Sounds like there are a lot of good topics in there. Discussions like these are exactly why I got this lj in the first place. Discussion of interesting topics with reasonable people and hearing some new opinions so that my own can evolve in a sense. A winning combination.
Don’t worry Darth, I don’t assume much of anything unless I have a firm and solid basis to do so. When your asking about the “one of them” clarification, you meant when I said it was “one of the facts of life” right? Well, humanities dedications can be placed within many tangents. Many of them are harmless, but some of them (the belief that destroying enemies will lead to an ultimate reward in the afterlife for instance) can be horrendous. Since human dedication can be influenced by other people and environmental factors, many deadly leaders have realized that this dedication can be manipulated if rewards of some sort are inscribed into the deal.
The simple fact is, motivating dedication can be great if its used for the right reasons; say, a figure like Martin Luther King Jr. However, if its used for manipulation and control; say a figure like Hitler, its frightening to think about. That’s what I meant when I said before that steering dedication isn’t a clear cut issue since tragedy can result if we attempt to influence where dedication is directed.
As for feelings, they too are very complicated. Logic and feelings usually don’t mix well, and since we’re human, its impossible to be purely logical (I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a person born without any emotions; even infamous cold murderers had some type of emotion fueling them to kill). The best we can really do with our feelings is trying to not let them force us into action before we have a chance to consider the matter rationally, but its easier said than done.
The matter of humanities brutal history and the question of whether bad or good is more prevalent in this world is a topic that has been debated and discussed as far back as the first philosophers (and probably before that!). In my opinion, it essentially comes down to perception over all else. While I’d like to go into more depth, I’m afraid I’ll write way too much if I do, so I’ll just leave it as it stands for now and avoid specifics.
It is nice meeting (at least via computer) you both by the way. Just thought I’d throw that in.
Don’t worry Darth, I don’t assume much of anything unless I have a firm and solid basis to do so. When your asking about the “one of them” clarification, you meant when I said it was “one of the facts of life” right? Well, humanities dedications can be placed within many tangents. Many of them are harmless, but some of them (the belief that destroying enemies will lead to an ultimate reward in the afterlife for instance) can be horrendous. Since human dedication can be influenced by other people and environmental factors, many deadly leaders have realized that this dedication can be manipulated if rewards of some sort are inscribed into the deal.
The simple fact is, motivating dedication can be great if its used for the right reasons; say, a figure like Martin Luther King Jr. However, if its used for manipulation and control; say a figure like Hitler, its frightening to think about. That’s what I meant when I said before that steering dedication isn’t a clear cut issue since tragedy can result if we attempt to influence where dedication is directed.
As for feelings, they too are very complicated. Logic and feelings usually don’t mix well, and since we’re human, its impossible to be purely logical (I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a person born without any emotions; even infamous cold murderers had some type of emotion fueling them to kill). The best we can really do with our feelings is trying to not let them force us into action before we have a chance to consider the matter rationally, but its easier said than done.
The matter of humanities brutal history and the question of whether bad or good is more prevalent in this world is a topic that has been debated and discussed as far back as the first philosophers (and probably before that!). In my opinion, it essentially comes down to perception over all else. While I’d like to go into more depth, I’m afraid I’ll write way too much if I do, so I’ll just leave it as it stands for now and avoid specifics.
It is nice meeting (at least via computer) you both by the way. Just thought I’d throw that in.
Reply
Leave a comment