On Thu, Oct 29, 2015 at 5:34 PM Zenaan Harkness <zen@freedbms.net> wrote:

On 10/29/15, Shelley <shelley@misanthropia.org> wrote:
> On October 29, 2015 11:17:05 AM Lodewijk andré de la porte <l@odewijk.nl>
> wrote:
>> I'm sorry, but there's only so much one will do with disregard of self.
>
> That speaks volumes of your character.

I read Lodewijk's comment as a generalised statement on the current
predominant nature of 'Western' (perhaps all) people. As in "how
things are" not "how I am and how I want the world to be".

Character attack is sometimes not be in the interests of constructive dialogue.

Inspiration for a 'better' world is a good thing. Resignation over the
current world is a common thing. Finding a point of compassion in our
conversations with each other is something I have failed at too many
times.

David C. Rose's "Moral Foundation of Economic Behavior" cites some pretty convincing evidence that individualist moralities (perhaps what people here are callign "Western") are inherently superior to collectivist. Of course, I was already biased in that direction when I picked up the book, so I'd be interested to hear what someone who is already fairly sympathetic to collectivism thinks.