The value of life

Kaiser Sigma · April 22nd, 2004

What is the size of your scope when it comes to measure the value of a life ? During my life I’ve seen countless of approaches on the subject, the main ones can be reduced to three.
* People who only value the life of other human beings, in other words: those who value the life of their fellows. Obviously this category often derives on persons who care about individuals on a specific group; ie: family, friends, etc.
* People who don’t value life at all, or at least no life outside theirs… this is often the archetype for selfish, ambitious and/or arrogant persons. And lastly…
* People who value the life of other human beings as well as the lives of the rest of living beings. This third category is most interesting; for (at least seemingly) they have acquired such a degree of conscience that they can think and care about life itself regardless of race and/or specie.

For what I’ve seen the first category doesn’t necessarily despise life outside human life (this isn’t always the case though), although they can’t seem to acknowledge other kind of life as something to be respected and/or cared about. This is often the case with people who think about animals as “things to cuddle”, “things to pet” (embarrassingly enough for me, an example can be found on some of my relatives…). The people on the second group don’t give a damn about mankind, thus it’d quite rare for them to actually care for any other form of life (though exceptions can be found). The third group, on the other hand and as described above, feature a high (if you prefer, I’ll use the proverbial “in my opinion”) level of conscience, they care about other alive beings beyond the point where they look at them as mere “cute things” in fact, they can even wept for the loss of a dear being as they would (or at least pretty close) for the loss of a human one.
Obviously that not everything is perfect, there are a few variations on this branch that can be rather… unpleasant. Example of this are the “ecologist crusaders”, those guys that somehow twisted the idea of respect for the environment to the point where eating chicken is reason enough to be burned on a stake.

Overall, one can’t say that any of these approaches are wrong… well, maybe the second one; but in regards to the first and second I doubt that one has primacy over the other.
I believe a few stuff about them though, the first group might (I emphasize the might as well as the fact that this is all according to my judgment) end up being a bit more life-sterile as to be clueless about the feelings of the third category, thing that has its pros and cons.
The third category might end up experiencing a bit more of emotions; perhaps they will come to respect life per se rather than per race… whether that is a good thing or not is up to the person and will be determined based on their values, beliefs and some other variables.
In the end maybe it all comes to respect ? If you don’t get the other person’s points maybe the best you can do is just remain silent with the objective of not insulting their views on life… after all, that we don’t get something doesn’t mean that it’s wrong…

So, what’s the scope of your respect for life ?

The Captain · April 22nd, 2004

I guess I would fit in the third category 'cause I hold all life, human or otherwise, in high regard. However, if it ever came down to it, human life would take priority. But in today's world, humans are often the ones exploiting plant and animal life for selfish goals such as money.

Animals are very important to me. For example, I consider my dog part of my family and love him almost as much as the rest of my family's members.

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Syed Fawad · April 22nd, 2004

Hmmm, I value my life and my family's life. AFA other lives are concerned, well it depends on how much I am close to something.

I have never had a pet, I find it inappropriate. But I believe I would be sadened by the demise of a pet if I had one. But there are times when I just wanted to blow the head off some animals for some reasons.

Now AFA insects and pests are concerned, well besides ants, I don't show mercy to any

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Proto · April 22nd, 2004

Ok nice topic indeed.

Ok what is life? Simply put, is a bunch of bio chemical machinery that by some extreme odds managed to work and develop, into a super structure nowadays known as biodiversity or biosphere.

Does it has any intrinsecal value? No.

However, it has the added value that we can add to the schema, as part of the structure that we are (and one of the most important ones, since we are the only ones able to understand the magnificience of such coindence). Every part of the structure, from the smallest virus to the blue whale is necessary for mantaining the delicate equilibrum that life represents. Not because it has any second significance, but because its the way it has evolved.

At such, and as part of the system I am, i regard every bit of life not as "important" but rather as "necessary" I dont consider myself the carnal brother of the nearest rock, however, i recognize its necessity and its importance, even if its minimal, in the super structure, and as such i will avoid senseless disturbance of the rock, or any part of the medium.

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Kaiser Sigma · April 22nd, 2004

Speaking of leading a sterile life...

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Captain

I guess I would fit in the third category 'cause I hold all life, human or otherwise, in high regard.

Knew it even before you posted it

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Captain

However, if it ever came down to it, human life would take priority.

Well, that's why I said that there are some weird variations that often end up in something ridiculous (like ecologist crusaders)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syed Fawad

But there are times when I just wanted to blow the head off some animals for some reasons.

Then again, the same happen in regards to persons some times

Last edited by Kaiser Sigma; April 22nd, 2004 at 03:24..

