Every person in the world doesn't make their bed every day. The philosophy might be, "Why bother?" because they will only mess it up again by using it later. This is something that is often used as a basis for non-action in a variety of ways, not just for those rumpled bed clothes.

Last presidential election, MTV had a push for 1 million teenagers to vote on Election Day. They sponsored concerts and commercials to promote this political responsibility amongst today's youth. The reason is that many felt it was pointless, because whomever was chosen would only be representing special interest groups. In other words, they thought "Why bother?".

Holidays are beginning to feel the effects of this kind of thinking. Though Christmas spending last year was relatively high, the other seasonal shopping is slowing at the retail stores. Part of this can be attributed to the marked increase in sales over the Internet. As a result, identity theft and fraud increases can be contributed to that. People are more conscious of security measures on their personal computers, especially regarding those on-line around the clock. If it takes so much effort to maintain a person's privacy, eventually that will see a majour decrease in activity. People won't bother with something if it's seriously broken.

Which leads to topics of many broken things... Social Security, public school systems, state highway funding, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Even the election process is part of the disfunctional. If political graft and greed continue to be motivating factors for those aspiring to public office, then it will be hard to convince anyone to participate in their civic responsibilities. These bad apples set bad examples for those that follow in their footsteps. Right now, the Republicans are probably scrambling to find candidates to follow Dubya in policy-decisions as well as office-retention.

Going to work during this recent cold fury was exceedingly risky. Over 1,700 accidents were reported in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex... in one day! Over the weekend, they estimated it was over 2,000 in total. They advised only those that had to get out to do so and everyone else should consider staying at home. Compared to what New Englanders experience, this was trivial. If only they considered the respect needed for Mother Nature's worst. So why bother getting out in the cold, nasty weather?

Boredom is a motivator. Income is another. Guests coming over is a reason to make a bed that isn't normally made. Cooking on a grill is extra effort, but even I manage to do so on occassion. Bothering to make a difference is good, even in little ways. We, as a people in general, like to see immediate results... to get that immediate gratification that North American's are so used to having. Voting for senators or congressmen won't have that, nor will participating in city hall meetings or writing letters to various representatives in government. But change doesn't come easy. Matter of fact, it barely comes at all if no one bothers. And when it does come, those that didn't bother, do they really have a right to complain? Nah, not really. But they still do.

I could reply to this topic.

But why bother?

The only true philosophical problem is suicide...

Ah Camus.

Why live? Why die? Why bother?

Indeed, the very question "why" is the problem.

Nah, not just the why.

Why live?, well... already breathing and it takes what many consider a questionable act against moral/spiritual standards.

Why die?, that's inevitable.

Why bother? That one's a lot tougher. Why in front of everything might evoke deeper consideration, but honestly, if we look at the effort invested into something for the anticipated return, we might find where we really get into the conundrum doldrums. So the question still stands.

I think "why" is the heart of the matter -- the insistent question "for what?" that hangs in the backdrop of our lives.

Yeah. I've been down this road. Why live? Why bother? Life is struggle & ends in death. What's the payoff? Maybe I should die. But wait! 99.9% of life doesn't & isn't committing suicide. What do they know that I'm missing? Is there something more? They must know or sense something. So I'm forced to live by my uncertainty & desire not to miss out.

Why?

Well, I've come to the personal conclusion that it isn't merely the destination, the final end wrap-up of everything that we do, that is the point of life. If you think that, well, it is probably easier for you not to live.

No, I believe that life itself, the journey, the experince, what we do, who we affect, how we enjoy and live life itself is the purpose of life.

Yes, life itself is a journey and an exeperience. It's rewarding and punishing at times. The "Why bother?" question comes in when we look to expend effort on something that surely will not pay greater dividends.

If time is a valueable asset, why bother making your bed when you could be preparing for the work day? Why bother with insurance policies that give a bare minimum in coverage? Why bother going out ot the lake on a gusty, windy day to go fishing with weight and bobber?

Sure, we can analyze philosophically why bother with anything at all, but it's more about the menial tasks that have little or no signifigance.

It depends on the task. Some are for betterment of your life, some are for enjoyment, some are just to improve your standard of living, some are windfalls for those around, etc.