Taboos in society.

[marioguy]

In this thread we shall discuss the taboos in our society, and whether or not they should actually be considered taboos.

Let's start with suicide. Why is it so frowned upon in our society to kill oneself? Does it come from religion? Is it unethical to force someone to live when they obviously don't want to, especially when it drains resources?

What other taboos do you find odd?

[greatguy]

Public nudity. Here the weather is in triple digits, and I say the less clothing the better!

To your suicide thing, voluntary cannibalees. It would be a great way to feed starving people. Commiting suicide does not tend to benefit others, but cannibalism is a great way to commit suicide if you're gonna do it.

[7 tyranitars]

Public nudity. Here the weather is in triple digits, and I say the less clothing the better!

To your suicide thing, voluntary cannibalees. It would be a great way to feed starving people. Commiting suicide does not tend to benefit others, but cannibalism is a great way to commit suicide if you're gonna do it.

I really hope you don't use Celcius.


Suicide is a taboo, because of several reasons:

For a more religious reason it is that you throw away the life your God gave you.

And as sunny already said we don't like death and we don't understand why people would want that.

But I also think people see it as a sign of weakness, of giving up, considering people tend to say you just have to deal with your problems as everyone haves problems.

[Manafi's Dream]

Let's start with suicide. Why is it so frowned upon in our society to kill oneself? Does it come from religion? Is it unethical to force someone to live when they obviously don't want to, especially when it drains resources?

Some people commit suicide because life gets to be "too hard." In the religious community, it is frowned upon as a sin. Taking your life is addressed in the Bible as one of the worst sins to commit. In normal life, some people end up abandoned by the person who took their life, like children or spouses, which is not exactly supported by the general public.

Public nudity. Here the weather is in triple digits, and I say the less clothing the better!

Again, religiously, people were sentenced by God to wear clothes. Honestly, though, some people don't want to see what you have going on in certain places... Most likely, though, nudity is probably associated by most people with their private sexual lives, so they feel embarrassment when they are nude. I'm no psychologist, but I maintain the middle argument. Some people need to keep their business in their clothes. 0_o

My problem with society? How come teenagers can't talk in a movie theater when they are the ONLY ONES IN THE ROOM?! I went to see "Remember Me" with some friends two years ago, and we were the only ones there except the guy in the projector room. He came down to fuss, and we were just talking with each other. It wasn't even a good movie.

[marioguy]

My problem with society? How come teenagers can't talk in a movie theater when they are the ONLY ONES IN THE ROOM?! I went to see "Remember Me" with some friends two years ago, and we were the only ones there except the guy in the projector room. He came down to fuss, and we were just talking with each other. It wasn't even a good movie.

There was really no one else in the theater? It probably wasn't a good movie. I guess you guys were bothering the guy in the projector room. He might have actually been enjoying himself.

[ChinpokomonOh?]

Back to the original poster;

Suicide is so frowned upon because it's a selfish way to get out of something. People who commit suicide are only thinking about them selves. Everyone goes through problems, no reason they can't either. Suck it up, move on with your life.

[Moogles]

Suicide is so frowned upon because it's a selfish way to get out of something. People who commit suicide are only thinking about them selves. Everyone goes through problems, no reason they can't either. Suck it up, move on with your life.

Considering most people who are suicidal most likely have some sort of mental health issue, I'd retort that it's actually a lot more selfish to blame people who can't really control their thoughts or their actions. It's not easy for everybody to "suck it up" and move on with their life.

[7 tyranitars]

Back to the original poster;

Suicide is so frowned upon because it's a selfish way to get out of something. People who commit suicide are only thinking about them selves. Everyone goes through problems, no reason they can't either. Suck it up, move on with your life.

Or are you the selfish one for "forcing" someone to continue with a life they don't want to continue?

[marioguy]

Back to the original poster;

Suicide is so frowned upon because it's a selfish way to get out of something. People who commit suicide are only thinking about them selves. Everyone goes through problems, no reason they can't either. Suck it up, move on with your life.

People aren't allow to be selfish now. "Video games are a selfish way to spend your time. Suck it up, and get a job!"

[CSolarstorm]

Back to the original poster;

Suicide is so frowned upon because it's a selfish way to get out of something. People who commit suicide are only thinking about them selves. Everyone goes through problems, no reason they can't either. Suck it up, move on with your life.

In a situation where two parties both have their self-interests at stake - in this case the person who wants to commit suicide, versus the people who want them to stay alive to be there for them - neither can really be called more selfish than the other.

What happened with you when you decided suicide is 'selfish' demonstrates the fact that when confronted with the concept of suicide, people try to tell themselves that a person who commits suicide is warped in every way possible, not just psychologically but ideologically, because their survival instinct wants them to distance themselves from the idea of death.

