Good intentions -- how much do they mean to you?

[Whateverist]

To answer the OP I guess they mean a good deal to me. It doesn't mean I'm always grateful for whatever people do as long as they have good intentions. But consider how much of the values one absorbs are an accident of location and genetics. If someone wrongs me, even if only in my opinion, the fact that they are acting benevolently from within their own values does take some of the sting out it. I mean, sometimes people are just vindictive or acting with malice and that is far worse. A small difference I guess.

[Edwardo Piet]

To me good intentions mean an awful lot. There are so many shitty people in this world and it means the world to me when people mean well. And some people go far beyond good intentions in that they are just such incredibly compassionate and empathetic people. It all means so much to me. When I know someone cares and they show it, it makes me smile. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts

Reiterating this... I feel QFT about what I said here and also QFT about what Rob said here:

I agree. It's one of the most beautiful and uplifting things I can experience. Especially when I'm depressed and thinking of all the horror in the world, it makes it that little bit easier to cope when I see genuine kindness, whatever the result. Especially kindness that gets and expects nothing in return.

QFT.

[Aoi Magi]

This thread popped up at the wrong time for me

Good intentions do mean a lot to me, and I usually really appreciate it more than the actual deed, but I also have some rl friends whom I really wish would stop trying to help me especially when I didn't ask for it -_-
I know they mean well, but sometimes good intentions do backfire, sigh!...

[Little lunch]

I think that if you do something with good intentions you inevitably do it for yourself also.
Even if it's just to get that buzz out of doing something nice for someone.
I think a lot of people confuse which way the good intention is headed.

I rearranged a girlfriend's furniture in her flat once, only to have her come home and blow a fuse over it.
At the time I thought that after all that hard work and good intention she could at least have a little gratitude.
I had a whole stack of reasons for why I had arranged it to be more efficient and manageable.
Which is how I like furniture to be. The good intention was aimed at myself.
I'd moved all her stuff to suit myself without thinking of her at all really.

Another time I made a friend a cup of coffee and it was too hot and burnt his lips.
He scolded me over his scolding.
In this scenario he was just a cunt and my good intention was true. :-)

[Excited Penguin]

I think that if you do something with good intentions you inevitably do it for yourself also.
Even if it's just to get that buzz out of doing something nice for someone.
I think a lot of people confuse which way the good intention is headed.

I rearranged a girlfriend's furniture in her flat once, only to have her come home and blow a fuse over it.
At the time I thought that after all that hard work and good intention she could at least have a little gratitude.
I had a whole stack of reasons for why I had arranged it to be more efficient and manageable.
Which is how I like furniture to be. The good intention was aimed at myself.
I'd moved all her stuff to suit myself without thinking of her at all really.

Another time I made a friend a cup of coffee and it was too hot and burnt his lips.
He scolded me over his scolding.
In this scenario he was just a cunt and my good intention was true. :-)

Have you entertained the possibility that your brain knew your coffee was going to burn his lips and you did it on purpose for some selfish reason?

[Edwardo Piet]

I think that if you do something with good intentions you inevitably do it for yourself also.
Even if it's just to get that buzz out of doing something nice for someone.
I think a lot of people confuse which way the good intention is headed.

IMO getting pleasure from successfully helping others with their consent is certainly a better intention than getting pleasure from harming others -- regardless of ultimate selfishness.

Simply put: Helpful intentions are good intentions; malicious intentions are bad intentions. I think the whole selfish/selfless thing confuses the issue.

That's my take on it anyway.

[Athene]

Apparently, good intentions mean a great deal to me. I find myself appreciating the sentiment behind them (if genuine), even when the results fall flat.
Even if the results are somewhat disastrous, I tend go easy on the responsible party.

I'm just a chump that way.

[Edwardo Piet]

Let's put it this way: Even if the road to hell is paved with good intentions the road to utter-utter-stupid-fucking-prick-ville is paved with malicious intentions.

[Minimalist]

Very little.

(Hitler thought his intentions were fabulous.)

[Edwardo Piet]

But they weren't.