JusticeMachine

If it feels good and doesn't harm or adversely affect another being, then do it.

I thought about this, then I thought about choas theory, and the example that a moth batting it's wings in Australia could cause a hurrican in the Gulf of Mexico.

Then, I thought that choas is simply a way of explaining our lack of knowledge of cause and effect. (an atheist version of belief in the supernatural/God).

Then, consider, hypothetically, If I knew 100% of everything, I could predict with 100% accuracy what will happen in any given situation.

I would also understand that everything effects everything, regardless on how small an effect, but an effect none the less.

Now if I say, "If it feels good and doesn't harm or adversely affect another being, then do it." I would have to understand that no matter what I do/don't do will effect everything.

So, without the ability of knowing everything, but knowing I will always cause an affect on everything no matter what action or inaction I take. I can't accurately judge that what a do will harm or adversely effect another being, so I can do it if it feels good with a clear conscience.

I think there is a point somewhere in this, but I am not completely sure what it is.

sweep

not everything that feels good is good for you and your peers. When you learn the consequences of your actions you will then have cause to change them. Bear in mind when acting how much time you are spending, and what you achieve from spending that time. Where will the action take you?

I suppose you have a good idea but your ideas remind me of the way I used to think five years ago. Perhaps another question to ask here would be 'If it feels good, how long does it feel good for and do you feel bad afterwards.' Once the initial thrill has gone, what does your mind tell you. What is worthwhile? that is the most important question of all for a free person, since your life is short, and I don't know what might happen afterwards. there isn't a perceptible pattern to the countless lifeforms that continually arise.

I feel that when you encounter emptiness, you will understand loneliness, and how important it is to stay close to other beings. Don't sever yourself from humanity. This can happen easily in a world full of promise. all that glitters is not gold.

babelfish

You're right, if we tried to base everything we did on it's far-reaching consequences, we'd be driving ourselves crazy. In the end, we do almost everything because it feels good to ourselves. Even seemingly altruistic actions, like jumping into an icy river to save someone from drowning, ultimately result in ourselves feeling good about our heroic nature.

The only thing we keep in mind is that we must do everything possible to avoid hurting others. And that is also to make ourselves feel good, because people who go around hurting others tend to get ostracized, and nothing feels worse to us social monkeys than isolation and abandonment.

Demosthenes

Congratulations, you've just discovered David Hume.