Have Humans Lost Compasion?

[CaptinPickAxe]

With the rising population of one sided fight videos, do you think humans lost compasion? Have humans ever been compasionate beings or just evil warmongers? Its not just videos, this type of **** happens everyday. I'd like to hear the ORA's opinion, because I'm losing hope. If we don't have compasion for our fellow men, what else do we have?

[chen zhen]

i think the human race is on a downfall, and has always been. but we're falling faster now than we ever have.

the end is nearing. im not kidding.

[Losttrak]

Naw people have always sucked. Its just that nowadays media rushes it in front of us. Look at the past. We are the same barbarians as we always were.

[CaptinPickAxe]

****, look at how well "faces of death" sells and look at who all carries the video. How can someone get off to that ****? I'll stick to the K1 highlights, thank you very much.

[Kristoffer]

I dunno
:(

[Repulsive Monkey]

If being compassionate is the natural way to be then it is in our own destructive and delusory natures to stray from the true path, its in our natures I suppose what the Christians would call free will. Free will has never meant that we make the right decisions, in fact quite the opposite, but I do believe that we all have the ability to rekindle compassion because its a natural part of of ourselves. I think it's up to the inviduals to recognise they have it and develop it.

[Former castleva]

With the rising population of one sided fight videos, do you think humans lost compasion? Have humans ever been compasionate beings or just evil warmongers? Its not just videos, this type of **** happens everyday. I'd like to hear the ORA's opinion, because I'm losing hope. If we don't have compasion for our fellow men, what else do we have?

Tough questions.
I think this raises more questions to be asked;
-How are we to determine what humans have been like? (We simply do not know,since we are a fairly recent species in the family.
-What is compassion,really?
-Can apparent compassion be adaptive?
Which could be answered "yes",but then it raises the question of how much "compassion" is there into that "compassion".

Perhaps red teeth&claws&this compassion are not entirely separate entities.

[CaptinPickAxe]

My idea of compassion is caring for a stranger without having to think about it. Example:

Me and meatshake where in Austin heading to a concert. It was a group of 4. We were half way to our destination, and we come across a paraplegic homeless man. The rubber on the front wheel has come off and he is unable to move. He asks us for help. Me, shake, and pal #1 stop. Pal #2 talks says "Sorry, can't help you. Gotta go." and keeps on walking. Me and shake begin helping the man fix his wheel. Pal #2 sighs and gets antsy and reminds us of our tight schedule. We fix the mans wheel, and his shoe fall off revieling a mangled, useless foot. Shake helps him with the shoe, and pal #2 agian reminds us of the time.

Now, you've seen both ends of the spectrum. Compassionate beings and someone who doesn't care about another life. I think its in our nature to hate, kill, and lie. Look at the real world, Lions do not have remorse for the Impala it just devoured. Its up to us to learn to care, to learn to be above these animal instincts. If you think about it, its sort of like Buddhism. Rising above what is 1st nature to you, and chosing the second nature (in this case, caring)

-Just a thought

[Former castleva]

Look at the real world, Lions do not have remorse for the Impala it just devoured.

Probably so,and that´s precisely why lions survive (actually lions are somewhat endangered now,because of us).
This should not be used as an analogy though,because impala is not of lion´s kin.

[CaptinPickAxe]

true...true...but it can be used as remorse is not a feeling shared between us and the rest of the animal kingdom. I think we learn remorse. It is fairly obvious that we aren't that much different from animals because we too are very instinctive beings. We just try to be above all the "animal instincts". Heres a couple questions that I've found after typing this thread and thinking about the situation:

1. Are we raised as humans or born humans?

2. Are people who act irrationally just reverting to instinctive thougth processes?

3. Does the fact that animals kill contridict the existance of god?
(this one needs explination. God says its wrong to kill, yet he creates beings that must kill to survive. Religous people help me out)

4. Is remorse, compassion, even a conscience created by the human mind? and is there any other species of animal out there that cries as it devours it meal? (yeah, I know farfetched)

5. Are humans only humans because of a deeper thought process?

[Former castleva]

true...true...but it can be used as remorse is not a feeling shared between us and the rest of the animal kingdom.
I understand if you feel that way but you´re basically begging the question.
That´s a fairly new and even controversial field of research but the way it seems to me is that the lines ought not to be drawn with heavy hands.


1. Are we raised as humans or born humans?

5. Are humans only humans because of a deeper thought process?

It appears that those are the kind of questions that can be very easy or somewhat hard to answer,depending on what answers you´re after.
Taxonomy and related fields provide hard answers for those willing to look at publicly available data,OR you´re in for philosophy,different beasts.

[CaptinPickAxe]

I try to think philosophically. Thats what produced these questions. I have hope, and I trust my fellow brothers. The people I chat with everyday on the ORA are exceptional human beings, but what do you think contributes to the sort of actions we see on the videos posted? Or on the evening news? Do you think it could be caused by a wrong raising or an instictive mind?

