Go and listen to the back episodes too. I like this podcast because its very cerebral and it's easy to get caught up into it. Unfortunately, sometimes I get too caught up in it, so I get some crazy looks when I'm walking down the hall and suddenly shout "Exactly! Right on!"
We have a full house with David, Viga, Scott, Rym, Timo and Thaed. Here are the topics:
--Is it best to live as close to reality as possible? Should you lie to yourself or believe things because you like to believe them just to get yourself through the rough spots? If you don't like your personal history, should you rewrite it in your mind? --Is monastic life desirable? Does it allow for greater focus on intellectual pursuits? --How much of randomness in life can be controlled, influenced or avoided? --Is fantastic wealth a form of death? If you eliminate the pursuit of wealth from a person's life, does it kill motivation and purpose in that person? --Is it ever possible to step outside one's self to see ourselves as others see us? If you could, would you? --If you were a pig farmer, how would you run your business? --Ask the economist and physicist.
--If you were a pig farmer, how would you run your business?
This is a fighting topic at the grocery store for Scott and I. All he cares about is Money Money Money. He a great example of the kind of corporate greed that leads to stuff like sweatshop labor and other abuses. He doesn't care if it hurts other living beings or the environment, just so long as he gets more money. Rym is pretty non-committal on the subject. I think he doesn't really care about livestock welfare, he just pretends to, because I care about it.
Edit: I'm sorry for the outburst. I was listening and got annoyed at them, because it is a rehash of an old fight between us, and I couldn't say anything because it was a recording.
It's kinda sad that people nowadays are all about the cheapness when it comes to food. Well cared for meat is really worth buying from a purely quality of taste standpoint.
It's kinda sad that people nowadays are all about the cheapness when it comes to food. Well cared for meat is really worth buying from a purely quality of taste standpoint.
Does it really taste better? Got some double blind tests? I really don't think there is any relation between whether animals are treated well, or poorly, and how they taste. Sometimes animals treated well taste better, like kobe beef. Sometimes animals treated very poorly taste better, like fois gras or veal. I'm someone who is very willing to pay more for better taste. I'm not willing to pay more for the same product that just has better hippy appeal in its marketing and packaging.
Hmm.. interesting. That wouldn't be that hard a double blind to carry out at home. I think the factors include: how active the animals have been (changes the fat to meat ratio) [does anyone remember that scary bacon that was on digg once?], what they are fed on and whether or not they or their meat is bulked up with chemicals or water (cheap bacon will often shrink a lot as the added water evaporates out.).
Searching for studies arguing for or against. Please wait..
He doesn't care if it hurts other living beings or the environment, just so long as he gets more money.
I care about people. Not animals.
In all honesty, without being silly or anything, I can say without hesitation that I'm not that concerned about the conditions pigs must abide. See, I was actually involved in the farming of pigs; and I can tell you, they are nasty, despicable creatures.
Sometimes animals treated very poorly taste better, like fois gras or veal. I'm someone who is very willing to pay more for better taste.
So to clarify, you will pay people to treat animals badly if it makes you happy (your food tasting better). But if it has no effect upon you, you will not pay for it. Therefore it seems that your opinion is that the animal’s lives do not matter as much to you as the taste of them does. It just seems odd, because I am guessing you’re making this decision out of the mindset that "I have urges to eat good food" so obtaining good food is something that you want to do. Yet you object to other urges you have for a multitude of different reasons. Yet this one is totally fine? It just seems like you haven't put enough thought into this one is all.
I agree with you on the hippy marketing crap though. I love pointing out "health food" that is actually not too great for you.
In all honesty, without being silly or anything, I can say without hesitation that I'm not that concerned about the conditions pigs must abide. See, I was actually involved in the farming of pigs; and I can tell you, they are nasty, despicable creatures.
To continue, I will be looking into the quality of free range versus intensive personally (Om nom nom nom, bacon, on nom nom.) as while is suspect there is a difference worth paying for, free range is marketed heavily on it's humanitarian aspect.
It just seems odd, because I am guessing you’re making this decision out of the mindset that "I have urges to eat good food" so obtaining good food is something that you want to do. Yet you object to other urges you have for a multitude of different reasons. Yet this one is totally fine? It just seems like you haven't put enough thought into this one is all.
