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and if one leaves no permanent mark other than one's deeds here, it's much better to be remembered for the good things you've done than the bad.

Look further into the future. What happens when humanity ends? What good are your good deeds then?

Even though I have been arguing with myself over the whole "Faith" thing, I do believe that their is a God. Nuff'said for me.

"What good are your good deeds then?"

What good is worrying about the future? Life is meant to be lived for today. There's more to living then always looking over your shoulder, expecting God to trip you up. I was born, i didn't ask to be. I'm here, i'll do whatever i want. And whatever i want is being a calm, happy, hippy-esque free love type of guy. The world won't be worse off for having me here. And if you are doing good deeds for the sake of someone who may be watching, you miss the whole point.

And if you are doing good deeds for the sake of someone who may be watching, you miss the whole point.


Well said, cydonia!

Why thankyou, sir.

Here, have a rasin oatmeal cookie. You're getting old, you'll need the fiber.

What good is worrying about the future?

I'm not saying worry about the future. I'm saying look at the future objectively. If everything is just going cease to exist one day, then what is the point of living? Why does humanity exist?

I'm here, i'll do whatever i want.

you can get into a lot of bad situations with that kind of philosophy.

And if you are doing good deeds for the sake of someone who may be watching, you miss the whole point.

I agree. But why are you doing good deeds at all?

"But why are you doing good deeds at all?"

Because it feels good. Why are you posting here? Because you enjoy it, right?

"If everything is just going cease to exist one day, then what is the point of living? Why does humanity exist? "

I'll re-quote something i posted earlier.
"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced."

I already said what doing whatever i want meant to me.

Why are you doing good deeds?

Come again, ender?

That was directed at Iella, cydonia.

Doh! (that's my best impersonation of Homer Simpson, did it sound right?)

Homer? Is that you?

Because it feels good. Why are you posting here? Because you enjoy it, right?

Ah. another great philosophy. Let's do whatever feels good. (Not that doing good deeds is a bad thing) Now why do you suppose doing good deeds feels good?

Ender:
Why are you doing good deeds?

First off, what's the definition of a good deed? Or an example of a good deed?

"Ah. another great philosophy. Let's do whatever feels good. (Not that doing good deeds is a bad thing) Now why do you suppose doing good deeds feels good?"

Well, if it's not a bad thing, and is a great philosophy, i'm glad we share similar views. Why does it feel good? Hmm...let's see....

I don't care! It just feels right. It's natural. And as i've said before, or maybe i'll add on to, it's all about the present moment. If doing good deeds doesn't guarantee me anything in the after life, might as well do them just because. That's right. Just because. A simple philosophy is not an easy philosophy.

Because it makes others feel good?

If doing good deeds doesn't guarantee me anything in the after life, might as well do them just because.

doing good deeds doesn't guarantee a good afterlife. that's not why we do good deeds (which is yet to be defined by Ender for me)

Helping people when they are down.

You actually need help in defining a good deed?

"doing good deeds doesn't guarantee a good afterlife. that's not why we do good deeds "

Right, you'd see i responded to that point earlier with "just because." Do i need to walk you thru this?

Try this: A good deed is any deed that deals out more help than harm. The benefits are numerous and obvious.

Well, if you want to be really logical about it, performing altruistic deeds for others feels good to us because we developed as communal animals with a very complex social web. When you cooperate for survival, doing something to improve another's well-being consequently improves yours. Biologically speaking, it makes more sense to assist our peers than to sabotage them... especially when you live in a culture where there is no worse fate than ostracism.

But really, I don't care why it feels good, merely that it gives me a wonderful sensation of fulfillment. We humans should get in the habit of being kind for the love of it, not merely for the promise of a better afterlife.

Here's a question, Iella: Why teach, if everyone you teach is going to die someday? Why be a doctor, if everyone you heal is going to die someday?

Think about the future all you want, but don't lose track of what matters here and now.

Ender

Helping people when they are down.

That's your definition of a good deed? That's pretty general... What happens if I help my friend when she's down at someone else's expense? Is it still a good deed?

You actually need help in defining a good deed?

No, I wanted to know your definition of a good deed.


cydonia

Right, you'd see i responded to that point earlier with "just because." Do i need to walk you thru this?

No, I think I pretty much got it. You do good deeds "just because," since doing good deeds doesn't guarantee you a better afterlife. Heck, there is no afterlife. So nothing I do while I'm alive is going to have any consequence in a couple thousand years. All of my existence is crammed into about 70 or 80 years, during which time I want to experience as much as I can. And "it's much better to be remembered for the good things you've done than the bad." (quoting Darth Geist from the bottom of page 8)And this is because... just because. Wait. Who is going to remember my deeds? My friends? My children? My friends's children? What about their grandchildren? Or my grandchildren? Oh... Well, I certainly don't know of my great grandmother's good deeds. Heck, I don't even know her name. I guess my influence is only going to last one or two generations then. Unless I'm really, really famous for doing good deeds. So then I conclude that unless I plan to become really, really famous for doing good deeds, there's no point in doing good deeds for recognition. And so, we're back to doing good deeds because... just because.

Yup... I got it.

Darth Geist

A good deed is any deed that deals out more help than harm.

Let's discuss semantics. What does "help" mean? Help means... well, help means benefit. So a good deed is a deed that accomplishes more benefit than harm. Excellent. So. Beneficial to who?


Republic_Clone_69
Well, if you want to be really logical about it, performing altruistic deeds for others feels good to us because we developed as communal animals with a very complex social web.

You know, that sounds great. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. But how does it follow that having a "very complex social web" makes doing unselfish acts feel good?

When you cooperate for survival, doing something to improve another's well-being consequently improves yours.

Mm hmm. I see. So if I give a $10 Christmas present to that poor little starving homeless kid on the street, it improves my well being.

Biologically speaking, it makes more sense to assist our peers than to sabotage them...

so if I don't give that $10 present to that poor little starving homeless kid on the street, I doesn't make sense.

especially when you live in a culture where there is no worse fate than ostracism.

So if I don't give a present to every single poor little starving homeless kid on the street, I'm ostracizing myself from the rest of society. And if I don't take every single opportunity I have to help my fellow man, I'm ostracizing myself from society. Which is pretty funny, considering all the mean selfish people in our society.


merely that it gives me a wonderful sensation of fulfillment.

ok... let's say you take an average person off the street and tell him to do anything that gives him "a wonderful sensation of fulfillment."

He'd probably end up in jail.


We humans should get in the habit of being kind for the love of it not merely for the promise of a better afterlife.

Right. As I have said before, we don't do good deeds for the promise of a better afterlife.

Darth Geist
Here's a question, Iella: Why teach, if everyone you teach is going to die someday? Why be a doctor, if everyone you heal is going to die someday?

Indeed, why? If everything is just going to die, why do anything at all? I agree. Let's not do anything.

Why is that such a ridiculous idea?

You tell me.

Think about the future all you want, but don't lose trac

"Yup... I got it. "

Nope...you don't. Don't put words into my mouth and tell me what i believe. Sheesh.

You know, you don't seem very happy.

I've also noticed you take everyone's comments totally out of context and use them in their opposite form, when you know that's not what they really meant, which wins you no points.

Don't put words into my mouth and tell me what i believe. Sheesh.

So what do you disagree with?

You know, you don't seem very happy.

Mm hmm. And the point is?

I've also noticed you take everyone's comments totally out of context and use them in their opposite form, when you know that's not what they really meant, which wins you no points.

Right. Examples?