Most People Consider Themselves to Be Morally Superior

a reply to: 19Bones79

I only can speak for myself

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Some really good points!!

Love your quote about conflating morality with ideology/opinion. Imo, most of the media "talking points" goad us into endless arguments using our morals against us

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: AtomicKangaroo
At best you can be my equal, but never my better.

I have met plenty of people whom I consider to be better than I am. They are what I aspire to be like. At least the traits I find commendable. It's not a bad thing, it's nature. But I suppose it depends on what you consider to be important traits.

I have met people that are superior to me in individual traits, like for sure there are a million artists out there who could draw me under the table.
There are people who are better car mechanics than I, and so on and so forth. I mean I think I am capable of learning anything and perfecting it if I had the motivation to do so.

But nobody is superior to me as a whole, generally speaking. Like a Queen is not superior to a hobo because luck of the vagina draw and no other reason. Regardless of social rank or status, they are equal in my view of them.
Only their own actions can lower my opinion of them. But nothing can raise them above it.

Clothes do not maketh the man for me, metaphorically and literally speaking. They never will.
I'm wired different to most.

ETA: It's not that I don't respect people, or admire them. I just do not look up to or idolize any other humans, or gods or anything. If that makes sense. I do understand why others do it though, but again, it's just not for me.

Good thing I am not king of the world probably, I'd give everyone equality until they puked lol.

a reply to: AtomicKangaroo

Well I definitely agree with you there--I don't regard status or wealth as an indication of superiority--to me, discipline, generosity, creativity, curiousity, respect (etc), are all traits I value more than status when I see them.

a reply to: zosimov

No worries.

I specifically asked you because there's always a lot of thought behind your replies.

a reply to: zosimov

Humility is the greatest trait to own.




As for myself, I have the greatest humility, the best humility. My humility is better than anyone else's.

a reply to: 19Bones79

I totally misread your intent. I'm sorry for rattling off a thoughtless reply. I've really liked reading your comments on here too.

It is an interesting philisophical question. I can definitely say that I only put my faith in the Christian ideology because I believe Christ's morals to be superior to mine, and such a just way to treat fellow man; when I finally got around to reading the New Testament the words resonated with me like nothing had ever before. I was changed w/o intending to be I guess.

As for your question, I really do not know, but it has me thinking. A Creator God, a source of goodness/life/grace that exists outside of our own consciousness, I imagine, would be aware of His(?) place. But beyond that, I really don't think I could even guess.

What do you think?

a reply to: DBCowboy

Lol! In one of the two articles I posted (or maybe just a related article I read before posting this) it mentioned that the majority of the sample group used in the study rated themselves high in humility.



It's fun to laugh at ourselves sometimes. I love us (humanity, myself), but we can sure be strange!!

a reply to: Dalamax

Do believers not claim to derive their morals from God?

a reply to: 19Bones79

I certainly just did, lol.
But there's more to it than that. I feel right and wrong was imbued in all of us, and we can ignore or follow our conscience through our own will.

a reply to: zosimov

If a god does exist, I believe he has been misrepresented. I think the tales of old describing an interventionist god reflect more upon the peoples of the time and their ambitions rather than a supreme being with the interest of a few hundred thousand people in a desert at heart.

I think if a god had made himself known to humanity, he would not have a chosen people.

a reply to: zosimov

I agree on the right and wrong.


It is inside us all.

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: DBCowboy

Lol! In one of the two articles I posted (or maybe just a related article I read before posting this) it mentioned that the majority of the sample group used in the study rated themselves high in humility.

It's fun to laugh at ourselves sometimes. I love us (humanity, myself), but we can sure be strange!!

There are far too many people that cannot laugh at themselves any more.

I was going to add a quote or two on self-deprecation when I found something odd online.

Many articles claiming that self-deprecation is unhealthy.

In all honesty, I think we're all taking ourselves too seriously as a society.

We need to lighten up. Laugh at ourselves.

Too many claim they are enlightened, or woke.

If anything, I've learned you never want to be the smartest man in the room, because the smartest man in the room is doing all the talking and none of the listening. He doesn't have to listen because he's the smartest man in the room.

a reply to: 19Bones79

Had to lol at your last line--you have a point!