Just because something stems from a biological urge doesn't mean it should be avoided entirely. If that were the case, I wouldn't breathe. The point is that you shouldn't do something just because you have a biological urge to do so. Resist the urge long enough to think about it. If your reasoning tells you to do it, let the urge go. If the reasoning tells you not to, then continue to resist. If I succumbed to many of the urges I do have, it would hinder me in achieving many of my goals. Eating tasty food happens to be a goal of mine, so I'm not going to be resisting that very much.
Just because something stems from a biological urge doesn't mean it should be avoided entirely. If that were the case, I wouldn't breathe. The point is that you shouldn't do something just because you have a biological urge to do so. Resist the urge long enough to think about it. If your reasoning tells you to do it, let the urge go. If the reasoning tells you not to, then continue to resist. If I succumbed to many of the urges I do have, it would hinder me in achieving many of my goals. Eating tasty food happens to be a goal of mine, so I'm not going to be resisting that very much.
and having the experience of a girlfriend, lover, or wife… or husband isn’t a goal? Why is this so? I just can't follow. I figured this would be the answer but I truly don't get why you choose certain goals over others. Though maybe this is something I won't be able to grasp without knowing more about you, since it's so personal of a question. So I guess I'm asking what are the goals of Scott Rubin, and more importantly why did you choose them? Since your goals will not help me grow as a person as much as the why will.
(Or maybe I’m just not thinking enough about immediate goals vs long term goals)
What does having a girlfriend or having children get you? It doesn't get you anything. It's not special. Billions of people on earth get married and/or have children. It's incredibly commonplace. It's something most people do. Yet, everyone who does it acts like they are so special. Listen, doing something that the vast majority of the human population has done already is not special. It's nothing to be proud of, and it doesn't make you important. I won't deny that raising children well is difficult. It's incredibly difficult. But just because an activity is difficult doesn't mean it is worthwhile, good, or special in any way. It's really difficult to eat 500 hot dogs in a single day, that doesn't mean it's something to strive for.
According to scientific studies getting married and having children kills productivity. Granted, there are many married people who are also very productive. However, just imagine how much more productive they would be if they took that time and effort they put into marriage and children and instead put it into the task at hand.
Getting married and/or making babies is something I can do at any time. Yet, it requires a great deal of time and money. While I am young, and still at the peak of my productivity, I have to spend these precious and limited moments doing things which are special. Otherwise, I'm just another putz. You get one chance to make your mark on the world, don't waste it making the same mark that everyone else makes. That's what separates leaders from followers. That's what separates winners and losers. That's was separates heroes and common folk. That's what separates people who are remembered forever by everybody and just another corpse.
Which do you want to be? Are you going to waste your life making babies? Perhaps you think that the babies you make will be the hero you could never be? Even on the off chance that your kids do achieve greatness, that makes you the parent of a winner. How many parents of winners do you know? I doubt you know any that weren't winners themselves.
Let me paraphrase something my 10th grade English teacher told the class one day.
"A lot of stuff out there tries to tell all you kids that each and every one of you is special. Well, forget it. You aren't special. I'm not special, and none of you are special. Some of you might become special, but it's very unlikely. Michael Jordan is special. Mark Twain was special. You are not special."
I want to be special, unlike every other shmuck on earth. Wasting time on girlfriends and babies is certainly one of the worst things I could possibly do to become awesome. It requires an incredibly large investment of time and money while severely diminishing any chances of getting any awesome points.
So there you have it, Scott is selfish and mean because he thinks he's special and better than other people.
Haven't you ever thought that someone can ADD something to your abilities rather than take them away? In my life, Rym brings a lot to the table. Or how about friends? Alone, I do CG animation and Alex is a great programmer, but together we can make a game! I can draw for Rym's ideas and Rym can record voice-actors. I can translate Japanese for him, he can tell me about history and play his trumpet. A virtuoso violinist often is complemented by an orchestra, Scott, and alone you'll make a lot less progress than when you band together with the ones you love.
But then again, someone who thinks that being in love is a waste of time doesn't deserve it, anyway.
Scott, what have you ever done? You bring nothing to the human race! Nothing! All you say is that you don't care about others. How can someone like that ever be a great leader? A leader is a leader because he is connected to others, because he inspires some change within the world. You are just some dude working for a car insurance company, and not caring a bit about any other human being.
