Few things to ponder

[Holyrapid]

So, inspired by a fellow members post on another forum, i got into a little thinking... Is it theft to steal back what's yours in the first place? And, are you allowed to steal from a thief?
Tell your opinions... After some deapte over this subject, we may change into another subject...

[The Niche]

It is of course, but it's justified. These kind of things all depend on one's own morality. Personally, I'm fine with stealing from a company, but not from a person. Or at least, not from someone who will notice the difference*.

*= The same applies to cyber theft, apart from the last bit.

[Blizzard]

I see it as Robin Hood does. Stealing from those who have much anyway is less wrong than stealing from somebody who doesn't.

[ForeverZer0]

I do not discriminate.
I steal from everybody just to be fair.

[The Niche]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH IT'S ALL SO COMPLICATED!!!!! *punches through a shop window and steals everything in the windowfront*

Ladies and gentlemen, windows vista in action.

[Diokatsu]

I see it as Robin Hood does. Stealing from those who have much anyway is less wrong than stealing from somebody who doesn't.

It's generally how I think of things. When people have so little, it's not right to take from them since they have  no way of dealing with the consequences that result. But if you have a lot, then you generally can cope without so much. It just seems more justified that way.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Rationally, I'd steal from everyone, but sadly my morals won't let me.

Is it still theft if you steal back what belonged to you? Theoretically, I'd say "yes", but that depends on so many things and is usually sofar from reality that I really don't bother thinking about it right now.
Is it wrong to steal from a thief? Counter question: Is it wrong to kill a murderer? For me it is. A person doing something wrong from your perspective doesn't give you the right to do the same to them in my eyes, unless of course when you believe in the old testament which is indeed a completely retarded thing to do.

[Diokatsu]

Rationally, I'd steal from everyone, but sadly my morals won't let me.

Is it still theft if you steal back what belonged to you? Theoretically, I'd say "yes", but that depends on so many things and is usually sofar from reality that I really don't bother thinking about it right now.
Is it wrong to steal from a thief? Counter question: Is it wrong to kill a murderer? For me it is. A person doing something wrong from your perspective doesn't give you the right to do the same to them in my eyes, unless of course when you believe in the old testament which is indeed a completely retarded thing to do.

I consider the difference between killing and stealing to be a large one in terms of the moral quality of the action. Not all crimes inflict the same level of moral detraction, if you believe in that. Some people call that a double standard. I call it evaluating the situation in light of the circumstances and consequences.

So you can steal back that which is stolen, but to kill someone in response to them killing someone else seems to be generally a more serious crime and a more drastic response.

[Subsonic_Noise]

Rationally, I'd steal from everyone, but sadly my morals won't let me.

Is it still theft if you steal back what belonged to you? Theoretically, I'd say "yes", but that depends on so many things and is usually sofar from reality that I really don't bother thinking about it right now.
Is it wrong to steal from a thief? Counter question: Is it wrong to kill a murderer? For me it is. A person doing something wrong from your perspective doesn't give you the right to do the same to them in my eyes, unless of course when you believe in the old testament which is indeed a completely retarded thing to do.

I consider the difference between killing and stealing to be a large one in terms of the moral quality of the action. Not all crimes inflict the same level of moral detraction, if you believe in that. Some people call that a double standard. I call it evaluating the situation in light of the circumstances and consequences.

So you can steal back that which is stolen, but to kill someone in response to them killing someone else seems to be generally a more serious crime and a more drastic response.

Yes, I agree with you and also that's not what I meant. Stealing back what was stolen might be justified, but nit stealing from a tief in general. That's still regular theft in my eyes, no matter what the thief did.
My exanple wasn't comparing theft with murder directly, but I was implying that you can't justify your actions with "but he/she did it, too." no matter what it's about. it doesn't matter which or how many persons someone kills, it doesn't give you the right to do the same to him, and for me, the same goes for thievery.

[Diokatsu]

Rationally, I'd steal from everyone, but sadly my morals won't let me.

Is it still theft if you steal back what belonged to you? Theoretically, I'd say "yes", but that depends on so many things and is usually sofar from reality that I really don't bother thinking about it right now.
Is it wrong to steal from a thief? Counter question: Is it wrong to kill a murderer? For me it is. A person doing something wrong from your perspective doesn't give you the right to do the same to them in my eyes, unless of course when you believe in the old testament which is indeed a completely retarded thing to do.

I consider the difference between killing and stealing to be a large one in terms of the moral quality of the action. Not all crimes inflict the same level of moral detraction, if you believe in that. Some people call that a double standard. I call it evaluating the situation in light of the circumstances and consequences.

So you can steal back that which is stolen, but to kill someone in response to them killing someone else seems to be generally a more serious crime and a more drastic response.

Yes, I agree with you and also that's not what I meant. Stealing back what was stolen might be justified, but nit stealing from a tief in general. That's still regular theft in my eyes, no matter what the thief did.
My exanple wasn't comparing theft with murder directly, but I was implying that you can't justify your actions with "but he/she did it, too." no matter what it's about. it doesn't matter which or how many persons someone kills, it doesn't give you the right to do the same to him, and for me, the same goes for thievery.

Oh alright. misread your reaction.

[red.yoshi]

It is of course, but it's justified. These kind of things all depend on one's own morality. Personally, I'm fine with stealing from a company, but not from a person. Or at least, not from someone who will notice the difference*.

*= The same applies to cyber theft, apart from the last bit.

I agree that they depend on one's own morality.

Your morality is forged by you yourself from experiences. Contributions to this are society, religions, etc.

Technically, it's not "stealing" unless someone perceives it as so. Your morality just labels things as right or wrong.

To look at in one way, we are just animals collecting piles and piles of stuff and selfishly labeling it as "ours" because we "worked for it" or something.

[The Niche]

That's a good point, actually. Technically, if you steal something, you have "worked" for it, so does that make it righfully yours?
I'd say no, because half the fun of stealing is getting away with it.

[winkio]

what if, instead of stealing someone's possessions, you steal their family, their happiness, or their life.

[Subsonic_Noise]

what if, instead of stealing someone's possessions, you steal their family, their happiness, or their life.

Sounds like a plan. When do we start?

[Blizzard]

Now.

[The Niche]

Alright, who'll we do it to? [cough]36inc[/cough]

[Blizzard]

Too late, already did. := I took his pride.

[The Niche]

Can we steal other stuff from him? If we can, I want his virginity for the archives.

[Blizzard]

You can have his soul. Oh wait, he doesn't have one. :=

[red.yoshi]

what if, instead of stealing someone's possessions, you steal their family, their happiness, or their life.

Well, not to debase us if you have religious beliefs or anything of that matter, but if you look at it from an evolutionary standpoint we are all just humans, death is inevitable, and from since the time we are born, we are practically on our road to death. Every second you live your life we are getting closer to death so one could propose that we are perpetually "dying" until death actually claims us.

Happiness is a human concept, just like sadness, pleasure, pain - it's all just labels to certain emotions we feel. We determine what they are from experience. It's a really a harsh way to look at things, but if you truly think about it, what don't we label as emotions? Sure something pleasureful causes our brain to release endorphins, but ultimately it's up to us to decide good and bad. And good wouldn't exist without bad, would it?

If we delve deeper, your really getting at morality and what one believes to be morally "right" or morally "wrong". If you look past all of that, nothing really is good or bad from the get-co.