Are you someone special?

Nobody said to be complacent.
I sensed you are angry, but anger is a dread if you don't use in a constructive way. Yes, the world is more much more complicated now, and you never know who really is the enemy. And for me is also incredible to see how people, having access to so much info and wisdom, choose to share selfies on facebook.

But again filling yourself with bitterness won't help others and won't help you. You do what you can to help, using that anger as a fuel, not as a whip. And the wiser you become, the more you can do for others. This is the best we can do I think.
And remember: You can only lead a horse to the water. (old wisdom)

So it's either each and everyone of us is special or none of us is? History is full of examples of special people. Are there special people in our midst? All we have to do is look for them. Am I special? Maybe in a garden variety sense. Will I stand fast to the values in life that I hold dear? I don't know, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I guess the fact that we're all here discussing and trying to figure things out is a small step in the right direction. Will something special come out of all this? Maybe.

As the Stoics would say, anger is simply a lack of understanding. There is much I still don't understand, which you have (respectfully) pointed out to me.

My thanks to you.

originally posted by: Talorc
As the Stoics would say, anger is simply a lack of understanding. There is much I still don't understand, which you have (respectfully) pointed out to me.

My thanks to you.

You're very welcome and if you decide to start a humanitarian movement, or animal protecting one, or whatever i will gladly join. You will be surprised how many here will, if it's the right thing.

The fact that my insults bother you so much says more about your self-righteousness than it does mine. Since I am just a self-righteous fool, you should be laughing at my behaviour here rather than getting offended. But you're not, perhaps becuase there's a grain of truth under the foolishness. Anyone who's worth their salt doesn't fight with people, they fight with the ideas people have got in their heads. Insults just get people's attention.

I am the last person who thinks he's better than anyone, truly.

Where did I say it bothered me? I truly don't care what anyone thinks of me - especially random names on my computer screen. I was merely pointing out the irony of your post - specifically calling it comical and ironic. Comical = laughing. And I was fighting the idea you have in your head. The idea that calling people names is an effective and intelligent form of debate.

But if your last statement there about you not thinking you're any more special than anyone else is the truth, then I do humbly apologize for insulting you.

originally posted by: tallcool1

The fact that my insults bother you so much says more about your self-righteousness than it does mine. Since I am just a self-righteous fool, you should be laughing at my behaviour here rather than getting offended. But you're not, perhaps becuase there's a grain of truth under the foolishness. Anyone who's worth their salt doesn't fight with people, they fight with the ideas people have got in their heads. Insults just get people's attention.

I am the last person who thinks he's better than anyone, truly.

Where did I say it bothered me? I truly don't care what anyone thinks of me - especially random names on my computer screen. I was merely pointing out the irony of your post - specifically calling it comical and ironic. Comical = laughing. And I was fighting the idea you have in your head. The idea that calling people names is an effective and intelligent form of debate.

But if your last statement there about you not thinking you're any more special than anyone else is the truth, then I do humbly apologize for insulting you.

Where did I say insults were effective and intelligent? Sounds like that's something you just made up.

Anyway, I already bowed out of this thread. Scurry on and bite someone else's toes.

a reply to: Talorc

Even after I apologize, you try to throw an insult. I hope that whatever is really behind your anger gets resolved and you won't get so... you know, it doesn't matter. You're right. I'm wrong.

I sincerely hope you have a nice day and receive the best that life has to offer, my friend.

I get where you are coming from and it's an interesting thought.

Still, it's a bit unfair in a way. Under typical or regular, everyday circumstances people can make such moral choices...and rightly so.

Let me give you an example...Last night I had lasagne, it was lover-ly so it was. If some crazy came and held a gun to my mothers' head and said - you must eat dog dirt, or I'll kill her.

I'd do it...sometimes expectional circumstances force us to make such choices, but it's not the natural order, is it? A contrary way of putting it is let's imagine a woman birthing a child and there are complications. The surgeons can start a procedure to aid the birth but there's a chance it might harm or even kill the mother.

Is there a moral choice, a right choice? The natural choice might be to let things develop naturally and what happens happens...which is right? Priorities change circumstances and we often must react and adapt.

I won't eat dog dirt for dinner tonight because it's not acceptable...am I lying to myself? Or is eating dog dirt not necessarily a matter of morals? I dunno, subjective, really - suppose it depends on your background and culture.