Scott, in short you piss me off something terrible. You think you are so above it all, and you make me so so so so angry. Someone who can't even keep his friends being happy with him is not someone who deserves the title of "winner."
While I am young, and still at the peak of my productivity, I have to spend these precious and limited moments doing things which are special.
. . . like consuming media.
Notice how I don't consume media that doesn't stimulate the intellect or help me build skills in some fashion? Notice how we stop playing board games once we solve them? Notice how I'm always down on games like WoW for being a waste of time?
You can't just go straight to executing amazing tasks. You need to build the necessary skills first with learning and practice. Most consumable media out there does nothing to help you in this regard, but a great deal of it does. I try to stick exclusively to the latter.
I would also like to point out that my consumption of media has actually directly helped me a great deal. By playing so many video games, watching so many anime, reading so many comic and non-comic books, there are thousands of people around the world who now respect my opinion, and spend about four hours a week hanging on my every word. I'm still not special, but it's a start.
Scott, you keep referencing the studies regarding productivity. Does this factor in the productivity of creating, forming, and nurturing a life? Is this not an incredibly necessary function in order maintain and progress as a species? A life's work can be more than a single focused career. Also, there is relative "specialness". Just because something is common, doesn't mean it isn't special to those involved. It is a question of perspective and individual value. One could argue that a person that maintains shallow, uninvolved relationships isn't special to anyone, regardless of their profession.
EDIT: Your consumption of media has enriched you as a person, but have any of your skills really made that much of an impact on any-one's life or on society in general? You created a fun podcast, but does that make you so special? Is you job so special that people will remember your ideas and achievements, let alone you long after you are dead. I guarantee you that parents and grandparents will be remembered and their impact felt (for better or for worse) for generations to come.
While I am young, and still at the peak of my productivity, I have to spend these precious and limited moments doing things which are special.
. . . like consuming media.
Notice how I don't consume media that doesn't stimulate the intellect or help me build skills in some fashion?
. . .
You can't just go straight to executing amazing tasks. You need to build the necessary skills first with learning and practice. Most consumable media out there does nothing to help you in this regard, but a great deal of it does. I try to stick exclusively to the latter.
Wait . . . are you saying that you're preparing yourself for a major role on the world stage by selective consumption of media?
Scott is selfish and mean because he thinks he's special and better than other people.
I don't think I'm special and better than other people. I want to be special and better than other people. Key difference.
All you say is that you don't care about others.
I do care about others. I just don't care what other people think. Also, a key difference.
How can someone like that ever be a great leader? A leader is a leader because he is connected to others, because he inspires some change within the world.
There are a few people on earth who come to me for advice. They value my opinion. People follow me. It's not many people, or enough, but more than zero. Thus, I lead them. Who do I follow? Nobody other than myself.
Scott, in short you piss me off something terrible. You think you are so above it all, and you make me so so so so angry. Someone who can't even keep his friends being happy with him is not someone who deserves the title of "winner."
Every great person in history is equally loved and reviled. Every amazing athlete has gotten booed. Business people and politicians are slammed in the media constantly. If you let what other people think bother you, or get in your way, you can not succeed. There are no Stanley Cups in the future for a goalie who cries when the crowd gets on his back. Achieving goals is all about moving forward, no matter what stands in your way. If you alter your path or slacken your pace to accommodate others, you can not reach your destination.
Scott is selfish and mean because he thinks he's special and better than other people.
I don't think I'm special and better than other people. I want to be special and better than other people. Key difference.
All you say is that you don't care about others.
I do care about others. I just don't care what other people think. Also, a key difference.
How can someone like that ever be a great leader? A leader is a leader because he is connected to others, because he inspires some change within the world.
There are a few people on earth who come to me for advice. They value my opinion. People follow me. It's not many people, or enough, but more than zero. Thus, I lead them. Who do I follow? Nobody other than myself.
Scott, in short you piss me off something terrible. You think you are so above it all, and you make me so so so so angry. Someone who can't even keep his friends being happy with him is not someone who deserves the title of "winner."
Every great person in history is equally loved and reviled. Every amazing athlete has gotten booed. Business people and politicians are slammed in the media constantly. If you let what other people think bother you, or get in your way, you can not succeed. There are no Stanley Cups in the future for a goalie who cries when the crowd gets on his back. Achieving goals is all about moving forward, no matter what stands in your way. If you alter your path or slacken your pace to accommodate others, you can not reach your destination.
