decide: from the latin caedere, meaning "to cut off"

[bubblingbeebles]

the big disadvantage of being a pure idealist is that it leaves you with no facilities for bailing on something when it turns out to need a superhuman amount of effort.

and sometimes there are also things that you could follow through on, but it would leave you much happier to save your breath and take a more practical shortcut. it's interesting,

Comments

[valantrapitor]

Ah, idealism is always a good way to make you think that you're flying high above others in how you're living life. It just turns out that there's always a ceiling, or at least a skybox you have to aim for carefully as opposed to blindly ascending.

[bubblingbeebles]

well said.

[bubblingbeebles]

I like thinking of "decide" as meaning like "to kill" - it is good for reducing worry. As soon as I can bring myself to kill an unwanted option when I'm waffling over something, I may think: "There is to be no more worrying. It is decided and you will not bring it back to life."

[bubblingbeebles]

does saying "everything is relative" give you an excuse to be a jerk and avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of your actions? hell no.

funny you should phrase it that way...

[knightofstarz]

hmmmm, I remember that argument. I definitely don't claim that you should rely on lying to get you out of trouble, and I don't remember what in particular we were arguing about. The other problem is that it's nearly impossible to not lie in some form or other. Keeping secrets when you know the information could benefit a friend is lying or at least not being honest. Telling someone only part of the story is lying. You can be untruthful without realizing it, which isn't lying but could have the same affect. You can tell someone something true so that they don't ask you about something else and you aren't forced to lie.

My view is that if you are going to use these loopholes occasionally, then you may as well just be honest with yourself and admit that you are lying. Then you allow yourself option to make up a lie that will hurt everyone less than exploiting one of the loopholes.

The way I see it: the only way telling the truth could work is if everyone told the truth and no one made mistakes.

[bubblingbeebles]

if you are going to use these loopholes occasionally, then you may as well just be honest with yourself and admit that you are lying. Then you allow yourself option to make up a lie that will hurt everyone less than exploiting one of the loopholes.

yes. i've certainly had a lesson to learn about being dodgy...

[xsavvyx]

I promise you that it is okay to lie. Sometimes telling the truth can hurt far more than any lie.