Everything we do, is it in order to avoid pain or induce pleasure?

[MaC]

I know it's more of a psychological or philosophical question than political, but still...

[Gabu]

I would say that everything we do, we do because we feel it's in our best interest to do so; whether this is because we want to avoid pain or because we want to induce pleasure depends on the situation.  In some cases, such as taking a Tylenol for a headache, it's because we want to avoid pain; in others, such as having sex, it's because we want to induce pleasure.

[CheeseWhiz]

What about me?  I like to try to stretch my body in weird shapes (inducing pain) and I plan on staying a virgin the rest of my life (avoiding pleasure)

[Gabu]

What about me?  I like to try to stretch my body in weird shapes (inducing pain) and I plan on staying a virgin the rest of my life (avoiding pleasure)

Well, obviously, you're not doing it because it creates pain or reduces pleasure; those are only side effects that you consider tolerable.

[MaC]

What about me?  I like to try to stretch my body in weird shapes (inducing pain) and I plan on staying a virgin the rest of my life (avoiding pleasure)

well, in this case (I don't know what your reason is for avoiding sex) but I can make some guesses

1.you don't want a kid-in this case you want to avoid paying for a kid or inan extreme case an abortion=pain avoidance
2.you don't want to contract STDs=pain avoidance
3.you find the naked body grotesque=pain avoidance

[John Dibble]

I would say that everything we do, we do because we feel it's in our best interest to do so; whether this is because we want to avoid pain or because we want to induce pleasure depends on the situation.  In some cases, such as taking a Tylenol for a headache, it's because we want to avoid pain; in others, such as having sex, it's because we want to induce pleasure.

I would say this is accurate. I feel that we all act in our self-interests in every action we choose to do, but self-interests vary from person to person. Some are interested in hedonistic pleasures, some are interested in helping others, some are interested in learning - no matter what it is, we act according to what interests us. Of course, sometimes various interests conflict and we have to choose between actions that satisfy them, so decide on which course of action will satisfy the most(or more important) interests we have.

[CheeseWhiz]

M&C, 3 was spot on   I also find sex extremely gross, but that's just my opinion...

P.S. I bind my body to train my joints to bind farther, which gives me the pleasure of being flexible.

[DanielX]

M&C, 3 was spot on   I also find sex extremely gross, but that's just my opinion...

P.S. I bind my body to train my joints to bind farther, which gives me the pleasure of being flexible.

I've got quite a few questions for you...

1. How old are you? Are you under 15 or over the age of 65?
2. Have you checked with a doctor of late?
3. Are you a eunuch? (just asking... )
4. Did your parents stir saltpeter into your milk when you were a child?
5. Have you been traumatized by some horrific sex offender to the point where you are disgusted by all sex?
6. What were your parents smoking when they conceived you?
7. Were you, while a child or adolescent, in a third world country during a famine?
8. Are you a dwarf or suffer from some other disorder that prevents or eliminates puberty?
9. What effect are your gymnastics having on your sex drive, anyways?

My opinion? While naked men and some naked women are grotesque, there's nothing disgusting about quite a few women, should they choose to remove their garments.

Because, quite frankly, it seems unnatural or at least opposed to the principles of Darwin to have no sex drive whatsoever when one is an adult or late adolescent. Or to put it frankly, you're an evolutionary dead end. But then, so are Hugh and Peter,and they seem fairly well-adjusted, considering  .

[WalterMitty]

what if oyu are a masochist?

[Everett]

Not necessarily, though I see it this way:

I run out of spaghetti in my house. I can either
1. Walk to the store and get more spaghetti (which would require effort or "pain").
2. Sit in my house and not buy any more.

In the short run, not having to walk to the store would be more convenient because I wouldn't have to exert any energy, hurt my back, et cetera. In the long run, going to the store and putting minor "pain" on myself would prevent me from going hungry and wishing that I had food in my pantry when there is none. But realistically, it's more of performing a basic necessity than doing it for the sake of avoiding pain...

it seems unnatural or at least opposed to the principles of Darwin to have no sex drive whatsoever when one is an adult or late adolescent. Or to put it frankly, you're an evolutionary dead end.

He could be asexual. I am asexual too, but to be honest, it doesn't really bother me. I simply don't find sex very glamourous or anything, and it confuses and sometimes outright irritates me when people shove the idea of sex being the absolute best thing ever in everyone else's faces.

[MaC]

er, what is being asexual? Is that when you don't need a partner to reproduce?  Is that when you aren't aroused by either sex?  When do don't want sex?  Doesn't everyone have wanting sex pre-programmed into our nature--because reproducing is required for the survival of our species?
I hope I'm not being too ackwardly assertive for you guys, but I've never really even heard of this until Cheezewhiz said something a few months ago.

[John Dibble]

er, what is being asexual? Is that when you don't need a partner to reproduce?  Is that when you aren't aroused by either sex?  When do don't want sex?  Doesn't everyone have wanting sex pre-programmed into our nature--because reproducing is required for the survival of our species?
I hope I'm not being too ackwardly assertive for you guys, but I've never really even heard of this until Cheezewhiz said something a few months ago.

It's the second one - not being sexually attracted to either sex. Just as some might end up having their sexual appetites being inclined to the opposite or both sexes, some end up being wired so they aren't attracted to either. I don't think it's entirely out of the question that this is possible, it's simply less noticeable if it does indeed occur.

[CheeseWhiz]

1. How old are you? Are you under 15 or over the age of 65? 14
2. Have you checked with a doctor of late? No, but I’m fine, really.
3. Are you a eunuch? (just asking... ) NO!
4. Did your parents stir saltpeter into your milk when you were a child? I don’t even drink milk…
5. Have you been traumatized by some horrific sex offender to the point where you are disgusted by all sex? Nope.
6. What were your parents smoking when they conceived you? Not that I’m aware of.
7. Were you, while a child or adolescent, in a third world country during a famine? Nope…
8. Are you a dwarf or suffer from some other disorder that prevents or eliminates puberty? I’m only 14 and I’m almost taller than my Dad, so I’m pretty much normal (but might even be sorta tall by the time I stop growing.)
9. What effect are your gymnastics having on your sex drive, anyways?  Well, I’m not quite a gymnast, but I can bind my fingers in all sorts of funky ways!

I guess I might be asexual…  But I’m definitely closer to being heterosexual then homosexual.

EDIT:  Let me just clear something up, in case there’s a misunderstanding…  I don’t believe I was like, born asexual or anything, I still consider myself a heterosexual, I just don’t think about girls in sexual ways and stuff like that.