A career can be interesting, important, and provide wages for all needs and some wants, but...

[Boojatta]

can a person be completely fulfilled if the person has no spouse and neither biological nor adopted children? In other words, can a career be a complete substitute for a family? For example, is Pope Benedict XVI completely fulfilled as a person?

[stray cat]

1. Sarcasm based on something I missed?

[grannie4peace]

2. i think yes---

it depends what is important to people. i don't know about the pope-- but look at the dali lama :):):)

[angstlessk]

3. in your strange world, boojatta, if it includes women playing chess it most

certainly must be a complete life. :crazy:

[Stellabella]

4. Well, you can create your own family from friends.

I think it's important to nurture something. I'm completely satisfied with nieces and nephews, and I have cats and a husband.

[enlightenment]

5. Once again, you phrase your question in a way that

makes it impossible to answer (or take seriously).

It isn't a binary choice - career or family. People do both or one or the other, all within the greater context of having a life - which should be more than just career and/or family.

If you're asking if a person can be content in their life without a spouse/partner and/or offspring - why not?

I suspect Pope Benedict would tell you he feels completely fulfilled; whether you choose to believe him is up to you.

[Boojatta]

6. "It isn't a binary choice - career or family."

What part of the Original Post implied or hinted that a person who chooses to have a family cannot also have a career? For example, even the specific career of Pope doesn't exclude having a family, unless the Pope lacks the power to change the rules of the church to permit priests (and Popes) to have spouses.

[enlightenment]

7. No takers here, Boojatta -

you live in your own little world where you're never unclear, never misstep - and are always right.

Have fun with that.

[Boojatta]

8. As my English language skills improve, I will more fully appreciate

what you are doing in this thread to remedy the serious flaws in the Original Post which, despite its serious flaws, was evidently worth responding to.

you're never unclear, never misstep - and are always right.

The scope of the word "never" above is just this particular thread, right? Alternatively, do you require an apology from me for problems you encountered in previous threads before you are willing to give your undivided attention to this thread?

[Nobody]

9. Yes

We all want different things out of life.

If you have most of what you want (within reason of course, wanting to take over the world like Pinky and the Brain will win you no points), you can be fulfilled. Just don't kowtow to what other people tell you you SHOULD want*. Only you know what will make you happy and if you get that or get close to it, you will be happy. If you lie to yourself about what you want, you will be miserable. If you let other people make choices for you, you will be miserable.

The question above is ridiculous, but I gave it a serious answer. Sometimes you have to beat people over the head with the fact that all of us are individuals and we all want different things our of life.

*I'm only talking about important things that will affect a lifetime. Not minor things like eating out tonight at a Chinese place or an Italian place or fast food.

[iverglas]

10. what it is, is a question asked without evidentiary basis

And a particularly fine example of one.

can a person be completely fulfilled if the person has no spouse and neither biological nor adopted children? In other words, can a career be a complete substitute for a family?

Did somebody say it was?

If not ... why do you ask?

Let me ask one.

Can a large dog be a complete substitute for a hamburger?

Not if you're hungry for a hamburger, I guess.

On the other hand, if you don't want a hamburger, and you do want a dog ...

But how could anyone possibly be (ful)filled without both??

[Boojatta]

11. Kick

[tonysam]

12. Not everybody has a "career"; most people have jobs

Why is everything measured against an elitist model?

Anybody can be happy at anything they do or whether or not they have children.

[Boojatta]

13. Kick

[seabeyond]

14. i was single for a long time and fulfilled. very happy.

my mom said she wanted more for me. what more? i am happy. but but but, i will be more happy. happy is happy, i was happy then with what i had.

i like married life and thrilled i had two kids. i am happy now. no more happy than i was prior. and really had nothing ot do with career.

if i were to divorce hubby tomorrow and on my own the rest of my life.... i would be happy. fulfilled. content.

others dont make it for me. i do.

[JustAnotherGen]

15. Yep

You can be. Sorry - I'm not playing the Singilism game.

Single Unmarried people DO have families. Mothers, Father, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc. etc. They also create 'chosen' families.

Check out Bella DePaulo's writing. Then read"Marry Him. The Case For Settling". Better to be single and childless as a CHOICE than sorry that you married the first guy that winked at you and pop out a few kids . . . so you can be 'fulfilled'.

You also assume in your op that a 'Career' is a substitute for family. I'm sorry but that's just - well? Yucky. I see so many married women doing a balancing act here - they never get to go to Yoga, get their nails done, volunteer at causes they believe in, take fabulous trips to Europe, give big bucks to their Church (I'm a UU and I tithe), sit down and read a book.

Any woman OR man who wraps everything up in 'career' is going to be a miserable person- married with kids or not? You should always strive to work to play - not to just simply work. Ugh. I make good money but would hate if I never had time to play. . .