Playful ribbing is one thing, but there's a fine line between that and bullying.
@SSGX: Just because it's basic human nature, that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. =) As supposedly intelligent and civilised beings, we're supposed to be able to overcome our basic natures. Depressingly, we're not actually that good at it.
I wasn't saying it was right... I'm saying that it's virtually unavoidable...
Human nature is only controllable to a point... We're very much weaker and more governed by our instincts than we'd like to think... | |
I don't agree that it's virtually unavoidable. It can be avoided, you just need to work at doing so.
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Sure, it can be curtailed, but it (like all other of our baser tendencies) will find way to express itself with or without our conscious permission...
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I actually agree with SSGX, and once again, somebody managed to sum up in a short paragraph what I was trying to establish through rambling circumlocution...
But to me, the fact that's it's impossible to avoid isn't a reason not to make the effort. It's the reason the effort is necessary. There's no finish line in life, for anything. The goal of the race is to get further along than you are. | |
Hedgemistress wrote:
But to me, the fact that's it's impossible to avoid isn't a reason not to make the effort. It's the reason the effort is necessary. That's more or less what I was trying (and mostly failing) to get at. I do agree with SSGX that it's very difficult to do. I wouldn't go so far to say it's impossible. Practically impossible, maybe. | |
I don't know if it's impossible or not, but I have to believe it's worth trying either way. The fact that an ideal is out of reach only confirms that it's an ideal.
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Oh yeah, I'm not trying to say that the good fight shouldn't be fought... I'm just saying it's an uphill and/or losing battle...lol
It's also one that we can never expect the majority to undertake... Which is why the world will always be full of friction, violent or otherwise... | |
Practically impossible, maybe. I'm afraid I can't physically make a DC 40 check. I'm only level 3, for Kossuth's sake! | |
Of course each and every one of us makes mistakes. We always have, it's part of learning. It's what you ultimately do about it that makes the difference.
It's like saying we're all racist to some degree. That's most likely true, it's what you do about it that makes you a good or bad person. If you try to overcome your baser nature, you can at least say to yourself, "Well I tried.". And that's about all we really can do, just try. That's why I asked in my post from yesterday what people did about bullying and such in school. Not asking you to defend yourself to me or anyone, all I want is for you to ask yourself. You're your own harshist critic. | |
(I swear, if someone makes a condom joke, they're gonna get hurt really bad...)