What Do You Care About That's Not Yours? (blood)

[eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

I just wanted you to think about it and maybe realize that everything we care about is something that belongs to us. Ourselves, our family, our possessions, our job, our country...

My planet, my galaxy, my universe...

I honestly can't make any sense out of what you are saying. What doesn't belong to us?

There is something not ours and not an inanimate object that no one seemed to care about. Other people. Strangers.

I didn't mention that because I thought that I made it clear that my wife isn't mine. While I love her, she doesn't "belong" to me.

When it comes down to it, I care about strangers as well. I can't imagine how that isn't covered by "my nation" above, though.

Do you care about a person you've never met, that is not a part of you, your family, or your country?

Yes, in a well-wishing sort of way. This is, incidentally, why I sign off with eudaimonia. I am extending well-wishing to people I hardly know.

There are thousands of homeless and shoeless children wandering India's streets. How many shoes does your community discard a year?

I care enough not to get people addicted to charity, or to teach them that charity is all there is to life. Teach a man to fish, and you won't have to continually send them your discarded fish. I find it interesting that you don't mention education for India's youth.

we'd notice the most important thing [...] is helping others.

But that isn't actually true. There are plenty of other more important things. I'd like to see an India that doesn't have any need for "helping" at all.

In the ideal Earth, no one will need help at all, don't you agree? If so, then helping can't possibly be the most important thing in life. It's just a temporary means to other ends.

But of course we'd have to humble ourselves and choose to be soldiers of light and do work for the universe. It's YOUR choice.

Yes, it is.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[michel]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

I just wanted you to think about it and maybe realize that everything we care about is something that belongs to us. Ourselves, our family, our possessions, our job, our country...

There is something not ours and not an inanimate object that no one seemed to care about. Other people. Strangers.

Do you care about a person you've never met, that is not a part of you, your family, or your country?

very much so......and I would include all forms of life in that.

There are thousands of homeless and shoeless children wandering India's streets. How many shoes does your community discard a year?

I honestly don't know, but I still have the shoes I was married in 30 years ago.........the last pair I bought were second hand.

Or the children living without fresh vegetables or clean water in South America? Do you care about them? Or do you care more about your next SUV upgrade?

I pray for those who don't have food or water nearly every day (i try to do so every day, but I sometimes forget).

Maybe if we all see that there is something greater than ourselves, the universe, and realize that we all are a part of it, then we'd notice the most important thing which is helping others.

Hopefully, I am already there - at least I believe I am.

But of course we'd have to humble ourselves and choose to be soldiers of light and do work for the universe. It's YOUR choice.

Humbling myself has never been difficult; knowing what I can do to make a difference - feeling frustrated because I can't make everyone O.K is the biggest drain on me.

[Super Universe]

Eudaimonia:

It's not really that complicated. The things you consider "yours" are the things you care about like: your family and your possessions.

The things you do not consider yours, you simply don't care about, or at least, you don't care about to the same degree. These things are: the planet, the universe, and more importantly other people. You can call the planet yours but you won't actually care about it until you believe it truly is yours.

If you actually think of the planet as yours then you would pick up trash in the street, if you believe the universe is yours then you would spread knowledge and increase the good everywhere, if you thought of other people as YOUR equals, YOUR brothers and sisters, YOUR people, then you would do something to help those in need.

This ideal earth you talk about? What can't we do to make it ideal? What can't you do?

Can't you plant gardens, give books to schools, build playgrounds, ship second hand clothes to an orphanage in India, or design and fund solar powered dehumidifiers that get fresh water from the air for a small village in Paraguay?

Oh, but, you shouldn't have to do any of these things, God is supposed to do them, right?

[Anti-World]

Nothing *is* mine... I despise that about alot of people. We spend years and years of our lives accumulating "stuff" and then when we lose it we get depressed and lost. What did you begin with that was taken away? You were naked and screaming with bright light burning in your eyes covered in blood. If you are ever worse off than that then you have actually lost something. People are nowhere near greatful enough for the "stuff" they are borrowing from the Earth.
I care about people more than I should. I realize that I am bothered alot when people do things to hurt eachother. There was this one time that I walked several miles out of my way instead of asking a person to use their cell-phone. It's those moments when you learn about what you trully care about. I would rather walk several miles in a downpour down a busy street rather than having the possible inconvenience of someone worrying about me. I knew that if I called someone (My dad, my step-mom, etc.) they would have had to find a way to come and get me and I would have also have wasted the time of the person whom I took the cell-phone.

What else matters than time and life?

[Super Universe]

Michel:

I just wanted everyone to think about the things that are important to them and realize that you choose those things, you make them a priority.

I'm sure all of us, to some degree, care about others. It's just that we care so much more for inanimate temporary things (SUV's, big houses, clothes, jewels...) and count on them to give us pleasure when helping someone in need should.

I'm sure you pray but is that enough?

How difficult is it to find a homeless shelter in your neighborhood or a small church group or maybe an orphanage in a poor country and ask them "What do you need?"

[eudaimonia]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

It's not really that complicated. The things you consider "yours" are the things you care about like: your family and your possessions.

Then the question "what do you care about that's not yours?" doesn't make any sense. The instant I care about something that's not mine, it becomes mine. To care about something that's not mine is a logical contradiction.

If you actually think of the planet as yours then you would pick up trash in the street, if you believe the universe is yours then you would spread knowledge and increase the good everywhere, if you thought of other people as YOUR equals, YOUR brothers and sisters, YOUR people, then you would do something to help those in need.

I do all these things in moderation. E.g., I am spreading knowledge and increasing good just by posting here.

Oh, but, you shouldn't have to do any of these things, God is supposed to do them, right?

I don't believe in God. No, it is human beings who should do such things, in wise moderation given the context of the lives as a whole.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[Super Universe]

The question does make sense because, unfortunately, only a very few actually care about the universe, the planet, and other people.

[ayani]

i love people! and i love my city, and dogs, and music. none of these things are "mine", but i am blessed to have them in my life.