[NitroxWolf]

Some people commit suicide because life gets to be "too hard." In the religious community, it is frowned upon as a sin. Taking your life is addressed in the Bible as one of the worst sins to commit. In normal life, some people end up abandoned by the person who took their life, like children or spouses, which is not exactly supported by the general public.

alright, i get what this guy is saying, but the christian church has xonfused me so much, i dont know what to think. you say suicide is recognized as the worse sin you could make, well i was also taught by numerous sources that all sins are created equally by god. i was also taught by the church that if your saved and devote your life to jesus then you have a spot in heaven reserved, then why are they saying your soul will be damned to hell then.

I'm saying this from a person who wants to believe there is a higher power, but it seems the church can't make up their minds.


also, i just wanna lay this out in the open. i think the taboos of race, and locations still place a mark in todays society. I'm gonna set up a hypothetical motion. say an man from the north, New-York City for example came to the deep south, do you think the people are gonna be gun totting hicks, or educated southerns? I believe that the media will continue to lay down these outrageous minorities until the end of time itself

[marioguy]

Some people commit suicide because life gets to be "too hard." In the religious community, it is frowned upon as a sin. Taking your life is addressed in the Bible as one of the worst sins to commit. In normal life, some people end up abandoned by the person who took their life, like children or spouses, which is not exactly supported by the general public.

Not everyone shares the same religion. People can't force their beliefs onto others like that.

[marioguy]

Doesn't cannibalism cause mad cow disease or something?

[Flying Ludo]

Doesn't cannibalism cause mad cow disease or something?

Exactly. It's not just society that decided that "cannibalism is bad". There are a couple of tribes in africa that do practice it, but are faciing the consequences of it, and most of the inhabitants are dying out because of a disease wich is, in short, the human version of mad cow disease.

Same thing with incest. It's a biologically threatening practice that has fallen under society's taboos because it is dangereus for any living species. Humans included.

[Malanu]

Mario, yes it is a religious reason. The church cannot get your tithing if you are dead!

Public Nudity is not Taboo... It's a necessity! Really not many folks would want to see me naked!!! If everyone was Bronze gods and goddesses that would be different! However we would find some other reason to be modest I suppose.

[CSolarstorm]

The obvious explanation for the suicide taboo is that suicide involves death, and humans as biological beings are generally averse to death. We might not understand this because we have too much time to think about it.

One reason public unity is frowned upon is because clothes serve a variety of purposes. They can identify people and draw borders between groups of people, show who belongs to one group, occupation, etc. They also reinforce rank and class. And they can also indicate sexual status, from hiding people's appearance to presenting them as sexually 'available'.

I also agree with Malanu to a certain point; we don't consider nudity in general to be that attractive. Plenty of cultures throughout our history have, however. Wearing clothes is also a defense mechanism for people - it's sort of practical to protect our skin.

[CSolarstorm]

Not only that, but we seek to distance ourselves, psychologically and ideologically, from someone who entertains the idea of suicide, because as a survival instinct we don't want to even think like them. So we start calling them weak and put them down for it. It's just like animals who abandon sick young in the wild. Running away from something isn't considered a good thing usually, so we tell ourselves that we are different and praise ourselves for our strength, when really that strength is just avoidance, because we all have that breaking point.

[Snorunt conservationist]

Why is taking drugs considered a bad thing?

Why is the right to be offended seemingly beginning to trump the right to offend?

Both of these are damning indictments on modern western life.

[CSolarstorm]

Why is the right to be offended seemingly beginning to trump the right to offend?

Two reasons: 1) It's believed that since society works on people working well together, that being non-offensive is generally the superior method for ideal cooperation between people, especially between different cultural groups in today's environment. 2) Other cultures (such as various Eastern cultures) have melded into the Western world, where respect and politeness are a major part of communication in daily life.

[Snorunt conservationist]

Two reasons: 1) It's believed that since society works on people working well together, that being non-offensive is generally the superior method for ideal cooperation between people, especially between different cultural groups in today's environment. 2) Other cultures (such as various Eastern cultures) have melded into the Western world, where respect and politeness are a major part of communication in daily life.

1) It was a semi-rhetorical question.

2) Both your points are irrelevant because they assume that offensive means are to be the dominant force by which one interacts with other points of view.

3) In your analysis, you confuse the words "respect" and "politeness" with "censorship" and "authoritarianism".

4) A society being tolerant and respectful is exactly the kind of society where the right to offend is more likely to exist.

5) I hope this analysis does not mirror your personal view.

Perhaps I should be a bit more blunt. Why is our society so hell bent on attempting to curb freedom of speech and support censorship? When are we going to stop appeasing intolerant groups and return to a more acceptable level of freedom of speech?