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Should we follow our hearts?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Sunstone said:Should we follow our hearts? Is following our hearts ever at odds with what society says we should do? If so, should we in those cases follow society or our hearts? If following our hearts is important, then why is it important?[/QUOTE
Hearts can be full of 'bad stuff' as well as good. "I have my heart set out on murdering 'so and so', because he mugged my dad?" Well, I guess we can all see we can't follow that one.
Yes, this would be a heartfelt need, and yes it would be at odds with society, and yes we ought to abide by society's ruling on this one.
That is an extreme case obviously, and one that just occurred to me; there are going to be lots of other examples. "Advice" by hope is one where it is difficult to say (because I am not Hope, and neither am I her dad), but I - theoretically - think she and her sister should follow their hearts. In that particular case, the parents have lived their lives, and should allow their children to do the same; but hey, it's not up to me to tell anyone's parents how to bring up their children.
The importance of not following your heart's desire is the danger of forever ruing the day that you made the descision not to 'Oh, if only I had.................."
Life is not meant to be easy.
(red) I think it can very easily be so.Sunstone said:
(Green) Whoa there!The original question mentioned nothing about uncorrupt hearts - Murder is some thing that cannot be considered morally 'good' ; it is the breaking of one of the ten comandments; it is a sin - that was covered in another thread. I answered your question as it was asked. Now, let me pose you a hypothetical question; suppose that you and Hitler had been good friends, and you became aware of his plans to do what he very nearly succeeded in trying to do. What would be your view on your consideration (which would crop up in your head for sure) about "Hey, I'm the only guy who can get to this Hitler chap; If I don't murder him..........."
(In the other thread I think that hypothetical one was finally called 'justifiable, but still a sin')
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
You can only follow your heart if it's in the right place.
Are you asking what I would do if the choice were to either do nothing or to murder Hitler? That assumes there were no third or fourth option. But given just those two options, I think I would choose to murder Hitler.michel said:Now, let me pose you a hypothetical question; suppose that you and Hitler had been good friends, and you became aware of his plans to do what he very nearly succeeded in trying to do. What would be your view on your consideration (which would crop up in your head for sure) about "Hey, I'm the only guy who can get to this Hitler chap; If I don't murder him..........."
Back on topic: Is an uncorrupted heart a necessary precondition for it to be wise of us to follow our hearts?
Lightkeeper
Well-Known Member
I would say if you want to commit murder you aren't following your heart, you would be following your head, and your head has problems. The trick is knowing the difference between following the heart and head. I think following your heart is following a strong urge that has no evil intent. If your stong urge has an evil intent, then you are following your confused head. That doesn't mean that following your head is always evil. Joseph Campbell would say that following your heart is following your bliss. Yes, I think you should follow your heart, it can lead you on an exciting journey.
Prima
Well-Known Member
I agree with lightkeeper. I think that following your heart is very hard for people to do, because it's easily confused (by most people) with your head and other peoples hearts.
Following your heart is probably the most rewarding and satisfying thing, in my opinion. I believe people who are truly following their heart will seldom do wrong.
Following your heart is probably the most rewarding and satisfying thing, in my opinion. I believe people who are truly following their heart will seldom do wrong.
No*s
Captain Obvious
Sunstone said:
No. Sometimes we must go against our heart ot conform it. It doesn't always desire what it ought, after all.
Sunstone said:
That depends. After all, if my heart tells me to do something that is right, and society tells me not to, then I should follow my heart. If the situation is reciprocated, so should my response be.
Sunstone said:
It is important, and it is so, because it is part of us. We can't deny our emotional/spiritual/whatever side. If we do, we'll paint ourselves in a corner. Further, it has the ability to imbue meaning and importance where there otherwise is none.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
The natural heart is above all else to be mistrusted:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Following your heart, ie: letting your actions be governed by emotion, can be a hazardous course. Emotions are influenced by all sorts of irrelevant factors -- bad drivers, hormonal variation, music, atmospheric ionization, charismatic speakers, hours of sunlight &al.
Following your head seems to me a safer, more predictable strategy. Axiomatic principles sifted through moral algorithms in an entirely left-brained analysis should lead to a higher percentage of right actions than right-brained emotionalism.
Following your head seems to me a safer, more predictable strategy. Axiomatic principles sifted through moral algorithms in an entirely left-brained analysis should lead to a higher percentage of right actions than right-brained emotionalism.
This is something I don't understand about Christianity, NetDoc. It seems to me that the natural heart is not deceitful, but that our consciousness is often deceitful, and often obscures our heart. Perhaps that is just the opposite of what the author of Jeremiah believes. The nearest I can think to an explanation to this is that Jeremiah was his self deceived, or alternately what he calls the heart is not what I'm calling the heart.NetDoc said:
Master Vigil
Well-Known Member
I believe we definitely have to listen to our heart and emotions. But I also believe we need to listen to our mind as well. But I don't believe either is more important. I believe for us to make wise decisions we have to have a balance between our heart and mind. Our heart tells us what we deeply want. And our mind tells us the best and safest way to get that.