The "No Life" Insult

[UlytimateDestruction]

I was talking to my brother and he said "I need to get a life for playing so many videogames" to which I replied: "Why have one life, when I could have an unlimited number of lives! (The aspect that even if you keep failing the game you can keep trying)". Then he bambles on about how it is bad for me to which I reply: "Alot of things are bad for you, like smoking or eating fast food but I never see you complain about those". It shut him up after that. My opinion on this is that everybody has a life (otherwise they would be dead or never born in the first place) and it is just what they decide to do with it. So if I'm happy with gaming thats what I shall do, I never go around dissing what other people do for fun or as hobby just because I dont like it. The same applies to videogames. So what are you views on this whole "No Life" situation?.

 

[kayisking]

I've actually never been called out on it, though it does seem like a rather pointless insult.

 

[CODE-D]

You got a life when you popped out of your mothers fvragina.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

It's something that people invent to make themselves feel better, as most them are a**holes

 

[Qitz]

I laugh when someone who follows sports like their a religion, talks about their fantasy team line-ups and spends all day watching people chase a ball back and forth says I have "no life" for playing games.

Basically, someone who says you "Have no life" is either too dumb to come up with an actual retort or jealous that your having fun while they aren't.

 

[Palademon]

By saying "Get a life" it's pretty much a case of

because obviously it's not as life fulfilling as whatever they do with their lives.

 

[cuppajoe1687]

Not having a life is when you don't have time for work, friends, family and yourself. Hence, the only way you couldn't have a life is if you were an antisocial shut-in, didn't work, and didn't ever take any time for yourself to do something you enjoy (like playing videogames).

 

[Forgetitnow344]

Usually it's said by idiots who think videogames automatically = no personal life. They're only correct if you don't understand that gaming is a hobby, NOT a lifestyle. Sure, it can also be a career, but virtual reality is not a substitute for reality. Stay away from that, and you'll be fine. Just tell everyone like that to fuck themselves, really.

Now I'm GLAD no one's said I have no life lately, because ever since high school ended a few years ago, my friends seem to be dropping like flies. Moving away physically, moving away emotionally, getting addicted to heroin and living out of their car, etc. I've got probably one friend outside of work, where I've made a few casual friends. Seriously, being an adult kills your social life way harder than any video game ever could.

 

[Fleeker]

I think the issue is do you go out on dates, go out with friends, on a sunny day are you inside all day with video games, do you ever read, do you ever experience life outside of computer or console.

Living a well rounded life is important. I'm a gamer but it doesn't stop me from dating, hanging out with friends, traveling, experiencing new things, or reading.

I suspect when people say get a life in the context of video games its more of them saying play video if you want but do other things as well so you can enrich your life and be a well rounded person.

 

[gmergurl]

While I agree, I thought this would be about mmo players calling other players "no lifers."

I seem to have this sort of thing with my mom a lot. She thinks I don't have fun, that I just mope around my apartment like a sad sack of potatoes, not realizing that I'm laughing, having fun in a videogame (mostly mmo, not WoW). I have friends both outside and inside my games though, and most of my outside friends are also friends in game, so to me, it's just another hobby we share, like her and her shopping and her friends. What gets me is when she thinks that because I play videogames it's not the same satisfaction she gets. She thinks I am living a sub-par life while I might actually be happier than her because at least I've embraced who I am and have friends that I actually like (a whole other topic I avoid with her).


However, does anyone else find it strange that some players call other players "no-lifers" as a sort of insult? To me they are actually saying: "you are better than me in game, but I have a life (supposedly) outside of the game and therefore I'm much better than you!"

To me it makes me feel that this person either has no life and is just QQing and making excuses or people who enjoy videogames also see it was a waste of time and a non-fufilling hobby. I don't get it >.> Not that I care, I'm proud to be a top player in my current game/server. (Forsaken World by Perfect World Entertainment for those that wish to know)

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I respond with: What do you mean? I am, in fact, alive aren't I? I would argue that I do indeed have a life.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

I get a lot of that when people I know think I play too many video games, when really they know absolutely nothing about my schedule. "Go outside, do this, do that instead. You are wasting your life!"

Honestly, I run errands, I clean up the house, I work out, I go out with friends, spend time with the Husband & the dogs, and I do a lot of other activities such as gardening, reading, writing short stories, going on day trips to museums, and traveling (when I can). But sometimes, I just want to spend a few hours playing a damn video game. So, kindly get the hell of my back would'ya?!