**_E_** · April 22nd, 2004

I might as well belong in the third category, though I do not only appreciate the human life form, but I appreciate all types of life form on this planet ( yes, I like nature, but I not a tree hugger,..haha ^_^ ). Life to me is a set of interactions between you and the rest of the world, you give, you take, you lose, you win, it all part of life. Its just a matter of accepting it and learning from your mistakes rather than blaming it on anything when something wrong happens , at least IMO

Yours,
-Elly

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Sampah · April 22nd, 2004

I usually belong to the third also but sometimes, some people like to mess with my kindness and when I'm angry and out of control I can become the second, or even worse than the second one cause in my mind there always a feeling a happy feeling to kill people...

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Radix865 · April 22nd, 2004

I'm in third one too... But I don't get it, what's so scary in death? BTW, you forgot one class, the class that appreciates no humans but, animals and all other lifeforms.

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Vanit · April 22nd, 2004

I don't know what catergory I would fit into so I'll just say my views on life. Recently I haven't valued my own life much at all, infact I don't eat or drink much anymore because I think other people would be better off with it. I put the lives of my friends before my own. This is just the way I am, I'm an emotionally fragile person and I couldn't bare the loss of a friend through death, I would rather be the one to die. I don't know about weeping about the death of an animal I had no feelings for... I only cry about that which has an emotional meaning to me.

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cloudvii · April 22nd, 2004

umm , well i don't think there is any one who is out of the third category . (i'm from it too

)
basicly , i wouldn't have got in many problems if i didn't care about others , no need for examples but it's the regular standard for the normal man , to love himself as well as the souls around him , as what r we without them ?

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Kaiser Sigma · April 22nd, 2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radix865

I'm in third one too... But I don't get it, what's so scary in death? BTW, you forgot one class, the class that appreciates no humans but, animals and all other lifeforms.

Not really, I pointed that class as a subdivision of the second category, though I suppose it's more like an exception. By the way, it's not about being afraid of death, it's about knowing what's the scope of people's value for life...

aerith099 · April 22nd, 2004

I'd say I'm somewhere between category 1 and 2. Category one emotionally, and category 2 intellectually.

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SC_Steve · April 22nd, 2004

It all depends really... of course I care for my family and friends, and I also care for my pets and animals in general. For example, I seen a dog out wondering around on a busy highway about a week ago... I stopped the car, got out and made sure it went back to it's owners before it got hit. But at the same time, I really feel no remorse when I see a deer dead on the side of the road... or a rabbit or whatever.

I also feel NO remorse when I see a rapist, murderer or child molester beat to death in prison or sentanced to death as I feel they had it coming to them. I dunno... the way I see it, death is just as much a part of life as Birth is... so in that sense, all things must come to an end eventually.

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Takmadeus · April 23rd, 2004

Well.... I might fit in the third category, as I thin of all humans and living beings as my brothers (in some way).... I have extreme respect for life as is, but I do consider myself important as well... (perhaps the reason I enjoy eating meat so much

)

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Syed Fawad · April 23rd, 2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaiser Sigma

Then again, the same happen in regards to persons some times

But you actually don't do that in case of persons.

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Enzin Design · April 23rd, 2004

I believe humans need to stick together and try to live on other planets. Thats why I believe life is a good thing and should be respected so we can further develop instead of perish. I love life, tis a great thing.

Syed Fawad · April 24th, 2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enzin Design

I believe humans need to stick together and try to live on other planets. Thats why I believe life is a good thing and should be respected so we can further develop instead of perish. I love life, tis a great thing.

Why other planets? What's wrong with Earth?

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Kaiser Sigma · April 24th, 2004

And where did this whole deal with death came from ?

Quatro · April 24th, 2004

I can't think well... coz its like a fusion of the three... I always value people around me, whether it me people close to me or a friend... but in some occasion, I tend to become self centered and become selfish... also, my exposure in youth communities help me appreciate the world, the people, the life around me... so where do I fall?

