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#1 |
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Yes
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I imagine that some people who read the title will at first want to disagree with my observation. I know I would. But then there are the times when I catch myself taking solace in another's shortcomings. At these moments I feel extraordinarily guilty, but none-the-less, for a few moments I reveled in my superiority over another human. Whether it be athletics or a social setting (such as being considered "cool" or even funnier than another).However, as I grow older, I feel more grateful for my amount of fortune rather than superior.
Will mankind ever be able to break away from such an insidious disorder? Why is there an intial desire to feel more powerful than someone else? In the process of writing this, I think I have started to answer my own questions (peculiar how that happens isn't it?). I'll try and breakdown my conclusions so anyone out there can help steer me in a better direction if one exists. 1. Humans have desires 2. Some of these desires have only finite resources which can satisify them (such as sex with a beautiful woman. There are only so many) 3. Competition is therefore created. 4. Power is created out of competition. (If I have a Ferrari and the girl likes Ferrari's, I now have an edge or "power" over you in our competition) Conclusion? Because we all can't have everything we want, some of us have to suffer. So I suppose the only way to make the world a perfect place is to somehow give everyone everthing they have ever wanted. But that's not possible. Input from fellow critical thinkers??
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#2 |
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(The Fat's Sabobah)
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Not exactly the same thing you are talking about Spec, but a similar idea:
In a sense, when you give money to the poor, you are asserting your power over them. Have you ever stopped to think that your great humanitarian deeds are actually indeed selfish acts? You sacrifice your money/time for the less fortunate. Afterwards, dont you feel like you are a good person? Doesnt it make you feel so great. You do these supposedly "unselfish" acts for a selfish reason, to settle your conscience. Also, consider donating blood. Why? It makes you feel like a god. The fact that your blood might one day save someone's life. I'm not bad mouthing helping out the less fortunate or donating blood, in fact, I encourage it, just dont hope on the high horse afterwards thinking you are the top sh*t. Someone once said something like "you only want something until you get it, then you want the next best thing." Take me as an example. I, for the longest time, wanted a PSP. Last week I finally got one...but it could be better. Dont get me wrong, I love it, but I'd love it more if I had a gig memory stick...and maybe a few more games. I'm sure you can think of at least one example in your life that is similar to mine. |
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#3 | |
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FFR Player
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I've thought about this too, and I came up with a very similar conclusion. Desire leads to potential power. People desire power because power can potentially fulfill their desires. Superiority over others lead to power, and thus, the fulfillment of your desires.
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#4 | |
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FFR Player
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A perfect Example of this would be The popular croud, they constantly nagg on others and just downgrade others over and over to make themselves feel like the better being, another example would be TUNA and SUSU..
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#5 |
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FFR Player
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An example, yes, but an answer to the question, no.
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#6 |
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GotR Creator
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This may be why sports are such a passion for human beings. One side will win, and the other will lose. We all want to win; we all want to feel superior to the "other side." Whether it is because we played the game better, or even just that we picked the right team, there is satisfaction there.
Does that mean the world will be a better place if we get rid of competition and sports? I don't think so, I think every person has something that they do that will make them feel superior to someone else in some way. In answering the posed question, when I read the title and the first paragraph, my answer was very similar to the one Specforces already posted. I think it also roots back to caveman instincts to secure all needs and desires for themselves. Brainstem thinking and all that, which would explain why Spec feels guilty afterwards (higher-brain definitely under control there, but instinct defaults to brainstem). |
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#7 | |
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FFR Player
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If I lose, then I figure out why, not because I want to beat them next time, but because I just want to get better. Better compared to what one might wonder, I think just better than what I was before. So I guess it is kind of a superiority thing, just against myself. Same with betting on sporting events (which I don't really do), I don't care which team I pick as long as it's the right team. Not to brag about anything, just so I can have more money to buy the things I want. And the things I want may or may not be influenced by others, but I know it's definitly not to give me that extra edge of superiority over another. |
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#8 |
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FFR Player
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: In a Galaxy far far away.......
Posts: 743
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I think that we all want to feel secure in some way. We don't want to feel inferior, so we try in lots of ways be better than someone. It makes us feel more relaxed. Example- in sports (at least for me) I want to know that I'm not the worst one out there. When I'm playing a golf match it is always a friendly thing. I want everyone in the group to play well, but it makes me feel more relaxed to have one of the group members playing poorly. It makes some pressure off me, and makes each shot easier.
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#9 | |
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Certified Calendarwhore
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#10 |
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FFR Player
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It's so we can be sure about something.. superiority is one of the few things we can be entirely certain of.
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#11 | |
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FFR Player
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Will mankind ever be able to break away from such an insidious disorder?
