Angels and Demons

[Green Giant]

It is said that everyone has the ability to help when they are needed, the problem is that only around 35% of the people who are presented with an opportunity will actually act.
If even just half the other people who had the ability to act actually acted when they were needed the world would be that much of a better place.
Why do people need an obvious reward in order for them to act?
There are those who act even when they don't have to, and for those who do that I commend you, but to all of the others who fail or choose not to act, you need to ask yourself this...
Would you want someone to come to your aid if you were in need?
If you answered yes to this then please act the next time you see someone in need, you do one good act and it could lead to a hundred more good things.

Why is the world so corrupt in the present day?

Furthermore I am strong in the belief that there are different kinds of people, there are those who you could consider to have part angel in them.
They are the ones that give and give without a thought for themselves and they are the ones that would be willing to risk everything for someone elses sake.
On the other hand there are others who are too consumed in their own world and wouldn't risk getting dirty even if it was their mother or father at risk.
They care solely for themselves and no one else.

There are those who would without a thought let their life go in order to save someone else, with no thought as to what the person's life was worth more or less then theirs, they value acting over being passive in the time of need.
I believe that it is better to act when it appears that there is a need and have it end badly then to not act and have it on your conscience for the rest of your life.


I am firm in the belief that there is a little angel or demon in all of us.
I am not religious in the slightest, and I don't necessarily mean a physical part is angel or demon, I mean the ideal, that there is good and bad in all of us.

What is your opinion?

 

[Springsteen]

Sure there is good and bad in all of us. Just it comes out in different ways.

 

[ssl]

It is said that everyone has the ability to help when they are needed, the problem is that only around 35% of the people who are presented with an opportunity will actually act.
If even just half the other people who had the ability to act actually acted when they were needed the world would be that much of a better place.
Why do people need an obvious reward in order for them to act?
There are those who act even when they don't have to, and for those who do that I commend you, but to all of the others who fail or choose not to act, you need to ask yourself this...
Would you want someone to come to your aid if you were in need?
If you answered yes to this then please act the next time you see someone in need, you do one good act and it could lead to a hundred more good things.

Why is the world so corrupt in the present day?

Furthermore I am strong in the belief that there are different kinds of people, there are those who you could consider to have part angel in them.
They are the ones that give and give without a thought for themselves and they are the ones that would be willing to risk everything for someone elses sake.
On the other hand there are others who are too consumed in their own world and wouldn't risk getting dirty even if it was their mother or father at risk.
They care solely for themselves and no one else.

There are those who would without a thought let their life go in order to save someone else, with no thought as to what the person's life was worth more or less then theirs, they value acting over being passive in the time of need.
I believe that it is better to act when it appears that there is a need and have it end badly then to not act and have it on your conscience for the rest of your life.


I am firm in the belief that there is a little angel or demon in all of us.
I am not religious in the slightest, and I don't necessarily mean a physical part is angel or demon, I mean the ideal, that there is good and bad in all of us.

What is your opinion?

The bold statement you present (not stating that you are crying it from the mountain tops) requires a reference, to even begin your presentation.

As to the underlined sections:

a) Reward for Helping
- Blame it on what you want, but our nature, from the scientific point of view, states that we go for survival first, then assistance for others. There must be a reciprocation for some people to engage in helping others, and that is just how it is.

b) While one cannot prepare for everything, it is best to prepare for all that one can. If you took that question to the government, they would say "Look at all the people we are helping" because those people either cannot fully support themselves (namely, a medical condition or similar) or because they choose not to work, and take handouts instead.

Now, the handouts side of really any help is the big reason why many don't help without a reward. If I give you something, what makes you want to continue working hard get it yourself, if I just give it to you? Once the value of work is overcome by handouts, working towards getting it oneself has no value anymore to those individuals.

c) Corruption on Global Scale.
I fail to see how this applies to your main point.

d) Angels and demons stem (from most historical contexts) from religious cults or ideologies, so your expression of belief that everyone has a little internal angle and demon and your claim to be non-religious in the slightest contradict each other.

Finally, as we close today, I would like to point out that Good|Evil actions and World Corruption has nothing to do with Helping People.

I could be evil and help someone cheat on a test, thereby allowing that person to cheat themselves out of a good education.

But I helped, no? Was my help good or evil? Perspective, and even derivative reactions can only reveal the answer. Complex situations such as this require much more background information to present a more clearer counter point to your proposal.

Therefore, we return to the root of the problem. How does one define good and bad|evil? You may have your notions, but most of the time, your perceptions stem from evolving moral values held by the majority in the particular society you associate with. Which, according to most generalized definitions, constitute a religious order.

 

[MoonOwl]

I try to do good every chance I get.

 

[Peter Parka]

I will ignore the opportunity to help some people when I can, sometimes because the world is a shitty place and there is a realistic chance of getting scammed or hurt for it. A lot of the beggars on the street, for example, arn't really homeless and poor and rake in a fortunate by appealing to the caring side of gulliable tourists.

 

[skyblue]

I will ignore the opportunity to help some people when I can, sometimes because the world is a shitty place and there is a realistic chance of getting scammed or hurt for it. A lot of the beggars on the street, for example, arn't really homeless and poor and rake in a fortunate by appealing to the caring side of gulliable tourists.

thats true...if you watch very carefully you can see them all getting out of the backs of vans every weekend in every city

 

[Minor Axis]

Big green person, welcome to the OTFs!

Just curious, on what basis did you pick 35%? I am more inclined to help people with deeds than with money. But I have helped people I know with money. Using the example of beggars on the street, my knee jerk reaction is to blow them off. However I did give a guy in a McDonalds some money who seemed to be genuinely in need. But you never know, he may have been a great actor. Regardless I felt good about it.

 

[Qu1cksh0t]

GreenGiant, please define "to help". - and no, not because I would not know the meaing of this word. No, I am just asking, because there are different things you could mean with "helping where help is needed".

I never give beggars money - as it already was noted: you never know if they are real beggars or just great actors. If at all I only give sth. to eat or drink.

If you mean "help" in the way like "calling the police when detecting a person getting attacked by others/woman getting raped/" or "jumping into the water when noticing someone drowning" - than yes, I would do.

Unfortunately many people are cowards who do not act as long as others do not care. *tilt* So they stand or sit around, staring dumb while something horrible is happening. (It really happend at the Hamburg urban railway that a girl was being raped IN the train and while other people were around and nobody did anything to help her. *shudder* It stuns me every time I think about it...)

 

[JanieDough]

i do think that there is spiritual poison in us that allows us to be apathetic

the past few weeks i have seen people lost or confused or need help and i wanted to try to help them and the person i was with said it was none of my business

i helped them anyways and they always thanked me

so what if it is "none of my business," if it makes life easier and better for some one else, then I will try to do it.