-Removed-Because the opportunity doesn't arise.
When you help them out for no reason, how does that work - do you just paint their fence for them without asking or pick up their kids form school without them knowing?
You are misunderstanding. If a neighbour asks for help I can say yes or no. Sometimes I say yes without any reason for saying yes.
- Joined
- 16 Jan 07
- Moves
- 95105
Originally posted by twhiteheadobviously there must be a reason, maybe you don't stop to dwell on it, but there is always a reason for our actions.
Because the opportunity doesn't arise.
[b]When you help them out for no reason, how does that work - do you just paint their fence for them without asking or pick up their kids form school without them knowing?
You are misunderstanding. If a neighbour asks for help I can say yes or no. Sometimes I say yes without any reason for saying yes.[/b]
1 edit
Originally posted by stellspalfieYes, there was a reason. A butterfly flapped its wings on Mars.
obviously there must be a reason, maybe you don't stop to dwell on it, but there is always a reason for our actions.
Although I fully agree that our brains are macro objects and act in a causal manner, the 'reason' that those causes could be traced to could well be a quantum event just five minutes before the decision.
- Joined
- 16 Jan 07
- Moves
- 95105
Originally posted by twhiteheadnah, I mean yeah, I mean you are right to an extent. all things can be extrapolated to the n'th degree, however on a human scale I reckon our motivations are a lot less ambivalent than you imply.
Yes, there was a reason. A butterfly flapped its wings on Mars.
Although I fully agree that our brains are macro objects and act in a causal manner, the 'reason' that those causes could be traced to could well be a quantum event just five minutes before the decision.
if you help somebody but do not know why, I think says more about the individuals ability to reflect and decipher emotion...which we all do to varying levels of success.
Originally posted by stellspalfieBut is it in ones self interest? I would argue no, not always.
if you help somebody but do not know why, I think says more about the individuals ability to reflect and decipher emotion...which we all do to varying levels of success.
I think divegeester has no evidence or argument to support his claim which explains why he is being so evasive.
Originally posted by stellspalfieI do not dispute that we may have various psychological tendencies towards helping and others towards not helping that come in to play when asked to help. But in a split second the brain balances them all up and decides on a course of action. I am arguing that sometimes it is so close that decision is essentially random.
nah, I mean yeah, I mean you are right to an extent. all things can be extrapolated to the n'th degree, however on a human scale I reckon our motivations are a lot less ambivalent than you imply.
I am also separately, as noted above, arguing that those pre-existing tendencies are not necessarily selfish ones.
If we were to come to the conclusion that genuine altruism doesn't actually exist, wouldn't we also have to conclude that genuine 'kindness' doesn't exist? (That even kind actions are, on some level, dictated by self interest). And where do we go from there? Is there no genuine love? No genuine faith?