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April 22nd, 2004	#1 (permalink)
Kaiser Sigma ~ Lord of Darkness ~ Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A place darker than the night. Posts: 14,637	The value of life What is the size of your scope when it comes to measure the value of a life ? During my life I’ve seen countless of approaches on the subject, the main ones can be reduced to three. * People who only value the life of other human beings, in other words: those who value the life of their fellows. Obviously this category often derives on persons who care about individuals on a specific group; ie: family, friends, etc. * People who don’t value life at all, or at least no life outside theirs… this is often the archetype for selfish, ambitious and/or arrogant persons. And lastly… * People who value the life of other human beings as well as the lives of the rest of living beings. This third category is most interesting; for (at least seemingly) they have acquired such a degree of conscience that they can think and care about life itself regardless of race and/or specie. For what I’ve seen the first category doesn’t necessarily despise life outside human life (this isn’t always the case though), although they can’t seem to acknowledge other kind of life as something to be respected and/or cared about. This is often the case with people who think about animals as “things to cuddle”, “things to pet” (embarrassingly enough for me, an example can be found on some of my relatives…). The people on the second group don’t give a damn about mankind, thus it’d quite rare for them to actually care for any other form of life (though exceptions can be found). The third group, on the other hand and as described above, feature a high (if you prefer, I’ll use the proverbial “in my opinion”) level of conscience, they care about other alive beings beyond the point where they look at them as mere “cute things” in fact, they can even wept for the loss of a dear being as they would (or at least pretty close) for the loss of a human one. Obviously that not everything is perfect, there are a few variations on this branch that can be rather… unpleasant. Example of this are the “ecologist crusaders”, those guys that somehow twisted the idea of respect for the environment to the point where eating chicken is reason enough to be burned on a stake. Overall, one can’t say that any of these approaches are wrong… well, maybe the second one; but in regards to the first and second I doubt that one has primacy over the other. I believe a few stuff about them though, the first group might (I emphasize the might as well as the fact that this is all according to my judgment) end up being a bit more life-sterile as to be clueless about the feelings of the third category, thing that has its pros and cons. The third category might end up experiencing a bit more of emotions; perhaps they will come to respect life per se rather than per race… whether that is a good thing or not is up to the person and will be determined based on their values, beliefs and some other variables. In the end maybe it all comes to respect ? If you don’t get the other person’s points maybe the best you can do is just remain silent with the objective of not insulting their views on life… after all, that we don’t get something doesn’t mean that it’s wrong… So, what’s the scope of your respect for life ?

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April 22nd, 2004	#2 (permalink)
The Captain Crono! Wake up! Join Date: May 2002 Location: cyberspace Posts: 1,449	I guess I would fit in the third category 'cause I hold all life, human or otherwise, in high regard. However, if it ever came down to it, human life would take priority. But in today's world, humans are often the ones exploiting plant and animal life for selfish goals such as money. Animals are very important to me. For example, I consider my dog part of my family and love him almost as much as the rest of my family's members. __________________ DFI LT X38 mobo, E8400 OC @ 4ghz, 4gb G.Skill DDR2 1066mhz, 8800GTS 320mb (G80), 2 x 150gb WD Raptors in RAID 0, 2 x 320gb media/backup drives, NB & CPU DangerDen waterblocks, BlackIce GTX 360 radiator

April 22nd, 2004	#3 (permalink)
Syed Fawad -PM to advertise here- Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: In an average country of an average planet of the solar system of an average star of an average galaxy of an average cluster. Still not average... Posts: 8,260	Hmmm, I value my life and my family's life. AFA other lives are concerned, well it depends on how much I am close to something. I have never had a pet, I find it inappropriate. But I believe I would be sadened by the demise of a pet if I had one. But there are times when I just wanted to blow the head off some animals for some reasons. Now AFA insects and pests are concerned, well besides ants, I don't show mercy to any __________________ Asus K8N (nForce3) AMD64 3000+ (754) 768MB DDR 400MHz (PC 3200) nVidia Geforce 6600GT 128MB (AGP) Aquamark3 - 53,000 "Good friends mustn't always be together. It is the feeling of oneness when distant that proves a lasting friendship"

April 22nd, 2004	#4 (permalink)
Proto Knowledge is the solution Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Milwaukee, US. Previously in Mexico City Posts: 6,557	Ok nice topic indeed. Ok what is life? Simply put, is a bunch of bio chemical machinery that by some extreme odds managed to work and develop, into a super structure nowadays known as biodiversity or biosphere. Does it has any intrinsecal value? No. However, it has the added value that we can add to the schema, as part of the structure that we are (and one of the most important ones, since we are the only ones able to understand the magnificience of such coindence). Every part of the structure, from the smallest virus to the blue whale is necessary for mantaining the delicate equilibrum that life represents. Not because it has any second significance, but because its the way it has evolved. At such, and as part of the system I am, i regard every bit of life not as "important" but rather as "necessary" I dont consider myself the carnal brother of the nearest rock, however, i recognize its necessity and its importance, even if its minimal, in the super structure, and as such i will avoid senseless disturbance of the rock, or any part of the medium. __________________

April 22nd, 2004	#6 (permalink)
_E_ Lurking Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gone Posts: 8,958	I might as well belong in the third category, though I do not only appreciate the human life form, but I appreciate all types of life form on this planet ( yes, I like nature, but I not a tree hugger,..haha ^_^ ). Life to me is a set of interactions between you and the rest of the world, you give, you take, you lose, you win, it all part of life. Its just a matter of accepting it and learning from your mistakes rather than blaming it on anything when something wrong happens , at least IMO Yours, -Elly __________________ -= Moral cowardice that keeps us from speaking our minds is as dangerous to this country as irresponsible talk. The right way is not always =- the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character. Margaret C. Smith

