What is the harm in allowing people the freedom to do what makes themselves happy?

Question

This is my general philosophy for life. It applies to both my religious and my political ideas:

Everyone should have the right to do pretty much whatever they want, as long as it dosn't hurt others physcally or emotionally, damage another's property, and everyone involved is concenting and of legal age.

It's very similar to the Wiccan mantra "harm none, and do what ye will." It's about being responsable for yourself and choosing what is right for you. If something makes someone happy, they should be alloud to do it. That means have sex with whoever they want (as long as they are of legal age and it is done safely, so as not to cause harm), put whatever they want in their bodies (it's their life, they can screw it up if they want to), believe whatever they want, everything. I think if we were given this freedom, we'd take more responsability for ourselves and others.

I'm not asking if you think such a thing will ever happen in our government, but do you agree with me? Why or why not?

Ok,yeah, maybe not all drugs should be made legal, but things like marijuana, which arn't really harmfull at all, should be legal, in my openion.

Answer 1

I do not agree on the grounds of drugs....alot of people think that drugs make them happy and they might for a little while but they are harming themselves. How heartless would we be to say "Yeah, go ahead and f*ck up your life."? My point is that there are some things in society that are harmful and sometimes people are blinded to the truth of what is good and what is bad for them. They may not be harming people, but they are definately putting people in danger. Laws should be in place for these types of things like drugs, drinking, driving, guns and so on. I agree with you halfway, but there are still some things that should be outlawed or at least controlled with laws.

Answer 2

I absolutely agree with you! Especially on the part about screwing up your own body if you want to. It should be up to the individual adult.

I used to drink waaaay too many martinis, and stopped because I was concerned about future health problems. But if I had continued drinking, and developed cirrhosis of the liver, do you think I would have cried "Wah, no one made me stop drinking!" Nope. The information is out there...drinking in excess causes problems. It's my responsibility and my cross to bear if I decide to overindulge.

The only exception I would make is if it affects a child. For example, I don't think it should be a law to wear a seatbelt. I always wear one, because I feel it's safer. But if I want to not wear one and take the chance of flying through the windshield, it's my choice/mistake/whatever. But if a child is in the car, and it has been deemed that seatbelts are the safest route, then I don't have a problem with a law stating that all children under XX age must wear a seatbelt.

Answer 3

Some people harm themselves and think its OK cause it doesn't hurt 'anyone else' when in fact, sometimes, it does. Some even think certain destructive behaviors make them "happy" but in reality the person is reenacting past trauma. Certain risky behavior can expose you to unintended consequences which can be seen by your family and friends but not by you, so it becomes crucial that you learn to listen to others. Be sure (esp. in cases of physical and sexual abuse) who can you trust and with what can they be trusted?
Sex invokes strong emotions and powerful bonding which, in an unhealthy environment could lead to disease, violence and emotional damage. In a normal / healthy relationship, sex is awesome. Our relationships are all interwoven and all those around us are affected by each new relationship we establish, both good and bad.
Drugs, even the rather tame cannabis, can alter brain chemistry and cloud judgment which might possibly lead to harmful situations.

All that being said, if "harm none" includes yourself then I am inclined to agree that we should all allow others to do what makes them happy.

I get the sense that you may have been subjected to harsh judgmental people who would rather run your life than their own. Well, be absolutely certain that those people are guilty of all the things that they criticize you for.

One last thing. I think "Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself" is a better creed to live by because it is a positive.

Answer 4

I agree wholeheartedly with you...as long as no one else is hurt by these actions.

But most people do not consider the hurt/impact on others broadly enough.

Think about these examples that have been used to support the statement (Nobody but the individual involved gets hurt):

1. Seat belts
Accidents cause medical injury which causes insurance rates to increase. We all pay
2. Smoking
Smoking causes disease which places a burden on others to support the parties effected
3. Drugs
People go on drugs and other things happen. Unable to work places a financial burden on others in society. As do any medical implications.
4. Motorcycle helmets
Same deal

Do you see where I am coming from? Its tough not to shift the burden of an individuals actions on to others. This is not just,.

Answer 5

agree completely. problem is the responsibility part. some will take this to an extreme, and do things that ultimately harm or endanger others without considering they're doing so. how to put the restriction on the behavior without stopping the behavior itself? it should be the job of our laws. be basic and protective, not excessively specific and invasive.

personal responsibility and accountability are great concepts. unfortunately, i see much more of the opposite. people make choices, then point fingers if the choice was bad, selecting someone or something to blame. as long as "no harm" and "personal accountability" are truly at the root, i think you're right on.

Answer 6

I agree that people should have the freedom to do things that make them happy only if it doesn't harm or hurt anyone in the society. I mean, just because you feel happy doing something doesn't mean what you are doing is right. Because, you may be happy smoking, doing drugs, partying, drinking, etc.. but those things aren't necessarily good such as smoking itself is harmful to one's health. Or too many sexual relationships can lead to diseases and AIDS. So, just because someone like to have many sexual partners and feel happy doing that, doesn't mean what they feel happy about doing is right ...

I think people should also be responsible for their own actions since they are all adults.

Also, like if people feel happy about going to the prostitutes or something, then that's not good because what they are doing is kind of like promoting that industry which is not a good thing. If nobody goes to prostitutes anymore, they probably won't be in business. So, sometimes what people feel happy about doing, just may not be right and can be harmful to the society too ...

Answer 7

I agree on the whole, except I believe that the "harm none" part should to some extent, include yourself. I believe that we have a responsibility to try not to do any sort of major damage to ourselves. For this reason I think each person has the responsibility to not use hard drugs over a long period, avoid self harm, and to get help if they have a problem.

I don't think though, that it's the governments job to police how we look after our own bodies, to an extent. I believe in universal healthcare, but I think that it should be limited for people who choose to do long term harm to their bodies to basic needs. (Note, not completely removed, I think everyone has the basic right to be healthy. If they choose to not be, that's their choice, but if someone needs medical attention, they should receive it). I believe there should be benifits in health care for people who choose to avoid certain vices.

So ultimately, I agree with you, except that I think people have some responsibility to look after themselves as well, especially if it is society as a whole who are providing health care.

Answer 8

Well at my age, one or two of the things are ify but over all I agree with you 100 and 99%.. your right people should back off and leave things alone tend to themselves..to many nosey people in this world..and sweety the tub tops nice.. your friend from Tennessee...ROB

Answer 9

when it come to drugs....if they were made legal or allowed, the harm would greatly tax our medical peoples and our taxes...in general I do agree with you, but many are not mature enough and never will be, to be responsible....and then there is always the bad apples that try to profit at the expense of the weak

Answer 10

I agree with you, but most people like to be victims instead of taking responsibility for their own actions