No Life.

I for the most part have some sort of life, as opposed to having 8 level 80's.

I recently read a post where someone asked for gear advice and when another person mentioned he get Sons of Hodir reputation so he could get appropriate shoulder enchants that was his reply. (mind you, I choose a very kind example to share, most are not put that nicely)

While I do not have 8 level 80s and do not see me ever having 8 level 80s I can understand how in time it might happen.  In time I will level more characters if only to get more professions maxed.  It is that simple really.  So I consider myself one of the "no life" people that person mentioned even if I am not the type he described.

Why would I consider myself that?  Because I play WoW every day.  So it fits.

Now for my little Grumpy Elf take on people in WoW who are often referred to as the "No Lifers"

My first question to people that say they are not good "because they have a life" would be, What does having a life have to do with playing a game?

Everyone has a life.  Some just have a less hectic life with more expendable free time.  Anyone can get the same things in the game it will just take longer for some people then it does for others based on the amount of free time the person is willing to spend on playing.

Why do people get so angry that someone is "better" then them at a game so quickly that they have to revert to the "you must have no life" argument instantly?

Sure, there are many people that live in their parents basement and do nothing but drink mountain dew, eat cheesy puffs and play WoW but if I had to guess that is most likely a very small percentage.  At the least it is a small percentage (read: none) of people I have met playing the game.  Most of the people I have met would fit neatly into 1 of 5 categories, or at least pretty close to one of them.

1) The Young Kid.  - They are usually under 18 and go to school during the day and play wow at home at night and on weekends.  This is their entertainment. 
2) The College Student - They are most likely away from home and spend their free time playing WoW when not studying and not in class.
3) The Stay at home Mom - They need to find something to do when they are not doing mom type stuff.  As soon as those kids head off to school WoW is how they pass their time.
4) The Worker - They work all day long so any type of entertainment they can get is fantastic.  The type of entertainment wow offeres is ideal being you control every aspect of it, unlike in your work life.
5) The Person Looking to Escape - Just got a divorce, lost a job, or basically anything that leaves an open space in their life and they need something to fill it. As addictions go, WoW is better then crack... and cheaper.

Now, from my perspective at least, all of these people have lives. Some are probably even very full and possibly even extremely stressful at times.  They use their free time to play a game as a way to relieve their stress or to relax a little bit or to just have some fun.


Let us make a list of things that I often hear people use when they say, they have a life.

- I go out to the bar with friends.
- I go dancing at a club.
- I am on a softball team.
- I am on a touch football team.
- I am on a dart team.
- I am on a pool team.
- I am on a bowling team.
- I go shopping.
- I go to the movies.
- I go to the theater.
- I go watch my team play.
- I hang out with my friends.
- I watch my favorite show.
- etc

I can go on and on forever with things people say when they use the term "I have a life" but I think you get the gist of what I am getting at here.  All of those things are things we do to entertain ourselves.  None of them are required to "have a life".  They are however required to help us relieve stress or have a little fun.  The same thing WoW does for people.

- I play WoW.

That is no different in any way, shape or form then the above mentioned things. 

How is investing your free time in a game any less of a life then going to the bar to get drunk every night?

Different people use their free time different ways.  Just because someone does not use their free time the same way you do does not mean they have no life.  Just a different one then you do.

Maybe the next time one of the people that like to say that people that play WoW more then they do have no life they should think what an outsider would think about them even if they only play once in a while.

People that do not play WoW at all would think paying 15 bucks a month to play a game means you are pretty damn lame and have no life to begin with.  Try and remember that the next time you want to insult someone saying they have no life for playing a game... because if that is the case, you have no life either being you play too.

Don't judge the person by what they choose to spend their free time on. Unless they are a serial killer in their free time of course.