News:

Look, I haven't mentioned Zeus, Buddah, or some religion.

Main Menu

Life's little stories...

Started by Dave, July 15, 2017, 12:43:12 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Dave

Not big enough to warrant a thread of its own?

Not a joke but a bit funny?

Not really grumpy stuff?

Not enough to be cheerful, just a little smile?

Does it have a moral or a lesson?

But it happened to, or was witnessed by, you or a significant person.

(Sort of place I needed for my little motoring anecdote - but thought of it too late!)
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Arturo

I wonder if those stories they used to ask people what the morals were didn't really have morals to begin with and people just made the morals up.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Dave

Quote from: Arturo on July 15, 2017, 03:45:00 PM
I wonder if those stories they used to ask people what the morals were didn't really have morals to begin with and people just made the morals up.

Er, not all stories have morals. My dtiging one dud, dirt of, my doing a favour almost but ne in the butt. Ir, rather almost caused me to butt the other guy in the butt of his car!

Not his fault, I erroneously assumed the boy racer take-off would result in a boy-racer get-away - not a sudden stop within four car lengths!

Morals, a: favours given can bite, b: assumptions are potentially dangerous!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Arturo

Quote from: Gloucester on July 15, 2017, 04:34:45 PM
Quote from: Arturo on July 15, 2017, 03:45:00 PM
I wonder if those stories they used to ask people what the morals were didn't really have morals to begin with and people just made the morals up.

Er, not all stories have morals. My dtiging one dud, dirt of, my doing a favour almost but ne in the butt. Ir, rather almost caused me to butt the other guy in the butt of his car!

Not his fault, I erroneously assumed the boy racer take-off would result in a boy-racer get-away - not a sudden stop within four car lengths!

Morals, a: favours given can bite, b: assumptions are potentially dangerous!

Well usually it's open to interpretation, the moral of a story. Some people just take the morals they think are there as absolute truth and accurate to the point of thinking that is why the story is told. Not always the case, and impossible to tell if not stated explicitly by the author.

My Dad's step sister has a guy (married or not, Idk, we'll just call him guy) was at a party with us on the 4th. I told him about the matrix film getting a reboot. Not a remake, reboot and remake are totally different. He goes on to say that the first one was the best because it was something nobody thought of before in reference to "you're asleep but you think you're awake".

Which is not true. It's actually a reference to many things far older and  the whole first film (at least) is based on these ideas. Rene Decartes and the book "Simulacra and Simulation" are the basic foundations to the story as well as some biblical references.

Now would the Wachowskis want us to learn some moral from their Matrix films? Possibly. But how do we really know for sure?

Although I did like the first two films where in the first film Keanu Reeves character, Neo, is becoming the one l. And in the second he's like "Well I'm the one, you better back off or I'll stomp all over you because I'm the one and you're just an agent of the system that's beneath me."

My thoughts on the third film are that it's condradictory to the first two films and that it ended confusingly.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Dave

^

Think I know what you mean Arturo, some films have a true moral lesson, others have a "messsge" and, perhaps, the two are not quite the same.

I think Matrix, The Terminator and other "Deus in machina" films, are future myths, beyond "ordinary" sci-fi. Myths were lessons to be learned from a possible past, future myths warn about a possible (?)  future - and get more accurate in their extrapolations, as science and technology catch up, until someone makes another giant leap for mythkind! Thus there could be dozens of "messages" to be extracted from such films if you analysed every sentence in context.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Arturo

Quote from: Gloucester on July 15, 2017, 06:18:19 PM
^

Think I know what you mean Arturo, some films have a true moral lesson, others have a "messsge" and, perhaps, the two are not quite the same.

I think Matrix, The Terminator and other "Deus in machina" films, are future myths, beyond "ordinary" sci-fi. Myths were lessons to be learned from a possible past, future myths warn about a possible (?)  future - and get more accurate in their extrapolations, as science and technology catch up, until someone makes another giant leap for mythkind! Thus there could be dozens of "messages" to be extracted from such films if you analysed every sentence in context.

Yeah it all really boils down to we never really know what the future holds. We can make our best guesses at it but we don't know for sure until it happens.

As for people getting their morals from stories, whether from myths or future myths, we again come back to seeing all kinds of messages.

As a person with schizoaffective who speaks to other's with psychotic illnesses, we have a consensus that we can understand infinite amounts of extravagant and improbable messages from just one or two things. And we look for evidence to make sure it's we understand it because we don't believe it either. Confirmation bias at it's highest level.

That is my problem with people trying to look for hidden messages from God or people. It's a psychosis. And in the USA, I really hope it's not a mass psychosis but understand that it may be so if we are looking to find flaws in politicians or Jesus on toast.

Some people encourage it by dressing up as Jesus in church or the street and I am not cool with that. Because not only are they not really Jesus, they send the message he really is out there if you look hard enough.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Dave

#6
I was going to ask if morals ever change, but every society and age perhaps has its own set. In one culture it may be perfectly moral to marry off any female who has started her menses. At whatever age it is for the individual.  But in such societies the girls are often involved in "adult matters" from an early age, if only heating water for a birth or helping to wash the dead. Originally they were slowly equipped, emotionally and in terms of experience, for an early adulthood over the whole of their childhood. Maybe being married off as the third wife of a fat and sweaty, but rich, 60 year old camel merchant might not be ideal though.

In the West childhood is protected by law up to age 16 - now, it was not always so. At one time, in England, it was common for a young betrothed (by their parents usually) couple to live together before marriage - only being allowed to wed when they proved "fruitfull" because the future of the societies's labour force had to be protected.  And laws are not always based on the most sensible foundations. We have the luxury of a surplus and equality of health and wealth in the West compared to, say, a remote Afghan or Indian village. Can we judge them fairly on our values and needs?

IMHO religion is the codification and formalisation of moral values, often moral values that have passed their use-by date by many centuries for modern societies. Yet most contain basics that are common and endurable. Even if the practitioners of that religion interpret them for their own selfish ends.

Future morals? So far mostly variations on old ones I think. You can change the moral climate in a society or culture but can you invent or develop utterly new ones?

All fiction, plays, films and books, probably contains some kind of message, profound through sensible to fatuous or facetious. And, as for pop songs - messages all over the place! Thus are such really a bit like religion?  As Sam Goldwyn never said, "If you want to send a message call Western Union."
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74