What is a decent human-being?

sponger wrote:

The Animals album from Pink Floyd really sums this up, IMO. Yeah, it's just rock n roll, but if you listen closely, you'll find that much of the lyrics are insightful representations of the inner workings of the sociopathic mindset.

And the funny thing about sociopaths is that they are commonly known to exhibit exquisite social skills. They have a unique tendency to turn on the charm and win the trust and adoration of the people around them.

In other words, they are unnatural people. They've pieced together a personality of their choice. Of course, people aren't born that way.

And, as Pink Floyd put it in Animals, they've sort developed that talent through years of not being able to trust people. They harbor an inner belief that if they don't victimize others, they themselves will be victimized. They've never known an environment where they can be themselves and not have to fear retribution in some form or another.

I've never really been able to fully articulate my opinion on this subject. But, generally speaking, I think the key to being a decent human being is to periodically stop and ask myself, "Is this how I really feel?"

I think we as people in a society get caught up in social graces, prescribed points of view, and numerous other self-diluting habits to the point where we become almost sociopathic in a way. That is, for us to feel comfortable in our own skin, we feel that we have to play a role that will help us blend in with the least amount of friction.

And I think that there is no such thing as sincere malice. But, we spend so much time purposely being "nice" that we over time develop the subconscious belief that we must be malicious, hideous, and hurtful people if we are so motivated to prove otherwise.

What took me a really long time to figure out was that empathy was not a one way street. That is, there is no such thing as caring for another living thing without regard for ourselves. By that I mean that there is no such thing as selflessness.

First, people have to feel empathy for themselves. And in order to truly to have that, they have to know how they really feel about things -hence the "Is this how I really feel" bit.

And in order to feel empathy for one self, a person has to be completely honest with him/her self. Otherwise, that person is just a robot who displays whatever emotions and thoughts that were programmed into it.

Of course, what I'm referring to is the self-actualization component of maslow's hierarchy of needs. And, if you believe in maslow's hierarchy of needs, then you know that it is only after self-actualization occurs that a person can feel truly empathetic toward another living thing. That is when empathy is a gut reaction rather than a learned response.

Ahnimus wrote:

For my purposes, a decent human-being, is one that acknowledges truth and accepts total determinism.

surferdude wrote:

That's one way of looking at the world. Seems pretty narcicistic to me, but hey, if it works for you ....

Rushlimbo wrote:

Anyone who didnt vote for George Bush.

deadnote wrote:

one who loves everyone equal

sponger wrote:

and your point is?

surferdude wrote:

I can't spell it but I know what it means. Per dictionary.com "inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity." Ahnimus thinks a decent person is only someone who shares his view of determinism. He directly links decency with himself and ties it directly to his beliefs. That's pretty narcistic in books. But maybe you have a different definition or interpretation.

Ahnimus wrote:

In order for there to be a measurement-which is entirely a human construct-there must be reference points. There must be the high end of decency and the low end of indecency in order for a scale to exist at all. Given that the scale is subjective, it's highly probable that the individuals scale of decency uses introspection of themselves as a reference point for the high-end of decency. In this regard, everyone is equally decent.