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06-08-2013 Well, I actually am a misanthrope (I'm a few years older than you - you'll get there in time ) and I often think that a nuclear war would be too good for us... |
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06-08-2013
You might be right... Here's a quote somebody mentioned yesterday that suits the mood of this blog post: "Once we settle ourselves off-world, we can blow up this planet from outer space. It’s the only way to be sure its stench will not follow us."
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06-08-2013 There's a book by a german philosopher/writer (Ulrich Horstman) in which he states that humans are actually the tool life uses to kill itself.According to him, there's a Will to Live a la Schopenhauer which drags life into existence against its will - and humans and their technology have evolved so life on Earth can finally end itself. Things like ABC-weapons and environmental destruction are not ethical "bads",they are the means by which humanity will accomplish its ultimate purpose. As I'm a materialist, I don't believe in this literally, but it sounds right on an emotional level... |
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07-08-2013 Nothing saddens me and revolts me more than animal suffering. I try as hard as I can not to think of it but it is all around me...cats living in the street, dogs being abandoned, dogs who have owners but are treated very poorly...and then you think of all the animals in the world that live on the street or live in pounds...just the thought alone is almost unbearable.Animal suffering really is my weak spot. |
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07-08-2013 Actually, it's not my weak spot. It's just that I care deeply about animals and most people don't. To say that it's my weak spot seems to imply that it is a fault but I think the fault is not to care. Although speaking of faults strikes me as a bit odd given that I don't believe in free will. |
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07-08-2013
Yeah, this is just something that makes our living on this planet tougher. I donate to animal shelters from time to time but that doesn't make me feel better because I know I can never make all of them comfortable and as long as some are left out - it's not good enough. I saw the pics of books on your blog, found this one on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Nonsense-Free-Will-Facing-ebook/dp/B009L9045W/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368920766&sr=1-1&keywords=Richard+Oerton%2C+The+Nonsense+of+Free+Will - would you recommend it? |
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07-08-2013 I would, yes. That book's writing style is extremely simple and clear.I also recommend "Free Will" by Sam Harris. And the several blog posts he did about that topic. I actually have two copies of Richard Oerton's book due to a mistake while I was ordering it online. I would gladly send you one for free but I'm guessing the cost to send it to Ukraine is probably insane. |
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07-08-2013
Thanks! But I prefer reading from my ebook. That's why I search on amazon and the delivery over Wi-Fi is free. Otherwise it can cost 2ce as much as the book itself)) |
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07-08-2013 I think donating money is great but at the same time not so much.I mean, clearly it's better than doing nothing but at the same time I feel like giving money is the kind of thing we do in order to have a "clear consciousness" and not have to think about it anymore. Sometimes we see beggars and bums on the street and yes, we care about them to some extent so we give them money but we know perfectly well that the money we just gave isn't gonna change anything. In a way it's like an insurance policy. It's something we do to insure that we don't go home agonizing over that person's situation or about not having done something. It's like: "Here's a little bit of money. Good! Now that I've done something, I don't need to think about the horrible life conditions that person lives in anymore or actually help that person in some substantial way:" I don't know... |
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07-08-2013
I mean, clearly it's better than doing nothing but at the same time I feel like giving money is the kind of thing we do in order to have a "clear consciousness" and not have to think about it anymore. I don't have that, as I wrote, it doesn't make me feel better. I just know they need to buy meds, building materials, food. They also accept donations in food and materials. Not like these needs are not real, even if I volunteered instead of donating - these things would still be of essense. So I can't find a reason not to donate. They sterelize stray animals, cure them, try to find homes for them and since I'm not donating my time I can at least donate some money. It's like: "Here's a little bit of money. Good! Now that I've done something, I don't need to think about the horrible life conditions that person lives in anymore or actually help that person in some substantial way:" Maybe somebody does feel like that, (some don't think about it at all because 'this is their own fault and they'll just spend monet on booze!') I feel even worse because this doesn't solve a problem, and this help is nothing, even if I bought them a dinner and shelter for a whole day it'd still be nothing much compared to life. But at the same time, that's not a valid reason not to give. Clearly, they're asking, that's what they want. |
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13-08-2013 Don't blame this poor planet Earth for the stench. That's all our doing. It's us, the overgrown primates with a brain too big for their britches, that stink... |
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13-08-2013 Not to be misunderstood, I hate the predatory natural order as much as the next antinatalist... But blame should be put where blame is due. |
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13-08-2013
Sure, the more intelligent somebody is the more responsibility/blame is due. Although it's a bit hard to combine with the deterministic outlook on life (( |
