50 thoughts on “Question of the Day – No. 69”

      1. It’s who they choose to be that matters before I can interfere. If I do interfere, it’s for the right reasons, and it will be all that I am capable of doing. Vague question gets vague answers.

      2. Vague question also gets different perspectives. Who decides if the reasons for that interfering are right?

      3. We all weigh our own conscience. From my perspective, it’s not that difficult to tell good and evil apart when information is forthcoming.

      4. Good and evil is not the same with right and wrong. A good thing can be wrong (trying to help someone might stop that person from learning an important lesson) and an evil thing can be right (moral dilemmas are the best examples). What you decide to be right might be wrong for that person. Same thing applies the other way around.

      5. I’ll respectfully disagree with that. Good and right are very much synonymous, as are wrong and evil. You confuse the concepts of law and justice, which are not always on the the same ground no matter how much we’d like the ideal to be true. Likewise, what immediately seems good could be evil in the long run, and vice versa. This is why information needs to be forthcoming.

      6. If I’m trying to save someone by sacrificing myself will be seen as a good thing, but is it right? Someone will say it’s wrong, but is it evil?

      7. Again, more information is needed to know the whole of that situation. On the whole, we argue towards common means, however. Morality is a muscle like any other: it becomes stronger the more we flex it with proper intent. I’ll raise the stakes. Why do you need to sacrifice yourself to save another? Would it not make sense that you’d be stronger together? Even that requires more information to know for certain. If the one being saved is inherently evil, I’d question both the need to save or to sacrifice.

      8. If I’m dead, you might not know why I did it. When we hear about a situation, we automatically “decide” if it’s right or wrong even know we don’t have all the information (at least most of us). Anyways, the question was not about morality, but here is the most common example of this kind of dilemmas. What’s good and right and what’s wrong and evil? Maybe one image is not enough to answer that question, but still most people do. Maybe that’s one of the problems http://medina-psicologia.ugr.es/~cienciacognitiva/files/2015-17-f1.jpg

      9. Ah, the classic Star Trek scenario. Logic suggests the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one, but when the one is a much loved and valued person, the needs of the one are held higher. Again, your example is limited, however. If life is a numbers game, you still have to act your conscience. That’s the only thing any of us have to work with in the moment. More information allows you to stop that train and free all of them before it becomes a problem. There’s also the point to consider that the engineer may already be working to that end. Do we even know the speed of that little train car? What if diverting it to the other track causes it to flip? Do we risk at that point injuring or killing everyone in some fiery accident? This goes around and around endlessly.

        All that said, I do applaud the spirit of intent here, and it does come back to perspective. We all have to ask these questions, and in exploring them, that’s how we come to know the difference between right and wrong when these situations come up. We gain through personal experience and cultural influence. When we learn other perspectives, we gain through that insight.

      10. Thank you! I find your comments very thought-provoking. Right and wrong can be debated for hours. Also, culture has a big impact on this…

      11. It really does, which is why this stuff should be debated for hours, especially when we have the luxury to do so without putting lives in real danger to test the hypothesis. I’m looking forward to seeing more answers from other readers on this one.

      12. Me too! I’m always looking forward to see the answers to the questions I post. 😀

      14. I usually do it when I’m coming up with the question. For example, yesterday I gave someone a ride even if I haven’t met that person before and he really need it.

      17. Can I say something about the photo? First if you haven’t watched the Good Place they do a very funny version of that very situation. And secondly why stress out over it? Do you deal with this situation daily? Why worry about something you might never face. Most of life isn’t Sophie’s Choice and if you do the best you can in that situation that is the best you can do. No need to beat yourself up over it or feel condemned.

      18. I haven’t, but I’ll take a look when I have the chance. Fortunately, I don’t deal with these situations daily, but it is interesting to debate it.

      19. I’d say it’s less about beating yourself up and more about understanding why and how you’d react in a given situation. Discovery of oneself can be invaluable.

  2. I usually give kind words. People call me when they want to be encouraged. I have also given money when someone in my family needed it. I’ve given my sisters a place to stay when they wanted to move to a better location. I helped them get on their feet.

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    1. If we all do things like this and the ones that are helped do it as well, the world might become a better place 🙂

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      1. It would be wonderful if everyone paid it forward. When I was in need I could have used the very things I give freely, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. I didn’t do good to get anything in return, but it would be nice to receive kindness and encouragement when it’s needed.

  5. Normally I try to be kind as well as to the point rather than confusing them. By the way , you too should first put in your answers to your questions so that we , as followers , could also know how’s your approach to every situation! What say?

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    1. That’s a good approach you have on helping others. My answers might bias your answers and I don’t want to do that, but I’ll think about something. Btw, for today’s question, my answer has already been posted in one of the comments 😀

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  6. Pingback: My Help Is… | Nut House Central

  7. I’d go with listening, but I will mentally block people that I feel want me to fix things for them. I’d much rather say “I’m so sorry you’re feeling this way – can I help in any way?” than offer unwanted advice. Usually just saying I care is enough,

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    1. Sometimes people want emotional support, not an actual help so if you can figure out who needs just support and you’re offering it, you’re awesome! 😀

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    2. Nah – just stomp around shouting orders. “We need to get a mop! You need a step stool” – bossy stuff.

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  8. I try to do good deeds whenever the opportunity presents itself, I offer help and just do simple things like give someone a smile or make them a cup of tea

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    1. Nice one. I feel good when people hold the door open for me so I do the same. Maybe it’s not much, but maybe for some it’s the only nice thing they see all day. This last “maybe” matters to me.

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  11. I listen to people when they talk to me. I try to listen with an open mind and an open heart, looking to see things from their perspective and offer advice in the best way I can.

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      1. It really depends, some people just need to vent or they just need someone they trust that they can talk to. I am good at keeping secrets, so I get a lot of secrets told to me. I feel that after they tell me these things, they are relieved at times. Other times, they stay mad and they will continue venting to other people.

    1. Looking for pets when the owners are unavailable can be very helpful. I too go to some friends house to take care of their cats when they’re put of town 🙂

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