But when I eat my pizza tonight I don't think I'm lying to myself, I chose not to join in various social memes and stupidity - like that idiotic ice bucket challenge everyone was doing a year or so ago...had someone threatened to murder my family had I not done it, I would have.

So what?

In hindsight, I should not have titled the thread the way I did. I can see now that it can come across as a bit inflammatory. For that I do apologies to anyone thinking that is how I meant it to come across, because I didn't.

Perhaps I should have titled the thread "How Strong Is Your Moral Compass?" instead, or something along those lines.

Still, I do feel many in this thread are missing the deeper message behind the thread, which has nothing to do with suggesting that people are not unique individuals and are not important to their loved ones.

a reply to: Dark Ghost

What!!!? How dare you cast aspersions on my moral compass!!!

Seriously, If anyone owes an apology, I don't think it's you.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
Are you a person with a moral fortitude so strong and resilient that societal influences, orders from authoritative figures and cultural norms do not affect you?

If you answered yes to this question, then I have some news for you: you are lying to yourself. Unless you are a divine being or living a completely secluded life that is far removed from interactions with other people, there is no way you could be immune to these things. It just isn't possible.

Past experiments (Example 1, Example 2) have demonstrated that when it comes to accumulating power or receiving orders from authoritative figures, the majority of human beings do not adhere to their supposedly stern moral compass.

It's tiring to read about so many people with holier-than-thou attitudes thinking they are exempt from the societal influences around them, as though they are special or unique in some way. "I would never do that!" or "there is no way anyone could make me do that!" are easy words to say when you are living in a free and democratic society, far removed from the rigors and pressures that many others face on a daily basis.

What if you were ordered to do something on penalty of torture/death if you refused? Even worse, what if your loved ones were threatened with the same fate if you did not comply? I believe most people would succumb to the demands of those issuing the orders.

In many ways, these types of people are not as far removed from the "society encourages it so I accept it" as they would like to think. Take eating meat for example. There is a very dark side to the meat industry. Everybody knows that meat doesn't just appear from nowhere. Animals need to be captured, slaughtered and processed. But it is something we just put at the back of our minds because well it's good for the economy and our health.

Do you think in 100 years from now they will look back at our meat-eating habits and think "how could anybody living then support the meat industry?" It really makes you think, doesn't it? What is considered moral, socially acceptable and culturally expected today might not be so in 10, 20 or 100 years from now. It's all about societal acceptance at the time and very few escape its grasp.

Well, I for one can say I am not someone special.

I am not sure if I really understand your point.. Since we live in a society we are influenced by it. Knowing right from wrong and being a victim to society's negative sphere of influence does not make that person wrong from knowing right from wrong. having a gun put in your face and demanded to hand over all your valuables or you will die is the wrong example in my opinion for someone's moral fortitude compass or their integrity. The right thing to do I would think would be to give your belongings and look for a way to gain leverage in that position if possible. I dunno as I said I do not really understand what your asking or what your point is. I did check out your examples as well.. Life is also about positioning in society or in general getting a fair grasp is hard in a lab environment. People in prison managed to get there due to their position at one time or another, maybe at that time they thought they were special.....

As far as eating meat I do not understand what you mean by that, I mean we are at the top of the food chain, I guess I have a little bit of an idea what you mean but I do not see eating meat as being part of something wrong. Their are numbers of better examples, industry pollution, driving your car, hell burning a fire in your back yard.. Maybe I can help you out in what your trying to say...

Human beings are not perfect..

Not all human beings have good attitudes....

I guess also their is allot of misunderstanding among the billions of humans communicating with strangers as well on this planet...

Do i think i am someone special no i don't, but we all have our place in this world, it's just that some of them do the work more then others.

a reply to: Talorc
So the post is not about being special it's about vegitarianism.

a reply to: crayzeed

If you think the opening post was about vegetarianism then there is no hope for you in this thread. Maybe it's time for you to move on to another thread?

a reply to: Dark Ghost
Maybe crayzeed was just trying to inject a bit of humor in the discussion?

a reply to: Dark Ghost

The vast majority of us are capable of massacring our neighbours when the right pressures are brought to bear. We can join crowds and cheer when one person is brutalised and killed. Of those who won't take part, most of them will just say nothing and that's still braver than the ones that do take part.

Humanity has its heroes and strong characters who actively refuse to commit evil and fight back against it. Even with them, I suspect, under different circumstances, they too can be barbaric.

We need to remember this always and stop thinking one creed or colour is somehow immune to it whilst the others are prone to it.