Still I think we're pretty great. When I need a reminder I go searching for new art, some symphonies/music, astronomy, or even just check out people's gardens lol. There's also so many stories of selfless generosity to find; enough even to counteract all the horror I see.
Thanks for the interesting discussion



ETA: I also have to agree with your point regarding our representation of God. I do think we have a tendency to distort the light when reflecting it back

originally posted by: DBCowboy

originally posted by: zosimov
a reply to: DBCowboy

Lol! In one of the two articles I posted (or maybe just a related article I read before posting this) it mentioned that the majority of the sample group used in the study rated themselves high in humility.

It's fun to laugh at ourselves sometimes. I love us (humanity, myself), but we can sure be strange!!

There are far too many people that cannot laugh at themselves any more.

I was going to add a quote or two on self-deprecation when I found something odd online.

Many articles claiming that self-deprecation is unhealthy.

In all honesty, I think we're all taking ourselves too seriously as a society.

We need to lighten up. Laugh at ourselves.

Too many claim they are enlightened, or woke.

If anything, I've learned you never want to be the smartest man in the room, because the smartest man in the room is doing all the talking and none of the listening. He doesn't have to listen because he's the smartest man in the room.

Haha, love these points. Whatever the articles say, I think a healthy dose of self-deprecation is fine, so long as it's backed by a genuine love of self and others.

As to your last point.. brilliant. The importance of words--of speaking when it is neccessary and shutting my mouth when it's not has been coming up again and again for me lately. I really think I could measure my words more carefully, and that our words and thoughts are more connected to deeds than we sometimes know.

a reply to: DBCowboy

If anything, I've learned you never want to be the smartest man in the room, because the smartest man in the room is doing all the talking and none of the listening. He doesn't have to listen because he's the smartest man in the room.

The smartest man in the room is always the one who listens.

a reply to: zosimov

Thank ya!

To the point of media, I think it's safe to say their intent isn't morality. And if I had to guess their ideology, it would simply be profit.

It's a bit tricky when we think of people in the human experience vs a constructed entity. I don't think money voids someone/something of morality, humans can make money with good intent.... But I'm hard pressed that a corporation can have a moral pulse.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: chr0naut

Trump?

The planet is being run by 33rd degree Masons. They are Satanists. Obama is running the US.

Obama is the very first one going into the lake, and not just for a dip. Hell is going in with him, and all those who have rejected Christ.

Your Aliens will be announced in July most likely. They are not the Aliens. We are.

This planet is toast

Is this from Qanon or can you supply us with Biblical quotes to back up this post?

Unless it was sarcasm then I bow to your mastery of the genera.

a reply to: zosimov

I wonder at the notion of comparing oneself to a supposed ''average''. It seems to me that in this society, at least here in the Us, being average is looked down upon, it is derided as almost being a neutral person, a person of no consequence. Or as some were describing a while back as being ''sheeple''.

It also seems to me that this idea of being better than average is pushed on us constantly. Yes, our schools push kids to excell and be better, to get the best grades. But it is also pushed on us by advertising commercials on a constant basis. Be better than the rest with our product kind of stuff. You have the best taste in fast food because you come here to eat rather than those other places that serve a lower quality food stuff. Who wants' average'. Yet basically that is what most of us have and are in the total picture.

I recall, years ago noticing a thing, that is when I stopped talking long enough to listen to random people around me. In restaurants, in lines, in bars, where ever. I noticed that there were an awful lot of people talking to other people and telling them things. And whatever the topic was, be it deeply held philosophical concepts or ways to cook scrambled eggs, there was this general stance of knowing something that the others did not know. The phrase ''what most people don't know'' or ''what most people don't understand'' The imparting of ''secret knowledge'' the sharing of special information that the talker was privileged to understand, due to some superiority. that others did not possess.

originally posted by: asabuvsobelow

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zosimov

Morally superior to what?

Morally superior to House Cats of course .

Those little buggers will eat cat food untill they are full and then go out and kill a family of rabbits just for the sport.

My cat is kept inside all the time and only sees the world from
a window!