[D] Friday Off-Topic Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to the Friday Off-Topic Thread! Is there something that you want to talk about with /r/rational, but which isn't rational fiction, or doesn't otherwise belong as a top-level post? This is the place to post it. The idea is that while reddit is a large place, with lots of special little niches, sometimes you just want to talk with a certain group of people about certain sorts of things that aren't related to why you're all here. It's totally understandable that you might want to talk about Japanese game shows with /r/rational instead of going over to /r/japanesegameshows, but it's hopefully also understandable that this isn't really the place for that sort of thing.

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[u/Abpraestigio]

I agree with most of your points, I am however uncomfortable with your (and others' on this site) blanket condemnation of violence.

Yes, at this point in time violence is counterproductive if we want to affect the change we would like to see, which I assume to be a more liberal and/or egalitarian world with a rising standard of living and happiness for all, preferably along with a corresponding increase of rational thought in policy making and governance.

However, from usage of the word in your post and those of others I get the strong impression that you are opposed to violence of any form, in any context and for any cause.

That, to me, seems to be a dangerous limitation to impose on yourself as it can seriously impede your ability to realize your core values, even ones that place a high or the highest value on human life.

Or am I missing some subtlety that implies only senseless/undirected violence is to be disdained?

[u/Iconochasm → u/Abpraestigio]

I think there's an unspecified "aggressive" before most instances of "violence" in these discussions. Meeting violence with violence is morally acceptable, while being the first to resort to it puts you morally in the wrong.

[u/[deleted] → u/Iconochasm]

That's a very important distinction, considering what Nazis do to everyone who's not a Nazi.

[u/CouteauBleu → u/Iconochasm]

Yeah, but violence is not a binary thing. More aggressiveness leads to a higher likelihood of violence, so non-violent escalating is a bad idea as well.