 

[the-kitchen-slayer]

Not having a life is when you don't have time for work, friends, family and yourself. Hence, the only way you couldn't have a life is if you were an antisocial shut-in, didn't work, and didn't ever take any time for yourself to do something you enjoy (like playing videogames).

Even then you have a life. It's just a virtual one. I'm not an Asocial Shut-in quite yet, but even then when I do go and close the vault 101 doors occasionally, I'm still doing things I enjoy, such as playing video games, painting, reading, etc.

So I think the only people who need to "get a life" are the ones in coma's.

Funny fact, Antisocial means "Against society" by definition, meaning criminal activity, and Asocial is "Doesn't like being around people". Just some random trivia (learn something new every day eh?)

 

[Hollock]

Well it's nice to not have your life devoted to just one thing, be it video games, movies, sports, cars, or Vegemite. If all you do really is playing video games, then you could do with a little variety. Even if it's still something you do inside alone like drawing, writing, or playing music. It would be even better if you performed music, displayed drawings, or recite writings to other people.
BUT
your brother just saying 'get a life' doesn't do anything for anyone. If he said 'want to try going to a party with me?' or something would have showed he really cared and wasn't saying it to make yourself feel better.
And ultimately it's your life, you can do what you want.

 

[Tommeh Brownleh]

I have a life, I spend most of it playing video games, avoid social interaction whenever possible, and drink dubious amounts of soda. If that's not heaven in a bottle I don't know what is.

 

[Pr0]

The assertion of gamers having "no lives" is somewhat inaccurate these days. Granted there are thousands of people with serious game addiction issues that end up leading them into completely unbelievable situations once they hit the news..but that really is the minority.

Gaming as an entertainment outlet, especially in times where the economy doesn't have its best foot forward is effectively a responsible and even laudable choice in many respects. More time spent indoors means less time driving and racking up immense amounts of expense on fuel. Home entertainment really is a responsible choice of entertainment when external resources find themselves being somewhat prohibitive due to budgetary concerns.

And of course the largest cross section of life long gamers are productive members of society with jobs, families, and other things they do with their lives. So overall to say someone who plays games has "no life" is basically the statement of someone who has not "gotten a life" themselves yet and views gaming as somehow prohibitive to the social rituals that revolve around gaining access to having a "life".

I'm a game developer, my wife is a lawyer, we're both gamers, in the spare time that we have. I'm pretty sure I've got a life. I'm pretty sure she has one to. And I can assure you jobs and spending time together aside, we still both need something to do that we enjoy that we can do at home. Games always deliver on that, even if I have to make one, in a bit of a release dry spell.

 

[Narfo]

I actually got this from my sister once, but that was because I was playing on the computer when she wanted to IM her friends. Yeah, I may be wasting my time playing a game, but IM-ing friends online for hours is not an activity to compare it to.
Still pissed me off though.

 

[RADlTZ]

Ive had it said to me a lot of times, usually by people who work a lot, most seem to try to assert some kind of surperiority trough their jobs.

Its easy for me to shrug off though, I can just point out that Im doing eactly what makes me happy, I keep in touch with my good friends constantly through games and we go out to dinner/lunch all the time so Im set on the social side of things. Job wise I'm burning through my second year of Uni with great marks so I can get a decent career going, should be earning a decent living by the end of it all. Meanwhile the people who claim I have no life due to videogames will still be slaving away at drone jobs as I hopefully overtake them financially.

 

[aba1]

I was talking to my brother and he said "I need to get a life for playing so many videogames" to which I replied: "Why have one life, when I could have an unlimited number of lives! (The aspect that even if you keep failing the game you can keep trying)". Then he bambles on about how it is bad for me to which I reply: "Alot of things are bad for you, like smoking or eating fast food but I never see you complain about those". It shut him up after that. My opinion on this is that everybody has a life (otherwise they would be dead or never born in the first place) and it is just what they decide to do with it. So if I'm happy with gaming thats what I shall do, I never go around dissing what other people do for fun or as hobby just because I dont like it. The same applies to videogames. So what are you views on this whole "No Life" situation?.

do what makes ya happy just dont complain if you don't plan for the long term thats what I say