Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

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Belindi
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Belindi »

Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:36 am The ethic of success is often drummed into children. This is wrong and cruel because the child is not responsible for society's or their parents' expectations.
What is correct is to inform the child other people will often judge him or her according to his or her success, but not to be worried about this as the individual is responsible to his of her own principles, not society's, and the most the parents expect is he will try not to break the law or hurt his friends.
In part, this is due to the parents having pride in and taking credit for their children's success. All loving parents want their children to be happy, and self-sufficiency is one essential component of adult comfort and happiness. But the notion that parents deserve credit for their children's success is, I think, misguided. So is the notion that parents should be blamed for their children's failures.

Parenting -- like other human relationships -- is a two-way street. The parent who thinks rote "parenting techniques" will "work" is often incorrect because every child is different, and every relationship is unique. From infancy on, the child influences the relationship just as much as the parent does.

This does not mean that parents shouldn't teach their children. Of course they should. But just as different educational styles and techniques work best for different children, so do different relationship styles. The notion that parenting is a "job" rather than a relationship is responsible for parents becoming ego-involved in the success of their children, and in their failures. Would a spouse take credit (or blame) for the career success of his or her spouse? (I remember Tiger Woods' father writing a book entitled "Raising a Tiger" in which he took credit for his son's golfing success. I found it disgusting.)

As far as lying: the notion that lying is always immoral is ridiculous. Picture this:

A jack-booted Gestapo officer is calmly grinding lit cigarettes into the bare chest of a handsome member of the Maquis, who looks like a young Louis Jourdan. "Tell me where the Jews are hiding!" snarls the officer, for some strange reason speaking in English with a German accent.

"I don't know where they are," insists the handsome member of the French resistance.

Do the "lying is always wrong" crowd really insist that the Maquis either rat out the Jews, or insist that he won't talk even though that would lead to even more torture, and, possibly, to the truth being eventually dragged out of him?
Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

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Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
I am not certain if that would be a wise advise for parents, considering the ongoing nature-nurture debate.

An example story is that of Susan Polgar, world's first female chess chess grandmaster from New York.

NGC: My Brilliant Brain - Nature or Nurture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzs33wvr9E

Her father, László Polgár, performed a unique educational experiment to prove that children can make exceptional achievements in life if trained in a special way from a early age.

The story of Jabob Barnett from Indiana, USA shows a similar role that parents may have in the success of a child.

The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Mothers-Nu ... B009QJMV8A

I understand that it may appear wrong that parents would take credit for the success of their child, however, I question if it would be morally wrong because parents who do so may serve the greater interest of children in general (e.g. parenting knowledge). How could parents communicate their experiential knowledge effectively? By using their ego they can maintain authenticity and reach other parents.
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Belindi
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Belindi »

arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
I am not certain if that would be a wise advise for parents, considering the ongoing nature-nurture debate.

An example story is that of Susan Polgar, world's first female chess chess grandmaster from New York.

NGC: My Brilliant Brain - Nature or Nurture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzs33wvr9E

Her father, László Polgár, performed a unique educational experiment to prove that children can make exceptional achievements in life if trained in a special way from a early age.

The story of Jabob Barnett from Indiana, USA shows a similar role that parents may have in the success of a child.

The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Mothers-Nu ... B009QJMV8A

I understand that it may appear wrong that parents would take credit for the success of their child, however, I question if it would be morally wrong because parents who do so may serve the greater interest of children in general (e.g. parenting knowledge). How could parents communicate their experiential knowledge effectively? By using their ego they can maintain authenticity and reach other parents.
Do you really think that training has to include a spirit of competition against other people?
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Ecurb »

arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm

I understand that it may appear wrong that parents would take credit for the success of their child, however, I question if it would be morally wrong because parents who do so may serve the greater interest of children in general (e.g. parenting knowledge). How could parents communicate their experiential knowledge effectively? By using their ego they can maintain authenticity and reach other parents.
I haven't watched the Polgar link (video links seem more Sculptor's bailiwick), nor read the Barnett book. Nonetheless, I stand by my previously stated opinion. No doubt chess is a learned skill (and one in which child prodigies abound). But chess ability is also a natural talent, and I'll bet the Polgar sisters (didn't Susan have a sister who was a great chess player, too?) had inherited talent, possibly from their father's genes. I don't doubt that training the girls from an early age promoted their chess skills. Is that really what parents should do? What's so great about being a chess master?

