Post by Mistress.Nairakarn on Apr 30, 2008 7:19:46 GMT -5
I actually got in a recent short real life talk which brought this up. If you read pagr 27 on "How Was Your Day, 2008 version", you can figure out more. I talked to my stepfather, about my father. Note: Religious topics are fine here and all, but every time I say faith it is of, a non-religious kind.
About how he still, seems to be in denial about the neighbor being a screwed up person. And about how my father just has so much trust in him it's too much for his own good. I talked about how my entire life, I seen my faithful (not in a religious sense) father, get manipulated, and easily controlled again, again again, and, again.
Because he just has so much trust. It makes him a good person at times, the compassion it gives him, but it also means people could easily manipulate him either to harm him, or manipulate information, or money/objects from him for vile intent.
So I have a psychological backlash, and developed in the most roundabout way. I figured I didn't want to be pushed around, and manipulated like that, I went to the extreme opposite for quite some time.
During this period I had several symptoms of psychopathy, I became paranoid, had a hard time respecting non-family/non-friends when provoked, and even ceased to see other people as equals for some time. I found it hard to care, and got angry at the world.
So I guess in a sense I've seen both extremes.
I know of no technical label to use, so sorry if I use non-technical terms.
So not counting the people in the middle, there are two extremes of people. People who are very kind, but extremely easily manipulated, and vulnerable. And people who are amazingly difficult to manipulate, yet very cold, and egocentric.
Which extreme is worse? If there is a balance here would you say it would be right in between? Lean towards distrust? Or lean towards trust? And how much so?
Can you have compassion without faith? Can you have compassion when you see no potential?
On one hand, if your extremely faithful you ARE gonna get manipulated, likely hurt very badly, and may end up a martyr, that is a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your views, but ultimately self sacrificing at the cost of hedonistic pleasure.
If you have lost faith in humanity, and feel 'they're out to get you, and got no potential to be good', tell me how you would remain compassionate?
Here is a dilemma.
1. You can be like a saint, but you're gonna be put through hell, and risk self sacrifice for people you may not even know, who may backstab you at the expense of your own time, and pleasure.
2. You can try to embrace coldness, to feel free, and maybe experience maximum hedonism (a life devote to self pleasure, and preservation), but on the other hand what sane person is going to love you, for anything that is not a 'fake front'?
Sure you can manipulate people, into giving you whatever material/physical things you want, you can make them love what they think you are, but no sane self respecting person, would love what they would see, if they could see through any fake fronts/fake personalities
Say you are seeking a life, devoted to self-hedonism, and self preservation, in extreme excess some say this leads to psychopathy, yet by the same time you want someone who isn't some self sacrificing martyr, to love the real you, and not some made up alternate personality.
How do you balance out a life which has the dual goal, of self preservation, and hedonism, possibly to the extremes, while also genuinely earning the respect, and love from people who aren't at the opposite extreme, who often have things like Battered person syndrome?
Having a respected/loved alternate personality, isn't comforting for everyone, and the thought of only having such, from people who have too much trust/compassion/sacrifice too much of themselves, makes me feel guilty, like a parasite, a leech. (Not that I feel like one right now, but if the situation happened).
About how he still, seems to be in denial about the neighbor being a screwed up person. And about how my father just has so much trust in him it's too much for his own good. I talked about how my entire life, I seen my faithful (not in a religious sense) father, get manipulated, and easily controlled again, again again, and, again.
Because he just has so much trust. It makes him a good person at times, the compassion it gives him, but it also means people could easily manipulate him either to harm him, or manipulate information, or money/objects from him for vile intent.
So I have a psychological backlash, and developed in the most roundabout way. I figured I didn't want to be pushed around, and manipulated like that, I went to the extreme opposite for quite some time.
During this period I had several symptoms of psychopathy, I became paranoid, had a hard time respecting non-family/non-friends when provoked, and even ceased to see other people as equals for some time. I found it hard to care, and got angry at the world.
So I guess in a sense I've seen both extremes.
I know of no technical label to use, so sorry if I use non-technical terms.
So not counting the people in the middle, there are two extremes of people. People who are very kind, but extremely easily manipulated, and vulnerable. And people who are amazingly difficult to manipulate, yet very cold, and egocentric.
Which extreme is worse? If there is a balance here would you say it would be right in between? Lean towards distrust? Or lean towards trust? And how much so?
Can you have compassion without faith? Can you have compassion when you see no potential?
On one hand, if your extremely faithful you ARE gonna get manipulated, likely hurt very badly, and may end up a martyr, that is a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your views, but ultimately self sacrificing at the cost of hedonistic pleasure.
If you have lost faith in humanity, and feel 'they're out to get you, and got no potential to be good', tell me how you would remain compassionate?
Here is a dilemma.
1. You can be like a saint, but you're gonna be put through hell, and risk self sacrifice for people you may not even know, who may backstab you at the expense of your own time, and pleasure.
2. You can try to embrace coldness, to feel free, and maybe experience maximum hedonism (a life devote to self pleasure, and preservation), but on the other hand what sane person is going to love you, for anything that is not a 'fake front'?
Sure you can manipulate people, into giving you whatever material/physical things you want, you can make them love what they think you are, but no sane self respecting person, would love what they would see, if they could see through any fake fronts/fake personalities
Say you are seeking a life, devoted to self-hedonism, and self preservation, in extreme excess some say this leads to psychopathy, yet by the same time you want someone who isn't some self sacrificing martyr, to love the real you, and not some made up alternate personality.
How do you balance out a life which has the dual goal, of self preservation, and hedonism, possibly to the extremes, while also genuinely earning the respect, and love from people who aren't at the opposite extreme, who often have things like Battered person syndrome?
Having a respected/loved alternate personality, isn't comforting for everyone, and the thought of only having such, from people who have too much trust/compassion/sacrifice too much of themselves, makes me feel guilty, like a parasite, a leech. (Not that I feel like one right now, but if the situation happened).