April 22nd, 2004	#7 (permalink)
Sampah The Handsome Man Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Unlucky Place Posts: 886	I usually belong to the third also but sometimes, some people like to mess with my kindness and when I'm angry and out of control I can become the second, or even worse than the second one cause in my mind there always a feeling a happy feeling to kill people... __________________ PROCESSOR: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ @1.8Ghz RAM: Kingstone 512MB PC3200 MOBO: ECS Nforce4 A939 VGA: Pixelview Geforce 6600GT (Golden Limited Edition) 128MB OS: WinXP pro Service pack 2

April 22nd, 2004	#8 (permalink)
Radix865 Symmetric-8-cirtemmyS Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Finland, just below arctic circle. Posts: 3,242	I'm in third one too... But I don't get it, what's so scary in death? BTW, you forgot one class, the class that appreciates no humans but, animals and all other lifeforms. __________________ - Soul Eater -

April 22nd, 2004	#9 (permalink)
Vanit Heretic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Australia! Posts: 2,761	I don't know what catergory I would fit into so I'll just say my views on life. Recently I haven't valued my own life much at all, infact I don't eat or drink much anymore because I think other people would be better off with it. I put the lives of my friends before my own. This is just the way I am, I'm an emotionally fragile person and I couldn't bare the loss of a friend through death, I would rather be the one to die. I don't know about weeping about the death of an animal I had no feelings for... I only cry about that which has an emotional meaning to me. __________________ Click here to download my Sin and Punishment English translation.

April 22nd, 2004	#10 (permalink)
cloudvii Emunext fanboy Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Cairo , Egypt Posts: 4,241	umm , well i don't think there is any one who is out of the third category . (i'm from it too ) basicly , i wouldn't have got in many problems if i didn't care about others , no need for examples but it's the regular standard for the normal man , to love himself as well as the souls around him , as what r we without them ? __________________ Fekra Online magazine Fekra Magazine Fekra Magazine readers Facebook group

April 22nd, 2004	#12 (permalink)
aerith099 Aerith's Ghost Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Wash DC Posts: 385	I'd say I'm somewhere between category 1 and 2. Category one emotionally, and category 2 intellectually. __________________

April 22nd, 2004	#13 (permalink)
SC_Steve Hot Rod Lincoln Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 110	It all depends really... of course I care for my family and friends, and I also care for my pets and animals in general. For example, I seen a dog out wondering around on a busy highway about a week ago... I stopped the car, got out and made sure it went back to it's owners before it got hit. But at the same time, I really feel no remorse when I see a deer dead on the side of the road... or a rabbit or whatever. I also feel NO remorse when I see a rapist, murderer or child molester beat to death in prison or sentanced to death as I feel they had it coming to them. I dunno... the way I see it, death is just as much a part of life as Birth is... so in that sense, all things must come to an end eventually. __________________ Gigabyte K8N-Pro AMD Athlon 64 3200+ ATi Radeon 9700 Pro onboard sound Cyberhome DL-/+DVD writer 1 Gb ram PSX Dual shock II 4.1 speaker system 19" ViewSonic moniter blah... blah... blah... "horsepower sells cars, Torque wins races" - Carroll Shelby

April 23rd, 2004	#14 (permalink)
Takmadeus Translator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: In real life Posts: 4,045	Well.... I might fit in the third category, as I thin of all humans and living beings as my brothers (in some way).... I have extreme respect for life as is, but I do consider myself important as well... (perhaps the reason I enjoy eating meat so much ) __________________ Made with the GIMP

April 23rd, 2004	#16 (permalink)
Enzin Design Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 83	I believe humans need to stick together and try to live on other planets. Thats why I believe life is a good thing and should be respected so we can further develop instead of perish. I love life, tis a great thing.

April 24th, 2004	#18 (permalink)
Kaiser Sigma ~ Lord of Darkness ~ Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A place darker than the night. Posts: 14,637	And where did this whole deal with death came from ?

April 24th, 2004	#19 (permalink)
Quatro c3rTifiEd V@mpIr3 Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Laguna Posts: 8,292	I can't think well... coz its like a fusion of the three... I always value people around me, whether it me people close to me or a friend... but in some occasion, I tend to become self centered and become selfish... also, my exposure in youth communities help me appreciate the world, the people, the life around me... so where do I fall? __________________ BE ONE OF US I JOIN THE WOLF CLAN - when you think that you have accomplish so much, many think of it as so little...