Is It Wrong To Hurt Others To Get What You Want?

Question

Don’t the ends justify the means? Whether it means hurting someone, or turning them to ashes? Shouldn’t you get what you won’t? Aren’t you the only thing that matters, and others are tools to be used, any which way? Don’t you deserve what you want? Shouldn’t you use every trick or tactic you know to get it?

Answer 1

It depends on what you mean by "hurt" and in what situation.

An extreme example is in war. You frequently have to hurt (or kill someone) in order to live. In a milder example, it is frequently required in business to take advantage of a competitor's weakness. And in a trivial example, when you play chess, one side will win at the expense of the other side losing.

However, in most cases, just going for the ends without considering the means will hurt you in the long run. You have to think about your own character. This means being consistent in yourself so that others know where you stand with them. Being honest and straightforward has many more advantages than just going for broke and stepping over everybody else.

In business, you can make more money by cheating people when you can, using shoddy equipment, and charging too much for what you do. However, if you do so, you'll tend to lose out in the long run. Your character or reputation counts in business. It is almost always better to look for a win-win situation than to take advantage of others. If you are an honest businessman, do quality work, always make sure your customers are happy even when it costs you, and charge fairly for what you do, your profit margin will be much less. However, you'll have many more customers and your business will have a much better chance of succeeding.

So, you have to weigh your actions and decide how you want to treat others and how you wish to be treated. Realize that you are not a hermit. You live among other people, so you better make a concerted effort to work with people and not against them. You'll find life easier that way in the long run. Sometimes it is good to take a drastic action, even at the expense of others. However, this is the exception in life, not the rule.

(BTW, anybody who answers that it is always wrong or always right, really hasn't thought through the issue.)

Answer 2

That is the satanists dogma, Ive read it there. Practically matching in point for you.

Such crude ethic could only work in a world filled with ethics where there is something to tear down and despoil established already or so I believe.
So you can, but perhaps the world would be better off without you for that if you did. People do this anyways but to vilify is to cast away hope that provides structure and a sense of honor, that false or not represents and holds up well enough to be effectively that.
edit:
additionally this is a losers tactic. for in doing so you invite wrath upon yourself while screwing someone else over. You stand much more to lose. Make enemies and a target of yourself among what may have been your peers.

Answer 3

No, you should not do evil to accomplish good. This is not a popular viewpoint, I think after 9/11 most people would shoot down a plane full of innocent people in a heartbeat if it were hijacked by terrorists.

I think this is terribly misguided and each person must judge all their actions against a moral code that takes into account only the morality of each discrete action he or she performs. Anything less opens the door to justifying horribly immoral actions.

This will certainly make you more vulnerable than if you did not have to consider a moral code, but sometimes it's better to be good then safe.

Answer 4

That works if the sole focus of one's life is themself and absolutely no one else. It works, but my guess is that it doesn't yield as many benefits as living a life in relation to the world as a whole.

Someone who gets whatever they want by any means might think that they deserve whatever they want, but it's important to make a distinction between what is deserved (what you're entitled to, why, how, and by whom) and what is merely wanted or desired for whatever reason. The two concepts aren't interchangeable.

If what one wants requires hurting people or denying others a chance at a relatively happy life, then chances are they probably haven't thought out fully on how to accomplish what they want and/or haven't considered other methods to accomplish what they want...

Answer 5

It is really wrong to hurt others, whether it's to get what you want or not.
I'm not sure why you are asking this question, perhaps someone has just hurt you in this way, if it is this then they are wrong to do this to you?

Be well :)

Answer 6

I disagree with you. There are ways of doing things that don't require hurting people and that's what you should do. You won't always have what you want and you shouldn't hurt inicent people for no reason.

Answer 7

Um no what you want does not always matter. You look at life in the wrong perspective!!! Ask not what life can do for you....but what you can do for life!

p.s. STOP BEING GREEDY

Answer 8

You sound like a sociopath who requires imediate psychiatric intevention.

Answer 9

You do deserve what you want sometimes. But hurting people is not the way. It's especially not what GOD wants.

Answer 10

Sure. . .and I want your car, jewelry, and other favorite possessions. Guess it's a good thing I don't know where you live, huh?