An Existential Question For Those Who Do The Most Enormous Harm

[Gary Childress]

July 2, 2018

To whom this applies:

Considering how many lives are destroyed or otherwise devastated by addiction to seriously dangerous and (usually) illegal substances which you knowingly produce and/or distribute in great quantity, and/or else all the extrajudicial murders and terror you deliberately and intentionally inflict upon others in the name of defending or even expanding your interests in highly illegal and/or else immoral activities and enterprises; I have the following, manifold question to ask you:

Just from me to you, from one individual human being to another; How do you live with yourself? What is the secret? How do you not sit down one evening and think to yourself, "I've destroyed people's lives. I've caused enormous pain and suffering in the world", and after thinking that, how do you not pick up a gun, place it against your own temple and poise with finger on the trigger while you mull through and consider what good reasons (if any) may exist for not pulling it? How are you even here to read this letter, which I'm addressing specifically and only to you? It's not merely that you serve no useful purpose to good, innocent, moral people--rather--good, innocent, moral people would actually benefit in enormous, exponential ways by great magnitude from the absence of your intentionally harmful deeds and damage in this world.

Why do I, personally, ask this question? Because not a day goes by when I don't have thoughts that the world would be better off without my presence. I think that way because I don't think I pull my own weight, or don't do enough to help, or because I think me being here does more harm than good.

I have thoughts like, I consume more than I produce. I have thoughts like, I don't work as hard as many others who have less than me. I have thoughts like, I take up space on a crowded planet, use up finite and limited resources, and produce waste products out of them, which ultimately contribute to global pollution and environmental degradation. I have thoughts like, I don't do as much as I ultimately could in the name of charity or philanthropy--to benefit other innocent people in this world who are unjustly suffering from any number of different causes, including those who suffer from your own malicious and malignant deeds. And...YES, sometimes, because of these thoughts I have, I really feel like taking my own life would do everyone else in the world a favor.

So I'm asking the question above to you in hopes that I, a piece of baggage putting extra weight on humanity, can learn from someone like you (who is behaving like an outright malicious, pestilence on humanity) the secret to overcoming all the feelings of shame and worthlessness which I--and so many others like me--seem to feel, causing us to consider things like self-harm.

Thank you in advance for sharing tips and advice relating to some urgently needed coping skills which many of the rest of us could greatly benefit from.

Sincerely,
Gary Childress

[henry quirk]

Gary,

Ain't nuthun' to be done about parasites except not feedin' them (and not being one yourself).

And: self-correction is infinitely better than self-obliteration.

So: get to work; don't lie down.

[QuantumT]

Basicly I am strongly against other people deciding what I do to my own body. Including the law!
If I want to take cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, mushrooms, cannabis, alcohol or smoke cigrarettes, it's nobodys bloody choice but mine!

That being said, I also believe we need better control with those substances, so that people can be safer with what they decide to (ab)use. The illegal market is pure chaos and chance, and when you buy something, it's a russian roulette. And you also support dispicable, brutal criminals when you do.

So, in my perfect world, the authorities control the market, and people are free to use whatever they please. Just like with alcohol and tobacco.

[Gary Childress]

Gary,

Ain't nuthun' to be done about parasites except not feedin' them (and not being one yourself).

And: self-correction is infinitely better than self-obliteration.

So: get to work; don't lie down.

Hi Henry,

My question was directed at those who do "the most enormous harm", implying in my mind harm that is beyond the norm or extraordinary (for example: murder on quantitative and qualitative scale that puts an individual far beyond the norm among those who commit murder, or significant degradation of people's welfare on a quantitative and qualitative scale that puts an individual far beyond the norm among those who cause significant degradation of people's welfare). And my question was also directed at those who do that harm in the pursuit of activities or enterprises that are immoral, presumably meaning whatever harm is being done cannot possibly be justified. Leaders of various levels of rank among drug cartels and crime syndicates come most to mind, as do government officials of enormously destructive governments who actively and with full awareness engage in or facilitate unjustifiable atrocities under their knowing supervision and guidance.