I can see the irrelevence of my remorse theory to the animal world, as we like to think of ourselves as above them. But technically we are animals and therefore links us to some of the behavioral habits of the animal kingdom. If the evalution theory prooves correct, then some of our ways may be evolved forms of animal aggression, correct?

[Former castleva]

I can see the irrelevence of my remorse theory to the animal world, as we like to think of ourselves as above them. But technically we are animals and therefore links us to some of the behavioral habits of the animal kingdom. If the evalution theory prooves correct, then some of our ways may be evolved forms of animal aggression, correct?

I´d think so.


but what do you think contributes to the sort of actions we see on the videos posted? Or on the evening news? Do you think it could be caused by a wrong raising or an instictive mind?

With our shifting definitions of humanity in mind,I think we should treat the person (or lion,impala...) as a product of both their genes&their experiences.
So,not too many quick answers.

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by CaptinPickAxe
1. Are we raised as humans or born humans?Well, you are born and raised as human. Biology and Social Experience are both responsible for the person you become.

2. Are people who act irrationally just reverting to instinctive thougth processes?Irrational behavior is hardly what I would call instinctive. Survival at all costs is instinctive. Most behaviour labeled as irrational tends to contradict a survial instinct.

3. Does the fact that animals kill contridict the existance of god? (this one needs explination. God says its wrong to kill, yet he creates beings that must kill to survive. Religous people help me out)From a Christian perspective, death was introduced through original sin; therefore, humans are responsible for death in the world, not God. The Christian response also usually mentions that"Shock" is God's way of minimizing pain and suffering in dying animals.

4. Is remorse, compassion, even a conscience created by the human mind? and is there any other species of animal out there that cries as it devours it meal? (yeah, I know farfetched)I dunno about animals feeling remorse for their prey, but elephants mourn the loss of other elephants. In fact, elephants have been filmed hiding the tusks of other dead elephants, as if they know that that ivory is why humans kill them. Recent developnments in elephant studies also indicate more and more elephants are being born without tusks, which might indicate an evolutionary repsonse to ivory hunting.

5. Are humans only humans because of a deeper thought process? Humans are human because we are human. We can only be what we are.

[Losttrak]

People suck. More stupid every day.

I am in a customer service field and my compassion drains from me daily.

=D Have a nice day!


p.s. if you are 80 years old and cant keep a thought rattling inside your head... dont get a new Mac....

[Vash]

Customers are the scum of the Earth.

[blooming lotus]

Fair enough...



As far as I'm concerned compassion is subjective to a combination perspective and objective. I truly don't believe that people are "evil" or lack compassion...but ignorance and objective of belief system has alot to answer

[Machine_Phantom]

shove compassion for human race

here i am getting focked all the time screwwed up i never what i want
i am forever getting beat by life
and YOU TRY TO SELL ME HAPPINESS (yes all of you)
do you think i should be nice?
NICEEE??

FUK U

[blooming lotus]

LOL

Dude **** happens...no really..it happens. Don't tell me you're saying shove compassion, you're crying for it and you know what, the irony here is that everybody is...but sad as it is unfortunately sometimes the best compassion you get is from yourself...so make it real :)

[CaptinPickAxe]

Compassion is like a white buffalo. By the time you see it your world is already coming to an end. I don' think I'm trying to sell happiness to anyone...Hell, this is a depressing-ass thread. I'm just talking about what changes we can make in our lives to help impact the rest of the world. One person can make a difference, but chances are you can't see it in your lifetime.

[blooming lotus]

I figure as long as we do the best we can and act on a level of global community, we've done our bit. You are right though......societty is desensitised these days and there are so many worthy but opposing causes that alot of people just through thier hands in the air and go "whoa ...too much" and end up turning their backs. I just figure i'll be true reguardless, continue on my OWN path and do what i can along the way.

I guess to jeopardise that though,....the cause'd have to be large .....again just my $0.02c worth

[CaptinPickAxe]

I was just on the main forum and saw an act of compassion. Northern Practioner was the hero of the day...well, sort of. He had the compassion to call the police for a man who was being attacked. He was on the verge of helping him, but assesed the situation and saw it a threat to himself. I think he made the right choice by staying out of the fight, but he also did the right thing to make sure those thugs didn't kill the guy.

I think people today are too in tune with themselves and not their sang ha. People act selfishly, and don't get me wrong, you must think about yourself to advance in life. You must also think about the people around you. I feel I'm gifted. I'm about to be twenty years old and realize that you must think of other besides yourself. There are 65 year old people who still haven't figured this out and its sad. I see that people who think mostly of themselves live long, lonely, sad lives. I've found to live a happy life you must help others...or maybe its just that I'm growing up into a young buddhist man.

[CaptinPickAxe]

when I started this thread I was depressed and had little hope for my brothers and sisters. Now, I feel that there are enough compassionate souls in this world to spread it to other generations. Its like dominoes, when your compassion is set in motion it effects more than one person because that peson, in return, spreads compasssion.