Equality

[Concord 1,982]

Hello!

 

Meet, Bob and Jack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, meet Lucas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we have here, are 2 totally different types of people. Bob and Jack love to smoke, drink, and use force. Bob and Jack usually spend their days in the streets, searching for opportunities to cause trouble and make a few bucks by harassing someone. They have very little education, and they speak with heavy cursing and slang.

Now, we have Lucas, an educated and qualified person, who takes his work very seriously. He works for a company in an office, and has had great success in doing so for the last few years. He doesn't smoke, and only drinks exquisite drinks such as brandy, whiskey or red wine. He is quite a generous person, who likes to buy expensive presents for his friends whenever it's their birthday.

 

Now, I am sure that most people would prefer Lucas's company over Bob's and Jack's . Usually, people say that every human being is equal and has equal rights. Would you, treat these people equal?

 

Now, I don't want to sound like a Neo-Nazi by starting this thread, but I have noticed recently that I do not treat people with different personality types equaly... The difference in personality doesn't have to be as big as Bob's and Lucas's. What does Equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend? I understand, that every life is important. This is not the type of thread where you'll discuss whether it is better to save Lucas from death or Bob and Jack. (I'd choose Lucas... )

 

The hilighted text in Bold are the questions I'd like to hear opinions and answers from you. I hope the topic will spark some discussion, but will avoid major arguement. What inspired me to make this thread, was the increasing number of idiots around me. Have fun!

 

 

 

[Pan the Fabulous Ferret 2,642]

I actually had to write an essay abut this topic for my SAT.

 

No, equality in our society never has, and will most likely never exist. There are always going to be those uncontrollable factors in everyone's lives that will prevent them from having the same economic and social opportunities.

Edited July 3, 2013 by TheBronyHeart

[Discordian 6,015]

I have always said that equality is more a sense of two people holding to their convictions but not being stupid about it more than it has anything to do with one person being more than another person based on differing lifestyles or accomplishments in fields that aren't even remotely related. There is no such thing as equality, but there is such a thing as tolerance of opposition that makes some form of quasi equality that spells out harmony.

[DITR 180]

I will treat someone with a minimal amount of respect until they prove to me that they deserve to be respected, whether that was by making a good first impression or helping me out in a tough spot, things of that nature. I won't treat someone with respect if they are a. ignorant, b. don't apply themselves or refuse to try, c. they don't have manners. 

[Discordian 6,015]

Would you, treat these people equal?

No, I wouldn't. I don't respect anyone who hurt people and cause trouble, I would probably ignore them (Bob and Jack) if they tried to speak to me because these are the types of people who are bullies and just mean in general.

 

What does Equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend?

Personally, I do not think everybody should be treated equally; I think people who treat others with respect and don't judge others on their decisions or looks should be respected equally and treated the same. If someone is wrongdoing (hurting people, judging them on their appearance, or just being mean) should be looked down on and treated with not much respect either.

The question is, where do you draw the line? When does "punishing for their own good" become "hurting people"? When does tough love turn into abuse? There's varying levels of respect. "That line" is in different places than others. How do you take into account that variation? There are some people you just can never agree with and trying to be nice to everyone is extremely hard to do and taxing on the person trying.

[Zygen 6,066]

I think true Equality won't exist really, theres just some ideals that others have that will make you treat one person this way and others this way, even if the difference is minute to almost nothing.

 

I'll be totally honest i'd respect Lucas more. I just don't agree with the type of people Bob and Jack are. I'll be totally honest.

 

Even though I tolerate them, I do have more in common with, and even a bit more respect for Lucas since he seems to have achieved more in his life.

 

So yeah I'm being pretty bluntly honest, because no matter what my moral beliefs and the such lead me to like Lucas more as a person. As I agree more to his lifestyle then Bob and Jack.

 

(Wow Zygen blunt with an opinion.. Thats a first xD.)

[Scootalove 10,689]

Would you, treat these people equal?

No, because there are two different types of people. People who are nice and actually friendly, and there are people who are mean and completely insane. Besides, people aren't equal in general.

 

What does equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend?

Equality in society does not really exist but, if we treated each other equally it would be a huge step in life but it would never happen since people always find a way to judge another person by their looks, race, religion, and other statistics.

[Shiki 5,855]

I was thinking about making this thread for a very long time, but never did.

 

--

 

I would treat these people equally, along with every one else on the planet.

 

But do you know what equality really means?

