[Glenn Epic]

I think I'm a good person because:

I once met a mute. He always had a smile on his face. He was nice enough and even though he couldn't speak communication was never much of an issue. I would often talk for hours on end as he sat intently, quiet as a mouse. It didn't bother me that he couldn't respond, no, hardly so. He was the best listener I had ever met. As time drew on I began to feel good about myself for paying the boy such a service. I could not think of anyone else who would give the light of day to such a blank, non reciprocating vessel. I was such a good, kind person. However, one day when he fell into a state of slumber I heard a most peculiar sound. The young mute uttered a word. That word soon drifted off and before long my ears were struck by a sentence.

When he awoke from his dreams I chose not to tell him about the event that had previously occurred. After all, what benefit would such a proclamation have to the young boy? I was positive that it would result in false hope as sleep talking is something far removed from that of the conscious brain.

A month or so later he came to greet me on the street... with words instead of gestures. Whilst he was as friendly as ever I began to shy away from him, to hate him. I never saw that boy again.

Anyway, this story isn't about the mute. This story is about why I'm such a good person.

[Squinky]

People aren't good or bad; they just do good or bad things.

[Glenn Epic]

Originally Posted by Squinky

People aren't good or bad; they just do good or bad things.

I agree. I did a good thing helping that mute.

Oh man, I don't think you guys have the same sense of humour as me.

[akane_t]

Originally Posted by Squinky

People aren't good or bad; they just do good or bad things.

When we see a child falling down a well, most of us immediately feel

Originally Posted by Mencius

alarm and distress, not to gain friendship with the child's parents, nor to seek the praise of their neighbors and friends, nor because they dislike the reputation [of lack of humanity if they did not rescue the child]...

The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.

Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them is to destroy themselves.

[Jatsie]

Originally Posted by akane_t

When we see a child falling down a well, most of us immediately feel

...the urge to laugh?

[akane_t]

Originally Posted by Jat316sob

...the urge to laugh?

*sigh*

One of my ex boy friends claimed that I'm too uptight. I'm beginning to agree with him.

I'm beginning to find Jat's sense of humor really tiresome and inappropriate.

[Jatsie]

Originally Posted by akane_t

One of my ex boy friends claimed that I'm too uptight. I'm beginning to agree with him.

I too agree with him, but it is that which makes you so fun to tease.

[samIamsad]

Originally Posted by Squinky

People aren't good or bad; they just do good or bad things.

Good and bad only exist within a construct of values made up by a particular society. In short: not really at all.

[Giligan]

In my own opinion, it's impossible to assign absolute values to a mattter of perspective. So, good is bad and vice-versa. Survival of the fittest is the real issue to worry about.

[Jatsie]

Originally Posted by Giligan

Survival of the fittest is the real issue to worry about.

Care for a game of Social Darwinism™?

[Giligan]

I'm not too up on Darwin, sadly. Put me in a warzone, though, and I'll tell you exactly what weapons the soldiers are carrying, what vehicles they're driving, and what aircraft they're flying.

[Jatsie]

Okay then, Hermann Goering has just sent the Luftwaffe to attack the Low Countries. Which aircraft is most numerous?

[Giligan]

Bf-109 and the Ju-87.

[Jatsie]

Excellent, I was always partial to the Messerschmitts, the Junkers were nice too.

[Giligan]

The Junkers were pretty obselete, though. In the right hands, they weren't terrible (what was that pilot's name, the guy who sank a couple ships, and blew up over 1,000 tanks and artillery guns with a Stuka? I can't remember.) but yeah, the Messerschmitts were pretty good. Just a pity that the war didn't last another year, when the advanced designs were scheduled to be completed.

[Jatsie]

Don't be too hard on the Junkers, they have one fun use :

[Giligan]

Well, that's the Ju-52. They're still flying today.

Heh, and that one's got the "dustbin" gunner's position, Spanish Civil War vintage.

[Jatsie]

Then, to Guernica!

[RLacey]

Ah, military history. The reason that I've spent my entire degree staying away from wars...

[Giligan]

Odd, that. In my opinion, there's nothing more intriguing than war and the science thereof.