Posted by SLS on June 10, 2009, at 5:28:08
In reply to Re: What do we owe other people? » SLS, posted by 10derHeart on June 9, 2009, at 20:01:58
> Others?
>
> Love and kindness. Particularly those we might view as not so lovable or deserving of kindness.
>
> For me, I try not to think of "owe," just that I was made for this, and all my lesser impulses come from...well, a a bad place. Digging for the love and kindness every day is a "simple" request and a command from the Almighty, that's anything *but* simple, which He knows and I sure do, too.
>
> Myself? Maybe the same, but that's even harder. We can all be pretty harsh on ourselves.
>
> A life that stands for something, in the end?
>
> Working toward any of these is a lifelong journey, with pitfalls, slides back and forward, even falls off cliffs sometimes. I know it's worth it, in my heart, but my head sure likes to rebel.....I will start off by saying that I believe that the feelings that we "owe" people things that are kind and supportive are part nature and part nurture. I think these things are hard-wired into our brains genetically. There is even evidence that prehistoric man cared for its crippled, who were perhaps clan or family members. I am not sure, but I also think altruism is one of those things that is largely built into us genetically. If it is not, then the potential is probably strongly influenced by genetics as being epigenetic. It would then be up to the environment to nurture this potential to produce true altruism, such that the acts of one individual towards another can cost the first individual more than the second individual with the full understanding of the first. I think this is one path that our concept of "owing" someone can take.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:900110
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20090604/msgs/900275.html