 

Imagine Lucas were to go on a random rampage, doing the same things Bob and Jack do. I would shun him and treat him the same, negative way that I would Bob and Jack, for not being good members of society. I believe in fairness, and if a person contributes more to society, they deserve more positive things in general. If a member does more bad than good, they deserve more bad than good. Equality would be offering the same amount of kindness relative to how good of a person they are. If Jack and Bob do 10 "bad" things a day and 1 "good" thing, I would hold onto that and judge them based off of it. If Lucas did 1 "bad" thing in a day and 10 "good" things, I would, again, hold onto that and judge.

 

To treat others equally is to not falter in this judgement simply because you are soft hearted. You cannot forgive Lucas for something "wrong" that he did, simply because he's usually good. It should have the same impact as every "bad" thing that Bob and Jack do, and this would go the same for the opposite scenario.

 

Here is a scenerio for you:

 

We know Bob and Jack are both bad guys. Say they are in desperate need of money, and they're actually going to do a job for you to get some money. Say they re-do your roof or something, and they do a good job, did not do anything they were not supposed to do, and were just "good" overall, for the task. Would you pay them the same rate that you would a member who is more "good" in society than these two? I would. Each event that a person does, I think, should be looked at independently, and should be treated as such. This is the equality I am talking about.

 

The "equality" every one else is talking about seems to be "credibility." Of course I would judge Bob and Jack for being the way they are. I would not trust them as much, as they have not shown to be credible people. I would not treat them that much worse than Lucas, but there would certainly be a difference. This is not treating them unequally, this is treating them fairly. To offer the same rate per "good" thing they do is what true equality is. The problem is that peoples' judgement falter, or they are too quick to judge without enough statistics behind it.

 

If I only saw Bob and Jack one time in my life, while they were drunk and going crazy, I would not instantly degrade them to a rock bottom level on the spot. Perhaps this was a one time in a year thing for them. How would it be fair to judge them based off only this? It wouldn't. I would have to get to know them or see them in action more, then I can place my judgement a bit more. If I know that Bob and Jack are always doing this kind of thing, then I have the statistics already, and I can judge instantly, and give them a fair, low "rating" in my head, and treat them as I see fit.

[leafcascade 23]

I try to treat people equally unless they give me a good reason not to. I treat everyone with respect; it's just how I was born. However, if someone says something mean to me, or if I witness them hurting another person, etc, then that is when I treat them differently. I show them in the politest way possible that what they do is not appreciated and that I will call authorities or take matters into my own hands if need be. I'm for justice and peace so I won't stand for rudeness or cruelty. However, it bothers me when people automatically treat certain people lesser just by their appearance or a few actions. Like if people are faced with a conservatively dressed woman and a less conservatively dressed woman, and they automatically assume that the former is worthy of more respect. In my opinion, treat people equally until they give you a reason not to. Appearances do NOT count.

 

~Leafy

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

I actually had to write an essay abut this topic for my SAT.

 

No, equality in our society never has, and will most likely never exist. There are always going to be those uncontrollable factors in everyone's lives that will prevent them from having the same economic and social opportunities.

 

This is quite true, unfortunately, since helping one person might hurt another, even in this area. Everybody will never have the same oppurtunities... But its possible to get a TAD closer to that than most of the US is.

[Viking 61]

I would treat Lucas better because of how he acts, if Bob and Jack were to be polite in their actions, not speech, I would treat them the same. For me equality is raised from how people act not their background, a man who has killed many could be willing to seek forgiveness and act humane again and a man who donates to orphanages could be a dick and I would hate him more then the murderer. As for speech, drinks, or smoking, well drinking and smoking is personal preference I don't care what they drink.  Speech though I tend to ignore, probably because I tend to be in the minority of having typically foul language and the most blunt force possible but I always talk seriously and when I say things like 'Fuck you, stop crying about your problems and get off your ass and take action about it!' at first it seems rude, but typically that blunt force is what some people need. And you can see that I'm just saying in that to not dwell on their problems and focus on a solution.

 

In all treat people how they act and their intentions not on habits or speech.

[websterhamster 203]

I would probably avoid having anything to do with Bob and Jack altogether. I wouldn't mind doing business with Lucas, though.

 

Personally, I think the whole idea of equality is completely misunderstood. While the Constitution does say "All men are created equally" even that can't be explained literally. I mean, what if fictional person James has Down Syndrome and William doesn't? Obviously they aren't equal, it wouldn't be fair to William to treat him the same way as James, or vice versa.

 

In fact, nobody even wants equality; everyone just wants to be treated better than someone else. I know people who have kids with certain mental issues who want their kids given special consideration at school, to the detriment of all the other kids in the class. This is not equality.

 

I think equality should be replaced with: Love one another, show everyone respect and courtesy, but avoid doing business with Bob and Jack. They have made bad decisions in their lives and will have to suffer the natural consequences.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

 

 

Now, we have Lucas, an educated and qualified person, who takes his work very seriously. He works for a company in an office, and has had great success in doing so for the last few years. He doesn't smoke, and only drinks exquisite drinks such as brandy, whiskey or red wine. He is quite a generous person, who likes to buy expensive presents for his friends whenever it's their birthday.

