Worst trait?

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What is the worst of the traits listed above?

I've deliberately chosen traits that I don't think are malicious.

Selfishness is natural and only becomes a problem when one fails to honour the obligations of a social group. Deliberately going out to screw people over is more like greed (which is malignant) than selfishness. Selfishness is say, not getting up on a bus to let an elderly woman sit down.

Closed-mindedness is the one I choose. It's also not deliberately malicious, it's simply a way of thinking that can help to protect the ego and self-identity, but is ultimately very counter-productive and limiting. I choose this one because I think it harms not only the person who the closed-mindedness is directed towards, but also the closed-minded person. In the case of being closed-minded towards concepts and experiences, it's not as bad as being closed-minded towards people (which could be better termed as intolerance).

Irresponsibleness is another one I came very close to choosing. Certainly when one does not honours one's obligations, the effects can be disastrous. From working, up to parenting, right up to running a whole country - irresponsibleness is dire. Yet some people, for whatever reason, take on fewer responsibilities than others. They perhaps have the philosophy I have that you shouldn't take on a responsibility you cannot honour. Someone who runs away from accepting responsibilities that they can honour is doing an indirect kind of harm to both themselves and others, though.

EDIT: I forgot to add hypocrisy, dishonesty and laziness to the poll. Feel free to discuss those too.

Last edited by puddingmouse on 27 Nov 2010, 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I'm selfish and irresponsible, so I'm choosing the close minded one - I'm less that.

That was kind of my reason, too. Although I have become more responsible. The selfish thing is kind of difficult, though. People don't notice, as much, how naturally selfish you are when you fulfil a bunch of responsibilities, so hopefully, I have camouflage.

Intolerance

It can be in hidden in everyone and even into yourself if you are not careful. It can coagulate and organize into powerful groups.

Then it would be selfishness and then irresponsibility (because we are all born irresponsible)

Intolerance first, because I need people to tolerate my irresponsibility.

Then selfishness. I never see any real good reason for people to be selfish, except that they are people.

I would figure closed-mindedness also helps source and seal in both of the others, ie. irresponsibility and selfishness at inappropriate times/situations/extents.

On 'intolerance' though, I'd be very clear on the definition - historical bias still held on to when intellectual reason has either been utterly refuted or never existed to begin with. There are cases where that needs to be tackled, and, cases where that word is twisted into policing speech - the later makes me prefer other words be used when at all possible.

I chose irresponsibility - recklessness (drunk driving, running through stop signs, doing a hack job inspecting a building, dumping sewage in the lake, etc) verifiably kills people. Intolerance is bad when it results in physical force, but conversational intolerance of wilful idiocy is a neccessary and virtuous.

Hmm, I'd say that extreme irresponsibility can lead to death. Just like extreme intolerance can. And extreme selfishness. I guess degree is important.

I am intolerant of dishonesty. Does that make me close minded?

ruveyn

Maybe

For as much as people sling the term around I don't really think a lot of it as deliberate as someone would assume.

If you would perhaps assume that everyone who disagrees or holds a viewpoint which you believe to or even know is erroneous but assume automatically know what you do, or see it your way but choose to lie - then yes, that would be closed minded.

how is greed not selfish? how is selfishness not malignant?



"irrresponsibility" is just a value judgement. just because you can honor a particular responsibility doesn't mean that anybody else can do so. for example, we all can't get married and have families- judging from my own experience, i'd cause a lot of widespread pain if i stubbornly persisted in pursuing such a thing. we all can't be entrepreneurs, as that is an inborn talent one either has or doesn't have. people who try and fail in those two endeavors cause far more harm to everybody involved, than would be the case if such folk knew their limitations and stayed home instead.
i wish you had not left out hypocrisy, which is corrosive to society at all levels. laziness also is just a value judgement, AFAIC.

My problem is I tend to put the needs of others before my needs to the point it can be detrimental to myself, I also worry about other people too much.

Most important distinctions in life are of degree, after all.

I was going for selfishness as specifically putting your needs before that of others. I feel like I automatically do this when I'm not trying to monitor my actions. I takes effort to put others first. I see selfishness as a default state people have when they aren't considering the fact that they are social animals. Maybe most humans don't need to consciously remind themselves that they are social animals, but I do. Hence it's not malignant because other people aren't even figuring on someone's horizon when they're being selfish, let alone actually wanting to screw them over.

A greedy person is fully aware of the social implications of what they are doing. Consciously taking more than your fair share implies that you know you ought to share. Greed is selfish, but it is also more than selfish. It is Selfishness+





They're all value judgements. All of those traits are social failings judged by society's values. I do agree, however, that it is much better to not accept responsibilities you know you can't honour. This is why I did not vote for this option. However, if no-once ever accepted responsibilities and fulfilled them, humans could not be effective social animals. Society functions on the contracts of responsibility.

I think all people are guilty of hypocrisy, though I am kicking myself for leaving it out of the poll. I've been a bit ill the past few days, so I keep spacing out more than usual. Why do you think hypocrisy is so corrosive?

Where are you on the matter or rational self interests.

If your child and a neighbor's child is drowning and you can only save one, which one do you save?

ruveyn