- Mabian
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"Whatever exists, whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. These anonymous creatures may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."
Posted by: Recon Number 54
I understand and respect that view. I tend to share it too (but to a point). As the site is currently configured, all members are created equal. And they remain so.
It's the second part that I am not so sure of. I don't mind everyone starting off on the same foot. But we have an entire spectrum of members and their actions. We do have "negative consequences" when someone is non-contributive (blacklists). But we have no real rewards or recognition for those who really are more than just an "average" member.
Equality is fine. When it comes to potential and core abilities. "All men are created equal", but it doesn't end there. In real life we're all given our basic rights and abilities, it is what we do with them that allows someone to be exceptional, reviled or part of the crowd.
I'm a fan of equality, but I am not an advocate of keeping people down to prevent them from standing out.
As a very odd communist, I believe in perfect equality, though I only believe in perfect equality for those who contribute. What I'd like more is a surefire way of getting rid of problem members than a way of punishing people simply because they are not as "old" as everyone else.
And as an idealist (one who is perhaps a bit too much so), I believe that a good deed is a reward in itself, and being thanked, whether it is implicit or explicit, should be enough. I despise the idea of some sort of big reward for being good, because then you simply hurt the idea of humanity. But then again, I am an idealist and a Platonist, so I suppose not only would futhering this point be something for another place, but I would not be able to overpower those who outnumber me.
It's a subtle thing, and very rarely pulled off well. But to impose a "lowest common denominator" rewards mediocrity and discourages excellence.
Can mods peek into groups? That feels eerily creepy to me...
I apologize for espousing my economic and philosophical beliefs in this thread.