This is somthing i truely believe will never be let go, i believe that until the end of human time they will constantly have to degrade others. It gives them the warm sense of feeling. Many who are not happy with their owns lives will simply pick out things wrong with everyone else and rant about it, therefor making their own lives obviously better. Throughout time these noted flaws become assumed facts upon any whoever compares to the first to be teased. Therefor creating several sterotypes and what not that just makes it even easier for certain individuals to tease and pick at other faults.. simply a pattern that will continue to go on and clearly not ending.
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#12 |
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FFR Player
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I, as I so often say, believe wholeheartedly that competetion brings the best out of people. Allow me to illustrate.
Johnny likes to win. Ergo (ooh, I'm smart, I use Latin), Johnny trains really hard. He works his little butt off until he manages to become strong, fast and quick witted in whatever he is training in (let's say it's basketball). When Johnny finally gets to play a game, he's a very good player because he worked to be good. He has an advantage over the competition because he worked that much harder to attain his goal, victory. The wonderful feeling of superiority, that high you get from victory, is the reward of his efforts and he'll continue such efforts to keep gaining that feeling of superiority. Of course, Johnny isn't the only person who trains because he likes to win. Other players like to win too, and train just as hard. Some may even add supplements like steroids. This is fine just so long as they do not directly harm another competitor. When a competitor sabotages another's efforts he has gone too far. The competition should be tried purely in the market setting (oops, did I say market? I meant basketball court). I think that this feeling of superiority brings the best out of people. I feel that it is essential to a prospering society. It is an incentive to succeed; and as we all know, "incentives matter." As for Jewpin, you've hit on a huge point of economics. There is no "true" charity. By definition, charity is the giving of resources to another without the incentive of benefit in any way shape or form to the donor. In actuality, donation is just another way of trading money, blood or time for a good feeling, sometimes a feeling of superiority. Q |
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#13 |
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FFR Player
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I personally believe that superiority can be judged on a self-assessment factor and a public appearance factor.
The self-assessment factor can be determined by how you feel about your own actions. Jewpins example represents this in the sense that your charity of money, time and care is making you feel better about yourself thus making you feel better off or more "superior" to some of those around you. When you assess your own actions, you have a reaction to it. Your public appearance to others could be how you are known for what you do, have done, or will/might do. If you are "popular" among one crowd because you are good at sports, for example, could be viewed differently by others who might stereotype you for what you appear to be. How this ties into superiority is that your accomplishments are known and recognized by others thus again making you feel more superior. By the way, this is my first post so if I seem like a noob, sorry. :P Nice forum section you guys have here... |
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#14 | |
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Banned
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On that fact; during this point in my life if I was half the jerk I was to people that could come into physical contact like I am in the Chat, then I would get my ass kicked. Instead, I satisfy my ego by going to the chat to use big words on the people that insist on not typing in a language that the chat relys on (i.e. PROPER ENGLISH), like a musical artist or group that I don't like, even doing what I am doing: Insulting people over the internet. Call me a hypocrite, call me what you will, when my ego is satisfied, I'm satisfied. However, the forum is serious business, so...heh... |
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#15 | |||
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FFR Player
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#16 |
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FFR Player
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Are we driven to feel superior, or are we driven to not feel inferior?
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GB CHALLENGE IS HOMOSEXUAL ARE YOU HOMOSEXUAL? I THINK SO
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#17 | |
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FFR Player
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#18 | |
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FFR Player
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We make lour selves feel superior by driving others to feel inferior
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#19 | |
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FFR Player
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So no, we don't make others feel inferior. By becoming superior we give them the benefit of another incentive: to work to become superior. To no longer be inferior in comparison to us. On a side note: I'll be home tomorrow and using my own computer. I'll be happy to add to this thread as much as I can then. Until then, I won't be able to post for a while. Someone please sum up Smithian beliefs to Sera when they get the chance. Thank you, and have a day filled with pineapples. Q |
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#20 | |
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FFR Player
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Q, your Speaking the truth as well as i am, I was not by any means saying The only way for us to make our selves feel superior is by making other feeling inferior, It was a simple statement. You and i both should know that Theres many occasions where this is true. Such as the jocky kid picking on one of the nerds in the middle of the hall way INFRONT OF EVERYONE POSSIBLE. Have you ever seen the movie bang bang you're dead? most of this movie consist of proving my point. People constantly pick on others to make them selves look better to others and to prove superiority over the other.
However, On your side of the disscussion... EDIT: the division of labour. which derives so many advantages, is not originally the effect of any human wisdom which foresees and intends the opulence to which it gives rise; it is rather the gradual result of the tendency in human nature to barter and exchange one thing for another. In the end every person in the System is playing off another person in the system for their personal sense of seperiorty regaurdless of it The other is bennifting the same or is loosing out. and thats my two cents for the night becuase im really begining to get sleepy, and im loosing my points really bad.. espcially towards the end there. one last thing, for gods sake Q may call me Sarah, please, not sera..
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