How do you expand kindness?

[SquirrelTao]

As for the discussion being held by SquirrelTao and co... well, there may be a way of 'rationally' disbursing kindness... but then it starts looking more like politics. Where and how does one draw the line? Is there a line? Should there be?

That's a good question. I was being very abstract, expressing a principle that could be manifested in infinite ways...some ways good, some not.

To help ground it in a more down to earth context, for an example of something non-political. For my part, I would have been happier if a certain co-worker had not been so indulged. She demoralized everybody. But the boss was her friend. She would run out any time she felt like it. Everything she did, she messed up, and the mess got passed to somebody else. So, in my little corner of the universe, if the boss had not let her friendship with this woman compromise her objectivity, it would have been kinder to the rest of us. As it was, her kindness to this woman was a cruelty to many other people.

In expressing the principle as I have, what I hope to happen is for people to recognize this principle and then to make better decisions as a result. I don't hope for any specific political program.

 

[Samuel De Mazarin]

That's a good question. I was being very abstract, expressing a principle that could be manifested in infinite ways...some ways good, some not.

To help ground it in a more down to earth context, for an example of something non-political. For my part, I would have been happier if a certain co-worker had not been so indulged. She demoralized everybody. But the boss was her friend. She would run out any time she felt like it. Everything she did, she messed up, and the mess got passed to somebody else. So, in my little corner of the universe, if the boss had not let her friendship with this woman compromise her objectivity, it would have been kinder to the rest of us. As it was, her kindness to this woman was a cruelty to many other people.

In expressing the principle as I have, what I hope to happen is for people to recognize this principle and then to make better decisions as a result. I don't hope for any specific political program.

I have to run, but I'll get back to that... I think the point about kindness is if one can mete it out equably amongst many parties, often with conflicting viewpoints and agendas... how does one decide? Is there a rule? Or does one have to go case-by-case, judging by "common sense"? Worthy of more discussion.

P.S. Squirrels are very funny animals... cute... I laughed my ass off the first time I heard the name for "squirrel" in Bengali: "kaaT biDaal" (the T and D are retroflex)... meaning "wood cat"!

 

[SquirrelTao]

I think the point about kindness is if one can mete it out equably amongst many parties, often with conflicting viewpoints and agendas... how does one decide? Is there a rule? Or does one have to go case-by-case, judging by "common sense"?

I don't think there can be a rule to apply to all circumstances, no. Even with perfect information and no bias, there would be too many variables and contingencies. There would also be ethical conflicts. No human ever has perfect information or operates in a bias free state.

I also don't think any sort of rule can work in life 100% of the time because no mental model is a perfect match for reality. There is always a residue of reality that is not contained in any mental model. In some instances this residue doesn't have any practical consequences of any import. In some it does. In those cases where the residue matters, rigidly applying any rule can produce results that are at odds with the original purpose of the rule.

P.S. Squirrels are very funny animals... cute... I laughed my ass of the first time I heard the name for "squirrel" in Bengali: "kaaT biDaal" (the T and D are retroflex)... meaning "wood cat"!