Atomic scuffle

I wrote another post about why, but essentially it's because own descendants, hundreds of generations from now, may be living in a much more perfect world, and it may be partially because of a reset such as this. How are we to know the good and the bad of it?

We can only know from our personal perspective. What we gain or loose as an individual or as group sitting here today. We are unable to know the big picture.

"but essentially it's because own descendants, hundreds of generations from now, may be living in a much more perfect world, and it may be partially because of a reset such as this.


The way I see existence is that we are and will be (again and again) the descendants, jkmac. I can't prove it to you but I know it for myself; I've been here before.

"but essentially it's because own descendants, hundreds of generations from now, may be living in a much more perfect world, and it may be partially because of a reset such as this.


The way I see existence is that we are and will be (again and again) the descendants, jkmac. I can't prove it to you but I know it for myself; I've been here before.

Me to.

But that really doesn't change the point I was making. 

To label something bad or good is too connected to our own personal perspective. It isn't well suited to "the big picture". Which is why I avoid making those judgments.

Me to.

But that really doesn't change the point I was making. 

To label something bad or good is too connected to our own personal perspective. It isn't well suited to "the big picture". Which is why I avoid making those judgments.

Yup. Big picture. Eventually there won't be any life at all on Earth. May seem like forever from now, but in some senses it is the blink of an eye.

Me to.

But that really doesn't change the point I was making. 

To label something bad or good is too connected to our own personal perspective. It isn't well suited to "the big picture". Which is why I avoid making those judgments.

I agree with you but I was putting myself in the position of the people affected by the bomb. It's bad for them surely ? Our whole existence is built on this impossible to resolve dilemma.

I agree with you but I was putting myself in the position of the people affected by the bomb. It's bad for them surely ? Our whole existence is built on this impossible to resolve dilemma.

I know I'm going to sound like a jerk, but for someone who was suffering with some terrible affliction, maybe it was a blessing.

Maybe someone met their true love when they were at a hospital being cared for by a loving nurse.

Sorry Tim- there are just too many ways to look at things to make any sweeping pronouncements I think.

Sure- for the people who got terrible burns that would be personally bad I guess. Maybe. In most cases.

You think it's as simple as:
Pain= bad
Bliss= good
 ?

Is going to work on a rainy cold January day (PAINFULL really) bad, but staying in a warm bed with your partner good ? OK so you stay home in bed because that would be the "good" option.

What about at the end of the month when you don't have money to pay the rent or heating bill because you didn't go to work? Now is it bad or good?

I can't think of a single case you could bring up where the answer is obvious and applies to large numbers of people. These are individual questions and even then, the individual can't know the answer to the bad/good question without access to all the information involved. Which is impossible.

I know I'm going to sound like a jerk, but for someone who was suffering with some terrible affliction, maybe it was a blessing.

Maybe someone met their true love when they were at a hospital being cared for by a loving nurse.

Sorry Tim- there are just too many ways to look at things to make any sweeping pronouncements I think.

Sure- for the people who got terrible burns that would be personally bad I guess. Maybe. In most cases.

You think it's as simple as:
Pain= bad
Bliss= good
 ?

Is going to work on a rainy cold January day (PAINFULL really) bad, but staying in a warm bed with your partner good ? OK so you stay home in bed because that would be the "good" option.

What about at the end of the month when you don't have money to pay the rent or heating bill because you didn't go to work? Now is it bad or good?

I can't think of a single case you could bring up where the answer is obvious and applies to large numbers of people. These are individual questions and even then, the individual can't know the answer to the bad/good question without access to all the information involved. Which is impossible.

"I know I'm going to sound like a jerk, but for someone who was suffering with some terrible affliction, maybe it was a blessing."

I thought you said being struck by a nuclear bomb wasn't bad ? After being struck by a nuclear bomb, the people that are still alive tend to suffer from a terrible affliction. So you've said above terrible afflictions are bad ... I agree with you. I suppose they can be looked upon as opportunities for growth from a different dimension (ie if one believes in the spirit world and this world is just a let's pretend which I don't want to bring up here because that's another thing altogether )
  
Can't something be experienced as bad ? Why would we want to put a positive spin on being incinerated or having are bodies terribly mutilated and burnt. I can't see much value in an experience of being burnt alive really. Call me old fashioned but.....

