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potato-Mk1 t1_isatsy6 wrote

Thanks for sharing this! Likely this is a pretty basic primer for anyone who has read Schopenhauer, but as someone who has not - it was an enjoyable and concise read. The idea that humans alone enjoy this special liberty of self-reflection and thus the ability to suppress our desires to relieve ourselves from suffering is interesting and in historically good company. The solution's implementation seems a little flat, but maybe there's only so much you can go into in a little blog post.

One thought that comes to mind is that the author states Schopenhauer finds this system of self-consumption to be sort of depressing, repugnant, and saddening. If an animal (basically a being driven and defined by Will) kills another animal, then arguably the only thing that was lost is another being of Will. So why should this suffering be regrettable, if the being that suffered was effectively just a manifestation of this thing we don't like anyway?

I also find it profoundly sad personally, but wonder what he (or you!) might say in response to this question. Maybe it's only a problem because it affects humans who have the ability to see outside of the law of Will? Maybe many beings have this capacity to varying extent?

Even if you don't find the endless cycle of suffering to be problematic, I guess it would not necessarily detract from the potential benefits of stepping out of this cycle.

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Jaximu5_ t1_isbaauj wrote

The way I am starting to think is this: the suffering of another Will may not necessarily be something that affects me but if I am the cause of that suffering or did nothing to alleviate it I have created a precedent for the me-Will; meaning that the me-Will was either not strong enough to do something about the suffering of the other-Will or I had the need to cause said suffering. As such, I have made the suffering of the other-Will part of what the me-Will is. The question then becomes: is what I am getting from the suffering of the other-Will worth my dependence on it or not? The answer to this question is always no because I do not want the me-Will to become dependent on something as weakening and debilitating as the suffering of the other-Will.

Exceptions to this become the suffering of other-Wills that may come from my stopping of said other-Will's attempts to cause suffering to the me-Will.

Tl:dr Causing suffering or failing to prevent the preventable suffering of others makes my identity weaker, as such it is always a bad idea unless the other person tried to cause me harm.

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MEMENARDO_DANK_VINCI t1_isdogtk wrote

I don’t see it as an endless cycle of suffering but one of endless life and suffering.

Small difference but the joy is in the life

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