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“Satanism advocates practicing a modified form of the Golden Rule. Our interpretation of this rule is: "Do unto others as they do unto you"; because if you "Do

“Satanism advocates practicing a modified form of the Golden Rule. Our interpretation of this rule is: "Do unto others as they do unto you"; because if you "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and they, in turn, treat you badly, it goes against human nature to continue to treat them with consideration. You should do unto others as you would have them do unto you, but if your courtesy is not returned, they should be treated with the wrath they deserve.” ― Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible

thefastlane 11y ago
i might've misunderstood the intent of your post, but i think one is headed for a life of unnecessary emotional pain -- and a stunted career trajectory -- if one responds to people with 'wrath' whenever 'your courtesy is not returned'. some alternatives i'd suggest: - persuasion - magnanimity - disengagement
ryanwaggoner 11y ago
If the goal is a happy, well-adjusted life, I have a hard time thinking of anyone whose advice I would be less likely to take. This quote is just more confirmation of that.
- MrQuincle 11y ago
  LaVey was a charismatic person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bsAnXPhCOA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bsAnXPhCOA Why would you think he didn't have a happy life?
  - ryanwaggoner 11y ago
    Charisma is orthogonal to happiness, at best. His relationships didn't seem to generally go very well, but beyond that, I just find his extremely selfish worldview pretty sad and shallow. Not the world I want to live in. Many people I know in person and online would disagree, but that's ok. I don't generally think of many of them as very happy either.
    - MrQuincle 11y ago
      "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." I don't know so much about LaVey's relationships, probably you can help me there! Solomon's relations weren't that good either though. :-) This topic is in my opinion one of the most difficult ones in life. What is right to do? Of course to just always take an eye for an eye is an extreme, but so is to turn the other cheek. Moreover, there are a lot of people who don't love themselves enough. This leads to a vacancy that needs to be filled somehow by others, they seek endless confirmation or only find "purpose" in higher powers. It's a very deep topic and I think I will need a lifetime to understand it. I think it's also very difficult to tell if other people are happy. I definitely don't ask often enough if people are happy. :-)
- Grishnakh 11y ago
  What's so wrong with that quote? He even advocates following the Golden Rule, at least at first. It sounds like pretty decent advice to me, except maybe the "wrath" part is a little too strong. But if I treat someone nicely (like I'd want to be treated), and they act like a dick to me, I'm not going to continue to be nice and helpful to them, I'm going to stop being helpful and try to get away from them. It sounds like you're advocating that people put a lot of energy into being helpful to people who are assholes and take advantage of them. I don't see how that's a good philosophy at all. That's exactly the kind of philosophy that enables sociopaths to climb to power in society so easily.
bsg75 11y ago
Alternatively "...be nice until it's time to not be nice"

thefastlane 11y ago

i might've misunderstood the intent of your post, but i think one is headed for a life of unnecessary emotional pain -- and a stunted career trajectory -- if one responds to people with 'wrath' whenever 'your courtesy is not returned'. some alternatives i'd suggest: - persuasion - magnanimity - disengagement

ryanwaggoner 11y ago

If the goal is a happy, well-adjusted life, I have a hard time thinking of anyone whose advice I would be less likely to take. This quote is just more confirmation of that.

MrQuincle 11y ago
LaVey was a charismatic person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bsAnXPhCOA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bsAnXPhCOA Why would you think he didn't have a happy life?
- ryanwaggoner 11y ago
  Charisma is orthogonal to happiness, at best. His relationships didn't seem to generally go very well, but beyond that, I just find his extremely selfish worldview pretty sad and shallow. Not the world I want to live in. Many people I know in person and online would disagree, but that's ok. I don't generally think of many of them as very happy either.
  - MrQuincle 11y ago
    "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." I don't know so much about LaVey's relationships, probably you can help me there! Solomon's relations weren't that good either though. :-) This topic is in my opinion one of the most difficult ones in life. What is right to do? Of course to just always take an eye for an eye is an extreme, but so is to turn the other cheek. Moreover, there are a lot of people who don't love themselves enough. This leads to a vacancy that needs to be filled somehow by others, they seek endless confirmation or only find "purpose" in higher powers. It's a very deep topic and I think I will need a lifetime to understand it. I think it's also very difficult to tell if other people are happy. I definitely don't ask often enough if people are happy. :-)
Grishnakh 11y ago
What's so wrong with that quote? He even advocates following the Golden Rule, at least at first. It sounds like pretty decent advice to me, except maybe the "wrath" part is a little too strong. But if I treat someone nicely (like I'd want to be treated), and they act like a dick to me, I'm not going to continue to be nice and helpful to them, I'm going to stop being helpful and try to get away from them. It sounds like you're advocating that people put a lot of energy into being helpful to people who are assholes and take advantage of them. I don't see how that's a good philosophy at all. That's exactly the kind of philosophy that enables sociopaths to climb to power in society so easily.

bsg75 11y ago

Alternatively "...be nice until it's time to not be nice"