I'm not sure how the term "parasite" aptly describes those engaged in overtly criminal and/or immoral activity in a way that uniquely sets them apart from great numbers of other, less harmful human beings. I'm curious how the term "parasite" relates to the interdependencies most human beings have with each other? Are all relations in which one person benefits more off another than vice versa "parasitical"? And if so, are all such relationships bad, unjustified or immoral or whatever? For example, are the elderly "parasites" off the young and therefore to be ashamed of themselves? Are those with lesser abilities or handicaps "parasites" off the more abled and therefore to be ashamed of themselves? Are those who labor more (when measured by hour of labor and difficulty of the task) but have less wealth than those who labor less, "parasites" and to be ashamed of themselves? For example: is Bill Gates a "parasite" when compared to someone in his company who exerts more labor for less reward?

[henry quirk]

"Leaders of various levels of rank among drug cartels and crime syndicates come most to mind, as do government officials of enormously destructive governments who actively and with full awareness engage in or facilitate unjustifiable atrocities under their knowing supervision and guidance."

Sounds like 'parasites' to me.

#

"I'm curious how the term "parasite" relates to the interdependencies most human beings have with each other?"

There's symbiosis and mutualism...then there's parasitism.

[Necromancer]

If people care to hear about it there is a "Bad People List" for Those Who Do The Most Enormous Harm.

The bad people list is one that says bad people become worshippers of all that's wrong, failure and errors become their name. As well as playing in the sewers and "having" it too! ++++

Infection levels rise in such people as their bodies begin to attack themselves.

At the very last, they risk dying of stupidity by nervous system breakdown, spine, feelings and brain being parts.

I guess they are WARNED!

Note: you can read the opposite list here: The Good People List, https://www.facebook.com/notes/lukas-f- ... 219389223/. In the meanwhile, I'll work out one "possible" Bad People List.

[-1-]

If I want to take cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, mushrooms, cannabis, alcohol or smoke cigrarettes,

...then everybody knows you're an old school druggie.

Those drugs died with the Eagles, with the Beatles, and with the jingles.

Today the dopeheads' choice is crack, smack, laque, jack, fack, rack, pack, and hack.

[QuantumT]

...then everybody knows you're an old school druggie.

Those drugs died with the Eagles, with the Beatles, and with the jingles.

Today the dopeheads' choice is crack, smack, laque, jack, fack, rack, pack, and hack.

You bet! Truth is I don't like drugs. But it's the personal freedom of choice I advocate for!
Me? I prefer beer, vine and the occasional shot, if insomnia teases...

[-1-]

July 2, 2018

To whom this applies:

Considering how many lives are destroyed or otherwise devastated by addiction to seriously dangerous and (usually) illegal substances which you knowingly produce and/or distribute in great quantity, and/or else all the extrajudicial murders and terror you deliberately and intentionally inflict upon others in the name of defending or even expanding your interests in highly illegal and/or else immoral activities and enterprises; I have the following, manifold question to ask you:

Just from me to you, from one individual human being to another; How do you live with yourself? Answer: We both pay the rent divided right down in the middle.What is the secret? How do you not sit down one evening and think to yourself, "I've destroyed people's lives. I've caused enormous pain and suffering in the world", Answer: I never sit down in the evening. I either stand, run, or lie prone like a cheetah, ready to prounce on any slippery moral argument.and after thinking that, how do you not pick up a gun, place it against your own temple and poise with finger on the trigger while you mull through and consider what good reasons (if any) may exist for not pulling it Answer: in my coutnry it is illegal to own a gun. If you own a gun, the punishment by law is hanging until you die. First offence.? How are you even here to read this letter, which I'm addressing specifically and only to you?Answer: I am actully not there where you say "here". I'm here, which is not the "here" for youp. Perceptual problems. Too much guild-riding causes that. It's not merely that you serve no useful purpose to good, innocent, moral people--rather--good, innocent, moral people would actually benefit in enormous, exponential ways by great magnitude from the absence of your intentionally harmful deeds and damage in this world <== This applies to all and every last human being, newborn babies included. Our collective crime is existing in large numbers. We can't get away from that charge without paying a price..

Why do I, personally, ask this question? Because not a gay goes by when I don't have thoughts that the world would be better off without my presence. I think that way because I don't think I pull my own weight, or don't do enough to help, or because I think me being here does more harm than good.Relax, baby Everyone has this thought running through his or her head. You're not alone. You're not different. You are not special. Not even in your guilty misery.

