Philosophical Questions: Help

[ysabetwordsmith]

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

Is it more important to help yourself, help your family, help your society, or help the world?

The world -- because without a world to stand on, you will not have yourself, your family, or your society. At least not within your current life, which will be over.

Also, for idiots arguing that the environment conflicts with the economy -- no. The economy is a subset of the environment. No environment, no economy.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Part of it is ignorance. Most people don't understand how connected everything is. They get that everyone lives on the same planet, but they think that they can do things in one place without affecting everywhere else. "One air, one water, one Earth" is not a concept they can grasp.

Part is often religious; Christians believe they were given "dominion" over the Earth. Now if a super-powerful being gave me a super-awesome present, I'd be motivated to take very good care of it. Especially if said being was as violent and abusive as the one described in the Bible. Contrast this with most indigenous religions, where people see themselves as a small part of the Earth with a responsibility to live lightly so they do not damage it.

Part is usually arrogance. Some people believe they can get the cheese without springing the trap, that their misbehavior will not have any consequences, or if it does, the consequences will affect someone other than themselves. Being rich really tends to encourage this.

Part is often age. The older someone gets, the less time is left for their misbehavior to catch up to them. An old person often can wreak havoc and escape into death before the consequences arrive.

Re: Thoughts

[see_also_friend]

>>Part is often age. The older someone gets, the less time is left for their misbehavior to catch up to them. An old person often can wreak havoc and escape into death before the consequences arrive.<<

Conversely, the older one gets, the less one has left to lose...which means, among other things that old people are more likely to fight back in muggings.