 

Before saying anything about how I'd treat these people, I'd want to know more about what Lucas/Lucas' company does, exactly.  It was "nice," "civilized" office-workers like this who made the trains to Auschwitz run on time.  If he is, for example, an executive in a major oil company that is wrecking natural habitat, releasing toxic chemicals into aquifers and/or rivers used for a city water supply to extract oil from shale, tar sands, etc., or one of the "Masters of the Universe" hedge fund types who almost crashed the whole global economy in 2008 and is poised to do it again, then Lucas could be far more harmful to his fellow human beings and/or the planetary ecosystem we all depend on than the two thugs.  So yeah, when I read this, I definitely thought, "Ha, trick question."

[Metemponychosis 1,261]

I think there is a problem with the first question. It assumes that I have to deal with them all the time. But that's not how things go. See, I'm a physician, and I'll work with imaging. If these three came to me for an exam, they would be treated exactly the same way, regardless of what they do with their lives. Unless of course the first two start creating trouble in the waiting room. But that should have no relation to how they behave outside.

 

Now the second question... If equality is in English what I think it is: distributing the resources differently among those that are different (this guy is poor, so he gets more help than the guy who is rich), then I think that this is the right way to go. But, let's say that I'm now the supreme ruler of the Supreme Kingdom of Myself and these three are my subjects. I would give preference to the third guy, until the first two either changed their behavior. Meaning: You got hurt while doing vandalism? I hope you can pay your own medical bill. While if the third got hurt in an accident, for example (i'm guessing he wouldn't be doing vandalism). I would help him pay for his medical care.

 

I think that every life is important too, but when dealing with intelligent being, like humans, you can't just let them abuse a system where they can do whatever they want and get the same assistance as people who actually behave like civilized people.

[Philosophy Pony 123]

Love this post, it really is thought provoking. In quick response, I wouldn't treat them equally, and here's why.

 

As my profile neatly put's it, I am an edgy moral nihilist, so in all technicality, treating these people as equal really doesn't have any moral foundations, just another way of expressing the same concept of equality. But we should also factor in the malleability of peoples personalities. Bob and Jake could be better people and be part of who I treat equally, but they're not. The potential exists, but there individual actions trace out how much the get treated in equality measures. 

 

I believe in balance, and that inequality and equality have to exist side by side to keep things at a relative consistency. We need to hate and destroy things, so that creation and love can have some sort of meaning. Being 'equal with everyone' is sort of a bogus kind of Idea. It's important to meet people on the same ground of equal understanding, but inequality will always be floating in the mist of life. 

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

Equality never has, and never will truly exist. I'm uncomfortable around both Bob and Jack, and Lucas. Bob and Jack seem kind of...I don't know, Ghetto? I would most likely try to avoid them. If I was forced to talk to them I would try to be friendly though. Lucas seems like he'd be my uncle or something. He would be nice to me even though I barely know him. I'd be nice back. Initially I would try to treat both sets of people equally, but the stuff they do can influence how I treat them later on. 

[YALL ARE FUCKING GAY 505]

i tend to treat people the way they treat me 

 

 example jack and bob com at me swearing and demanding money id tell them to fuck off 

 

lucas come up to me and asks me how my day was in a calm fashion ill respond the same way 

 

i don't treat people differently based on their education, racial ethnicity, religion but on the way the treat me 

Edited July 7, 2013 by HunterScars

[Galen 1,354]

I'm with Sugar Plum. Equality implies a disregard of their background, be it societal, racial, religious, cultural, national, etc. Just because Lucas has done so many good things in his life doesn't mean that if he were to murder someone tomorrow, I'd treat him any different from Bob and Jack if they were to do the same thing. The weight of an action doesn't vary due to the accumulation of good deeds in an individual. The consequences of murdering someone are still the same. The victim's family would suffer the great emotional pain of losing a loved one regardless of who did it, and I think that ought to be taken into consideration. From the pov of the victim's relatives, it matters not who did it.

 

The sad thing is people are often very quick to point fingers because they can't judge people equally. If Bob, Jack and Lucas were all somehow implicated in a murder Lucas was responsible for and Bob & Jack were nothing but eyewitnesses who accidentally stumbled on the scene, people would think the two of them were responsible instead and were trying to cop out of a situation they got themselves into. Their accumulation of bad deeds works against them, while Lucas's good ones act as a shroud over his evil act.