I have thoughts like, I consume more than I produce. I have thoughts like, I don't work as hard as many others who have less than me. I have thoughts like, I take up space on a crowded planet, use up finite and limited resources, and produce waste products out of them, which ultimately contribute to global pollution and environmental degradation. I have thoughts like, I don't do as much as I ultimately could in the name of charity or philanthropy--to benefit other innocent people in this world who are unjustly suffering from any number of different causes, including those who suffer from your own malicious and malignant deeds. And...YES, sometimes, because of these thoughts I have, I really feel like taking my own life would do everyone else in the world a favor.You suffer from unfulfilled obsession with charitable personality disorder. Take two thousand aspirin tablets, and Gabriel will see you in the morning.

So I'm asking the question above to you in hopes that I, a piece of baggage putting extra weight on humanity, can learn from someone like you (who is behaving like an outright malicious, pestilence on humanity) the secret to overcoming all the feelings of shame and worthlessness which I--and so many others like me--seem to feel, causing us to consider things like self-harm. Answer: I think of others doing much more public harm than I. I think of myself as having paid my dues to society by carrying an enormous amount of guilt and existential angst. This is my way of giving back. I think of others who have had kids and with that single solitary act they had done much worse for the planet, for me, for you, for themselves and for everyone else we share the planet with.

Thank you in advance for sharing tips and advice relating to some urgently needed coping skills which many of the rest of us could greatly benefit from.

Sincerely,
Gary Childress

[-1-]

...then everybody knows you're an old school druggie.

Those drugs died with the Eagles, with the Beatles, and with the jingles.

Today the dopeheads' choice is crack, smack, laque, jack, fack, rack, pack, and hack.

You bet! Truth is I don't like drugs. But that is merely a nicety if you still do them. A lot of people do things they don't like: going to work, beating their wives, loving their wives, doing drugs.But it's the personal freedom of choice I advocate for!
Me? I prefer beer, vine and the occasional shot, if insomnia teases...

[QuantumT]

But that is merely a nicety if you still do them. A lot of people do things they don't like: going to work, beating their wives, loving their wives, doing drugs.

I've done weed two times and speed one time, the last 25 years. And I didn't like it at all.

[commonsense]

People just like you can change—change their attitude, their behavior, their relationship to things and other people. People just like you do change, sometimes on their own, sometimes with the help of a support group, sometimes in a residential program.

I’m someone like you. (There's no statute of limitations on the harm I've caused; accordingly I have nothing to say about that.) I've had the attitude, the means, the opportunity and a concrete plan to end my life. Then I realized that there would be no possibility for change if I were to murder myself. If I would try, but fail, to make a change, I could still reserve the option to commit suicide.

Think about it: suicide now v try to change then suicide later if you continue to feel worthless.

[commonsense]

Gary?

[RustyBert]

Seems like you're mixing things up a bit. You speak of those who cause great harm to others, but also you speak about your own failings. As for those who cause great harm to others, they themselves probably wouldn't think what they're doing as harmful. It's always been this way, and unfortunately nowadays it's really no different. We still have Ronald Rump as president and all his righties who honestly say taking kids away from their parents isn't a bad idea. And then the rest of us who think it is a bad idea. So to them they're not causing harm. That's just one current example. Think of way back when slavery was so rampant. I'm sure the merchants thought nothing of what they were doing. And this ties into ideas about yourself. No matter how bad you think you are, unless you're The Rump, you're probably not doing things nearly as bad. So I'd say just get over yourself, stop all the woe is me crap and go to an animal rescue and save a kitten or puppy. Love it, take care of it, and move on to bigger things.

[commonsense]

So you asked me,

How do you live with yourself? How do you not pick up a gun, place it against your own temple with finger on the trigger while you mull through what good reasons (if any) may exist for not pulling it? How are you even here to read this letter, which I'm addressing specifically and only to you?

My answer is that most of the time, I ignore what I did. That’s because I’m tormented by what I did. It’s like having a self-imposed life sentence. Being alive like this is practice for the real punishment I expect I’ll get in the next life, if there is one. Being miserable, remorseful and pathetic is what I deserve right now. But, like I said, I just try not to dwell on it, just ignore my feelings of shame, just tell myself that it is what it is, that I can’t change what I’ve done. I can stop doing it from now on, but that’s about it.