[btu2012]

I have been disturbed for a long time by what I perceive as a strong tendency of many posters to minimize human suffering.

There seems to be a quite pervasive attitude of almost enjoying the human pain which is to come, an attitude of "bring it on" which might be motivated by some people's dissatisfaction with, and hatred of, our current civilization, or perhaps of their own position within it.

Many here seem to talk with ease and even glibness about extremely serious things such as widespread famine, war, disease, societal collapse, breaks in law and order, the possibility of civil war(s), "zombie hordes" etc -- as if they were taking perverse satisfaction in the likelyhood of these things.

It also seems to me that there is a correlation between this attitude and lack of experience of human suffering, whose dimensions and intensity some people around here seem to underestimate.

I would like to ask for other people's opinions about the origin of this phenomenon and about its possible implications for the future.

Are certain people simply spoiled ? Are they too young and thus don't know what they are talking about ? Do they find some sick pleasure in decay and disaster --and if so, why ? Do they simply want to show off by shocking others ?

What is your opinion ?

[Ludi]

I can't know the "true dimensions of human pain," I can only know my own pain and extrapolate that to other people and other situations. But I can't by any means know if the worst pain I've ever experienced is anywhere near as bad as pain felt by another person. It's just not possible to truly know another person's experience.


I don't understand people who minimize the importance of other peoples' pain. I think some of it might be a kind of showing off, to show how tough they are, how unfeeling. I think a number of people here seem to think they will need to be unfeeling to survive in the future, so they are practicing or pretending to practice being unfeeling now. Or they simply might not have much or any empathy to begin with.


But I can't know for sure what's going on in another person's heart and mind.

[btu2012]

I don't know either, that's why I am asking.

[seahorse]

BTU,

Unfortunately, you may be in for a shock. In my experience, there are any number of people in the world that truly do relish in other's pain, thus, words like schadenfreude.

Definition

Why do you think extremist muslims or any other group videotape their doings? Bc they take pleasure in doing it and watching it over and over. If you want to see how evil people can be, check out this Muslim videos of decapitating Russian soldiers.

Horrible Videos, beware

So, unfortunately, many people aren't acting. They truly enjoy it. I define those people as evil. The cure for schadenfreude is of course found in Bushido, the idea that the sword is the giver of life by destroying those that do harm and relish in it.

[roccman]

More than 1/2 the population goes to bed starving everyday.

I don't think there is anything that can make this scalable to a human dimension.

So we drink...

we eat...

we pop vicadin...

we drown our miseable lives in anything other than the pain of others.

Then we get hungry...and blame YOU!

Somehow blame is suppose to make the pain less painful.

My dog killed one of my goats today...I am sure it was a slow and painful bleeding out for the goat.

Not much I could have done for her.

Now we will butcher her and feed her to the dogs.

Just the way it goes.

[wisconsin_cur]

It is not about the future pain of others but the current psychological pain of the poster. There is that old saying about scratching a cynic deep enough and you find a disillusioned idealist.

Maybe they were picked on in high school and college, maybe they passed up for that promotion that really should have been thier's maybe they spent the last 50 years preaching the gospel of overpopulation, have been laughed at or the object of scorn so long that they have become scornful. It is a common human experience.

I feel it when I win every point with a co-worker or friend on the issue of peak oil, they essentially acknowledge that I am right, but do nothing or use the phrase "I prefer to believe" to end the discussion, as if preference had anything to do with the issue.

Overcoming it is a deep spiritual obstacle. There are a couple of ways of getting around it, depending upon one's spiritual tradition/dogma... but which ever approach you use one must first decide that they do not wish to remain in it. One must become dissatisfied with dissatisfaction and then search diligently to find the path to something beyond it.

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seahorse', 'B')TU,

Unfortunately, you may be in for a shock. In my experience, there are any number of people in the world that truly do relish in other's pain, thus, words like schadenfreude.
Definition

[americandream]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('btu2012', 'I') have been disturbed for a long time by what I perceive as a strong tendency of many posters to minimize human suffering.

There seems to be a quite pervasive attitude of almost enjoying the human pain which is to come, an attitude of "bring it on" which might be motivated by some people's dissatisfaction with, and hatred of, our current civilization, or perhaps of their own position within it.

Many here seem to talk with ease and even glibness about extremely serious things such as widespread famine, war, disease, societal collapse, breaks in law and order, the possibility of civil war(s), "zombie hordes" etc -- as if they were taking perverse satisfaction in the likelyhood of these things.

It also seems to me that there is a correlation between this attitude and lack of experience of human suffering, whose dimensions and intensity some people around here seem to underestimate.

I would like to ask for other people's opinions about the origin of this phenomenon and about its possible implications for the future.

Are certain people simply spoiled ? Are they too young and thus don't know what they are talking about ? Do they find some sick pleasure in decay and disaster --and if so, why ? Do they simply want to show off by shocking others ?

What is your opinion ?

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', 'O')vercoming it is a deep spiritual obstacle. There are a couple of ways of getting around it, depending upon one's spiritual tradition/dogma... but which ever approach you use one must first decide that they do not wish to remain in it. One must become dissatisfied with dissatisfaction and then search diligently to find the path to something beyond it.

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('americandream', 'T')his apparent inability to look beyond the true nature of the status quo is a function of capitalism's prowess at conditioning you, absolutely.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('roccman', 'M')ore than 1/2 the population goes to bed starving everyday.

I don't think there is anything that can make this scalable to a human dimension.

So we drink...

we eat...

we pop vicadin...

we drown our miseable lives in anything other than the pain of others.

Then we get hungry...and blame YOU!

Somehow blame is suppose to make the pain less painful.

My dog killed one of my goats today...I am sure it was a slow and painful bleeding out for the goat.

Not much I could have done for her.

Now we will butcher her and feed her to the dogs.

Just the way it goes.

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', ' ')The victims become the perpetrators.

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('btu2012', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', 'O')vercoming it is a deep spiritual obstacle. There are a couple of ways of getting around it, depending upon one's spiritual tradition/dogma... but which ever approach you use one must first decide that they do not wish to remain in it. One must become dissatisfied with dissatisfaction and then search diligently to find the path to something beyond it.

[btu2012]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', 'A')t some point we must either decide to walk out of them or be responsible for the consequences of continuing to lie in them.

[RedStateGreen]

Empathy and callousness are both learned reactions to the pain of others, mirroring how the person was treated as a child when they were in pain.

There are a lot of childhood abuse survivors here, if the posts I've seen are any indication.

[btu2012]

RSG>Do you think that narcissism is also a product of early age experiences ?

[Aaron]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('btu2012', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wisconsin_cur', ' ')The victims become the perpetrators.

[btu2012]

Aaron,

Have you ever dealt with a sociopath ? The charming, high-functioning type.

[RedStateGreen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('btu2012', 'R')SG>Do you think that narcissism is also a product of early age experiences ?

[Jack]

Did someone mention "sociopath"?

As will be noticed from my signature line, I'm rather fond of the upcoming dieoff.

First, I think my life would be better with fewer people. Especially scruffy third-world types.

Second, crises is opportunity. The death of billions will generate lots of chances to make a profit.

Third, the poor, both foreign and domestic, are getting uppity. They need to be reminded of their position.

Last...human pain (so long as it is not my own, of course) can be delicous. Think of a fine vintage Bordeaux.