Should We Be Allowed To Intentionally Harm Ourselves?

Kimmy

By Kimmy,
in Philosophy & Theory

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64 members have voted

  1. 1. Should we be allowed to intentionally harm ourselves?

    • Yes. We should be able to do whatever we want to our bodies. This would include smoking, drinking, drugs, suicide, etc.
      33
    • Yes, with restrictions.
      14
    • No, with exceptions.
      5
    • No, under no circumstances should we be allowed to intentionally harm ourselves.
      5
    • Other: I will not confine myself to the limits of your poll!
      7

  2. 2. Does the same still apply if that person is pregnant?

    • Yes. Even a pregnant woman should be able to do whatever she wants with her body. This would include smoking, drinking, drugs, suicide, etc
      27
    • Yes, with restrictions.
      7
    • No, with exceptions.
      10
    • No, under no circumstances should we be allowed to intentionally harm ourselves.
      9
    • Other: I will not confine myself to the limits of your poll!
      11

  3. 3. Did your answers match each other?

    • Yes.
      44
    • No.
      12
    • I'm not telling!
      8

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Phillipe Exalted Being

Phillipe

Posted
Posted
One confident voice can decide the course of a lifetime, with the speaker never having any idea of the effect they had. If you don't believe that your words have power, never apologize for anything you say. Pardoning another fractured metaphor, if you do believe your words have power, watch for when you place a single straw on the camel, not just for when you drop anvils on it.

Personally I believe that words only have the power you grant to them. I feel that I am not responsible for how you interpret what I say; I do not, except in cases of close friends and loved ones, really care how you interpret them; and I am too busy living my life to worry much about misinterpretations. Of course, this also hails back in part to issues of self-esteem and one of the current buzzwords, "empowerment".

That being said, yes, words can have untold power - if you let them. As a writer, I could not say otherwise. But often I find that instead of taking the meaning of a word or phrase at face value, especially in a place like this, I should look deeper and find the intent of the speaker/writer.

It sounds like a good plan, but it isn't always easy - sort of a work-in-progress.

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boteomm Cherished Friend

boteomm

Posted
Posted (edited)
you started out well here and while I personally would have loved to have another child (back when I was having children) I had cancer and the choice was no longer available, I wouldn't have had an abortion, but it is not my place, nor anyone else's to tell a woman she can not do so, just like you started this out it is a choice that must be available because it isn't our place or right to do otherwise. No matter what we personally might believe about the end of the fetus life, we have not the right to force our beliefs on anyone else.

I hear ya, my nieghbor is thumpin' dat rap moozik, and Im considering a post-birth abortion on that big fetus.

Edited by Confuzus
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SilverRose Priceless Being

SilverRose

Posted
Posted
No matter what we personally might believe about the end of the fetus life, we have not the right to force our beliefs on anyone else.

one can take out the specific subject (fetus life) and apply this same concept to that or any other subject...

wouldn't it just be great if there were no laws regulating anything? :!:

heading that way, aren't we?

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mererdog Legendary Being

mererdog

Posted
Posted (edited)
Personally I believe that words only have the power you grant to them. I feel that I am not responsible for how you interpret what I say; I do not, except in cases of close friends and loved ones, really care how you interpret them; and I am too busy living my life to worry much about misinterpretations. Of course, this also hails back in part to issues of self-esteem and one of the current buzzwords, "empowerment".
It's like fishing. You can only catch a fish if the fish decide to take your bait, so it is easy to blame lack of success on the fish, by saying they just aren't biting. But if you never admit that you are partly responsible for whether or not you get a bite, you will never try to learn how to be a better fisherman. Take no responsibility for misinterpretations of your words, and you won't have motivation to make your words more effective. In other words, ambivalence towards ambiguity causes crappy communication. Edited by mererdog
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AT8FATES Esteemed Friend

AT8FATES

Posted
Posted
one can take out the specific subject (fetus life) and apply this same concept to that or any other subject...

wouldn't it just be great if there were no laws regulating anything? :!:

heading that way, aren't we?

