(July 3, 2018 at 6:45 am)Mr.wizard Wrote:(July 3, 2018 at 4:15 am)jimhabegger Wrote: What would really like to discuss in this thread is how to help with the growth and spread of people trying to become better people, to help make the world better for all people everywhere, because they want to.
What is the criteria for this "better person" and who decides it? If you want a discussion on this, then we need to know what goal your trying to reach.
It's the person that decides it. I think there's something that happens to people sometimes, that motivates and empowers them to try to improve their personality, their conduct, and the way they live their lives, for the benefit of others, however they see that. Maybe they want to be more like whatever kind of person they love, admire and trust the most. For example, I'm trying to learn be a better friend to the people in my life, to learn to encourage and support them in ways that really help, and I'm trying to learn not to respond to people in incriminating and intimidating ways as much as I do sometimes. A lot of what I'm working on now is just trying to be more friendly more of the time. Some people might be trying to learn to be more patient, more generous, more compassionate, or to develop any number of other virtues and qualities. Most of my time on the Internet has been trying to learn to free myself from prejudices, practicing fellowship across ideological divides, and trying to learn to be a friend to some of the people around me that I see being stigmatized and marginalized the most. Sometime people get ideas, encouragement and support from friends, from a community or social circle, from stories and other writings, and possibly a multitude of other ways.
- Jim
