Would you agree with me on this?

Question

"The real tragedies in this world are not the things which happen to us, but the things which don’t happen."

okay...? so Why or Why Not?

@Thijs
This is Philosophy category...you may all philosophize in any which way you like....just please don't answer with a simple yes or no.

thank y'all

none of you are getting it...i am quite disappointed by now...
*tsk
i need a drink =[

Answer 1

I agree wholeheartedly.

Tragedy means what makes us sorry and real means what is consistent or continuing.

Any tragic event that has happened makes us sorry, but time being the great healer that it is, we do get over it and get budy with life as usual.

However, things that have not happened and hence make us sorry, such as a wish remaining unfulfilled, we keep expecting it to happen and so long as it is not happening, the sorrow for the same keeps prolonging.

Therefore the sorrow of a tragic event that has happened is less real than the sorrow for an ambition still remaining unfulfilled or love failing to get a positive response from the beloved because this latter type of sorrow is more prolonging and continues to nag us almost like for ever, since we never lose hope just because it has not yet happened.

I hope I have got it right.

Answer 2

I think I get what you mean. Say that the person you always secretly had a crush on always secretly had a crush on you, and you never find out. Or you might have such high hopes for saving the world and becoming successful and you can't even pay the rent on time. On a purely non philosophical level I think that "life happens"! Most of us spend countless hours wanting something that we never had and what would probably happen if we got that... probably not be satisfied with it right! It's a great tragedy to "miss out" on life, but we all get a healthy dose of it from time to time. What we go through is not easy either, and here in we find true pain, true suffrage, true hate, jealousy, envy, inequalities, generalizations, and civility. So I feel we all suffer real tragedies and we also fall short and find tragedy in that. But as the saying goes, "you can't miss what you never had".

Answer 3

On a purely philosophical level, it's the things that happen to us in our lives that shape us and help define us. Therefore, anything that we don't experience is something that will not affect us or be a part of our overall growth. On its own merit, it seems a shame to miss out on so many things in life.

On the other hand, I'd hardly consider that *not* being part of a prison rape or being sucked through a threshing machine as a tragedy.

So we miss out on some moments in life that we might have otherwise cherished. A tragedy to be sure. But I also got through without running my tongue across an operating deli slicer. I'll take that trade off...

Answer 4

Yes, in a way, because there's always something that could have happened to prevent a tragedy but the prevention never happened. That which didn't happen resulted in a tragedy, so that is the real tragedy in the bigger picture.

Answer 5

I find that in life the real tragedies are the things which don't happen, yes. It hurts when you see it right in front of your face, you feel it, and then you just see it as it passes you by. Only being able to control so much, feeling your heart break, and your spirits sink into doldrums.
I know how it feels, and I know how it affects ones ability to move forward.
I am very sorry it happens as frequently as it does.

Answer 6

I can't really agree, because we're unaware of the tragedies that didn't happen, while we suffer from those that DID happen. So, there's no real basis for comparison. I have enough trouble dealing with the tragedies that happened in my life without worrying about what might have been!!!

Answer 7

No, I do not agree with that. Trials are given to us in this life time for a reason, so they're supposed to happen. If the only bad things in life were the things that DIDN'T happen, then we would all be a miserable population. We can't dwell on the things that we don't have, or we'll never be satisfied or even be happy.

Answer 8

I can relate to that. We know about the things that have happened to us. Some of those things are positive and others are what we would call challenges. The things that don't happen to us are in the area of missed opportunities. When you are working in a certain field for example and as a newcomer someone who is senior takes you under his or her wing and shows you the ropes, gives you guidance, offers you opportunities to develop yourself fully in this field of work. That would be great for the person who had that experience but what about the person who didn't have that experience and was left in a subservient position and because of a lack of opportunity will never fully develop in that field. Now we are talking about missed opportunities. It doesn't have to be about work it could be about romance, travel, or adventure. It could be opportunities to learn a skill like playing a musical instrument but you never found the time to learn. You may never know what it feels like to make music and harmonize with others so it's a lost opportunity. The loved one who somehow slipped through your fingers, got away but almost stayed if only you had.... It's about what could of happened, would have happened if only things had been different. I understand what you are saying but I for one don't dwell in the could have, would have, wouldn't it be great if only... kind of world. Why would I weigh myself down with these kinds of regrets and speculations? Why would I want to disillusion myself. Everything that happened, happened because that's what was supposed to happen. If the great love of my life decided to go to India instead on coming to me and I went through a lot of changes because of it that's life. I am who I am today not only because of what happened but also because of what didn't happen. Herman Hesse wrote a short story called, Andrew. Anyway, I think that's what it was called. It was about a child who was born to an unwed mother. There was an old man who lived next door in the same building as this woman and he was kind of magical. Sometimes when things were very difficult for the woman she would hear this very beautiful music coming from the old man's apartment and her heart was soothed. The old man came to her after the child was born and told her that he would give her anything that she wished, for the child. She just had to tell him what she wanted and it would be so. So, she thought for a moment and wished that everyone would love her son. It was an unfortunate choice because the child grew up to be a very heartless, cruel, egomaniacle person. What didn't happen to this person was hardship, disappointment, failure, etc. I'm thinking about your question as I'm writing and I have to say that what didn't happen is just the other side of the coin and that both what did and what didn't happen are of equal importance. It is the yin and yang. The interplay of opposites that is responsible for the movement of the universe. Both are equally share responsible for who we are together with how we deal with each of them. So, I will conclude by disagreeing with you. Your question is not as simple as it appears on the surface. What happens and what doesn't happen to us constitutes the dance of life.

Answer 9

Is it optimism? Tragedies never happen to us? The biggest disasters haven't happened to us, although they could.
And when they do happen, we can think of an even bigger one that hasn't happened to us. Then it's optimism, and I could agree.

Or do you mean that it's tragic that some things don't happen to us. In that case I can't agree. Because humans can be perfectly happy without certain good things happening to them. They always find a status quo. Please explain.

Answer 10

Yes, particularly things that could and would have happened but you chose not to let it happen. In most cases you're left wondering that if you had chosen to go the other way and let it happen what would have been the result. And because YOU CHOSE NOT to let it happen, you will never know...