Hi, from a new guy...


moralist

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Bob,

I already know your mantras.

Don't ever go into sales or persuasion. It would not end well.

Go make bombs or something...

:smile:

Michael

It is not only my mantra, it is a fact.

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"just as good behavior is more important than good intentions."

Moralist, you've peaked my interest, but could you elaborate a bit. I'm trying to figure out how they differ and how they can clash. Thanks.

Intentions are irrelevant... as only our actions have the power to make the world around us what it is.

Good done for the wrong reason has exactly as much beneficial effect on the world as the same good done for the right reason.

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My main interest is in the moral aspects of life... so I'm moralist. :smile:

I am in my late 70's One lesson I have learned is that good manners is more important than morality.

Ba'al Chatzaf

... just as good behavior is more important than good intentions.

Amen and Selah! What you say is true for the same reason what I said is true. Good intentions are internal. Overt behavior is visible.

Ba'al Chatzaf

This is one aspect I most love about Judaism... it is behaviorist. This is a shortcoming of Christianity.

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"just as good behavior is more important than good intentions."

Moralist, you've peaked my interest, but could you elaborate a bit. I'm trying to figure out how they differ and how they can clash. Thanks.

Intentions are irrelevant... as only our actions have the power to make the world around us what it is.

Good done for the wrong reason has exactly as much beneficial effect on the world as the same good done for the right reason.

Hi moralist. Good to see you here.

It is a win-win if the actor has both good intent and good outcomes.

But it is a lose-win if he has wrongful intent and good outcomes.

In rational selfishness, it's important to him that he has integrity between thought and act as much as possible.

Otherwise, we allow ourselves to be judged by others, by their utilitarian perception.

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WHAT!!

Yes. during my misspent youth I used to design weapon's of mass destruction including thermonuclear weapons. I designed a terrain map compression algorithm to guide cruise missiles to their destination (this was pre GPS but is still a fall back if GPS fails). If you count the indirect effects of my work I have blood on my hands up to my armpits. I am proud of every drop I helped to shed.

Cartago delanda est. Death to our Foes. Vee build zem gut in the Fatherland.

Ba'al Chatzaf

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Were the goodies used against the faterland? Did you hit a bunch of the bad guys? Wow. This'll kill Michael, but you're my kind of gent. Such a youth cannot be called misspent.

Deutchland uber alles - until Baal.

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My favorite cat "Big Guy" was the most loving, personable cat you could imagine, but woe to the animal that intruded on "his" territory (our yard). Dogs, cats, raccoons... To my horror he attacked a raccoon about three times his size when he was fifteen and fairly infirm from heart and kidney problems. The raccoon left the yard in a hurry with me running after him. Big Guy lived to 17 1/2 yo. I still miss him (since March 2004). I like to think Bob Kolker shares the same spirit. Good on you Bob, may you live many more years.

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I'm not a big fan of blood-lust.

I haven't killed a human being, but in my life, I've only drawn blood out of necessity. And, barring the rush of adrenalin during the moment, which would have happened anyway, blood or no blood, drawing it has never made me feel good.

And I just can't imagine what it's like to feel good over killing disarmed and fragile people.

Michael

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No one's talking about fragile people. We're talking war against a brutal dictarship. Christ, I'm from there and I'm grateful to the the allies.

I'm earning Baal's pay here.

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I'm not a big fan of blood-lust.

I haven't killed a human being, but in my life, I've only drawn blood out of necessity. And, barring the rush of adrenalin during the moment, which would have happened anyway, blood or no blood, drawing it has never made me feel good.

And I just can't imagine what it's like to feel good over killing disarmed and fragile people.

Michael

Treat your friends and family well and destroy your enemies. That is a strategy the promotes survival.

Helping to slay the enemies of my country is a way of promoting the safety of my family.

Ba'al Chatzaf

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"just as good behavior is more important than good intentions."

Moralist, you've peaked my interest, but could you elaborate a bit. I'm trying to figure out how they differ and how they can clash. Thanks.

Intentions are irrelevant... as only our actions have the power to make the world around us what it is.

Good done for the wrong reason has exactly as much beneficial effect on the world as the same good done for the right reason.

Hi moralist. Good to see you here.

Thanks, man. :smile:

It is a win-win if the actor has both good intent and good outcomes.

Yes. Good for him as well as good for the world around him.

But it is a lose-win if he has wrongful intent and good outcomes.

Yes. And he would only lose if he didn't regret his bad intentions and wasn't happy that he had acted contrary to them.

In rational selfishness, it's important to him that he has integrity between thought and act as much as possible.

God forbid. Everyone would either be in jail or dead if they were so integrated with their thoughts that they indiscriminately acted upon every thought that passed through their head! That's what murderers do. They do everything the voices tell them to do.

What makes a man is the ability to observe his thoughts... to choose the right thoughts to act on... and to let the rest pass by unresponded.

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