Why do you assume that those personal connections and relationships are a hinderance rather than an enrichment. There are many that choose to have goals that involve spouses and children - this does not make them automatic failures at life, it just means they have structured different goals for themselves and enjoy different things than you.
EDIT: Your consumption of media has enriched you as a person, but have any of your skills really made that much of an impact on any-one's life or on society in general? You created a fun podcast, but does that make you so special?
Is you job so special that people will remember your ideas and achievements, let alone you long after you are dead.
The answer to both of these is, of course, no. The answer is no for everyone here. All the more reason to continue working as hard as possible to change that while there is still time. The opportunity, if any exists at all, will pass long before we young people leave this world. Will you do something, like have children, that will limit or eliminate this opportunity for yourself?
I guarantee you that parents and grandparents will be remembered and their impact felt (for better or for worse) for generations to come.
It's not about whether you are remembered, or how many people you impact. It's about how much of the future of the universe you can alter to be in accordance with your will. For myself and most others, it is likely to be a small amount. That is no reason not to do absolutely everything you can to maximize that small amount.
Why do you assume that those personal connections and relationships are a hinderance rather than an enrichment. There are many that choose to have goals that involve spouses and children - this does not make them automatic failures at life, it just means they have structured different goals for themselves and enjoy different things than you.
Exactly true. These people set very simple goals than can achieve, and then achieve them. Thus, they feel fulfilled, and live mostly happy lives. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. If I never stop moving forward, and all these people stop, it only helps me to win the race. But like anyone who competes, I question these people and their reason for stopping. Competition is no fun if the other players aren't trying to win.
Why do you assume that those personal connections and relationships are a hinderance rather than an enrichment. There are many that choose to have goals that involve spouses and children - this does not make them automatic failures at life, it just means they have structured different goals for themselves and enjoy different things than you.
Exactly true. These people set very simple goals than can achieve, and then achieve them. Thus, they feel fulfilled, and live mostly happy lives. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. If I never stop moving forward, and all these people stop, it only helps me to win the race. But like anyone who competes, I question these people and their reason for stopping. Competition is no fun if the other players aren't trying to win.
Why do you assume that those personal connections and relationships are a hinderance rather than an enrichment. There are many that choose to have goals that involve spouses and children - this does not make them automatic failures at life, it just means they have structured different goals for themselves and enjoy different things than you.
Exactly true. These people set very simple goals than can achieve, and then achieve them. Thus, they feel fulfilled, and live mostly happy lives. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. If I never stop moving forward, and all these people stop, it only helps me to win the race. But like anyone who competes, I question these people and their reason for stopping. Competition is no fun if the other players aren't trying to win.
This is MRS. MscRoss. Since when is raising a child well a simple goal? Also factor in that many people, including myself, plan on having children and a fulfilling, successful career. In fact, I specifically chose a career that would not only allow me to excel in a field that I enjoy, but will also allow me the most time to tend to my family. People that have kids and families are not "stopping". They are moving forward and progressing toward their goals. Just because your goals are different, does not make them superior or even harder to reach than others. Moreover, what goals do you wish to achieve that you could not if you were a husband or a parent? Own a business? Write? Maintain a podcast? Many people do this and much more with kids. Also, as for your only consuming media that improves your skills, may I point out Cannibal! The Musical.
What does having a girlfriend or having children get you? It doesn't get you anything. It's not special. Billions of people on earth get married and/or have children. It's incredibly commonplace. It's something most people do. Yet, everyone who does it acts like they are so special. Listen, doing something that the vast majority of the human population has done already is not special. It's nothing to be proud of, and it doesn't make you important.
But it does make happy. Or at least it makes me happy. I have no children, and my girlfriend and I don't plan to have any for a while yet, but we are both happier now than any other time in our lives. We achieve more together than we ever did individually apart, we have a great life in a great home with a few great jobs each, we are both self employed and we are making our way in the world at exactly the pace and in exactly the direction we want.
Let me put it this way... Think of all the benefits you get by having two people living together, sharing expenses as well as your lives and experiences. I know you get these benefits living with Rym. Now imagine being able to have all those benefits with the added pleasure of an intimate and physical relationship with your best friend at the same time. Sure, it is a regular, normal, boring and predictable state of affairs, but I find it very rewarding.
