[lloyddobbler]

Personally, I value relationships as much as I do ambition. I don't see the two as an either/or - it's a balancing act.

The big problem with the "progressive, socialist economy which makes marriage+kids easier" - it doesn't allow for choice. I may not want to have kids - so why should I be forced to go down that road (or work to support those who do)? Because a study tells me I'll be happier?

In the current system, the ones who are ultimately successful are the ones who find a way to strike a balance. That's difficult for everyone - and it's more difficult for some than others. But taking away one's choice of where to land on that balance beam seems like an even worse idea than the system we currently live in.

That being said, while I'm happy to agree to disagree with you there, I think we can both agree on one thing - in this game, there are no easy answers.

(On a completely difficult note - and perhaps the most philosophical discussion I've ever gotten into on an HN post - maybe that's what makes it valuable? Would life mean less if everything were easy?)