You think it's as simple as:
Pain= bad
Bliss= good  

No, not at all. I think we are destined to have as much pain as pleasure (it may be by design or predetermination) and some pain can be looked upon as a necessary lesson. But pain that's makes life completely intolerable ie the dreadful mutilations we are talking about here, is not a good and positive thing, not for me anyway.

"Is going to work on a rainy cold January day (PAINFULL really) bad, but staying in a warm bed with your partner good ? OK so you stay home in bed because that would be the "good" option.


What about at the end of the month when you don't have money to pay the rent or heating bill because you didn't go to work? Now is it bad or good?"

Do I need to answer such shallow questions, jkmac ?  They're not really your best shots are they ? 

"I know I'm going to sound like a jerk, but for someone who was suffering with some terrible affliction, maybe it was a blessing."

I thought you said being struck by a nuclear bomb wasn't bad ? After being struck by a nuclear bomb, the people that are still alive tend to suffer from a terrible affliction. So you've said above terrible afflictions are bad ... I agree with you. I suppose they can be looked upon as opportunities for growth from a different dimension (ie if one believes in the spirit world and this world is just a let's pretend which I don't want to bring up here because that's another thing altogether )
  
Can't something be experienced as bad ? Why would we want to put a positive spin on being incinerated or having are bodies terribly mutilated and burnt. I can't see much value in an experience of being burnt alive really. Call me old fashioned but.....

You think it's as simple as:
Pain= bad
Bliss= good  

No, not at all. I think we are destined to have as much pain as pleasure (it may be by design or predetermination) and some pain can be looked upon as a necessary lesson. But pain that's makes life completely intolerable ie the dreadful mutilations we are talking about here, is not a good and positive thing, not for me anyway.

"Is going to work on a rainy cold January day (PAINFULL really) bad, but staying in a warm bed with your partner good ? OK so you stay home in bed because that would be the "good" option.


What about at the end of the month when you don't have money to pay the rent or heating bill because you didn't go to work? Now is it bad or good?"

Do I need to answer such shallow questions, jkmac ?  They're not really your best shots are they ? 

There are just too many scenarios to invent that might illustrate what I am saying. 

I mentioned the following TRUE story on this site, a week or two ago: it is about a woman who I met while we were donating our time at a charity fundraiser. She told me that she lost her husband and baby son in a car accident 15 years ago. She survived the crash.

She told me that the accident was the most important event in her life and all things considered, because of the positive changes it brought about in her own personal values, a positive thing. 

Let me repeat: A mother, who lost her 1 year old baby boy, and her husband, and was permanently disabled with a back injury, by a drunk driver, said to me that in the long view, it was a positive event in her life.

Do I need to say more? Could I possibly provide a more dramatic example of what I am talking about? 

I suppose so, but I would probably have to make something up.

There are just too many scenarios to invent that might illustrate what I am saying. 

I mentioned story on this site, a week or two ago about a woman I was talking to who lost her husband and baby son in a car accident 15 years ago. We were at a charity event donating our time.

She told me that the accident was the most important event in her life and all things considered, because of the positive changes it brought about in her own personal values, a positive thing. 

Let me repeat: A mother, who lost her 1 year old baby boy, and her husband, to a drunk driver, said to me that in the long view, it was a positive event in her life.

Do I need to say more?

"Do I need to say more?"

Not if you don't want to, no. But for every one of those.... I bet I could introduce ten others to whom similar things have happened ... and they would give anything to have their loved ones back.

"Do I need to say more?"

Not if you don't want to, no. But for every one of those.... I bet I could introduce ten others to whom similar things have happened ... and they would give anything to have their loved ones back.

Jeez,,,,

My point is: 
you can't assume that if something happens that you would consider bad, it is considered bad by the person involved. The fact that I can show you even one example of this proves the point. 

Bad is NOT a universal truth. And neither is good.

Jeez,,,,

My point is: 
you can't assume that if something happens that you would consider bad, it is considered bad by the person involved. The fact that I can show you even one example of this proves the point. 

Bad is NOT a universal truth. And neither is good.

And further- if a person considers something bad to them, that doesn't mean it is bad to all, because others will view it differently.

Again- nothing is purely and universally bad.