Teaching other parents these "tactics" may not actually improve many lives. I remember when Tiger Woods was at the top of his game, I used to see golfing dads out on the driving range (over)instructing their untalented and uninterested children. They probably bought into the notion that early training could produce a star. Perhaps it can. But natural talent is equally important. Could Pop Polgar create a chess master out of (say) 99.9% of children if he adopted them at an early age. I doubt it. Occasionally the confluence of natural talent and early training coincides to produce a successful result. More often (I'd bet) the training results in misery for all concerned.

Vickie Hearne is a poet and animal trainer who has written a couple of excellent books about animals. She (reasonably,I think) claims that the way to train a dog or horse is to ask it what it wants to do and then train it to do it. The human (says Hearne) is the adept at language and training. He should learn the animal's "language", instead of the other way around. I suspect that is also true of infant children. In the case of the Polgar sisters or Tiger Woods, it so happened that they had the talent for and interest in chess and golf. So the early training paid off. But when other parents try to emulate their tactics, if leads to misery for the child and frustration for the parent. So far from serving the interest of children in general, I suspect that the misplaced egoism of these parents misguides parents.

(I'll grant that Eldrick Woods might have just wanted to coattail on his son's success and make some money selling a book.)
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Ecurb »

Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm
Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
There's nothing wrong with being proud of one's children; I object to taking credit for their success.

The parent's proper "work" is to love his child, care for his child, and make his child's life as pleasant and filled with wonder as he possibly can.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by evolution »

Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:36 am The ethic of success is often drummed into children. This is wrong and cruel because the child is not responsible for society's or their parents' expectations.
What is correct is to inform the child other people will often judge him or her according to his or her success, but not to be worried about this as the individual is responsible to his of her own principles, not society's, and the most the parents expect is he will try not to break the law or hurt his friends.
In part, this is due to the parents having pride in and taking credit for their children's success. All loving parents want their children to be happy, and self-sufficiency is one essential component of adult comfort and happiness. But the notion that parents deserve credit for their children's success is, I think, misguided. So is the notion that parents should be blamed for their children's failures.
But in who's views could a child actually succeed or fail?

What exactly could a child's success or failure being measured against?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am Parenting -- like other human relationships -- is a two-way street. The parent who thinks rote "parenting techniques" will "work" is often incorrect because every child is different, and every relationship is unique. From infancy on, the child influences the relationship just as much as the parent does.
So, from your perspective, the children who are hit and abused from infancy influenced the relationship, correct?

If yes, then that would imply that they deserved it, or at least asked for it, correct?

But if you answer no to the first question, then how exactly do you propose that children from infancy influence the relationship?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am This does not mean that parents shouldn't teach their children. Of course they should. But just as different educational styles and techniques work best for different children, so do different relationship styles. The notion that parenting is a "job" rather than a relationship is responsible for parents becoming ego-involved in the success of their children, and in their failures. Would a spouse take credit (or blame) for the career success of his or her spouse? (I remember Tiger Woods' father writing a book entitled "Raising a Tiger" in which he took credit for his son's golfing success. I found it disgusting.)
Ah okay. So what you find "disgusting", then means that 'what is being proposed' is NOT true, correct?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am As far as lying: the notion that lying is always immoral is ridiculous. Picture this:

A jack-booted Gestapo officer is calmly grinding lit cigarettes into the bare chest of a handsome member of the Maquis, who looks like a young Louis Jourdan. "Tell me where the Jews are hiding!" snarls the officer, for some strange reason speaking in English with a German accent.