Although some may be surprised by my response (myself included), I feel, at the moment, that the "majority of the masses" need some of the laws and organized religions to keep them "civilized" and "socially aware", because from my personal observation and uneducated calculations, about 80% of the human population would be mentally incapable of self preservation without any fences to pen them in...even though they be "perfect representations of themselves". :shift:

peace

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Whirling Dervish Treasured Friend

Whirling Dervish

Posted
Posted
Although some may be surprised by my response (myself included), I feel, at the moment, that the "majority of the masses" need some of the laws and organized religions to keep them "civilized" and "socially aware", because from my personal observation and uneducated calculations, about 80% of the human population would be mentally incapable of self preservation without any fences to pen them in...even though they be "perfect representations of themselves". :shift:

peace

It would be cool to test your theory... somewhere... but not near me... :P

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Crzyme Revered Friend

Crzyme

Posted
Posted
Although some may be surprised by my response (myself included), I feel, at the moment, that the "majority of the masses" need some of the laws and organized religions to keep them "civilized" and "socially aware", because from my personal observation and uneducated calculations, about 80% of the human population would be mentally incapable of self preservation without any fences to pen them in...even though they be "perfect representations of themselves". :shift:

peace

anything can be used as a tool and for a large percentage of the population, thanks to the dumbing down of America, organized religion and stupid laws that seems ridiculously confining and even demeaning to the thinking population are needed to keep them with a small amount of decorum. They are the sheep that must have clear rules, deep lines in the sand and black and white "rules" where there is no gray areas. These people are just who the government want for they are malleable after being trained up in government schools. Of course it isn't PC for me to say so, then i am being elitist, that is what I was called the other day. And this was by a red neck who hates all other breathing humans except white people and just hates it that i have so many "different" people who hang out at my place. She says I hate stupid people, I tell her I don't I just hate the system that forms so many of them with no ambition past wining the lottery or a lawsuit and expect someone else to take care of them while they sit home watching Springer, Morry and reading the national enquirer to know what is going on in the world. They wave the flag and watch wrestling and nascar and never read a book but love Nancy Grace and have no goals in life past getting to Friday night. They sit and watch life but never jump in a live it or change much more than their underwear. But don't get me started...

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AT8FATES Esteemed Friend

AT8FATES

Posted
Posted (edited)
tattooing is intentional harm. under this thread, should we be allowed to do that?

my only point is, again, where do we draw the line, and who draws that line?

"tattooing is intentional harm"? :huh:

...then so might be:

--combing your hair (if you have it)

--brushing your teeth (if you have them)

--clipping your fingernails (if you grow them)

--and maybe even taking a bath (even if you dont get dirty)...

...how is being tattooed "intentional harm", chico?

peace.

Edited by AT8FATES
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Phillipe Exalted Being

Phillipe

Posted
Posted
You have a tattoo machine the rapidly vibrates multiple needles with ink into your skin...you bleed and risk infection...so technically yes it's intentional harm. I have em and love em but it is what it is...

So...

...getting your child all those oh-so-necessary (!) shots before school...

...the booster shots...

...diabetics on insulin...

...girls and women (and boys and men) getting their ears pierced...

...all are intentionally harming themselves?

Risking infection...

...you mean like using public bathrooms? Handling money? Being out anywhere in public with other people around? Being pregnant and cleaning out the litterbox? That's all intentionally harming ourselves?

I'll stick with tats, thanks. :huh:

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AT8FATES Esteemed Friend

AT8FATES

Posted
Posted
So...

...getting your child all those oh-so-necessary (!) shots before school...

...the booster shots...

...diabetics on insulin...

...girls and women (and boys and men) getting their ears pierced...

...all are intentionally harming themselves?

Risking infection...

...you mean like using public bathrooms? Handling money? Being out anywhere in public with other people around? Being pregnant and cleaning out the litterbox? That's all intentionally harming ourselves?

I'll stick with tats, thanks. :huh:

...!

peace.

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