[torben-friis]

I wonder why Keruoac-like personalities are so magnetic, I never felt it click.

Maybe it's that people wish they would dare share that freedom? Escapism from boredom?

The lifestyle does not at all feel pleasant, at least to me. I don't mean it in the sense of regular comfort; these lines describe a tortured man more than they do a 'happy beggar'.

And then there's the chaos the trainwreck leaves behind. I don't believe a man that's truly passionate would have so little empathy for others. If anything, it feels egotistical and self infatuated.

[ikr678]

I find the magnetism from these types of people is seeing someone violate your social norms (usually for gain) in ways you had never considered, and getting a tantalising glimpse of what might be possible if only you weren't so timid/proper/responsible/considerate/whatever.

[sfRattan]

> getting a tantalising glimpse of what might be possible if only you weren't so timid/proper/responsible/considerate/whatever.

I think that glimpse is only tantalizing, and Kerouac's types only magnetic, when the reader lacks a well developed theory of mind for other humans and only obeys laws and social conventions for fear of punishment and ostracism. If you can empathize with others, shedding that capacity is more a strange nightmare than it is desirable. On the other hand, if you are fearful of social and legal consequences, freedom from that fear is absolutely a seductive fantasy.