Is dhw Safe??? (Introduction)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Monday, August 22, 2011, 11:40 (4842 days ago) @ David Turell

If I were dictator of the world, I would give my blessing to those who find comfort and communal pleasure in religion, so long as they did not interfere with the rights of others. But my educational system would be based 100% on love of my fellow humans and all my fellow creatures, and in my view that principle has no need of any God.
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> I certainly agree with you, as far as you go. But you are describing a utopia among humans. Your educational system is not enough. Parents have to have proper social values to instill in their children. In my world all parents would be totally responsible for the actions of their children up to age 21. That is when the immature frontal lobes are generally fully functional, and should be moral. What if, under these considerations, all parents had to serve the same prison time as their underage criminal children?
> -That's assuming that morality is a built-in function. In my view, morality, insomuch as its a human activity, is a purely emotional activity. Logic isn't enough--which is what you're describing when you discuss the frontal lobes. Logical decision making. Morality is something that guides you when logic isn't enough: Moral decisions always are ultimately made on a conscious feeling a person has at the time. Moral structures like utilitarianism vs. consequentialism are artifacts that help us... rationalize our emotive response.-Man has a sense of morals, but the sense must be honed by experience & guidance. Kids with really strict parents invariably say "I will be a better parent and let my kids do what they want..." until of course, they reach parenting age and realize the discipline had a firm purpose. -Jason Dorsey is a guy who does talks all over the United States detailing how to handle the odd combination of 4 generations existing in the work place. (First time that's happened in American History.) He considers as a damaging trend for his own generation, the "Self Esteem Movement." Making kids feel better instead of pushing them to work harder. Gen Y was the first generation where sports trophies disappeared--losing teams "won" too. I can't speak for the UK, but it I think it clearly creates a culture of appeasement between parents and children. Suddenly the children take a greater level of command, and the social backlash for parents who try to balk the trend transforms into near hysteria... such as that woman a couple of years back who got arrested for spanking her kid in a parking lot. When I was 5, I remember once when my mom swatted me on my bare butt IN the grocery store. -The key point is that children's frontal lobes are not fully developed... and David that's about right for me. College wasn't a real option for me until about the age of 22. You can train in logic all you want however, and that won't mean the child is even physically capable of doing it, because of the immature frontal lobe. So as far as I'm concerned, old-school parenting is probably correct in terms of using fear as a tool. (Work @ the child's level.) -One of the thesis ideas I'd had when in a more creative mood, was in developing a touch-app that would work as a trainer for sympathy and empathy in small children. I don't think our modern logic-driven enterprise spends enough time on this important emotional aspect of development that truly sits at the very base of the decision-making tree that is human morality. -> I understand that Rabbi Sacks would tout religion. That's natural for him. But the societal standards in the West had totally fallen apart, especially now that we are seeing equal opportunity crime. If there were a religious revival things will improve. Some articles I've read indicate that religious revival is on the way, and I'm delighted. And I'm still a tought love guy.-You can probably gather that I'm a huge tough love guy myself. Take heart. Wal-Mart picks the elderly for store greeters because Gen Y (and later) are less likely to steal from who they consider to be their grandparents. I don't think a religious revival is in the works however... the next religious revival in America will be like this. My generation is already comfortable with "I don't know" as an answer, and Bell's movement encapsulates this. We need a competition-driven culture, but one that encapsulates love and not hatred for the losers, without lessening the impact of losing or overemphasizing the superiority of winning.

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\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"