"I don't know where they are," insists the handsome member of the French resistance.

Do the "lying is always wrong" crowd really insist that the Maquis either rat out the Jews, or insist that he won't talk even though that would lead to even more torture, and, possibly, to the truth being eventually dragged out of him?
Are you able to look past your own beliefs?

If yes, then who is to say that that one who is saying, "I don't know where they are", is even lying at all in the first place?

In fact, I would suggest that that one is telling thee actual Truth of things.

From what I have observed 'lying is always wrong'. Now, you can put me into any crowd you like, tut if you want to look at this seriously, properly and correctly, then you will have to answer my clarifying questions OPENLY and HONESTLY.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by evolution »

Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 10:04 am

In part, this is due to the parents having pride in and taking credit for their children's success. All loving parents want their children to be happy, and self-sufficiency is one essential component of adult comfort and happiness. But the notion that parents deserve credit for their children's success is, I think, misguided. So is the notion that parents should be blamed for their children's failures.

Parenting -- like other human relationships -- is a two-way street. The parent who thinks rote "parenting techniques" will "work" is often incorrect because every child is different, and every relationship is unique. From infancy on, the child influences the relationship just as much as the parent does.

This does not mean that parents shouldn't teach their children. Of course they should. But just as different educational styles and techniques work best for different children, so do different relationship styles. The notion that parenting is a "job" rather than a relationship is responsible for parents becoming ego-involved in the success of their children, and in their failures. Would a spouse take credit (or blame) for the career success of his or her spouse? (I remember Tiger Woods' father writing a book entitled "Raising a Tiger" in which he took credit for his son's golfing success. I found it disgusting.)

As far as lying: the notion that lying is always immoral is ridiculous. Picture this:

A jack-booted Gestapo officer is calmly grinding lit cigarettes into the bare chest of a handsome member of the Maquis, who looks like a young Louis Jourdan. "Tell me where the Jews are hiding!" snarls the officer, for some strange reason speaking in English with a German accent.

"I don't know where they are," insists the handsome member of the French resistance.

Do the "lying is always wrong" crowd really insist that the Maquis either rat out the Jews, or insist that he won't talk even though that would lead to even more torture, and, possibly, to the truth being eventually dragged out of him?
Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects.
Here is another one that sees and views children in relation to "success" and "failure"

In what respects exactly do you see a 'child' could even so call "fail"?
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
To me, if a parent loved their children properly, then they would create a society, or change society, so society did not see and deem child in terms of "success", nor "failure".
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by evolution »

arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
I am not certain if that would be a wise advise for parents, considering the ongoing nature-nurture debate.
What "debate"?

Nature-nurture has already been solved, and thus there is NO on-going debate left to discuss.
arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm
arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm An example story is that of Susan Polgar, world's first female chess chess grandmaster from New York.

NGC: My Brilliant Brain - Nature or Nurture?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzs33wvr9E

Her father, László Polgár, performed a unique educational experiment to prove that children can make exceptional achievements in life if trained in a special way from a early age.

The story of Jabob Barnett from Indiana, USA shows a similar role that parents may have in the success of a child.

The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Mothers-Nu ... B009QJMV8A

I understand that it may appear wrong that parents would take credit for the success of their child, however, I question if it would be morally wrong because parents who do so may serve the greater interest of children in general (e.g. parenting knowledge). How could parents communicate their experiential knowledge effectively? By using their ego they can maintain authenticity and reach other parents.
evolution
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by evolution »

Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm
arjand wrote: June 17th, 2020, 4:17 pm

