035. [ANON TEXT]

[explosivecombat]

[Well, good evening, network - it seems Seth's device is active again, though at the very least he's not inviting everyone to war like he's throwing the world's most unasked-for party this time around.]

You know, one of the things I've always found most fascinating about human morality is the idea that we're higher beings due to our natural inclination to put others before ourselves. It's generally accepted in society that we should be willing to sacrifice ourselves before harming another; I've always found adhering to that sort of notion to both vaguely admirable and sickeningly saccharine. If you must kill one to save another, that's still a life that's lost; why shouldn't the reward go to the one who's willing to fight for it, rather than the one who did nothing to earn it but sit there in pious devotion to doing nothing wrong?

We claim superiority for suppressing our instincts to survive; if anything, I think that would put us lower than dogs, not above them. All this intelligence and no will to live; it's pitiful.

But then, I suppose my lack of understanding of these things is why I can't be considered one of you.

For the time being, however, say I were to humor you in discussion for a while. Do you think your will to fight to ensure your survival actually needs to be tested? Since I suspect the answer will overwhelmingly be "No," I have another pre-emptive question for the heroic types.

Is there anything outside of arrogance and so-called moral superiority that makes you say so?

[...O...kay that's really not any better but apparently, it's just that kind of night.

You know, full of misanthropy.

Because some nights are like that.]

Comments

[ossifragant]

Didn't mean to imply you thought that.

I couldn't tell you, exactly. I've always been interested in people. It doesn't exactly matter what the topic of discussion usually is. I've always personally found it easier to speak with those whose thoughts align closer to homunculi.

Humans are so willing to cling to whatever belief they have. Like Elric who called me a mistake, but didn't have the guts to really fight because he found life to precious to actually kill. I find that line of thinking absolutely fascinating. Most people I've worked with don't have that sort of problem.

But then again I don't normally associate with children.

[explosivecombat]

Well, I'm sure most would argue that that's the natural conclusion of playing god, but I don't really have a right to pass judgment either way.

[adnihilum]

I don't believe in anything.

Unless you have access to an instrument able to perform population control, then there will be an increase in population density until the maximum load support of the land is reached.

It is an animal instinct to breed, after all.

[explosivecombat]

What else would it be?

[explosivecombat]

How very pretentious of you.

[doitrockapella]

I don't know. A new arrival, maybe, that's given you something to think about. Some other personal upset you're verbally working off.

[beholdmydemons]

[...Well, God does care, just in all the wrong directions. And gods present a challenge. And - well, as was so aptly put, he has "religious issues". Apologies in advance.]

I'd rather fight someone who works in their own interests than one who's appointed himself some kind of gatekeeper. That's not much less arrogant than the gods he's replacing.

[text]

[ajustcaws]

[...wow, it's been a while since Cynthia has been ignited into righteous heroine anger.

...of course, she's even more frustrated because she can't actually think of a good answer to this question that isn't moral superiority and "that's just what heroes do."

...so of course she's going to answer anyway.]

this question is stupid!!! what if i just WANT to, huh???????

[explosivecombat]

I don't know if I would find that sort of thought "interesting" as much as I would "suicidal" - it goes back to the earlier notion of being unable to comprehend why one would find the life of others to be more valuable than one's own.

It seems unnecessarily self-defeating to me.

[explosivecombat]

[...okay, well, that term is kind of amusing for all the wrong reasons but somehow he suspects that's not quite what Walter meant so uh]

What sort of "gatekeeper" do you mean?

[adnihilum]

How pretentious of you.

I was merely observing.

[explosivecombat]

[...Oh, oh, no that isn't - ]

Ah, no, there isn't any sort of actual problem on my end. Just restlessness, as I've said.

[anonymous text forever]

[explosivecombat]

[OH BOY

this isn't even shooting fish in a barrel, this is hitting a goldfish in a dixie cup with one of cobra commander's warheads, holy shit this almost seems mean - ]

I don't doubt you do. I'm asking why you want to.

No one acts without a reason, after all.

[explosivecombat]

You're the one insisting on a lack of belief in anything at all. Which is utterly impossible beyond the wishes of children who choose to think they're above it all.

An adherence to a lack of belief and a conscious choice to reject the idea of "beliefs" is, in and of itself, a belief, and it's a highly immature insistence to posit otherwise.

I'm not interested in your posturing.

[ossifragant]

I don't understand the thought process myself.

No one can accomplish anything by putting other people above himself. Unless he's setting out to get himself killed in the first place, I guess.

[doitrockapella]

[...god this just became a really embarrassing sitcom moment really fast, didn't it.]

Oh. Well, I'm glad. Ordinary restlessness is fine and understandable. I hope it alleviates soon.

[Sometimes you just feel like being a massive tool because IDK it's Wednesday, this is fine, she understands that compulsion except it usually replaces "being a massive tool" with something like "stealing the Statue of Liberty". But so it goes.]

Did you have a good flight back?

[explosivecombat]

It's really only a valid viewpoint if you want to assert moral superiority over others, I think.

[beholdmydemons]

Someone who's decided they should choose who's strong enough to exist instead of concerning themselves with their own existence. That's just giving up your humanity along another road.

[explosivecombat]

[...there is not enough WE TRIED in the world right now]

Yes - with the exception of all the rain, because apparently this place has misplaced the memo that "July" usually means "summer" here.

[adnihilum]

Neutral observations and inference from known rules do not imply a need for any moralistic judgment.

As for your stand, I can see where it comes from. But that does not imply I am necessarily going to agree or disagree.

There are different forms of self-interest, after all.

jumps in

[ladywithnovoice]

I think it's more the natural conclusion of losing the key to the castle.

[A CHALLENGER APPEARS but seriously royce she leaves you alone for five minutes and you're alreayd having weird conversations with anonymous strangers.]

[explosivecombat]

So as far as you're concerned, humanity is explicitly linked with free will.

[LIKE TEN EXCHANGES LATER. WAS THAT SO HARD.]

[doitrockapella]

[look at least we got it in like five minutes or less this time]

The weather forecast is predicting more rain for days on end. Maybe this is the season's apology to our bloober friends, for earlier this year.

[ossifragant]

It wouldn't surprise me.

I knew someone who considered themselves a guardian of people, at least in a manner of speaking. It was nothing but arrogance, naturally. And a whole lot of moral superiority.

[explosivecombat]

And when did I state that any sort of moralistic judgment needed to be passed?