Winners and Losers in the Game of Life

[questor]

If you choose not to judge others that is your prerogative. I am sure you would judge crime and immorality as wrong, wouldn't you? If you don't judge, then who becomes judge? Does each person judge for himself what is good and what is bad, and live his life accordingly? If so, then where is the glue for society? How will an sitting judge judge if he has no parameters or definitions? Isn't it fairly easy for you to judge a failure? It may be more difficult to judge a winner, but there are parameters if you choose to apply them. I would not judge a wealthy drug pusher a winner, although he would probably consider himself so.

[pgrmdave]

I judge crime almost solely on the basis of removing another person's choice or breaking a contract. As far as I can tell, almost all crimes stem from one of these two things. Immorality is not something which I think of lightly. I have my own morals, others have theirs, but I do not believe that there is an 'ideal morality' to which we all aspire, which means that it is not possible to compare moralities and judge which is 'better' or 'worse' than others. Perhaps 'more logical' or 'more internally consistent' but not truly 'better' or 'worse'.

[Donk]

Donk, I agree with you. The wealthy guy is only interested in money. He won the money game but lost his humanity to greed.

 

The second guy is indeed a winner. He won his game of serving others.

 

If you only want money as a reward, you may win your game, but you'll never be really happy.

Who are you? And what have you done with questor??? :hihi:

 

Seriously, I'm glad we agree that there are many ways to be successful, just as there are many different ways to be human.

 

My definition of crime, refined over many years: "causing physical or mental suffering to another through either malice or carelessness." Throw away the law books. Sack the lawmakers. Those twelve words cover it all :doh:

[pgrmdave]

Would you count economic harm as physical suffering Donk? What about breaches of contract if no physical or mental suffering can be assessed? I've always struggled to find a good working definition that can sufficiently account for laws that regulate industries, prevent price gouging / monopolies, prevent physical attacks and theft, and protect people who harm others without intent (good Samaritan laws are one example of this).

[modest]

Would you count economic harm as physical suffering Donk? What about breaches of contract if no physical or mental suffering can be assessed?

 

A breach of contract is not criminal - at least not in the US. If you stop paying your credit card bill you don't go to jail.

 

~modest

[pgrmdave]

A breach of contract is most definitely against the law, and is punishable with fines, and if necessary, jail time (depending on the contract) from what I understand. You have to have a way to ensure that, say, contractors actually do the work they're paid for, and don't just put up a shoddy facade and leave.

[modest]

A breach of contract is most definitely against the law, and is punishable with fines, and if necessary, jail time (depending on the contract) from what I understand.

A breach of contract is not a criminal offense, and therefore the victim can seek only monetary damages.

 

Contract - Criminal Law Lawyer Source

One interesting consequence (and I'm just thinking out loud here) if breaches were made criminal would be that anyone who can't pay their mortgage payment would be guaranteed the right to a public defender :)

 

~modest

[pamela]

I never think it wise to judge another person, as we really don't know who they are. The action should most certainly be judged, especially in crime.Life is not a game in any respect, it is an opportunity to live, breathe, laugh, love, learn and give. My 12 year old son suffers from seizure disorder. The school system deems him educably mentally disabled. Shall he learn to the best of his ability to become a winner? I think not. First of all, the labeling system has got to go. A type of judgement that would most certainly stop this or any child from striving to learn. His ability is infinite, no preset limits as to what he can do and what he will learn. the kids at school call him a loser and yet he can grasp the fundamentals of many areas of science(winner?)

We win when we give of ourselves, whether it be knowledge, love, etc.

we lose when we elevate ourselves to be that much more than our fellow man

Pamela

[Pyrotex]

The RULES are the same for all players. I did not say the playing field is the same. ..

Rhetorical swill.

 

There are MANY games of Life. And each game has its own rules. And those rules are evolving with every generation. We must each choose the games we commit to. Refusing to choose, is choosing. Even the values of "good" and "evil" are in constant flux, like the surface of the sea, altered by the winds and tides of History.

 

We each play several Games of Life during our lifespans. We may "win" at making money but "lose" at winning love. We may "win" at propogating our DNA to the Future, but "lose" to alcohol and drugs.

 

The static, black-and-white, child's crayon-sketch of Life as you describe it is fit only for the refrigerator magnet. (I'm sure your mother is quite proud of you.) :)

 

Real Life, in all its dimensions, is dynamic, turbulent, stochastic, evolving, multiordinal and beautifully chaotic. Your Game of Life is a gray, dismal rat's maze; The Real Game of Life is hanging ten on a living, breathing surf board, trying to catch the next polychromatic wave on an infinite (and infinitely changing) cosmic sea.

 

KOWABUNGA!!!!!!!!

[questor]

Pamela, I'm sorry about your son, but we are not far apart in our attitudes. Your son should definitely become the best he can be. That is what would make him a winner. It doesn't matter what the other kids say. They will probably admire him as they mature enough to realize the mountain he has to climb. You too, will be a winner in that you have done the best you can do with your parenting. Good Luck

[questor]

Pyro, why don't you spit out the lemon...it does not become you.

[Pyrotex]

Pyro, why don't you spit out the lemon...it does not become you.

Have some lemonaid, questor.

 

KOWABUNGA!!!!!!!!!

[Thunderbird]

Rhetorical swill.

 

There are MANY games of Life. And each game has its own rules. And those rules are evolving with every generation. We must each choose the games we commit to. Refusing to choose, is choosing. Even the values of "good" and "evil" are in constant flux, like the surface of the sea, altered by the winds and tides of History.

 

We each play several Games of Life during our lifespans. We may "win" at making money but "lose" at winning love. We may "win" at propogating our DNA to the Future, but "lose" to alcohol and drugs.

 

The static, black-and-white, child's crayon-sketch of Life as you describe it is fit only for the refrigerator magnet. (I'm sure your mother is quite proud of you.) ;)

 

Real Life, in all its dimensions, is dynamic, turbulent, stochastic, evolving, multiordinal and beautifully chaotic. Your Game of Life is a gray, dismal rat's maze; The Real Game of Life is hanging ten on a living, breathing surf board, trying to catch the next polychromatic wave on an infinite (and infinitely changing) cosmic sea.

 

KOWABUNGA!!!!!!!!

 

KOWABUNGA Indeed, Kudos !~!!!~~~~!! :)

[pamela]

I appreciate your comments, although there is nothing to apologize for. Life is what it is...When I think back to holding that infant in a full blown statis seizure, I thought his life was ending as well as mine. We survived. The things I have learned thru him, I could never have learned elsewhere, if our lives had been "normal". Yes, we may laugh at "pam i am and i do not like green eggs and ham" on his first grade reading level. But, you wanna know how cool it is, when he asks to build a spectrometer this weekend, because he gets it... This game as it were put, has been a fun one, and I will make sure that we tap into all the brain has to offer, both known and unknown

His playing field of disability, simply does not exist. He will surpass all that anyone can imagine, and someday will be on this forum

Pamela