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BraveMurderDay
Blue Jay
Joined: Jun 27, 2004
Posts: 90
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 Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: Is kindness immoral? |
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| Is it immoral for one to regularly treat those around oneself with kindness? If enough people began behaving this way, certain others may become so accustomed to this that if one day they were ever dealt with harmfully by some abusive soul(s) out there, it could be too much to bear. So perhaps by treating each other more harshly in day to day interactions we may cushion the blow should the inevitable one day occur when a deranged or simply angry individual who can't be tamed by society punishes a citizen with a barrage of words or force? |
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Awesomelyglorious
Destroyer of worlds, reaver of souls
Joined: Dec 18, 2005
Posts: 6138
Location: United States
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| Do you mean immoral from a utilitarian stance? No, not really. Acting as you state is more likely to leave individuals feeling detached and weak ultimately leading them to self-destructive behavior. The occasional act of cruelty is disruptive but if kind people exist then they can reduce the negative disruption. Really though, I cannot say what you would find to be moral or not. If you think that weeding out the weaklings in society is moral than cruelty is desirable. |
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gwenevyn
asdf forever
Joined: May 07, 2007
Posts: 6179
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:32 am Post subject: |
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No, it's not.
The idea you propose stems from the false belief that being treated badly makes us more able to deal with future bad treatment.
That's a folk tale.
Being treated kindly helps prepare us to recognize when we are in a bad situation and respond appropriately. |
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kt-64
Phoenix
Joined: Apr 12, 2007
Posts: 955
Location: Who cares?
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| not really, not in my opinion. Being kind is the most "moral" or "ethical" thing you could do. |
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Anubis
My name is "Trouble".
Joined: Sep 07, 2006
Age: 18
Posts: 13706
Location: Too school for cool
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:07 am Post subject: |
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No, so long as you don't smother and spoil them too much. They mustn't expect to have their every whim catered for, it ruins them as people.
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You can get alot out of new life. You get very little from criminal scum. |
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Ragtime
Legal Eagle Eye
Joined: Nov 03, 2006
Age: 29
Posts: 7873
Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| Anubis wrote: | | No, so long as you don't smother and spoil them too much. They mustn't expect to have their every whim catered for, it ruins them as people. |
Yeah: spoiling people, bad. Kindness, good. 
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I shaved off my goatee so that my wife could read my facial expressions better. She feels much happier and closer to me now. (Just thought I'd share this advice for any other bearded members.) |
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kclark
Velociraptor
Joined: May 11, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 460
Location: NE Illinois
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with gwenevyn, Anubis, and Ragtime.
However how does one know when they are spoiling someone rather than being extremely kind?
Is it dependent upon the giver of kindness or the recipient of said kindness? |
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Chakapew
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: May 31, 2007
Posts: 72
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| kclark wrote: | I agree with gwenevyn, Anubis, and Ragtime.
However how does one know when they are spoiling someone rather than being extremely kind?
Is it dependent upon the giver of kindness or the recipient of said kindness? |
I think it goes like this, if you open a door for someone that is kindness. Now offering to shine their shoes right after is being extremly kind and spoiling the person. |
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calandale
Stellar's Jay
Joined: Mar 10, 2007
Posts: 15131
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| Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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No. And ending (or preventing)
suffering is
the greatest kindness that
we can give. |
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gahana
Emu Egg
Joined: Jun 01, 2007
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:49 am Post subject: |
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| Kindness is good. Selfless Kindness is the best. |
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calandale
Stellar's Jay
Joined: Mar 10, 2007
Posts: 15131
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:52 am Post subject: |
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| gahana wrote: | | Kindness is good. Selfless Kindness is the best. |
What if there is nothing but the self? |
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Ragtime
Legal Eagle Eye
Joined: Nov 03, 2006
Age: 29
Posts: 7873
Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:41 am Post subject: |
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| calandale wrote: | No. And ending (or preventing)
suffering is
the greatest kindness that
we can give. |
True.
_________________
I shaved off my goatee so that my wife could read my facial expressions better. She feels much happier and closer to me now. (Just thought I'd share this advice for any other bearded members.) |
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Ragtime
Legal Eagle Eye
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Age: 29
Posts: 7873
Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:43 am Post subject: |
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| calandale wrote: | | gahana wrote: | | Kindness is good. Selfless Kindness is the best. |
What if there is nothing but the self? |
You mean what if all kindness is selfishly motivated? Well, that comes into the question of Love: Is apparently-selfless love merely a survival instinct, or a deliberate kindheartedness? By experience, I vote for the latter.
_________________
I shaved off my goatee so that my wife could read my facial expressions better. She feels much happier and closer to me now. (Just thought I'd share this advice for any other bearded members.) |
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gahana
Emu Egg
Joined: Jun 01, 2007
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Love is our true nature. The ego is false. (mind) |
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kclark
Velociraptor
Joined: May 11, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 460
Location: NE Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Chakapew wrote: | | kclark wrote: | I agree with gwenevyn, Anubis, and Ragtime.
However how does one know when they are spoiling someone rather than being extremely kind?
Is it dependent upon the giver of kindness or the recipient of said kindness? |
I think it goes like this, if you open a door for someone that is kindness. Now offering to shine their shoes right after is being extremly kind and spoiling the person. |
What if that person is going to an important interview and didn't notice that their shoes were all scuffed and dirty? I would say that shining their shoes is being kind, but maybe all you should do is tell them that their shoes are dirty and scuffed so they can correct that their self. If that person has come to expect people to shine his shoes for no reason, then yes they have become spoiled, so maybe continuous and repeated over kindness is necessary to spoil someone.
I think maybe the dividing line is when you do something for another that they should do for their self. What that actually means will probably vary on the person and situation. |
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