Philosophy Now Forum

You may congratulate yourself Harbal that you are not so lacking in sensibility that you are unable to feel the sadness of transience.

Belinda wrote:You may congratulate yourself Harbal that you are not so lacking in sensibility that you are unable to feel the sadness of transience.

But that doesn't quite feel like it makes up for not doing the right things at the right time. It's not like it ever stops: In ten years time, or even less, I know I will be regretting the way I am behaving now.

Nothing ever makes up what you lost, or missed or chose incorrectly. The only way to keep those regrets to a minimum is to live each day mindfully, considerately and conscientiously. (Don't look away. And don't Blink! Good luck.)

Skip wrote:Nothing ever makes up what you lost, or missed or chose incorrectly. The only way to keep those regrets to a minimum is to live each day mindfully, considerately and conscientiously. (Don't look away. And don't Blink! Good luck.)

Aye aye, Skip.

Skip wrote:Nothing ever makes up what you lost, or missed or chose incorrectly. The only way to keep those regrets to a minimum is to live each day mindfully, considerately and conscientiously.

...or voluntarily give up the ghost; if only that were made easier it would be a mark of an advanced civilization. Life should be regarded as an option and not stupidly regarded as mandatory based on any perverse formula of ethics.

A friend of mine says this about this LIFE experience: "You can't get this wrong."

That rings of truth to me. It takes a lot of debilitating pressure off. So I can just focus on enjoying and improving whatever the hell I'm doing/thinking/feeling in any given moment. There are no ultimate goals or demands more important than that.

Lacewing wrote:A friend of mine says this about this LIFE experience: "You can't get this wrong."

That rings of truth to me. It takes a lot of debilitating pressure off. So I can just focus on enjoying and improving whatever the hell I'm doing/thinking/feeling in any given moment. There are no ultimate goals or demands more important than that.

...a fairy-tale! What does it even mean "You can't get this wrong"? Ask your friend how many ever got it right of which sheer luck is a major ingredient. Not least, if the world screws up you won't be personally exempt either. But, for sure, let's just focus on the moment.

Here's a sign they should put at about waist-level in all delivery rooms:
NO REFUNDS

Dubious wrote:What does it even mean "You can't get this wrong"?

Because there is NO ultimate wrong or right.

Ultimate, maybe not... How can you know?
Proximate, oh m' yes! You can make an awful hash of it, for everyone to see and yourself to rue, long before it's all done and dusted.

Lacewing wrote:

Dubious wrote:What does it even mean "You can't get this wrong"?

Because there is NO ultimate wrong or right.

What a naive and silly conclusion since WE obviously don't live in any surreal or virtual mode of existence where the distance between right and wrong evaporates but in an existential one where we judge ourselves and others based on what is considered right or wrong. I noticed you're hardly shy in making your own determinations.

As far as any "ultimate" is concerned the ONLY right or wrong relating to that is if we manage not to annihilate ourselves then we were right and if we do we were wrong not that anyone would ultimately care in spite of all the crimes committed and the miseries inflicted. There may be no right or wrong in a universe which doesn't acknowledge differences but for creatures like ourselves it is definitely of interest which makes your statement meaningless.

Wow... I didn't expect to get such a response to the statement: "You can't get this wrong".

Skip wrote:

Lacewing wrote:Because there is NO ultimate wrong or right.

Ultimate, maybe not... How can you know?

I don't really "know" anything. I was answering the question that was put to me "what does it even mean?"... by sharing my own sense of things.

Dubious wrote:What a naive and silly conclusion...

To you, perhaps.

I can see that there are many ideas of right and wrong which are part of the drama we play on this Earth stage -- and NATURALLY, we're each going to make our judgments about what seems right and wrong (with ourselves and others) while we're moving through this life. However, the statement "You can't get this wrong" is meant to acknowledge -- from a broader perspective -- that there are a seemingly infinite number of ways to do this, and ultimately it doesn't matter how you do it. Just do what you will with it.

Dubious wrote:for creatures like ourselves it is definitely of interest which makes your statement meaningless.

I think you are actually the one making the statement meaningless for yourself with your limited perspective.

If anyone wants to think that they CAN GET THIS WRONG... go ahead. Sounds stressful and judgmental and condemning... and I don't see what that accomplishes. But anyone is free to live/think that way.

Lacewing wrote:A friend of mine says this about this LIFE experience: "You can't get this wrong."

Despite all the criticism, I agree 100%. If someone "gets it wrong" it's because there were aspects of the personality, character and circumstances that made it inevitable that they would "get life wrong", eg. junkies who die young, workaholics who don't face their personal demons etc.

Regarding the strong criticism of your friend's wise comment, you can expect such criticism because, as I said, people don't want anyone to get off easy. No standards?? No way! The hard-wired tendency towards fierce peer pressure is so reflexive that people usually have no clue they are being pushy - just "normal".

So people remain wedded to their judgements. They don't want to forgive themselves for their failure to be wonderful because the "hair shirt" has become comfortable, their self-flagellation normalised. I got sick of the "hair shirt" a few years ago and have been working to rid myself of it (partially my interest in philosophy - to rise above constant post-ape judgements, for sanity's sake).

Lacewing wrote: I can see that there are many ideas of right and wrong which are part of the drama we play on this Earth stage -- and NATURALLY, we're each going to make our judgments about what seems right and wrong (with ourselves and others) while we're moving through this life. However, the statement "You can't get this wrong" is meant to acknowledge -- from a broader perspective -- that there are a seemingly infinite number of ways to do this, and ultimately it doesn't matter how you do it. Just do what you will with it.

...so basically judgements on what is right or wrong along with its close cousins good and evil is nothing more than a free for all when granted a broader perspective. With an infinite number of ways to do this we'll naturally pick the one(s) most comfortable for ourselves. History is replete with examples of that happening. So in one way you do make a good point that being the prime methodology in forging alibis for any actions we undertake to make them seem more neutral.

This youngsters make always a lot of noise