A man in a white robe approached me on the street the other day.

Socrates: I have come from a great distance and across a great chasm of time to learn about your society. May I speak with you sir and ask you a question?

Me: I'm not sure that I will know the answer you are looking for but ask and I shall do my best.

Socrates: What is it to have a life?

Me: You ask the meaning of life?

Socrates: Let me explain some. I am not seeking a grand purpose for human life, nor for the individuals existence. What I'm asking is what is it to have life? In your time, within your culture, there is a saying, "Get a life". But what is this life to get?

Me: I'm not sure I'm getting what you are saying, explain more.

Socrates: Two girls, sisters, one older and one younger. The older sister, Emily, goes to school full-time, works full-time, and volunteers on the weekends. Her free time is spend in study. Her sister, the younger, Amy, is a high school student, does not work, and spends all her free time with her boyfriend, shopping, or at a party. One day Amy asks her sister to do something with her and Emily says she is to busy. Amy gets angry and says her sister has no life and that she needs to get one.

Me: I think what is meant by "having a life" is the freedom to have fun.

Socrates: This girl, Amy, said her younger brother Tommy also did not have a life. Tommy plays video games all day. Are video games and school both a chore?

Me: No, video games are fun.

Socrates: And school isn't?

Me: Right.

Socrates: But school is fun to some people?

Me: I guess so.

Socrates: Is it correct then to say Amy finds both school and video games boring?

Me: Yes.

Socrates: And that what she finds boring is an existence not worth having?

Me: Surely.

Socrates: Then is Amy also in need of a life to those who find school or video games appealing and partying and shopping boring?

Me: Thats sounds correct.

Socrates: So to have a life is to play video games all day, or study all day, or party and shop all day.

Me: If it pleases you, yes.

Socrates: Then all there is to life is pleasure?

Me: Oh no. There are many more things to life besides that.

Socrates: Such as?

Me: Love, Friendship, Success.

Socrates: Things that cannot be measured.

Me: Well, yea. Emily does not like school but she values success. Amy likes to party because she desires to be loved and to have many great friendships. And Tommy loves video games.

Socrates: So to have a life is to live in the sow of what had been reaped.

Me: That is correct.

Socrates: But what if one had sown a bad seed and now lives in the worst of what was reaped?

Me: It has to include pleasure.

Socrates: Then, by what you are saying if Amy's boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend and she has found out but hides her feelings and continues to be with him because he is a popular guy and helps her get invited to the best parties. And all her friends talk about her behind her back but she endures this because she needs to feel loved and will supress the bad surrounding her. Then she still has a life?

Me: I suppose so.

Socrates: Then pleasure has nothing to do with having a life.

Me: I guess not.

Socrates: And about Emily; if when she gets out of school and into her career she is not successful then she still does not have a life?

Me: Yes

Socrates: But what is success?

Me: Taking pride in the work you do.

Socrates: And suppose Emily takes pride in her school work and her work at her job then she is a success?

Me: Correct.

Socrates: Then she also has a life.

Me: True dat homey.

Socrates: But Love, Friendship, and Success, among other things, are different to every person.

Me: They are.

Socrates: So life is different for every person.

Me: Everything is subjective, yes.

Socrates: Emily asked me to find out how to respond to one who says she needs to "get a life". How should she respond?

Me: Based on what I know now?...."I have a life, it's just not yours"

Socrates: Very good, you have answered my question. I thank you.

Me: Thanks, you have a good day.

Socrates: And to you also.

From here the man departed, as did I, and we went our seperate ways.