I understand that it may appear wrong that parents would take credit for the success of their child, however, I question if it would be morally wrong because parents who do so may serve the greater interest of children in general (e.g. parenting knowledge). How could parents communicate their experiential knowledge effectively? By using their ego they can maintain authenticity and reach other parents.
I haven't watched the Polgar link (video links seem more Sculptor's bailiwick), nor read the Barnett book. Nonetheless, I stand by my previously stated opinion. No doubt chess is a learned skill (and one in which child prodigies abound). But chess ability is also a natural talent, and I'll bet the Polgar sisters (didn't Susan have a sister who was a great chess player, too?) had inherited talent, possibly from their father's genes.
Well the father was the one who said and argued otherwise. In fact the father thought so strongly against your view here that he went out to prove it, and in a sense some would say that he proved with the empirical evidence of teaching his child becoming a so called "chess grandmaster".
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm I don't doubt that training the girls from an early age promoted their chess skills. Is that really what parents should do?
What is the 'what' in what you are asking here?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm What's so great about being a chess master?
Nothing that I can actually see, YET.
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm Teaching other parents these "tactics" may not actually improve many lives. I remember when Tiger Woods was at the top of his game, I used to see golfing dads out on the driving range (over)instructing their untalented and uninterested children. They probably bought into the notion that early training could produce a star. Perhaps it can. But natural talent is equally important. Could Pop Polgar create a chess master out of (say) 99.9% of children if he adopted them at an early age.
No. Even "pop polgar" said that it could not be done.
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm I doubt it. Occasionally the confluence of natural talent and early training coincides to produce a successful result. More often (I'd bet) the training results in misery for all concerned.
How could a human being even be born with a so called "natural talent" to play chess, for example?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm Vickie Hearne is a poet and animal trainer who has written a couple of excellent books about animals. She (reasonably,I think) claims that the way to train a dog or horse is to ask it what it wants to do and then train it to do it. The human (says Hearne) is the adept at language and training. He should learn the animal's "language", instead of the other way around. I suspect that is also true of infant children. In the case of the Polgar sisters or Tiger Woods, it so happened that they had the talent for and interest in chess and golf. So the early training paid off. But when other parents try to emulate their tactics, if leads to misery for the child and frustration for the parent. So far from serving the interest of children in general, I suspect that the misplaced egoism of these parents misguides parents.
Is there a "correctly placed" 'egoism'?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm (I'll grant that Eldrick Woods might have just wanted to coattail on his son's success and make some money selling a book.)
People have done far worse to so call "make some money".
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by evolution »

Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 6:04 pm
Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 1:22 pm
Parents have no moral right to "take pride in" their children's success. Most parents undoubtedly do so however they ought not to do so. It is the parent's proper work to prepare the child for adulthood not to lay the grounds for making the child feel a failure. The child will undoubtedly fail in some respects. It is the parent's job to prepare the child for not always measuring up to what society deems to be success.
There's nothing wrong with being proud of one's children; I object to taking credit for their success.
What exactly could a parent be so called "proud" of one's children?

If one was to be 'proud' of one's children, then what are they proud of exactly?

Also, if one was to be 'proud' of one's children, then they could also be just as easily so called "ashamed" of their children. Now, if a parent was to be 'proud' or 'ashamed' of one's children, then if they are not 'proud' or 'ashamed' of a child's so called "successes" or "failures", then what is that parent 'proud' or 'ashamed' of exactly, in relation to their children?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm The parent's proper "work" is to love his child, care for his child, and make his child's life as pleasant and filled with wonder as he possibly can.
But parents do not necessarily fill a child's life with wonder. In fact what will be found is generally parents way to strongly diminish the wonder in a child. Life, Itself, is absolutely FULL of wonder. If left to their own accord children are, in fact, also FULL of wonder. That is; Sadly, until society removes this wonder, continually.


My view too, evolution. There are some parents who are up to speed on modern child education which downplays success-oriented social competition and instead praises the child for personal goals the child herself has accomplished.
It's doubtful if society itself gains from training children to be compliant about establishment goals and accomplishments.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Belindi »

evolution wrote: June 18th, 2020, 1:27 am
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 6:04 pm

There's nothing wrong with being proud of one's children; I object to taking credit for their success.
What exactly could a parent be so called "proud" of one's children?

