why are video games a "waste of life"?

I think mullen already stated why. They are more than a waste of life they are actually a negative.

This is just an irrational generalization and I would hope you see that.

if im hanging out with my friends and am expected to drop everything immediately and just leave them because my gf is horny and wants to start having sex 30 mins earlier than the time we agreed to, im probably pretty pathetic and she's a ****ing control freak if she gets mad. it's a huge red flag.

"the values held by most people" give me a break. this is absurd. her getting mad at him for this is just insane. if he bows to her will and apologizes, he basically concedes that her vagina controls his ****ing life.

and henry the fact that you cant look past him playing video games is equally as absurd. if he's hanging with his friends, the activity means absolutely 0 unless they are snorting coke and banging hookers instead of him going over to his gf's house. you are completely hung up on "video games" because you have an odd hatred of them and it's clouding your ability to assess this situation. im pretty surprised at your conclusions here. very surprised.

and ive also found that people who have an irrational judgmental behavior over video games are the ones who worry way too much about "being cool" and "being adult" and "not being a nerd LOL." give it a break. different people have different hobbies. lots of people find playing golf an absurd waste of time too but im sure you wouldnt say that about it.

there's a difference between him playing WoW by himself in a dark room and him playing video games with his friends as a fun time. the fact that you guys cant see the difference completely boggles my mind. if he was sitting there laddering starcraft 2 by himself against strangers this would be a different situation (although not completely different), but that wasnt the case and i think renders many of the arguments moot.

just because you value an extroverted, out going lifestyle doesn't mean we all do.

This is probably a good time to point out that Mittens is an expert Call of Duty player who has devoted a lot of time to his game

would you say the same thing about someone who spends 15 hours a week playing golf? playing chess? reading a book (lol i think you would actually)? playing soccer?

im not defending video games because i think there's a lot better activities out there (and i do think golf would be an example of a superior one, however by your logic it is no different except that it actually COSTS money on top of the opportunity cost of time), however damning someone who casually enjoys them as a total loser is so snobby. come on.

what about someone who spends 30-40 hours a week posting on an internet messageboard debating various topics with strangers he's never met? imagine all the extra money he could have then. i dont know any people like that though, but i imagine you think that person is wasting his time as equally if not more than the guy who plays video games.

Are you denying that there is a high correlation between hours of video games played and being socially awkward?

Karak,

Video games are easy because they will be a trigger in almost any relationship but my argument would apply to any activity that consumes a lot of time for no benefit. Girls will start to see it as them vs activity so any time that activity is chosen over them it will lead to conflict. Video games just happens to be one of the more common but poker would likely be even more common on here.

Karak killed it, bring in the body bag

im surprised you take such a submissive role in relationships. i would have expected different.

The same correlation probably exists in people with over 15k posts on an online message board.

how do you know there's no benefit? do you play video games at all? (no) do you know what it's like to play video games socially with friends? (you can't cause you don't play them and shun those who do) can you consider the possible benefits of a video game correlated to the same benefits from golf or chess or scrabble? (well no, you can't)

then explain to me what the benefit of making tens of thousands of posts on 2+2 is? if you are going to stay true to yourself, you shouldnt be posting here at all unless it serves you some monetary benefit. obviously some posts may lead to monetary benefit, but i have a feeling the vast majority of the ones on OOT and SL don't.

Karak,

I completely disagree with almost everything you posted. And while you might have a point about Henry you also have quite irrational views toward sex and do stuff like shoutcast StarCraft 2. So you're not exactly neutral either.

I don't think the gf should be getting extremely upset, but to call her insane for getting a little upset (this sounds like all it was) is totally crazy. Her reaction was pretty standard IMO. And Toph certainly wouldn't be a pussy whipped bitch for telling his bro he'll finish the game later.

cmon, hanging out with your friends and not ditching them at the crack of the whip isnt strange behavior. most guys I know would do the same thing

i agree almost completely with karak. how someone values and budgets their time is entirely their decision and should (largely) be free from judgment and scrutiny, so long as they're not hurting anyone else, imo.

I don't see it as submissive. I work hard to bet sports and it involves spending hours and hours watching sports. If I'm making good money then my GF would have no issue with it. If I am wasting my life and making less than I would working then her developing a hate for the activity is perfectly justified.

Video games and poker will be the two big ones on 2P2 but you'll see the same thing with guys who are in a band but have made no progress in years, guys who follow business pipe-dreams, etc.. If the behaviour is negative her hate of it is perfectly justified and although her reaction will often be irrational that is a lessor evil than the guy's participation in the activity.

having fun isnt negative behavior. some guy who plays ten hours a day thinking hes the next tsquared or sandy ravage obviously is a completely different class of person and not even worth talking about on here, but playing with your friends for a few hours a week is extremely normal.

this.

my friend used to do this all the time once he got with his gf. I mean he would text 24/7 with this girl and pause our videogames(nba2k) just to send a text like every 2 minutes s*** got old so fast and would avoid getting yucked so he could skype with her, so yeah running to your gf at her command is terrible and your friends will give you s*** about it which they should. Toph handled it perfectly. He arrived when he said he would, she threw her little b**** fit and then what a suprise he f***** her a couple hours later.

dkgo,

If he's out with his friends fine. If he's playing basketball or whatever with his boys, fine. He's with one person, in his room, playing a videogame. That's the difference here and I'm not condoning leaving your friends everytime your gf wants you, however I would in this particular situation.

I also don't play video games do I wouldn't be in this situation so grain of salt

HE'S HANGING. OUT. WITH. HIS. FRIENDS.

video games have NOTHING to do with my argument. they are just a side issue that is completely distracting you and henry from the issue at hand.

replace video games with golf, soccer, chess, beer, dinner, whatever the **** you want and then reassess the situation. would you honestly come to the same conclusion? i highly doubt it. and look at the precedent this sets in his relationship.

and henry's logic doesn't just stop at video games. it encompasses all of those things above.

the key here is that he's enjoying a social activity with his friends. unless that social activity is something directly detrimental to his relationship such as gang banging an STD ridden prostitute or shooting himself in the face, what it is shouldnt matter at all. it's a fun social activity, period.

what if they are playing darts? that's not "uncool" like video games, so the analysis totally changes right?

it's unreal what you guys are asking him to do for this girl. put yourself in his situation and imagine you telling your friends that. come. on.

Also no college kid I've ever met has said he/she was too broke to socialize. Too broke to socialize with baller Henry? Maybe. Too broke to socialize with the rest of society? Nope

you may want to reread his posts before you continue.

Also Henry what is your opinion of sleep? Do you sleep only 6hrs/night so you have 18hrs to be awesome or do you sleep based on your needs

you still haven't addressed the incredible amount of time you spend posting on 2+2. you are a complete hypocrite if there is no monetary incentive to it.

henry,

from what little i've read in this thread i'm picturing you as a mix of patrick bateman, gordon gecko, and tom hanks in the second half of big, where he's kinda a douchebag and can't have fun with his young schoolmate anymore. solid read?