reasonvemotion wrote:... it will work out" which at the best of times is never comforting. The most unconvincing is "people do the best they can". Please. I suppose you also believe this universe is a friendly place. ...
I see reality in quite a different way.
BTW your remark " I can understand that living ethically can 'sound artificial' to those who do not practice it", has not gone unnoticed. It didnt take you long to drop your mantle of goodness and insinuate.
I do not grasp what Manson has to do with it.
I still hold that identifying with everyone you encounter as if they were "family" - rather than "a stranger" - will make for a better life for all
...How sheltered was your life.
Hi, reasonvemotion
I'm sorry you found what the system of Ethics implies to not be comforting; it could be better if you were comfortable. For that you would have to understand how science works to add value, to enhance the quality and well-being of those alive. When I said "Everyone is just trying to make a life" I could have supplemented that observation by saying for the majority of the world's population, those who live in poverty, it is a matter of staying alive ...as the BeeGees song was titled.
As to the fact that
everyone is doing the best they know how, I learned that from one of the foremost psychotherapists alive at that time, my buddy, Albert Ellis. He found that to be true. His insights were strongly influenced by the Stoics, especially Epictetus. It is a nice way of saying that we are in a state of ignorance, and that if we knew better, we would do better. I, at age 83, am inclined to agree with him, based on my experiences.
As to my living a sheltered life, I have done time in jail, the most serious when I was a conscientious objector to a war - euphemistically dubbed a "police action." I endured violence as an activist in the Civil Rights Movement; as I employed a method of resistance known as nonviolent direct action. I was jailed temporarily many times in anti-war protests.
My father died at age 52 from stress and trauma. He was trained as an accountant but could find no work during the Great Depression. He raised five children and did a marvelous job of it, in that we all became professionals devoted to public service. One of my sisters became a millionaire at a young age. She is a docent in an art museum, and a philanthropist for a local symphony orchestra. I became a Professor of Philosophy ...only after I sold newspapers to support the family. I couldn't afford to enter college until I was 26. Got my Ph.D. at 35. Worked my way through school, as the scholarships didn't cover everything. ...only tuition; not books, supplies, rent, food, etc. Studied hard. No parties. No vacations. No leisure.
I did get a book published, titled SCIENCES OF MAN AND SOCIAL ETHICS. I did get to hang around with Isaac Asimov, Bucky Fuller, Abe Maslow, and Bob Hartman. I did travel eventually to twelve countries. I do speak five languages.
...sheltered life? Some might say so. I'm not sure.
Yes, I am a Cosmic Optimist. I strongly believe - based on evidence - that the Universe is friendly to intelligent life. Robert S. Hartman taught me the rationale for such a conviction. I am more-than-convinced of how supportive the Universe is, if only we would give it a chance. In our ignorance we throw up so many obstacles, e.g., how the majority party in the House of Representatives behaves today.
As far as I can tell nothing you wrote refutes any of the arguments and statements in my recent two posts. I don't recall assuming a mantle of goodness. This is all your perception. I have been attempting to propose a theory of Ethics. It speaks for itself. I never claimed to be a saint - as defined in the system. Although I have ideals, I don't manage to live up to them. I do not believe I am utopian. [The last chapter of Living The Good Life deals with that topic, as noted in its caption.]
And I am truly sorry that you are discomforted by the ideas. I sincerely hope you come to feel better as time goes on. For you, and Voice of Time, and all readers: I wish you success, happiness, and prosperity.
