Well that’s just how GIA phrased it but it amounts to personal “conscience” determines correct conduct. A psychopath can say that his duty is to be true to himself.
That’s just silly. You steal things to have them yourself or sell them. It wasn’t stealing. It is not that act. It is another act.
If you are on fire and I knock you down and roll you smothering the flames, I did not assault you, even though if I did that to someone else, the exact same movements, someone who was not on fire, it would be considered an assault.
We’re humans, and dumb as the law can be at times, it reflects the fact that the meaning and intent of an action can change what that actions means and is.
We are not billiard balls.
By the way, I hate that shrug smilie thing. It seems to imply that it is so obvious what you are saying is true and ridiculous you even need to point out the a priori point you are making. I may not have convinced you but jeez, that smilie emoticons can go cower in a hole.
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You have a legal right to stop a terrorist act in that scenario by taking the terrorists bomb. Taking it. If you steal it and keep it for yourself or sell it after stealing it, that would be stealing it and not taking it.
He might say it to a normal, but ‘duty’ is a meaningless word to a psychopath.
It works for all other animals. Male lions kill the kittens from the defeated male. If a human busted into someone’s home, killed the man and all his children, then impregnated his wife and forced her to raise his children, he’d be burnt at the stake even today. Animals function on instinct while humans flatter themselves for possessing some divine attribute for the asserting of an objective right and wrong.
What is good for society? Is a good society one that grows larger and larger forever? Is it a function of genetics, morals? What? If we can’t define a good society, assuming that a good society is good, then how can we determine what is good for society?
I have a lot of issues with family and no idea how to fix them. It’s a long story. Mom is a professional guilt-tripper.
Depends on what “works” means. A female praying mantis eating her mate works for her I guess. Should we structure human society along the same lines? Who knows.
Apparently you know that trusting your conscience is good but you can’t figure out what is good for society.
If you say so.
One has to consider the obvious definition of the word “steal”. Later, one can move on to other considerations.
You know what they say … one person’s ‘terrorist’ is another person’s ‘freedom fighter’.
“Legal right” is itself problematic … what if a law is enacted which allows you to search any person’s wallet and take out any currency which exceeds the amount in your own wallet, thus equalizing the amount in both your wallets. Is that “legal right” ethical? I’m sure lots of people would say “yes”.
You have a lot of integrity and I am the same way, so I know the downside of it. Isn’t it strange that I’ve grown to hate people because I’m considerate of them (since that’s the only reason to have integrity)? The bad part of holding yourself to high standards is being in judgement of those who don’t. I’d like to think of myself as easy-going because it really doesn’t matter what we have for dinner or what we watch on tv (to an extent) and I see myself as pliable and varied in interests, but can’t tolerate when people can’t keep their word and they never can. Never. It’s a grand fluke if someone accidentally did what they said they were going to do. So if there is a bomb, screw it, it’s not my business because it’s likely a lot of people who would piss me off anyway with their lack of consideration: pull in front of me then turn left, drive slow without giving others an opportunity to pass, raise hell and make noise with no regard for neighbors, promise to arrive at a time and then not show, etc, etc, etc. People are animals with an extra helping of pride and I’ve no obligation to protect the haughty. I’d sooner protect a real animal and if I ever caught anyone torturing an animal, one of us is going to die.
I’ve done a lot of soul searching lately and I don’t know why I keep my word. Why do I bother? No one else can. It’s as if I’m playing a game and I want my character to be a certain way for no reason whatsoever, other than to see how it plays out. Has anyone noticed how I diligently reply to everyone and every point? No one returns the favor however as all have left me hanging. So why do I bother? Why do I do for others what they won’t do for me? Why do I hold myself to such a standard? Idk, I’m still in the process of figuring things out.
“Those who know, don’t speak; those who speak, don’t know.”
“The act of writing is the act of discovering what you believe.”
So here we are… the blind leading the blind, muddling along and trying to figure it out.
Can you?
That’s my favorite emoticon 
Psychopaths lack empathy, consideration, which incidentally seems consistent with most of the population (lack of consideration). Hitherto I thought psychopaths were rare, but now I’m thinking they may be the norm. How many people genuinely consider how their actions affect others? Or maybe they aren’t smart enough to give it consideration. Something is lacking!
If your conscience tells you what is good for you, then it’s also saying what is good for the people who you interact with and as a consequence what is good for society.
Why do you retreat from that idea and pretend that you don’t know what is good for society?
Because I don’t even know what is good for me, nevermind others and even less about society as a whole.
And what is a good society? Are we to maximize population or maximize the quality of the members of the population? What is a quality member?
Then what was all that talk about trusting your conscience??
Does it mean that you don’t trust your conscience to tell you what’s good for you?
I’m really confused now.
I think that many of a society’s norms and values are inextricably linked to what our consciences inform us is morally right and wrong. Such that people who do not act within the spectrum of what is considered morally acceptable are classed as deviants. I think that through introspection our consciences are capable of informing us what is good or best for ourselves and others. The importance of the conscience in human development may be understated, but I think that a society with a general consensus of what is conscionable, that aims towards what is morally right, is one that would be more likely to thrive, due to having a strong emphasis on equality and cooperation.
That is where discussions and debates come into play and better laws drafted.
If you think living by duty and honor is psychopathic then do not live for duty and honor.
Regards
DL
Because that’s all we can do. If you cannot trust yourself, you can’t trust anything, so you have to trust yourself knowing you’re going to be right and wrong sometimes, but you can’t impose that decision on someone else.
You impose that decision on everyone that you interact with directly and indirectly. And you do it every day.
You decide, you act. Then people react. Society changes as a result.
I don’t know what you expect to be different.