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I'm taking part in this. Got done a little over 2k in the first day. My goal is to write at least 2k / day.

Not to set up a brick wall, but economics is completely society influenced. So is much of the decision to have children or to not have children.

That being said, we can conclude that society probably has the most influence on whether or not a couple has children. Although unrealistic, I'd propose that without these influences that all able humans would reproduce and have children.

I'd further like to say that anyone who brings modern day social influences to the table, with any technology what-so-ever, adds more variables to the picture. Scratch what I said earlier about couples being abstinent for lack of responsibility. If one feels that s/he will lose money for any reason or cause, s/he will prevent losing money at all costs. Why? Money = security, security = safety.

This draws back to what I said much earlier on in this topic. Basically, humans will do anything to survive, the first and foremost drive we have in life. All mentally stable humans will go any amount of distance to secure their lives, even if it endangers the lives of others. It's simply human nature.

After these means of survival have been established, then procreation enters the picture. I'd argue that any able couple who doesn't choose to procreate feels that by having children their means of survival are endangered.

Well, i am an atheist (ATHEIST not satanist, us atheists don't believe in god(s) for various reasons. My self, i don't believe since i haven't been presented with actual evidence that would support that there is a god or even multiple ones. I admit, always doesn't make sense either. But it has more logic than religions... imo), but that's besides the point.
I see no other reason for human life that to survive and reproduce. Same however goes for all animals, plants, everything that lives.

And as for OCD, they can sometimes be some sort of phobias, or caused by one, but mainly they are just illogical obsessions, that don't make up much if any sense, at lest to everyone else, except the person suffering from the OCD, if even to them. I myself have a phobia, and a small OCD.

I fear bees, and i think this has stuck to me from my early childhood, since i accidentally stepped on one. And as for my nail biting, i have no clear explanation for it. It's not because of stress or anything like that. It's just a bad habit, that may be left from my childhood as well. As a kid, i got into lots of fights, and sometimes i would get comment on my longish nails... so i bit them off... and i know it doesn't sound reasonable, because it isn't.

And i forgot what i was about to say if anything...

You're getting at what I was getting at- ocd mannerisms and phobias aren't spontaneous or "unwarrented." They do have some sort of origin in one way or another.

And I would have to agree with Bliz. Married couples who would rather not have children either because they like the quiet, or they're too busy, or something. Whatever the reason, in most if not all cases, it ultimately boils down to not wanting to take the responsibility or lack there of. Whether or not the couple abstains from sex is a different story. '~'

She has nice tits. [/offtopic]

@Red: You're right, according to nature, we have no real purpose other than to make sure our species survives. It's ironic that nature, which is presented as this all loving and benign force, doesn't really give a shit about individuals. Which is why I believe it impossible for there to be no divine being.

I wouldn't say that I'm atheistic. That's also a bit off topic though.

I'd have to disagree. The fear has to be conditioned, "learned," in the first place, whether experienced first hand or by witnessing it in others. Organisms which learned to fear environmental threats faster had a survival and reproductive advantage.

And, as for OCD conditioning...

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and wine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

No, seriously.

Seriously.

Do you believe that? Oh my god.

ahahaha.

But ontopic now.

A few emotions can be triggered by learned stimuli (e.g. fears and phobias are in this group).

This is true, though sometimes phobias exist without any logical explanation for them. And the definition of a phobia is an irrational or excessive fear - they're never logical. Usually, though, you can see how they came to fear it. A scary spider incident when they're young. That disturbing facepaint clowns wear.

But still, there's very little reason to fear a hippopotamus opening your door or something.

Err...Actually I just found it very beautiful and metaphoric and relevant to this topic's interests. '~'

Now, now, I think we're miscommunicating here.

What I meant, Blizz, was that you're right - some, probably most phobias are caused by an observable phenomenon. However, some of them are not. Acrophobia makes sense - falling down CAN and WILL kill you, from heights. Arachnophobia, that too. Some spiders are poisonous enough to kill you in minutes.

But there is documented cases where people refuse to leave their house because they're afraid of a hippopotamus opening their door or stuff equally ridiculous. Of course, I'm not scoffing at it. I admit I have little knowledge in the field of psychology, and forgive me for that, I am trying to practice what I do know so far because I plan to make a career of it. Sometimes you can be aware that it's illogical, and or excessive, and still be unable to do anything about it.