 

That brings me to my next point. Just because people act like Bob and Jack doesn't mean their opinions, stupid or even insane as they might sound, should be completely disregarded. Yes, their actions may land them in jail at some point as a result of their misdemeanor, but this shouldn't influence their freedom of speech and opinion. If it does, it implies society treats them as something less than human for it. But should we go by the instance that they do ten bad deeds and one good one a day, that one good deed may become two and replace 1 of the 10 bad deeds they commit. That is only possible, however, if people give them the chance to reform and support them on the way. That they get shunned by others is what gives them more reason to act the way they do. Only kindness can remedy their behavior.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

It is not a negative thing to judge others for their personalities if known. It’s only superficial differences which should be not be taken into consideration. Without knowledge of personality, I would be compelled to great those ponies equally.

[Colt 555]

 

 

What does Equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend?

 

Well to start and IMO you are using called "guidance" to start this debate. Setting 3 people of that have taken different paths in life to contrast each other would obviously remark the differences between them. Also keep in mind that most of the things you say up there are not something about human condition its about a matter of choice.

 

Bob and Jack chose to, cause problem and to hang on the streets while Lucas chose to work and be dedicated. Lucas chose to have some stuff he likes while Bob and Jack like to drink and smoke (IMO a terrible choice from your part saying that drinking and smoking makes them of a "different class" is the same haters do when they call us different things for loving pastel talking ponies). 

 

Now let me also show you something. This are Jack Lucas and Bob too

 

 

 

 

The thing society refers as  "equality" is as the US president Lincoln once said "All men are created equal" or "All human beings are born the same ". Can you tell me who of those 3 adorable creatures will grow to become a "good" or "a bad"? They and all of us by the time they were conceived and born have the same, incalculable value, limitless potential and endless possibilities. 

 

It is life as it is what makes us who we are, the choices we take when we confront the situations of our days, you cant know if Lucas would be the same if he was born on the same hood as Bob, or maybe Jake could have win a Pulitzer if things would go different. Life  change us, no forge us, we take the decisions of who we are every day. Sometimes those choices are wrong some times they are right but the fact is that those were our choices and we are what the choose to be will never change the fact that we all equal in concept.

 

As you second question I am a equivalent guy, or thats how I like to call myself. Normally I would be neutral and even distant to people until I get interaction with each subject. I Normally respond in an equivalent way as they treat me, they are friendly I am friendly they are not I am definitely not. This has work on my favor and against me in different ways during my life I have made mistakes because of it but then again I have to learn and see if I would change because after all thats how I choose to be.

[BrainyBrony 252]

Would you, treat these people equal?

No, to be honest. I'd be much nicer and more open with Lucas. I'd ignore Bob and Jack as they're the kind of people I would really try to avoid.

 

What does Equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend?

Equality, in my opinion, is something that every one of us has to earn. If you prove your worth, try your best and (Try to) do the right thing, you should be treated just as well as everyone else. If you do wrong and act cruel to others, you should be looked down upon.

[hawkflame 3,310]

Equality doesn't mean you treat all people exactly the same.  Equality means you react to what they do and the circumstances around it the same, regardless of who is involved.  You don't cut Lucas more slack for driving drunk than you would Bob and jack.  Similarly you don't dismiss a nice gesture from Bob and Jack more than you would for Lucas.  It's not good or bad acts that are defined by whether they're done by good or bad people.  You judge the people based on the acts that they do.  You can cut people slack or come down hard on them, but you have to do so equally depending on what they do.

[HungryTroll 137]

Would you, treat these people equal?

I would not.

 

 

 

What does Equality in society mean to you and how much do you follow the trend?

For me it's when every person could live like they want, and at the same time have ability to change society a little bit for they needs. (for Bob and Jach and for Lucas it would be different needs of course). Am I like it? No, because I want to change society how I want it to be as well, and there people who do not want that to happen.

 

 

And - it was already said

 

 

Equality doesn't mean you treat all people exactly the same. Equality means you react to what they do and the circumstances around it the same, regardless of who is involved. You don't cut Lucas more slack for driving drunk than you would Bob and jack. Similarly you don't dismiss a nice gesture from Bob and Jack more than you would for Lucas. It's not good or bad acts that are defined by whether they're done by good or bad people. You judge the people based on the acts that they do. You can cut people slack or come down hard on them, but you have to do so equally depending on what they do.

Fully agree.

Edited July 8, 2013 by HungryTroll

[Cactus 155]

Of course I wouldn't treat these people equally. This scenario implies that Jack and Bob would insult and/or harass me. "Searching for opportunities to cause trouble," "curse," "use force," "harassing someone." If they act like that to others, I am assuming they would act like that to me. 

 

Equality is looking at people based upon the person they are to you and others around you, not looking and making judgements about their race/sexuality/religion/opinions/past.