Is it not worse to break your own rules to beat an opponent than to suffer in adherence to them?

This is just an observation. More a statement for consideration rather than a question for answering.

Is it not worse to break your own rules /moral code / ethos, to beat an opponent than to do so in adherence to them?

Is it not better to deal with an adversary and remain who you are than to face him with what exactly what put you at odds with him as your cause? Even if you "win" you lose. You become less than what you were.

The feeling of being a liar to yourself is hardly a passing one. It usually puts in question all your other belief until you live in a world of uncertainty and fear. Uncertainty of yourself and what you hold to be true, since you will change that at a whim. And fear of your yourself since you can become everything you know to be "wrong"

Hold your ground I say. Be who you are, and especially when it is difficult to do so. The alternative is just awful.

personal criteria, personality. These make real men and women. Everyone else is a child holding temper tantrums and doing exactly what they feel is wrong. Their own enemies.


Even if pain and loss are suffered, being true to yourself is never too expensive. The self joy and happieness it brings has no equal. No compromise can produce them.

It is worse, much worse. If you "break your own rules" to beat an opponent, then to me, that means you are not being honest with yourself. And if you cant be honest with yourself, then how can you ever expect to progress your knowledge and intelligence (yes I believe intelligence can be progressed)?

I commonly will "adhere" to my "opponent" (though I don't usually see them as such). Here on ATS for example, it is common to see me totally agree that I was wrong and that I was just being stubborn. It can often be difficult, but it is necessary for me to reach a greater understanding of what is at hand. I think that being stubborn can often be my greatest weakness, however, being determined can be my greatest strength. And the hardest part of it all is to know the difference between the two.

A good example is the fact that just a year ago my friend was trying to convince me that 9/11 was an inside job. At the time I could not wrap my mind around this being as such, so I stubbornly refused, repeatedly. However, once i began to research the topic more and more (through non-biased sources, usually) I came to the conclusion that I was dead wrong. So I went up to him and told him he was right all along and said this: "I am man enough to admit I was wrong, sorry for being so ignorant". [Please no discussions of 9/11, I was only using that as an example, save it for another thread]

Anyways, thanks OP for bringing this up.


Edit: Whoops, I totally answered the question, sorry.

"Best" and "Worse" people use these arbitrary terms without defining them. Would it be "worse" in what way?

If your only intention is to beat the opponent, then "best" would be winning and "worse" would be losing...

reply to post by arpgme

worse:
adjective.
1. bad or ill in a greater or higher degree; inferior in excellence, quality, or character.

That is what I meant when I said it, though I cant speak for the OP.

Originally posted by manykapao
Is it not worse to break your own rules /moral code / ethos, to beat an opponent than to do so in adherence to them?

Its too vague.
You might, for example, have given yourself a very badly thought out "rule", and not really considered the consequences of it.
In which case it is "worse" to not admit your rashness, drop the rule, and move forward to success.

reply to post by manykapao
Being true to oneself is important as it relates to pride and self-esteem. However, it has to be a process of constant self-reflection and listening to the views of others.

After all, we can all be true to ourselves at the cost of others and later find out that we had been stupid idiots or asses!

We shouldn't use our own sense of Self as an excuse for being selfish or unfair to others.

A tightrope act

Originally posted by Kandinsky

A tightrope act

Nicely put, it describes what I said in one word.

I think that being stubborn can often be my greatest weakness, however, being determined can be my greatest strength. And the hardest part of it all is to know the difference between the two.

when engaging an enemy, you must not hold back.

any tactics are suitable.

if you limit yourself with rules, you limit your outcomes.

all is fair, in love and war.