As for life being a competition to see who can mold the future world to fit their world view... whatever works for you. I can't really bring myself to believe that about you or else you'd be doing much more with your life than a 9 to 5 job, recording a podcast and running panels at anime conventions. Sure, it's a start, but it isn't as though the one thing that can hold you back at this point is a hypothetical girlfriend.
Why do you assume that those personal connections and relationships are a hinderance rather than an enrichment. There are many that choose to have goals that involve spouses and children - this does not make them automatic failures at life, it just means they have structured different goals for themselves and enjoy different things than you.
Exactly true. These people set very simple goals than can achieve, and then achieve them. Thus, they feel fulfilled, and live mostly happy lives. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. If I never stop moving forward, and all these people stop, it only helps me to win the race. But like anyone who competes, I question these people and their reason for stopping. Competition is no fun if the other players aren't trying to win.
What are you racing towards?
Death. Just anyone else who wants to make a difference. As Mrs. Macross said, it's all a matter of perspective, and what perspective you have determines how you live your life. There are people who have a very personal perspective, wanting only to influence the people around them. These people have kids, settle down, and generally live a quiet, but no less interesting, life. Then there are people who have a much broader perspective, who want to influence as much as they can regardless of the people around them. They either go on to ambitious businessmen, leaders, wannabes, assholes with no friends, or all of the above. I'm speaking in extremes and broad generalizations, but I think most people fall somewhere in between these two states of mind. In the end it's about what you consider to be a fulfilling life, because if you don't draw a line in how broad your perspective is then nothing matters. Scott, if you want to live your life with a broad perspective, more power to you. But I don't think you have the right to criticize anyone else's lifestyle.
To comment on the show, I'd jump at the chance to step into the head of others to see how I'm perceived. I have no doubt that it would work wonders for my self-esteem.
Einstein-- children Washington-- step-children Gandhi-- children Newton-- no kids, maybe gay. Da Vinci-- no kids, gay.
I would submit to you that great people are just those who reach their potential and that that potential just happens to be great. If you don't want to focus on girls and kids, don't. There's no reason to build any elaborate or noble BS around it. Honestly, it's just personal preference.
Comments
^_^ Its a great show.
We have a full house with David, Viga, Scott, Rym, Timo and Thaed. Here are the topics:
--Is it best to live as close to reality as possible? Should you lie
to yourself or believe things because you like to believe them just to
get yourself through the rough spots? If you don't like your personal
history, should you rewrite it in your mind?
--Is monastic life desirable? Does it allow for greater focus on
intellectual pursuits?
--How much of randomness in life can be controlled, influenced or avoided?
--Is fantastic wealth a form of death? If you eliminate the pursuit
of wealth from a person's life, does it kill motivation and purpose in
that person?
--Is it ever possible to step outside one's self to see ourselves as
others see us? If you could, would you?
--If you were a pig farmer, how would you run your business?
--Ask the economist and physicist.
Edit: I'm sorry for the outburst. I was listening and got annoyed at them, because it is a rehash of an old fight between us, and I couldn't say anything because it was a recording.
Searching for studies arguing for or against. Please wait..
Therefore it seems that your opinion is that the animal’s lives do not matter as much to you as the taste of them does. It just seems odd, because I am guessing you’re making this decision out of the mindset that "I have urges to eat good food" so obtaining good food is something that you want to do. Yet you object to other urges you have for a multitude of different reasons. Yet this one is totally fine? It just seems like you haven't put enough thought into this one is all.
I agree with you on the hippy marketing crap though. I love pointing out "health food" that is actually not too great for you.So are some people
To continue, I will be looking into the quality of free range versus intensive personally (Om nom nom nom, bacon, on nom nom.) as while is suspect there is a difference worth paying for, free range is marketed heavily on it's humanitarian aspect.
So I guess I'm asking what are the goals of Scott Rubin, and more importantly why did you choose them? Since your goals will not help me grow as a person as much as the why will.
(Or maybe I’m just not thinking enough about immediate goals vs long term goals)
According to scientific studies getting married and having children kills productivity. Granted, there are many married people who are also very productive. However, just imagine how much more productive they would be if they took that time and effort they put into marriage and children and instead put it into the task at hand.
