Okay, so violence and ignorance go hand in hand, but do we need nirvana-like doses of enlightenment to avoid violence? Can small and quiet acts of daily kindness and well wishes make a big difference in the humanity's future? ... How about if billions of people adopted such a simple moral attitude? Or is inherent interest-based violence ultimately too powerful of a force for humanity to overcome?
2006-08-17 10:08:03 · 7 answers · asked by lowonbrain 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Yes, the problem with being 'realistic', if it means accepting bad things that can be made good, is that it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If someone's attitude is "most people I meet seem to be nasty, dishonest, and looking out at all times for number one, so I'd be a fool and a victim if I didn't do the same" - then they are contributing to a future in which this mistaken attitude will become less and less mistaken.
Predict a bad future, contribute to it, and a bad future is what we'll get.
2006-08-17 14:27:33 · answer #1 · answered by brucebirdfield 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being realistic is being practical and learning to live with the bad as well as the good. Violence and ignorance do not go hand in hand. Being ignorant of a lot of facts account for humans to act a certain way. Ignorance can be corrected with proper education.
Some people are volatile and violent and short tempered due to human nature and variable factors-moods, poor morale, environmental conditions, education and it's not an inate nature to be born with violent predispositions.
We are all products of our environment. If a boy comes from a domestic violent home, parents who are abusive, he might turn out to be just like them as he doesn't know any better.
Wars and crimes are acts of violence. Until we all learn to live in peace and harmony, there'll always be turbulence or disquiet. The more civilized and educated a person is the more tendency in all likelihood to be more understanding and accept the principles of live and let live,. Eventually, the bad won't triumph over good.
2006-08-17 10:34:57 · answer #2 · answered by rosieC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've answered your own question, I think: Small acts of kindness add up. If people were convinced of their value, the world would be better.
Humans are violent, competitive creatures. This is evident whether you believe in God, and say that humans are sinful; or whether you are an agnostic and say that this violence comes from our animal nature to survive at the expense of others.
Yet, by our nature, we desire good--both for ourselves, and, once we understand that there are others like us, for others.
The problem: We desire to do good; but we do not do good.
Yet something other than our natures can intervene and provide the driving force for those "quiet acts of daily kindness" you mentioned. Some people believe that humans naturally want to better themselves--humanism--and that this impetus will eventually reduce violence. Some people (and I am one of these) believe that God aids people, who are helpless on their own to do anything but desire good, in becoming better and in helping others to become better.
Whether those benign forces can overcome violence really remains to be seen. Perhaps it is an unending struggle; but not an unworthy cause to join.
2006-08-17 10:52:14 · answer #3 · answered by lisa450 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so, the more people who do the small acts, the closer we are to realizing a violence free world. being realistic in this sense would mean accepting that this is not an instantaneous possibility and one that hopefully be implemented at least gradually by more and more believers
2006-08-17 10:40:17 · answer #4 · answered by ormus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are really thinking to hard on this one~
Acts of kindness start out small and work into greater deeds..
Not just like at Christmas time either...That makes me sick~
People run around all year long starving~ but at Christmas time they hit our pocket with guilt. Feed the poor.
Education~
2006-08-18 19:04:21 · answer #5 · answered by MissChatea 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being realistic is not being fake obviously so why pretend that the world is kind. we have to accept and learn how to cope with what goes on. but that doesn't mean that we ourselves can change for the better.
2006-08-17 11:11:37 · answer #6 · answered by kimber g 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i can tell you live in a totally different world from me. here's what i believe, we live in the world we live BECAUSE we all consent to believe. if we all believed something better, we would have something better....having said that, i also think the story of the tower of the tower of Babel is no child's story. read it again and think about the implications...no two people think alike. you'll never get true agreement on anything.
2006-08-17 11:02:53 · answer #7 · answered by sheepherder 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