Happiness in itself cannot be good. It depends on the consequences, and causes. If eating orphans makes you happy, then that is wrong. If happiness is drug induced, then it is shallow. One can say that "happiness is always good" only in a hedonic, shallow sense that it is always pleasurable, or feels good. Not that it is always good regardless of cause or effect, because that clearly isn't so. One doesn't do bad things even if they make you happy, nor refrain from good things, even if they don't. — Wosret
I thought that I showed that it clearly doesn't follow that commending something implies any active involvement at all. — Wosret
I still don't understand why an obligation to oneself isn't as significant, and can be waived by one to someone else can't be. I mean, clearly physically, and behaviorally they both can be waived. — Wosret
Your original claim was that everyone wants happiness, and doesn't want unhappiness, without qualification, I only desired to show that this isn't quite true, that both there are things far more valuable than happiness, and that happiness isn't desirable if brought about by certain causes. — Wosret
Your point now is also simplistic, and takes an unqualified position on pain. You know if you take a bunch of pain killers for long enough, then it will greatly reduce your pain tolerance thresholds. Without experiencing any pain, we will become less and less able to tolerate pain. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and all that. Taking an unqualified position on pain can also lead to unhealthy circumstances. Even "too much health" is bad, in the sense that the immune system grows and matures, and if completely sheltered from germs, dirt, or sickness, then it cannot develop, and you will become much more susceptible to sickness in later life. — Wosret
You don't go into why they wish not to prevent it? A proper evaluation requires efforts, risks, involvements, and costs. Just that it is possible for them to prevent it doesn't cover what preventing it may entail. — Wosret
As for if I owed someone something, and they didn't feel like paying it, so was like, "nah son, I ain't paying" then they wouldn't like it, and there may be consequences like them not helping you, or speaking to you again, trying to attack you or some shit, but you can still do it. — Wosret
if I make a promise to myself to change a habit or some such, but then don't follow through, I'm not only going to feel bad about it, but I'm going to take myself less seriously the next time I proclaim such a obligation to myself, and develop a sense of myself as untrustworthy, and unreliable when speaking about such things. — Wosret
I just find that childish, — Wosret
Since happiness is all that matters, and the only good, one ought to only honor obligations that make them happy, — Wosret
when making others happy conflicts with my happiness, they can die in a ditch. — Wosret
You either have to make exceptions that put happiness into a second order below another value, without admitting that you hold other values higher, or simply say fuck the world, and everyone else when it conflicts with my happiness, — Wosret
The class that finds a way to make money off of the lower classes without having to put in as much effort, or with inequitable trades themselves are only able to pull it off because they actually do tend to be more intelligent, — Wosret
...or really good people people.
Most everyone would do it if they could, and don't refrain out of higher principles, but inability.
The only true dilemma is why shouldn't I act only in accordance with my whims? If truth and morality are man made, and not objective, but merely someone else's arbitrary impositions on me, for ultimately selfish, deceitful, and or antiquated values. If it's all motivated, power struggles, identity politics, and tribalistic allegiances, then why shouldn't I behave only in accordance with my own preferences and benefits? The only real objection to that could be that it wouldn't work, that no one is skilled enough in manipulation or deception to get away with it, but that can be reduced to the lack of certainty, and fear of
failure involved in any undertaking. It isn't obviously impossible. What could be holding them back other than fear, slavery, and attachment?
Why shouldn't I just take everything I want from everyone in every moment? — Wosret
The point is that too much happiness is a bad thing. — Wosret
but I don't consider that a very significant good. — Wosret
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