True, it would only make a valid argument if there were some swing voters who were more concerned with fairness than with supporting the power structure of the nobility, which is unlikely.
I wish I were better at correctly imagining other people’s mental states, and knew lots more about them. As it is, I can’t come up with anything I have reasonable evidence for, for or against your claim or even relevant to it at all. How can I know how (many) other people think of themselves?
That’s why I made my claim about fictional characters, where I happened to be rather more certain. The two claims are syntactically similar but semantically unrelated. I do very much want to discuss, and learn more about, how real people think of themselves, so let’s talk about that.
You say many people think of themselves as villains. How would they unpack this word if asked? That they do things they consider morally or ethically wrong, or that others consider to be so (but they disagree)? That they do those things with insufficient (to themselves) justification? That they enjoy them? That they pattern-match themselves (on what?) to famous story characters who are widely called villains?
You say many people think of themselves as villains. How would they unpack this word if asked?
I was replying as if your ‘villian’ claim was an extension of the previous sentence “They see what they’re currently doing as being right and fair and just!”
Some people do things that they consider not right, unfair or unjust and if they happen to think about it feel guilty briefly then keep doing it. Some people have conceptions of what right, fair and just are but consider them childish concepts and just don’t care.
Some people do things that they consider not right, unfair or unjust and if they happen to think about it feel guilty briefly then keep doing it.
How do you know this?
It is, as you noted, a truism many people believe in that “almost nobody is a villain in their own mind”, and instead people have justifications, special pleading, and other thoughts that excuse them to themselves.
Both this and what you say is compatible with the world as I see it, I have no direct evidence one way or the other. What’s yours?
It is, as you noted, a truism many people believe in that “almost nobody is a villain in their own mind”, and instead people have justifications, special pleading, and other thoughts that excuse them to themselves.
My spin, of course, is that those people make up stories like that because they are reluctant to admit that other people are less insecure and don’t need to make up as many excuses for themselves.
True, it would only make a valid argument if there were some swing voters who were more concerned with fairness than with supporting the power structure of the nobility, which is unlikely.
They don’t see it as fairness! They see what they’re currently doing as being right and fair and just! Nobody is a villain in their own minds.
Grossly exaggerated truism. Plenty of people do but just don’t care.
I wish I were better at correctly imagining other people’s mental states, and knew lots more about them. As it is, I can’t come up with anything I have reasonable evidence for, for or against your claim or even relevant to it at all. How can I know how (many) other people think of themselves?
That’s why I made my claim about fictional characters, where I happened to be rather more certain. The two claims are syntactically similar but semantically unrelated. I do very much want to discuss, and learn more about, how real people think of themselves, so let’s talk about that.
You say many people think of themselves as villains. How would they unpack this word if asked? That they do things they consider morally or ethically wrong, or that others consider to be so (but they disagree)? That they do those things with insufficient (to themselves) justification? That they enjoy them? That they pattern-match themselves (on what?) to famous story characters who are widely called villains?
I was replying as if your ‘villian’ claim was an extension of the previous sentence “They see what they’re currently doing as being right and fair and just!”
Some people do things that they consider not right, unfair or unjust and if they happen to think about it feel guilty briefly then keep doing it. Some people have conceptions of what right, fair and just are but consider them childish concepts and just don’t care.
How do you know this?
It is, as you noted, a truism many people believe in that “almost nobody is a villain in their own mind”, and instead people have justifications, special pleading, and other thoughts that excuse them to themselves.
Both this and what you say is compatible with the world as I see it, I have no direct evidence one way or the other. What’s yours?
SWIM told me?
My spin, of course, is that those people make up stories like that because they are reluctant to admit that other people are less insecure and don’t need to make up as many excuses for themselves.
SWIM being?
It’s a term used when explicitly declaring a personal anecdote seems inappropriate but you still want to make one. For example:
“SWIM is half way through a ten week testosterone cypionate cycle, what should he use for post cycle therapy?”
“SWIM just tried combining ecstasy, LSD and licking the back of a cane toad all at once. Best. High. Ever!”
(Someone Who Isn’t Me.)
Which is why I didn’t use the word “justice”.