Topic: What truly drives society? Does life imitate art or does art (Read 26790 times)

Scheherazade · « **Reply #50 on:** February 19, 2007, 08:19:12 AM »

Quote from: Crystalmonkey on February 19, 2007, 12:55:09 AM

But can ALL things really be considered selfish? (I do often wonder about this)

Consider this:

A mother and a child are in a situation (Whatever it may be, use your imaginations) and the mother must make a choice, either she dies or the child dies.

Let's say (and I don't think this is impossible) that the mother chooses to die for the child.

What are some of the possible motivations?:

A) The pain that the child's death would cause on the mother would be so great that the mother wouldn't want to live. (Selfish)
B) The mother would rather see her child live than herself. (Perhaps she feels that she is worthless or has led a "good" life, in any event not so selfish, assuming she doesn't desire death because she is in pain or something...)
C) The mother thinks she'll get into heaven. (Selfish)
D) The mother wants others to think better of her. (Selfish)

While I can certainly see there are a lot of selfish motivations, and it is certainly possible the mother in this "situation" chose one, what about the idea that there are some motivations that are NOT selfish, and this is certainly NOT a comprehensive list of motivations...

This is not to say that being self-interested is bad, for instance killing someone in defense of your life, I am just wondering whether ALL things are motivated by greed. (And what the possible consequences of this are...)

No.

No matter what the mother in your situation chooses, it has a selfish base. People who give to charity? Selfish. People who do volunteer work? Selfish. Everyone is selfish. You cannot change this. When you give to charity, you're doing something to make yourself feel better.

Vespertine · « **Reply #51 on:** February 19, 2007, 11:59:39 AM »

Quote from: ihatecliches on February 19, 2007, 08:19:12 AM

No.

No matter what the mother in your situation chooses, it has a selfish base. People who give to charity? Selfish. People who do volunteer work? Selfish. Everyone is selfish. You cannot change this. When you give to charity, you're doing something to make yourself feel better.

I think you'd better be very careful when deciding to act as the representative for six billion people. Maybe when you give to charity or do volunteer work, it's for selfish reasons. However, I don't think your motives can be applied to everyone. Let me give you an example. I give blood fairly regularly. Nothing about it makes me feel good in any way, either emotionally or physically. I feel like crap for a few days afterward, I usually end up with a massive bruise on my arm, and I'm pissed off because I'm terrified of needles. Why do I do it? Because I have one of the rarer blood types, and I know that donating can help others. I get absolutely nothing out of it, but I do it anyway.

12AX7 · « **Reply #52 on:** February 19, 2007, 12:20:04 PM »

Quote from: Vespertine on February 19, 2007, 11:59:39 AM

I get absolutely nothing out of it, but I do it anyway.

Hearing ya, sis!

The idea of everything 'volunteer' being based in selfishness is predicated on the assumption that all your actions are yours/or your decision alone; and unbiased by your environment. That's not the case, usually, in real life. People do a LOT of things because they feel they have to; many resent it even. That is closer to the norm, I believe, than people being free to make any/all decisions to suit themselves.

MISTER MASSACRE · « **Reply #53 on:** February 20, 2007, 11:19:17 AM »

By way of example, I make fun of people on Internet not because I enjoy it, but because I feel I have to.

Completely and totally selfless, me. I should get a medal.

Demosthenes · « **Reply #54 on:** February 20, 2007, 11:23:14 AM »

I ain't got no medal. How about a Coolio Point?

Scheherazade · « **Reply #55 on:** February 20, 2007, 01:26:59 PM »

Quote from: Vespertine on February 19, 2007, 11:59:39 AM

I get absolutely nothing out of it, but I do it anyway.

You're honestly going to tell me that helping others doesn't make you feel better about yourself?

ivan · « **Reply #56 on:** February 20, 2007, 01:36:31 PM »

Helping others does make me feel better about myself, but not as a person.

Scheherazade · « **Reply #57 on:** February 20, 2007, 01:53:36 PM »

Quote from: ivan on February 20, 2007, 01:36:31 PM

Helping others does make me feel better about myself, but not as a person.

Does it make you feel better about yourself as an ivan?

pbsaurus · « **Reply #58 on:** February 20, 2007, 01:55:49 PM »

Everything a solipsist does is selfish.

Demosthenes · « **Reply #59 on:** February 20, 2007, 01:56:34 PM »

Quote from: ihatecliches on February 20, 2007, 01:53:36 PM

Does it make you feel better about yourself as an ivan?

No, it makes him feel better about himself as a tool.

ivan · « **Reply #60 on:** February 20, 2007, 02:26:24 PM »

Stop harshing my mellow.

Scheherazade · « **Reply #61 on:** February 20, 2007, 02:31:04 PM »

Quote from: Demosthenes on February 20, 2007, 01:56:34 PM

No, it makes him feel better about himself as a tool.

If ivan was a tool, which kind would he be?

Personally I think he'd be a screwdriver.

Vespertine · « **Reply #62 on:** February 20, 2007, 03:06:11 PM »

Quote from: ihatecliches on February 20, 2007, 01:26:59 PM

You're honestly going to tell me that helping others doesn't make you feel better about yourself?

Yes, that is exactly what I'm telling you. I feel a certain way about myself. Those feelings are the same whether I'm helping others or making babies cry.

ivan · « **Reply #63 on:** February 20, 2007, 03:11:07 PM »

I read that, and then I read it again but dropped the last word, and it still made sense, but was much more intrigueing.

Scheherazade · « **Reply #64 on:** February 20, 2007, 03:14:58 PM »

Quote from: ivan on February 20, 2007, 03:11:07 PM

I read that, and then I read it again but dropped the last word, and it still made sense, but was much more intrigueing.

Yep; definitely a screwdriver.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #65 on:** February 20, 2007, 04:38:08 PM »

Don't be silly. I'm a guy, and guys don't have feelings.

dcrog · « **Reply #66 on:** February 20, 2007, 04:56:07 PM »

Quote from: ihatecliches on February 20, 2007, 03:14:58 PM

Yep; definitely a screwdriver.

Myself I've always thought of him as a weed whacker.

Or a whacker, anyway.

ivan · « **Reply #67 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:00:00 PM »

I'm not taking the bait.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #68 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:12:05 PM »

Dude, he's like one of those USB flash drive Swiss Army Knives.

12AX7 · « **Reply #69 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:15:42 PM »

Quote from: ivan on February 20, 2007, 05:00:00 PM

I'm not taking the bait.

Why not? dc's a Master at that.

ivan · « **Reply #70 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:19:56 PM »

Quote from: pbsaurus on February 20, 2007, 05:12:05 PM

Dude, he's like one of those USB flash drive Swiss Army Knives.

Yeah. All flash and no drive.

ivan · « **Reply #71 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:20:48 PM »

Which is, of course, why chicks dig me.

12AX7 · « **Reply #72 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:21:43 PM »

So you're a shovel, then?

ivan · « **Reply #73 on:** February 20, 2007, 05:43:41 PM »

Only on a trowel basis.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #74 on:** February 20, 2007, 06:26:57 PM »

No need to hammer this joke into the ground.

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Author Topic: What truly drives society? Does life imitate art or does art (Read 26790 times)

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