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14-08-2013 Hello, Irina.I remember being a little kid watching TV, and every now and then an animal abuse awareness commercial would come on and shatter the illusion of how fair the world was. Animal abuse hits us a very specific way that infuriates us and makes us loathe the offender. I found that the best way out of feeling bad was to accept that it was inevitable and impossible to fix. The sad thing is that people are not different from animals. We, like animals, are entirely lacking in free will and self determination. Like animals, we can be trained (but also train ourselves, luckily) to behave in certain ways, but that is all. I encourage you to accept the human race as being a bunch of stupid animals, and then you can forgive it for its unutterable cruelty. Kudos for not being a misanthropist, that is a miserable existence. |
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15-08-2013
Hi Adam 'animal abuse awareness commercial'? We didn't have that. I was only bothered by real cats and dogs outside my window. Fighting cats, whining puppies. I found that the best way out of feeling bad was to accept that it was inevitable and impossible to fix. Sure, me too, but it still gets me. Right now there's a new wave of 'dog-hunting' in some cities of Ukraine. We don't have an effective animal control so some screwed-up people make it their mission to get rid of stray dogs. By feeding them some tuberculosis drug that causes about 3-hour agony before finally killing the dog. Somebody just throws the poisoned food on the ground. I encourage you to accept the human race as being a bunch of stupid animals, and then you can forgive it for its unutterable cruelty Yeah, but if I accept that torturers torture because of the lack of free will - my reactions of outrage and wishing them harm is just as well an inevitable outcome... |
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15-08-2013
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Right now there's a new wave of 'dog-hunting' in some cities of Ukraine. We don't have an effective animal control so some screwed-up people make it their mission to get rid of stray dogs. By feeding them some tuberculosis drug that causes about 3-hour agony before finally killing the dog. Somebody just throws the poisoned food on the ground. I remember reading about how 100 years ago or so the Europeans would use to stuff a bunch of cats into a cloth effigy of a political figure and burn it so that it would put off the illusion that the effigy was screaming. At the time I felt like there has to be some way to go back and time and fix what happened to the cats, but the truth is that they are dead and are now no worse off for ever having lived. It is a shame that they were burned, but getting made about it cannot change anything. I cannot help but feel angry and wish harm onto other people, and you would have to drastically change yourself if you wanted to reach some sort of zen state where you no longer felt indignation about the world. It's unfortunate that we can know the truth in our heads, but it is not possible for us to accept it as our way of life. Even Schopenhauer was a hypocrite when it came to his actual actions. I am in the same boat as you, where I loathe and wish harm onto others for their actions. But I know that no one really has any accountability, since we are all driven by powerful forces and are routinely lied to by our brains. I think that it is necessary for most people to believe in free will, because they are not sure how to go about living after that illusion is broken. quote:
Yeah, but if I accept that torturers torture because of the lack of free will - my reactions of outrage and wishing them harm is just as well an inevitable outcome... It was inevitable at one point, but if you become more understanding it can change. The only thing that is really important is us having a comfortable life until we die. Forgiving others and helping others is the best way to be happy if (like most people) we cannot see our own desires met. Raging out at the world for its cruelty is like trying to catch the ocean in a bucket. I like you website. Keep updating. |
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16-08-2013
It's unfortunate that we can know the truth in our heads, but it is not possible for us to accept it as our way of life. Exactly. Even Schopenhauer was a hypocrite when it came to his actual actions. Don't know anything about that. The only thing that is really important is us having a comfortable life until we die. Forgiving others and helping others is the best way to be happy if (like most people) we cannot see our own desires met. Raging out at the world for its cruelty is like trying to catch the ocean in a bucket. On the one hand - yes, on the other - have to be a little uncomfortable to help others. Empathy is uncomfortable.. I also don't like both 'have to be happy' or 'shouldn't be happy' views. It's all constraints, some are more capable of being happy, to others - this is highly inauthentic. There is certain comfort in being authentic, true to what your current thoughts and feelings about the world are. Happiness as a goal ... I don't know... I like it when it comes but would I cut part of my brain out to be happy? No. Why not just kill myself then? With high empathy and living in the real world full of misery it's not easy to be happy, and it's only logical. Doesn't mean you resist it, rather, you try to gain as many pleasurable experiences as possible, but you just accept that you're not here to be happy, you're fucked, deal with it)))
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15-08-2013 Someone how the quotes got messed up on that. Not sure what I did wrong. |
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16-08-2013
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"Once we settle ourselves off-world, we can blow up this planet from outer space. It’s the only way to be sure its stench will not follow us." What about our own stench, then? We should blow up this planet, and ourselves. |
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