I was going to write a thread on my phrase 'change bots', but decided last minute to give it two threads in one:
1) The question: What is your moral philosophy?
2) The explanation of what's turning into my own moral philosophy
For the first part my intent isn't to spur debate on which moral philosophies are correct, only to draw out what people consider their moral relationship with the world.
For the second part I wanted to go a little deeper into where it seems like my own is going:
When I was growing up I got the idea in my head that the world was in need of leaders, that being a leader is good, that making change is good. There are problems out there and they need solving.
When I hit my early to mid-twenties I had a bit of megalomania going on and thought I was going to write books, change the world, you name it. Moreover, I wanted to become famous and be a 'name'.
Looking back on that period of my life I believe a lot of my thinking was related to fitness. What better way to attract people to you than to do good in the world? Even now, at twenty-nine, I get ideas in my head about stuff like this almost weekly.
If you pay attention to people across social media you'll notice that trend. Most people are political, most people want to make change, most people want to help, and so on and so forth. It's almost like this tendency to want to solve problems is an instinctual part of the way we think. We just keep doing it, over and over, because it's how we create value for ourselves and others.
It reminds me of a few pages I read in 'The Guns of August' by Barbara Tuchman a few weeks ago. The introduction by an editor discussed Tuchman writing the book, and how she spent eight hours furiously writing and re-writing the opening passage to the book. We're talking a Pulitzer Prize winner, probable genius, who was so immersed in her grandiose project that she forgot to take a break and have a cigarette.
And that's where my phrase 'change bots' comes in. I've noticed my own tendency to want to furiously solve problems, mine and others, to make a better world, and so on, and to some degree I've decided to step outside of it.
I don't want to be someone spending ten years of my life dedicated to making marginal changes while my children play by themselves in the back-yard. I don't want to miss a single evening going for a walk or a coffee with my partner. You get the idea.
That's not to say that I don't have a sense of morality or don't want to make things better, but I'd guess my philosophy has turned into one of harm / pain reduction that's easily within my power. Throughout my life, look out for other people, make others feel better, but don't be a slave to it. Don't let this instinctual obsession cloud my ability to take in and enjoy the world.
So there are some thoughts on where I'm at. Curious what others thoughts are on this topic.
1) The question: What is your moral philosophy?
2) The explanation of what's turning into my own moral philosophy
For the first part my intent isn't to spur debate on which moral philosophies are correct, only to draw out what people consider their moral relationship with the world.
For the second part I wanted to go a little deeper into where it seems like my own is going:
When I was growing up I got the idea in my head that the world was in need of leaders, that being a leader is good, that making change is good. There are problems out there and they need solving.
When I hit my early to mid-twenties I had a bit of megalomania going on and thought I was going to write books, change the world, you name it. Moreover, I wanted to become famous and be a 'name'.
Looking back on that period of my life I believe a lot of my thinking was related to fitness. What better way to attract people to you than to do good in the world? Even now, at twenty-nine, I get ideas in my head about stuff like this almost weekly.
If you pay attention to people across social media you'll notice that trend. Most people are political, most people want to make change, most people want to help, and so on and so forth. It's almost like this tendency to want to solve problems is an instinctual part of the way we think. We just keep doing it, over and over, because it's how we create value for ourselves and others.
It reminds me of a few pages I read in 'The Guns of August' by Barbara Tuchman a few weeks ago. The introduction by an editor discussed Tuchman writing the book, and how she spent eight hours furiously writing and re-writing the opening passage to the book. We're talking a Pulitzer Prize winner, probable genius, who was so immersed in her grandiose project that she forgot to take a break and have a cigarette.
And that's where my phrase 'change bots' comes in. I've noticed my own tendency to want to furiously solve problems, mine and others, to make a better world, and so on, and to some degree I've decided to step outside of it.
I don't want to be someone spending ten years of my life dedicated to making marginal changes while my children play by themselves in the back-yard. I don't want to miss a single evening going for a walk or a coffee with my partner. You get the idea.
That's not to say that I don't have a sense of morality or don't want to make things better, but I'd guess my philosophy has turned into one of harm / pain reduction that's easily within my power. Throughout my life, look out for other people, make others feel better, but don't be a slave to it. Don't let this instinctual obsession cloud my ability to take in and enjoy the world.
So there are some thoughts on where I'm at. Curious what others thoughts are on this topic.