

 

[Vanadium 50]

We celebrate anniversaries of marriage.

I knew a couple which threw a party for all their friends every year on the anniversary of their divorce being finalized. Together.

Anyway, all I can say about the original topic is that having birthdays sure beats the alternative.

 

[Evo]

I knew a couple which threw a party for all their friends every year on the anniversary of their divorce being finalized. Together.

I read that divorce parties are becoming trendy.

Anyway, all I can say about the original topic is that having birthdays sure beats the alternative.

 

[arildno]

I took it for granted that the OP was working within that system of logic wherein it's irrational for society to make you forgive someone just because they have a birthday. No?

In the cosmic scheme of things, it doesn't reslly matter, illogical or not.
Or possibly it does, but does it matter if it matters?
Isn't that the rub??

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I've never heard of having to forgive someone because it's their birthday.

8:14 was the first I'd heard of it.

 

[Evo]

8:14 was the first I'd heard of it.

 

[akd_dka]

8:14 was the first I'd heard of it.

people , you are taking that forgiving thing too seriously . i just used it as a hyperbole.

 

[Mépris]

I will be turning eighteen in a few months and besides feeling slightly surprised (which also means I have only have a year and a few months to spend with the 'rents and then I'll be off to uni and the big bag world! :\) when I realized that, I didn't feel much. The last birthday I had, which I thought meant a great deal for me, was probably my tenth birthday and from there its significance, to me at least, just went downhill.

 

[FizixFreak]

I mean ,no offences to those who find birthdays are great , but I don't quite feel the same on my birthday these days as when I used to feel when I was 10 years old.I am 24 years old now.

Come to think of it a birthday simply means how many revolutions one has completed around the sun. How is this even significant in the cosmic scheme of things ?
And it is not as if our age increases in discrete steps. As our age is a continuous function of time , I personally feel we should celebrate each and every moment of our life and not just birthdays.

Furthermore , if some bloke has a birthday and you have had a quarrel with him the previous day , the society makes you forgive him just because he has a birthday. I find this very irrational.

P.S - I haven't actually had a quarrel with someone on a day before his birthday.

I have a very simple take on this just ask yourself "have i done anything in my life that makes my existence worth celebrating"? and if the answer is YES then why not celebrate it if it is NO then you got a lot of work to do.

 

[hypatia]

Every year I beat death, I celebrate. It has always seemed like a good enough reason for me.

 

[FizixFreak]

Every year I beat death, I celebrate. It has always seemed like a good enough reason for me.

Well if it seems like a good reason to you then its just fine but i guess most of the people on this forum might be more ambitious then you

 

[George Jones]

And it's a PARTY, and there are PRESENTS!

When we were kids, our parents never gave us presents or money for our birthdays. We did, however, get to choose supper, including a cake, which my mother would make from scratch. I still associate food with birthdays.

 

[JaredJames]

Well if it seems like a good reason to you then its just fine but i guess most of the people on this forum might be more ambitious then you

What could be more important than surviving another year? Virtually every other ambition you can have hinges on your survival.

 

[Jack21222]

I never understood the concept of birthdays and anniversaries. I don't become one year older on my birthday, I become one day older just like every other day. Similar logic can be applied to anniversaries. The whole thing just confuses me.

 

[JaredJames]

I never understood the concept of birthdays and anniversaries. I don't become one year older on my birthday, I become one day older just like every other day. Similar logic can be applied to anniversaries. The whole thing just confuses me.

We've had this exact discussion before (this thread I believe).

Birthdays are a milestone. Each one means you've survived another 365 days. Same for anniversaries.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I never understood the concept of birthdays and anniversaries. I don't become one year older on my birthday, I become one day older just like every other day. Similar logic can be applied to anniversaries. The whole thing just confuses me.

9.9 just ain't the same as 10. Oh how I looked forward to adding that extra digit.

 

[jahcyber]

Although I don't necessarily go all out in celebrating my birthdays, or my wifes' and kid's, I still think highly of it as a very special day. While many of us think of it as some kind of feast day, it's actually more like a special thanksgiving day to me. If you think of it as some kind of festival day, then you'll find it loses some of its magic because you're daily exposed to festival-like atmospheres e.g. in the mall's, clubs, etc. Thus, this once a year activity becomes 'just one of those days'.

 

[hypatia]

Well if it seems like a good reason to you then its just fine but i guess most of the people on this forum might be more ambitious then you

I'm thinking most people here have not seen as much death as me. How precious some people believe another year of life is.

 

[hypatia]

What could be more important than surviving another year? Virtually every other ambition you can have hinges on your survival.

Bravo!

 

[Jack21222]

We've had this exact discussion before (this thread I believe).

Birthdays are a milestone. Each one means you've survived another 365 days. Same for anniversaries.

Right, but as I alluded to, the milestone concept doesn't make sense to me. I can pick any arbitrary set of 365 consecutive days and that will also mean I've survived another 365 days. The arbitrary set starting on the day of my birth then has the same exact meaning as every other day of the year.

Today, I've survived an additional 365 days since last February 21st. Tomorrow, I will have survived 365 days since last February 22nd. I don't begrudge anybody who does pay attention to such things, I just find the concept alien.

 

[JaredJames]

Right, but as I alluded to, the milestone concept doesn't make sense to me. I can pick any arbitrary set of 365 consecutive days and that will also mean I've survived another 365 days. The arbitrary set starting on the day of my birth then has the same exact meaning as every other day of the year.

Today, I've survived an additional 365 days since last February 21st. Tomorrow, I will have survived 365 days since last February 22nd. I don't begrudge anybody who does pay attention to such things, I just find the concept alien.

So you find the concept of facebook celebrating each 100 million members weird? Because "each member is just like the one before them"? Because "member 101 million is 100 million from member 1" and so it's just another arbitrary milestone?

It's the fact it's a year plus the fact it's on the day you were born. It makes that particular combination different from any other, it's a "round number" if you will.

 

[nucleargirl]

yeah, feel like its overrated. don't get presents anymore, don't want to get older without getting wiser, and don't have the pressure of dying to appreciate being alive. truly wasted on me huh.

 

[FizixFreak]

I'm thinking most people here have not seen as much death as me. How precious some people believe another year of life is.

I really respect your thoughts on this and living in a country were suicide bombs and terrorist attacks are so common i understand what you mean every second of your existence is a gift of GOD and even though you life has not gone the way you want it is still worth being thankful for(mind my English) but celebration are made on achievements and being in this life for a sufficient time is just mere existence not an achievement really however i do respect your view on this.