Getting married and/or making babies is something I can do at any time. Yet, it requires a great deal of time and money. While I am young, and still at the peak of my productivity, I have to spend these precious and limited moments doing things which are special. Otherwise, I'm just another putz. You get one chance to make your mark on the world, don't waste it making the same mark that everyone else makes. That's what separates leaders from followers. That's what separates winners and losers. That's was separates heroes and common folk. That's what separates people who are remembered forever by everybody and just another corpse.
Which do you want to be? Are you going to waste your life making babies? Perhaps you think that the babies you make will be the hero you could never be? Even on the off chance that your kids do achieve greatness, that makes you the parent of a winner. How many parents of winners do you know? I doubt you know any that weren't winners themselves.
Let me paraphrase something my 10th grade English teacher told the class one day.
"A lot of stuff out there tries to tell all you kids that each and every one of you is special. Well, forget it. You aren't special. I'm not special, and none of you are special. Some of you might become special, but it's very unlikely. Michael Jordan is special. Mark Twain was special. You are not special."
I want to be special, unlike every other shmuck on earth. Wasting time on girlfriends and babies is certainly one of the worst things I could possibly do to become awesome. It requires an incredibly large investment of time and money while severely diminishing any chances of getting any awesome points.
Haven't you ever thought that someone can ADD something to your abilities rather than take them away? In my life, Rym brings a lot to the table. Or how about friends? Alone, I do CG animation and Alex is a great programmer, but together we can make a game! I can draw for Rym's ideas and Rym can record voice-actors. I can translate Japanese for him, he can tell me about history and play his trumpet. A virtuoso violinist often is complemented by an orchestra, Scott, and alone you'll make a lot less progress than when you band together with the ones you love.
But then again, someone who thinks that being in love is a waste of time doesn't deserve it, anyway.
Scott, what have you ever done? You bring nothing to the human race! Nothing! All you say is that you don't care about others. How can someone like that ever be a great leader? A leader is a leader because he is connected to others, because he inspires some change within the world. You are just some dude working for a car insurance company, and not caring a bit about any other human being.
Scott, in short you piss me off something terrible. You think you are so above it all, and you make me so so so so angry. Someone who can't even keep his friends being happy with him is not someone who deserves the title of "winner."
You can't just go straight to executing amazing tasks. You need to build the necessary skills first with learning and practice. Most consumable media out there does nothing to help you in this regard, but a great deal of it does. I try to stick exclusively to the latter.
I would also like to point out that my consumption of media has actually directly helped me a great deal. By playing so many video games, watching so many anime, reading so many comic and non-comic books, there are thousands of people around the world who now respect my opinion, and spend about four hours a week hanging on my every word. I'm still not special, but it's a start.
Also, there is relative "specialness". Just because something is common, doesn't mean it isn't special to those involved. It is a question of perspective and individual value. One could argue that a person that maintains shallow, uninvolved relationships isn't special to anyone, regardless of their profession.
EDIT: Your consumption of media has enriched you as a person, but have any of your skills really made that much of an impact on any-one's life or on society in general? You created a fun podcast, but does that make you so special? Is you job so special that people will remember your ideas and achievements, let alone you long after you are dead. I guarantee you that parents and grandparents will be remembered and their impact felt (for better or for worse) for generations to come.
Also, as for your only consuming media that improves your skills, may I point out Cannibal! The Musical.
Let me put it this way... Think of all the benefits you get by having two people living together, sharing expenses as well as your lives and experiences. I know you get these benefits living with Rym. Now imagine being able to have all those benefits with the added pleasure of an intimate and physical relationship with your best friend at the same time. Sure, it is a regular, normal, boring and predictable state of affairs, but I find it very rewarding.
As for life being a competition to see who can mold the future world to fit their world view... whatever works for you. I can't really bring myself to believe that about you or else you'd be doing much more with your life than a 9 to 5 job, recording a podcast and running panels at anime conventions. Sure, it's a start, but it isn't as though the one thing that can hold you back at this point is a hypothetical girlfriend.
To comment on the show, I'd jump at the chance to step into the head of others to see how I'm perceived. I have no doubt that it would work wonders for my self-esteem.
Washington-- step-children
Gandhi-- children
Newton-- no kids, maybe gay.
Da Vinci-- no kids, gay.
I would submit to you that great people are just those who reach their potential and that that potential just happens to be great. If you don't want to focus on girls and kids, don't. There's no reason to build any elaborate or noble BS around it. Honestly, it's just personal preference.