If one was to be 'proud' of one's children, then what are they proud of exactly?

Also, if one was to be 'proud' of one's children, then they could also be just as easily so called "ashamed" of their children. Now, if a parent was to be 'proud' or 'ashamed' of one's children, then if they are not 'proud' or 'ashamed' of a child's so called "successes" or "failures", then what is that parent 'proud' or 'ashamed' of exactly, in relation to their children?
Ecurb wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:59 pm The parent's proper "work" is to love his child, care for his child, and make his child's life as pleasant and filled with wonder as he possibly can.
But parents do not necessarily fill a child's life with wonder. In fact what will be found is generally parents way to strongly diminish the wonder in a child. Life, Itself, is absolutely FULL of wonder. If left to their own accord children are, in fact, also FULL of wonder. That is; Sadly, until society removes this wonder, continually.


My view too, evolution. There are some parents who are up to speed on modern child education which downplays success-oriented social competition and instead praises the child for personal goals the child herself has accomplished.
It's doubtful if society itself gains from training children to be compliant about establishment goals and accomplishments.
My view too, evolution. There are some parents who are up to speed on modern child education who praise the child for the child's goals and accomplishments without reference to social establishment norms. Society itself looses by training children to be too compliant.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

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Parents read stories to children, take them to see the Grand Canyon, and help them build tree houses. That's all I meant by "mak(ing) their lives filled with wonder."

As far as being proud of their children: parents who love their children are naturally elated to see them do well. I'm not sure if "proud" is the right word. Still, I think we can be proud of our friends and loved ones success without taking credit for it. Pride is (of course) the deadliest of the seven deadly sins (the sin of Lucifer), but when a reasonable parent lovingly says to his child, "I'm so proud of you," I don't think he has pride in his own accomplishments, he's merely happy about his child's,and wants the child to know it.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

Post by Belindi »

What if the child 'fails'?
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

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evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 am BUT, some might say that that was lucky we developed a method of preventing an asteroid from hitting earth and causing our extinction BEFORE an asteroid hit earth and did cause our distinction.
Yes, and similarly one could argue that one is 'lucky' to be alive. The origin of the idea luck is essentially the mystery of life.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 amBesides human beings I am not sure of any thing else that can think in terms of favorable or not.

Do you know of any other animal that does turn, and views, facts in a "favorable" or "unfavorable" sense?
Is beauty not evidence of thoughtful consideration?

evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 am If the concept of 'favorable' does not originate in a fact, then where does the concept of 'favorable' originate from exactly?
My argument is that favorability of facts is merely a perspective.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 amAnd what is that supposed "greatest luck possible"?
The mystery of one's perspective in relation to having found one's 'true love'. One has found his/her true love, a single moment in time of greatest significance in one's existence as a human. Whatever meaning is in the human or in the Universe, is united and fulfilled in relation to one's self in that single moment of time and can last into eternity.

An absolute unique moment in time of ultimate significance that lasts into eternity. A mystery by which only the term 'luck' could aply.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 amDoes a new born baby 'value' anything?

If yes, then what?
Before pain is felt, the environment must have been valued. What causes pain is denoted as "bad" before the senses can have developed.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 am
arjand wrote: June 15th, 2020, 6:02 amCan infinite be counted?
No.

Can a human being count the number of seconds the Universe is said to have existed?

If No, then does that mean that the Universe cannot be as old as It is said to be?
Seconds are merely a pattern recognized by an observer.

evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 am
arjand wrote: June 15th, 2020, 6:02 am If not, how could Everything (plurality) be infinite?
But I NEVER said EVERY thing (plural) could be infinite.

I said, 'Everything (singular) is just infinite and eternal'.

To me,
'EVERY thing' is plural for EVERY single thing.
'Everything' is singular for thee One Everything.
When 'EVERY thing' literally comes together they become thee One Everything.
The sum of EVERY thing together is thee One, Everything.
Everything = every thing. The meaning of the word is plural.

