Unfortunately a lot of these guys die with young children... Shane Mckonkey, whoever it was that died in that storm on everest however many years ago who got to use his satellite phone to talk to his wife & 6 month old child.

That always infuriates me.

Quote Originally Posted by indysteel View Post
Just to play devil's advocate: But for whose benefit do they need to grow up? I have no real issue with men or women who essentially just live for themselves, so long as they don't otherwise have a responsibility for/to anybody else, i.e., a spouse or child, or do anybody else any real harm. Now I may not choose to associate much with them, but that doesn't mean they're in the wrong.

Maybe it's a function of what I do and where I live, but I know very few people of the ski-bum variety. Instead, I know a lot of workaholic (mostly) men, who use their jobs as a way to avoid being a full-time spouse or parent. To me, that's not particularly grown up either, although it is a lot more socially acceptable. For me, it's all about living honestly. If you're a commitment phobe, then don't get married under the pretense that you are committed. If you really don't want to parent, then don't have children. If you want to live for yourself, then don't make anybody else dependent on your income, your time or your focus. If you don't want to work hard enough to make decent money, then fine, but don't mooch off of anybody else.