It's just how it works.

Like OCD.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often misunderstood. It's not 'everything must be neat and tidy.' You first get an obsession - your hands are dirty. Your hands MUST be dirty, the last time you washed them was several minutes ago and you were just sitting down watching TV. Your hands are freaking DIRTY. And then you get a compulsion. Your hands are dirty, you must clean them. If you clean your hands they will not be dirty any more. Clean your hands! and then you clean your hands. And then later on the process repeats.

basically, I just hijacked this thread to exercise knowledge so I can remember it.

If I'm being uncivil or ignoring your points I'm sorry.

Hijack cat makes no sense. OCD is a disorder, a mental condition, not a phobia.

I'll just leave this here...
SL4A

I have an 89T+, but I doubt the oses are anything alike. I remember that in order to delete programs on that, I would need to do it from the catalog. At first I thought this was a lot of work to go through, because I was use to my 84se, but I quickly got use to it.

I've been playing this game religiously with my friends and cousins for what has to be around 12 years or so by now. I've blown entire days off playing it. 

you're old as fuck.

Please..don't remind me ,_,|||

I've been playing this game religiously with my friends and cousins for what has to be around 12 years or so by now. I've blown entire days off playing it. 

...and post it!

From this way this thread has progressed, I think it would be appropriate to share a poem with you guys written by Walt Whitman. It's actually an excerpt from his work "Song of Myself," and it basically sums up what I see us humans as once you take away society and religion.

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.

They do not sweat and wine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

You could hammer it down to a few specific things and that's it. Happiness is merely the response of our minds to reward us for increasing our chances of survival and reproduction. But it's fine. I don't see a problem with this. Regardless of the reason, I'm still happy and feel good. And that's the only thing that matters.
If you look at this even more down-to-earth, the average human changes its complete material about every 7 years. Just because that "shell" has changed, doesn't mean that you're a different person.

Amen. I couldn't have said it better myself.

I apologize for giving my two cents on your question at hand. However, next time, when positing a biased question, please just specify whether or not you'd only like to receive answers agreeing with what you have to say, or open minded responses, because I was a bit confused. 

I very much hate to argue, but close minded egotistical people get on my nerves as well. I apologize if I offended you in any way. Have a nice day.

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.

Death is inevitable, but if someone kills you, they steal years of life that would have been yours.  In that sense, it is a loss of life.  Otherwise, we would all just jump off of skyscrapers, because life is tough.

Emotions transcend humanity.  That is why animal abuse is a criminal act.

Yes, morality is what I'm getting into (and what this topic is getting into).  But your oversimplified view that everything doesn't matter is just stupid.  You don't even believe it yourself.


Anyways, back on topic.  I think the damage of theft depends upon what is stolen.  And thus, the more valuable a thing that is stolen, the more extreme of a response is warranted.

Biologically, we as humans have two purposes in life - to survive and to procreate. This may be why one isn't particularly taken to acts of suicide (as your example, jumping off a skyscraper.) Our first and foremost human instinct in life is to seek survival. Without the comfort of a shelter, food, warmth, etc. we as humans will do anything to fulfill these essential needs of life. I dare propose that without these needs, human emotions cease to exist, as we may fight - or even kill for a means to save our own life. I mean, isn't this what we're doing in our world today?

If your logic is that killing equals stealing, then what about all of the people killed in war? What about all of the people who go hungry and starve? What about all of the cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, or whatever have you, that are slaughtered everyday as means for nourishment? They aren't much different from us humans. If you group these critters as animals, you might as well group us "humans" in the same category. Our genetic pool doesn't vary much, and actually, we're all carbon based life forms. What is the difference between animal cruelty and slaughtering cows in a slaughter house other than your perceived notion of it?

Society also plays a big role in the scheme of things. It's socially unacceptable to walk around naked in public, to harm animals, to scream obscenities, and it's socially acceptable to feel embarrassment, shame, etc. for doing such things.

Us humans have such huge egotistical issues that it sickens me.

Your making your question completely one sided and argumentative. What I don't understand is why you propose an opinionated question, and then debate over people's opinions, arguing that you and only your view is the right view..

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.

"This Could Be Anywhere In The World" - Alexis on Fire

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.

Breeding ground. 

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