One implies a begin and at question is if it can precede an observer.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 amTo me, EVERY (single) thing is finite and limited, besides thee One (single) Everything, which is just infinite and eternal.
A begin implies an end. As such, the concept One cannot be infinite. One is as a totality (i.e. the Universe) and requires an observer to be possible.
evolution wrote: June 16th, 2020, 6:21 am
arjand wrote: June 15th, 2020, 6:02 am 'One' implies a begin. Totality as a concept requires an observer to be possible.
'One' may imply a begin, to you, from your perspective.

But, 'One' means NO beginning, to me.

Every 'one' has a beginning, to me, but thee 'One' Universe, for example, does NOT have a beginning.
What logic could justify the idea of a word 'One' that is separated from One as it is said to hold meaning as the denotion of singularity?

As it appears, you make a false attempt to include the observer into something that cannot precede the observer.
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Re: Would it be moraly right to tell young people the truth about life?

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Belindi wrote: June 17th, 2020, 5:23 pmDo you really think that training has to include a spirit of competition against other people?
I am not capable to judge that.

When one considers Aristotle's statement that philosophical contemplation is the greatest human virtue, a corresponding measure of success may not involve a spirit of competition against other people.

Competition, like war, can provide many advantages but I question if it is an intelligent method. Competition appears to be an easy option for people to achieve progress. It is easy to choose to compete against others who are already "successful" or to destroy others "good" to improve one's reflection upon them.

When one denotes "good" in relation to one's self (or one's child), one makes an ethical claim by which one denotes "bad" which - when not paired with an intelligent structure/design - automatically results in a disposition towards competition.

According to Bertrand Russell ethical philosophy offers little more than self-serving argument to justify violence, which is essentially competition towards other people. He developed a disgust of all ethical claims.

Philosophers and Pigs
Russell told one colleague that the talk (On Scientific Method in Philosophy, Oxford) ‘was partly inspired by disgust at the universal outburst of “righteousness” in all nations since the war began. It seems the essence of virtue is persecution, and it has given me a disgust of all ethical notions.
...
In private, Russell referred to the essay as ‘Philosophers and Pigs’.
...
Russell’s antiwar protest was so extensive that it would cost him both his job and, for a time, his personal freedom. His theoretical antidote to the irrational, sectarian vitriol between European nations was to try to show how logic could function as an international language that could be used impartially and dispassionately to adjudicate disputes. His theoretical antidote was, in other words, analytic philosophy.

‘The truth, whatever it may be, is the same in England, France, and Germany … it is in its essence neutral’

https://aeon.co/essays/philosophy-at-wa ... l-analysis

There may be situations or environments in which competition is the most plausible driver for progress. When structured for the purpose of maximum value creation, i.e. paired with 'intelligent design', it may be a good method for progress.

What is 'success'? Is it to prevent an astroid from hitting earth, thereby to study hard and pioneer ways to secure prevention of such a potential event, resulting in improved strength and resilience for humanity? Is it to increase hapiness or intellectual satisfaction for humans in the short time that they are on earth? Is it to take part in generic human life with a certain character or disposition and maintain values that have been given by one's ancestors, religion or culture?

Perhaps only parents can make a sound attempt to answer the question and set 'expectations' before a child is grown up. The expectations, while they allow for failure, also provide a potential for reward. This, from the perspective of the parents, may be the greatest thing that they can provide to their child: their highest love. A fulfillment of the ultimate "good" from the perspective of the parents allows them to provide their greatest love. What more could a child want?

When the child turns out to be otherwise, the parents (or society) may not be capable of giving their "highest love" and may consider the child "failed" but perhaps from the perspective of the child, fulfillment of his/her own expectations or purpose in life may be a greater good.
PsyReporter.com | “If life were to be good as it was, there would be no reason to exist.”
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