Love and Compassion

Response to Hank Green
His original video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC_gLUQNZe0

Rumera:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsgRs31T-Xc&feature=channel_page

***
This video is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike.
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Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• love
• vlogbrothers
• compassion
• care
• mercy

[sonicsuns]

The pain itself does not improve one's health. We merely think of it that way because the shot improves health, and pain happens to come along with the shot. But again, in principle, there's a way to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. It's possible to prevent flu without causing pain. And it's possible to have happiness without experiencing sorrow. It may be very, very difficult, but it's still technically possible. I say that we should strive for that ideal.

[sonicsuns]

You said: "Yes, it's sad, but it can be good. similar to the flu shot at the doctors I suppose."

I respond: Again, you are conflating things. A flu shot is good because it prevents the flu, but it is bad because it hurts. The health benefits are independent of the pain; they can, in principle be separated. If someone invented a painless flu shot that was just as good (or better) at preventing the flu, surely that would be the preferable option, right?

[sonicsuns]

You said: "I was taking your extreme words of 'never be sad' and trying to clarify that a little? sadness is good for us."

I respond: I still disagree. Sadness is still bad. It will always be bad.

[sonicsuns]

You said: "On days when you can't have lunch on time or something and get hungry, you probably should be thankful to have the food you eat."

I respond: Yes, you should be thankful. But as I said, being hungry is not a necessary condition for thankfulness. It's quite possible to be thankful for food even when you have plenty of it.

[sonicsuns]

You said: "If a friend were happy for a long for example, [...] but perhaps to see them trip on a stair one day would be satisfactory."

I respond: This sort of thinking confuses me. Tripping on a stair is still bad, even if it happens to someone who has recently been happy.

[sonicsuns]

You said: "I will say that you seem to be taking things slightly extremist."

I respond: I took things to their logical conclusion, in order to prove a point. I don't think that you'd actually hurt someone or whatnot.

[AngelXWings5689]

On days when you can't have lunch on time or something and get hungry, you probably should be thankful to have the food you eat. And the joy of life can be found in too many ways to think of not necessarily death. Perhaps from restrictions to what should be obvious freedoms such as curfews.

I was taking your extreme words of "never be sad" and trying to clarify that a little sadness is good for us. Yes, it's sad, but it can be good. similar to the flu shot at the doctors I suppose.

[AngelXWings5689]

Along with this, i cannot say there should be a limit to happy or sad or for how many days you can be in such moods.

As for the how to appreciate thing. I cannot say you should starve yourself to be happy to be fed. Nor should you get sick to be happy for your health. And of course it is a bit extreme to say you should put your life at risk to enjoy life. I do believe you should see those who are sick though and be thankful for your health.

[AngelXWings5689]

I agree, appreciation is good, but i still cannot fully say sadness is a full out bad thing. I will say that you seem to be taking things slightly extremist. If a friend were happy for a long for example, i would not go out of my way to do something mean just to make them suffer a little. however, I cannot say I would be all to sorry to see something slightly bad happen to them. Not to say i'd wish a broken leg for them, but perhaps to see them trip on a stair one day would be satisfactory.

[sonicsuns]

I think that sometimes sadness seems so prevalent that we assume it must have a purpose. I said as much in my Rumera video: fear is often tied to an awareness of danger. The awareness is good, but the fear itself is bad, and we must make the distinction. Similarly, sadness is often tied to an appreciation of joy. The appreciation is good, but the sadness itself is bad, and we must make the distinction.