"What the devil is the point of surviving, going on living, when it's a drag? But you see, that's what people do"

The quote by Alan Watts welcomes us to assess the human condition and the typically unexamined determination of living even when life feels challenging. At its core, Watts is questioning the automated nature of survival when life lacks happiness or function. He utilizes a rhetorical question to highlight a philosophical dilemma: why do individuals continue to live when life ends up being a "drag"?

In analyzing this quote, it's vital to understand Watts' bigger viewpoint, which often revolved around exploring the nature of reality, consciousness, and the human experience. Here, he seems to be highlighting a contradiction in human behavior: the tendency to continue living out of habit or social expectation, instead of actively looking for fulfillment or questioning the status quo.

The expression "what the devil" is an expression of aggravation or confusion, suggesting that the act of living out a mundane or unfulfilling presence defies logical understanding. It's practically as if Watts is exasperated by the paradox of survival for survival's sake.

However, even as Watts explains the monotony of merely enduring, he also acknowledges it as a universal human behavior: "But you see, that's what individuals do". This statement is both an observation and a critique. Individuals typically follow routines and social pressures that prioritize simple survival over genuine happiness or meaning. The quote challenges us to think about why we accept this as the norm and what it may require to break free from this pattern.

Ultimately, Watts is urging us to question our own lives and motivations. Are we living deliberately, or merely existing? By shining a light on this issue, Watts encourages a deeper questions into what makes life really worth living, pushing us to seek courses that supply authentic complete satisfaction and function rather than mere survival.