Philophical/ethical problem

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Suppose you are strategically minded. You think of financial, technical and other hard subjects, you think you have the recipe for success and bit of an ability, but you're bit undecided of how much you should care about your fellow man.

OTOH you'd like just to live with everybody in peace. OTOH you'd like to work in a business that ends up getting most of the people's money, because they don't have enough power, or they just make poor decisions. You do believe that the latter option would ruin your dream of peace with everybody.

Then again, why couldn't you go both ways. Taking people's money when they don't see it, and being everybody's best friend the other time. You wonder how it would work ethically and practically.

There's a cry over your success-orientated approach to life, and something that seems to others like a disregard of their feelings. It's as if people were saying, "don't try to be above me, just be with me".

That sounds inviting, and you almost think of dropping your guard and inviting all kinds of people in to your life, forgetting your self-serving schemes. Seeing what kind of people and opportunities there are, you think you could go any way you choose. You stop to think of few questions for a moment.

What do you ask yourself and why?

 

[nomadic]

how do i feel special/be good at something and help everyone?

is success for social status? or for having more material goods?

will this still impress girls?

haha

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

What's the motive for people to condemn my interest in success?
Is it a character flaw to want success, though in legitimate ways?
Is it fair for everyone to try take advantage of others?
Is this talk of "altruism" just purposeful propaganda, intended to make someone's selfish schemes more subtle?
Am I just too soft for thinking that it'd be wrong to earn profit?
What if I'm just with wrong kind of people?
What if others are hypocrites, not doing as they preach of all the morality and such?
Have I just been tainted with some leftist philosophy for second-guessing myself like this?
Would I enjoy living a simple, carefree life, where I don't try to gain advantage from anyone?

 

[BlueScreen]

What do you ask yourself and why?

I have no ethical problem with anyone being rich or powerful, only when they misuse it. I'd actually like to be rich, so my first question to myself would be why am I killing the opportunity. Is what is stopping me really a big deal? And if I managed to ignore it at the start and it actually was a big deal, my conscience would come back and kick me in the head a bit worse a few weeks later. Eventually I'd take notice of it and stop the idea.

 

[Gerbah]

I didn't understand your post 100%.

Are you saying that you want to dominate people and be left in peace to do that? But that something inside you is not ok with this?

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Not to dominate, but to take advantage of.

 

[Gerbah]

Oh ok. It also seems like you think that others would anyway take advantage of you too?

Personally, I wouldn't be happy with any advantage I gained if I had to get it by screwing somebody else. It wouldn't be clean to me. Also, beyond individual persons, we are all connected in one system and society whether we like that or not. And when parts of the one system are conflicted against each other and not working together, everybody suffers somehow. You just might not see it immediately.

 

[miss fortune]

I think that the Rolling Stones may have said it the best "you can't always get what you want"

People don't like people who they don't feel that they can trust- if you prove yourself to be the type to take advantage of others to them, they're less likely to feel able to let down their guards in your presence, for fear that you would do the same to them! I personally, dislike people who are only out for themselves because I always suspect that they'd not hesitate to take advantage of ME if I let my guard down!

You could try keeping your occupation a secret- a sharp division between personal and professional, but that would be about it. Unless you're remarkably charming, people don't like to feel suspicious of thier friends.

 

[FDG]

You should just hide your purpose if people bug the shit out of you but you still want to carry it our.