Europeans, why do you waste time at cafes?

Sit around and do nothing wrote:

You must be fun to be around wrote:

Nothing screams "American" more than your post. Always taken yourself this seriously?

Thanks. No, I had some fun when I was younger, but then I got serious and found a good career when it counted. Now I make $200,000/year. Those who say "money can't buy happiness" have never had money. I have a hot wife, a fast car (Mercedes SLK55 AMG), and a large house in a nice town. What more could I ask for?

You could ask for time to make any of that worth having. The way you make it sound, you are all work and no play Jack. You're becoming a dull boy. Money doesn't buy happiness, and you don't have to be rich or broke or a wannabe to know that's true. You can be happy regardless of if you are a millionaire or a minimum wager. Screw money, give me valuable time with people I love doing stuff I love

If you "need" a break, then you are weak.

No.

If you think a life spent slaving 24/7 got the parasites is strong, then you are one weak-a$$ MFer and they saw you coming miles away.

So dumb. My God

I couldn´t agree more...

Yes, but I own several cafe's and sit in them periodically and watch my lovely ladies to decide which I'll bone that evening!

I think it would make my long runs better, since when I'm finished I could relax and enjoy a nice meal with a glass of wine on a patio rather than gorge on chocolate milk with artificial flavour and colour and feeling depressed knowing I have to get up to make some CEO rich the next day.

reer wrote:

God Help Us wrote:

Classic example of the brainwashed proletariat.

Life should be spent doing pleasurable things, not working to further enrich the obscenely wealthy.

And if everyone spent their time only doing pleasurable things, how do you think that would work out in the long run?

Sitting in a cafe is far less of a waste of time than, say, telemarketing

Sit around and do nothing wrote:

I get to work at 8AM every morning and immediately sit down and do work while sipping my coffee. I work straight until lunch when I go to the kitchen and get the lunch my wife makes me every day and take my ten minute break to heat it up quickly, then I work through lunch. At 3:30 PM I grab another coffee to sip at my desk. I then work straight until 6:00, when I get home to a hot dinner also made by my wife.

Step up your game.

Your life sounds awful.

Americans live to work. Europeans work to live.

There is a logic to why 8 of the ten happiest countries are European:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/10302485/The-worlds-happiest-countries.html?frame=2667866

Americans work themselves miserable chasing a dream. It is called a "dream" for a reason. The world is a much happier place when you live in reality.

Euro Trash wrote:

Americans live to work. Europeans work to live.

There is a logic to why 8 of the ten happiest countries are European:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/10302485/The-worlds-happiest-countries.html?frame=2667866

Americans work themselves miserable chasing a dream. It is called a "dream" for a reason. The world is a much happier place when you live in reality.

And 12 of the top 15 countries that have the highest suicide rates are European countries.

As an American currently working in France, I'd have to say both sides of this argument (Americans and Europeans) are highly erroneous and misinformed.

I don't know why Europeans on internet message boards (if they even are European) love provoking Americans with questions like this (I'm referring to the original post about Americans walking around with coffee). What do you care how people in the US choose to behave?

In any case, there certainly is a taste for a better work-life balance, at least in France. However, it is coming at a steep price and this is a significant problem at the moment, and most rational Europeans I interact with acknowledge this, don't know why the message board posters can't seem to do so. Is the American system better? I have no idea, as it would not support the way of life these people have built for themselves. Also, the Asian systems (China, Korea, Japan, etc.) follow a hybrid of American and European policies (longer work hours for sure, but better social welfare benefits) and they're outperforming all of us at the moment!

And as for Americans, it shouldn't be difficult to concede that having a balance is not a bad thing - just because it's not our way of life doesn't mean it has to be bad. Our country too is also facing a lot of social turmoil at the moment, we're just fortunate enough to be a larger country with several businesses that are still maintaining production levels enough to keep the economy afloat (Europe does as well but clearly the performances differ from country to country, which makes distribution of generated wealth not as possible).

And in any case, we're all just cogs for major corporations, Europeans included. You'd be deluded to think just because you're a tad more socially minded in Europe doesn't make you just as brainwashed and dependent on the businesses that provide services and jobs so that you can live with modern amenities and luxuries, which Europeans love just as much as Americans.

Perhaps I'm taking this post too seriously (it's on letsrun, after all). Just had some extra time while at work ;)

The Boss!!!! wrote:

Yes, but I own several cafe's and sit in them periodically and watch my lovely ladies to decide which I'll bone that evening!

You own several cafe's what?

Mise en abyme wrote:

In any case, there certainly is a taste for a better work-life balance, at least in France.

So much so that multinational corporations headquartered in Europe often hire American workers to pick up the slack of lazy but protected European workers. American vs. European labor laws are much more lax, thus making Americans easy targets for layoffs. I know numerous Americans employed by such corporations who complain that they work like slaves relative to their European colleagues who flaunt their generous vacation/leave packages while they slack off at work.

Isn't life about enjoying?

That's what we do at cafes

Sit around and do nothing wrote:

Don't you have to, like, get to work and make a living?

Haven't you seen Seinfeld?

Sit around and do nothing wrote:

Don't you have to, like, get to work and make a living?

That's what we call quality time. We are not as addicted as a lot of other nations to the mindless entertainment of watching television.

That's what we call quality time. We are not as addicted as a lot of other nations to the mindless entertainment of watching television.

This is also highly incorrect - my company is full of young professionals from all over Europe and the world (Spain, Italy, China, Germany, Brazil, Portgual, India, etc.) and all of these guys know and watch more American TV shows than I do.[quote]What you talkin about wrote:

What you talkin about wrote:

That's what we call quality time. We are not as addicted as a lot of other nations to the mindless entertainment of watching television.

What's up with Europeans & their American movie addiction? All the Europeans I know are way more obsessed with Hollywood & Disney movies than most Americans I know. Stop acting like you're not obsessed with American culture.

Sit around and do nothing wrote:

Thanks. No, I had some fun when I was younger, but then I got serious and found a good career when it counted. Now I make $200,000/year. Those who say "money can't buy happiness" have never had money. I have a hot wife, a fast car (Mercedes SLK55 AMG), and a large house in a nice town. What more could I ask for?

You must not be saving much. $200k isn't that much money. I make significantly more than you. Why would you ever buy that car? That car screams "insecure douche" and what do you do when you want to go run some trails? Do you drive that car and get in it all sweaty after your run?

That car is the equivalent of a woman getting a face lift.

I drive a Ford F-150, but that is mainly because my daughters have horses and I have some land with a barn. I use the truck. If I didn't have the horses, I would probably drive a Grand Cherokee or maybe something similar that wasn't a Chrysler.

Bad Troll Job wrote:

I drive a Ford F-150, but that is mainly because my daughters have horses and I have some land with a barn. I use the truck. If I didn't have the horses, I would probably drive a Grand Cherokee or maybe something similar that wasn't a Chrysler.

Wow. I am sincerely sorry. Your life sounds terrible.