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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E who wrote (61103)	10/4/2002 3:55:52 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

If one might be said to have a 'moral' obligation to remedy the distress one's behavior (like the lateness of our friends to the restaurant) has inflicted on others, an apology is due payment, if a figurative one, imo. I agree with that. As I said earlier, I think one incurs obligations in any contract-like transaction. Arranging to meet someone for dinner incurs an obligation. Shaking hands, which connotes friendliness, confers an obligation. Entering a forum like an SI thread or a restaurant, confers an obligation. Absent a contract, I see no obligation. Which is not to say that it is not preferable, desirable, recommended, nice, even to make the effort to make people feel better or to smooth things over, only that there is no debt owed and the effort is at the individual's discretion. When people walk through doors ahead of me and let the door go right into my face, my custom is to say a loud and cheerful "Thank you" to shame the party. That's one of my pet peeves so I indulge myself. I think it's nice to be sure there's no one behind me when I let a door go. I always do. But I don't think that there is an obligation, my vigilante exclamation notwithstanding.

To: E who wrote (61103)	10/7/2002 5:15:23 PM
From: Solon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

"In life, sometimes one ought to apologize, imo. And imo everyone should teach their children that. It's important, imo." I agree. But I think these are personal "oughts" which relate to compassionate and intelligent human beings. Societies are often very brutal and ugly...I won't bother with examples. The moral response does not relate to society (IMO)...it relates to reason and compassion. The moral response will always be particular, and it will always be judged differently by different people (and I guess anybody who has gone through the fire and the water and the gossip knows that)...:-)