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While I believe in equal value of human life, I don't think we are in any way equal in abilities both inborn and acquired. People like Aurelius are rare and dis
by SanderNL 3y ago
While I believe in equal value of human life, I don't think we are in any way equal in abilities both inborn and acquired. People like Aurelius are rare and dismissing him and his accomplishments as "rich people have it easy" doesn't do justice to both his skills and rather significant sacrifices. More importantly, it absolves us from taking a look at ourselves and the state of our lives.
He seems to have resisted, or rather, his particular ethical framework provided the power to resist two very big and very real problems:
"Mo money mo problems" (~Socrates)
"Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely" (~Shania Twain)
- JohnFen 3y ago> I don't think we are in any way equal in abilities both inborn and acquired. Well, sure, I didn't say anything that disagrees with that at all. But you phrased it in a more general sense of being less capable. Perhaps I read it wrong, but that didn't sound like you were saying "I'm less capable at X", rather that you were saying you were less capable in general. That was the sentiment I was pushing back on. And I wasn't even saying that assessment was wrong. I was just saying that it's the sort of sentiment that can easily come from incorrectly underestimating one's self and so deserves a deeper look.
- SanderNL 3y agoAh, I see. Thanks for the clarification. I was going for “less capable at X”, but an emperor is quite a big job so he’s better at 75% of things that actually matter in practical life: planning, strategizing, managing, coercing, negotiating. He was a fine emperor, but I have my specialties. Also, I have a good simple life for which I am grateful. Being an emperor sucks.
- perilunar 3y ago> Shania Twain Lol. Actually Lord Acton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton%2C_1st_Baron_Acton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton%2C_1st_Baro...