Atheism

[oi_antz]

@bhstme: eg, people watch others being sentenced to death and they like it. Do you think you would never feel that way under any circumstance?

 

[bhsmte]

It often is, I am looking for exclusions to such a generalization. Apathy and fear are interesting to consider.

We are conditioned to behave the way we do. I am saying that some people are able to watch someone die without helping them. I don't know why you think you couldn't be conditioned to do the same, do you?

What sort of "conditioning" did you have in mind?

 

[oi_antz]

What sort of "conditioning" did you have in mind?

Nothing specific, it isn't my plan lol.

 

[MehGuy]

I'm pretty sure you can desensitize just about anyone. Getting someone to enjoy hurting another might be more of a challenge.

 

[bhsmte]

I'm pretty sure you can desensitize just about anyone. Getting someone to enjoy hurting another might be more of a challenge.

Sure you can, but the conditioning would work better on some than others. When someone is trained for the special forces etc.., they take psychological tests to determine whether they would be a good match and would absorb training/conditioning.

 

[elephunky]

I'm pretty sure you can desensitize just about anyone. Getting someone to enjoy hurting another might be more of a challenge.

Desensitization is a normal process as far as I am aware. Otherwise we would end up being constantly traumatized and we would not be able to handle it.

There is hurting someone without remorse or guilt, and there is the enjoyment of hurting someone. The latter usually happens for people with a mental illness of some sort and/or personality disorder.

 

[MehGuy]

Sure you can, but the conditioning would work better on some than others. When someone is trained for the special forces etc.., they take psychological tests to determine whether they would be a good match and would absorb training/conditioning.

Yeah, some people will be harder to break than others.. I just wonder how much harder..

I've heard sad stories about ex soldiers being desensitized, and going back home and beating their wives and etc.

Desensitization is a normal process as far as I am aware. Otherwise we would end up being constantly traumatized and we would not be able to handle it.

There is hurting someone without remorse or guilt, and there is the enjoyment of hurting someone. The latter usually happens for people with a mental illness of some sort and/or personality disorder.

Sure, desensitization is a normal process, and happens naturally as we get older. (which I find kind of sad)

I believe sadism requires some level of empathy, or else you would not feel anything from the victim. Like I said, it's much easier to take something away (empathy) than it is to add on something to a person.

 

[dlamberth]

It often is, I am looking for exclusions to such a generalization. Apathy and fear are interesting to consider.

So is just not caring something to consider. That's not hate though.

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[MehGuy]

Or a mental illness.

Thinking that it's God's plan to let the person die, lol.

The list can be endless..

 

[dlamberth]

Desensitization is a normal process as far as I am aware.

Agreed. Because of the incredible amount of pain and suffering in the world I think we would all go totally bonkers if we did not protect ourselves in some fashion. Desensitization is part of the protection process we all go through as protection.

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[light upon light]

Can you explain to me what you think such a person is saved from in the afterlife?

They are saved from being self-centered in this world and the world to come.

They are saved from having spent their life in pursuit of that which perisheth, instead they partook of the heavenly treasures of self sacrifice, love, service to their fellow creatures of God and to what is Noble, Right and True.

For such souls, they have indeed overcome and sacrificed self for meaning and purpose, that is for God.

 

[oi_antz]

Sure you can, but the conditioning would work better on some than others. When someone is trained for the special forces etc.., they take psychological tests to determine whether they would be a good match and would absorb training/conditioning.

Is that due to the existing condition of the candidate? I am looking to understand whether the causes of this condition is somewhat genetic, or if it is entirely social. I know it is impossible to prove, but my interest is in understanding whether all humans are created equal.

So is just not caring something to consider. That's not hate though.

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Not caring is the symptom. I am looking for an understanding of what motivates that decision.

 

[dlamberth]

So I am wondering if the lack of care for someone is always due to hate.

I'm curious, what put you on the Hate track?

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[oi_antz]

They are saved from being self-centered in this world and the world to come.

They are saved from having spent their life in pursuit of that which perisheth, instead they partook of the heavenly treasures of self sacrifice, love, service to their fellow creatures of God and to what is Noble, Right and True.

For such souls, they have indeed overcome and sacrificed self for meaning and purpose, that is for God.

What is the problem with being self-centred in the world to come? Those who are self-centred in this world do not necessarily think it is a bad thing.

 

[oi_antz]

I'm curious, what put you on the Hate track?

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That is a great question to ask. I traced it back to this:

The word enemy is also a bit much, but there are people we will come across we don't care much for in life and simply will not love.

These people are not your enemies, you are their enemy because you hate them!

As we have established, bhstme was not saying that he would not care for these people, he was saying that he didn't like these people so he could not come to love them. It was a misunderstanding caused by an unfamiliar figure of speech.

 

[dlamberth]

Not caring is the symptom. I am looking for an understanding of what motivates that decision.

I don't see "not caring" as a decision. I see it more as a state of mind. How a person got to that state? I'd guess that something within that person's life was such that the compassion and empathy part of them became buried and tucked away really deep.

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[oi_antz]

I don't see "not caring" as a decision. I see it more as a state of mind. How a person got to that state? I'd guess that something within that person's life was such that the compassion and empathy part of them became buried and tucked away really deep.

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You could be right about that in some situations, but not caring does require a decision. It requires the decision to look the other way.

 

[dlamberth]

You could be right about that in some situations, but not caring does require a decision. It requires the decision to look the other way.

I see that action of no action the decision. And that's based on level of caring.

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[oi_antz]

I see that action of no action the decision. And that's based on level of caring.

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Do you think you are describing not knowing?

 

[elephunky]

On the subject of not caring...not caring is not a symptom of hate. Intentionally trying to not care can be motivated by hurt, as can pretending not to care. Not caring is more about indifference - lack of feeling. If your actions come from a place of hate it would be more than not caring.