[lcall]

Skimming can help sometimes, but this article makes it harder. No summary at beginning/end, no topic sentences at the beginning of paragraphs. Maybe that was intended: long-form narrative to create an emotional point, exploring experience and questions, more than an informational one.

So many problems are solved by having purpose in life. I've written a lot, but one possibility is helping lift humanity, finding joy through growth (learning, improvement) and unselfish service to others. Much revolves around my beliefs which seem like they would solve so many problems.

Somebody famous (Dickens or Tolstoy maybe?) said something like "All happy families are alike, and all miserable families are miserable in their own way". I think there is much to that: multigenerational unselfish service in a widening circle. Seeing what families' and/or cultures' traits allow them to persist over time is also interesting.

[soupfordummies]

That's a great quote. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Talk about an opening line!

[randycupertino]

One of my quarantine projects was to read more great literature. I'd always joked that I'd be happy being in jail as long as I could read all the books I've ever wanted to read. Figured this was a good chance to put my money where my mouth is. Haven't gotten to Anna Karenina yet but did finish the Brothers Karamazov, The Winter of Our Discontent, Moby Dick, Lolita, East of Eden, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Breakfast of Champions and The Idiot.