What do you "deserve"?

[kbordson 8]

Just wondering over this past weekend about what people think that they "deserve"?

Do you have rights to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"? Do you "deserve" three hots and a cot? Do you "get what you pay for" or "caveat emptor"? Are you entitled to "R.E.S.P.E.C.T."? What do you think that you are "owed" for existing in this universe/ world/ Country? Should you be able to move back in with Mom and Dad at 35 - you didn't "ask" to be born after all. Or should you be taking care of them and having them move in with you at that time - as they took care of you from pre-birth to 18... it's would only be "fair."

Now... what do others "deserve"?

[skydiverbry 0]

I don't think I "deserve" a thing.
I have earned a few things and have a right to have the ones I've put an effort in getting myself.

Bry

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Growing old is mandatory.Growing up is optional!!

D.S.#13(Dudeist Skdiver)

[Gawain 0]

I strive to deserve nothing, and earn everything.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[shropshire 0]

Not a damned thing.


But I'd 'like' to be treated like I treat others.... Self respect first, but respect from others is earned not deserved.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Now... what do others "deserve"?

A spanking

[Darius11 12]

This is a good question but with many different answers depending on what chapter of life you are in.

For Exp. A child deserves a lot of things, but me as an adult is way different.



I am one of the many disappointed people right now, not because I have sat on my ass waiting for people to hand me stuff actually the opposite.

I deserve to live in a society that does not take kindness, loyalty, and hard work as a sign of weakness.
I would like to live in a society where every thing is not viewed as a product, and how much money it will cost or make is not ALWAYS the most important priority.

I deserve to live in a society where we all have a fair chance, and hard work NOT greed is the way to successes.

I deserve to live in the society where Justice has meaning and the people responsible for the good or bad they have caused are the ones who have to deal with consequences or get the rewards.


I also think we all deserve to live in a society that values honesty, loyalty, and hard work above greed and a lack of all morals.


As for parents it really depends on your relationship with your parents.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[lawrocket 3]

I deserve the opportunity to succeed and to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I deserve the opportunity to fail and face the consequences of my actions or inactions.

I deserve to be left alone.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[warpedskydiver 0]

I deserve to succeed or fail at anything I choose to do.

I deserve to have the right to pursue happiness.

I deserve to have my constitutional rights.


Other than that I cannot think of much.

[warpedskydiver 0]

As for parents, I did have my mom live with me for a few years.

That was my CHOICE.

Some people thought that was something worth ridicule.

I thought those people needed to find something to go fuck themselves with.

[JackC 0]

The concept of rights is entirely man made and it exists only for as long as society allows it to exist. Whatever rights you think you have, they're only tollerated for as long as they don't get in the way of some other, better funded right. You may think you have a whole heap of rights, but ultimately that doesn't mean a thing.

[nerdgirl 0]

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Just wondering over this past weekend about what people think that they "deserve"?

Do you have rights to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"? Do you "deserve" three hots and a cot? Do you "get what you pay for" or "caveat emptor"? Are you entitled to "R.E.S.P.E.C.T."? What do you think that you are "owed" for existing in this universe/ world/ Country? Should you be able to move back in with Mom and Dad at 35 - you didn't "ask" to be born after all. Or should you be taking care of them and having them move in with you at that time - as they took care of you from pre-birth to 18... it's would only be "fair."

Now... what do others "deserve"?

Seriously, very cool question!
From a most personal perspective ... did I “deserve” to be born in late 20th Century America to parents who valued me? As opposed to being born in late 20th Century as a female in Darfur or a Dalit in Urdar Pradesh …or in Khost province of Afghanistan … or wherever else? I don't really think so. I credit it largely to random luck.

Did I “deserve” the opportunities of which I’ve taken advantage (rather than let pass) … or did I earn those opportunities or even seek out what might be perceived as an “opportunity” … or were some of them made available by serendipity & grace of mentors & folks who believed in me … and did some of those superficially serendipitous opportunities only become available because of choices I made? Is it all about me, i.e., ‘rugged individualism’ … or do the actions of other humans, privilege (or lack thereof), and random luck (or lack thereof) play a role?

I try to be cognizant that I set myself on a path with specific goals while acknowledging that those goals may change and the path may diverge; the direction is in one that I want to go and where I end up is paritally a result of my choices and partially beyond my control. To me, the wisdom is realizing the difference ... or at least recognizing the latter before I've expended/invested too much energy/money/effort.

From my perspective, being born as an American in the late 20th Century with parents who valued me, I started ahead of a whole lot of other people on the planet. Therefore I think a lot more about the have responsibilities beyond just myself and how to take advantage of all the fabulous opportunities that are available to me or that I can create … rather than what I do or don’t deserve. I think more about what I "owe" (to those who risked/sacrificed before me and those who've believed in me, to those who my choices impact today & in the future, and to those who will come after me) than what I "deserve." But that’s just my perspective. YMMV … and yours may be very different.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[nerdgirl 0]

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The concept of rights is entirely man made and it exists only for as long as society allows it to exist. Whatever rights you think you have, they're only tollerated for as long as they don't get in the way of some other, better funded right. You may think you have a whole heap of rights, but ultimately that doesn't mean a thing.

Largely concur.

Who "deserves" what rights ... or even what are imaginable "rights" (e.g., private property) has changed so radically over time.

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[kbordson 8]

Very valid points.

I think back to political speeches from almost 50 years ago.

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And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

I'm just curious as to what the present population thinks.

Are the current beliefs of the people - "I should be taken care of", that they are "owed" something, that they can take without giving.

Or do people still think to contribute to society?

I've just been having some internal conflict with wanting to help but still experiencing a level of disappointment with those that don't.




*

What do I "deserve"? Not a damn thing. Not a dollar. Not a "thank you." Not a thing. I would like to have what I work for... I enjoy acts of kindness... I am appreciative for the freedom that I have been given.


What do others "deserve"? I haven't figured that out yet.

[Gawain 0]

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The concept of rights is entirely man made and it exists only for as long as society allows it to exist. Whatever rights you think you have, they're only tollerated for as long as they don't get in the way of some other, better funded right. You may think you have a whole heap of rights, but ultimately that doesn't mean a thing.

I wish I could disagree with you in the current climate, but the Framers of the US clearly saw it different:

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I do not believe the current batch of elected leaders take these words to heart.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[TankBuster 0]

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The concept of rights is entirely man made and it exists only for as long as society allows it to exist. Whatever rights you think you have, they're only tollerated for as long as they don't get in the way of some other, better funded right. You may think you have a whole heap of rights, but ultimately that doesn't mean a thing.

Your ancestors thought the same thing a few hundred years ago. And then we kicked their asses all the way back across the Atlantic. There will always be those who have your view, and hopefully, there will always be those willing to fight and die for freedom, for God given, unalienable rights. We may have to do it again soon.

The forecast is mostly sunny with occasional beer.

[JackC 0]

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There will always be those who have your view, and hopefully, there will always be those willing to fight and die for freedom, for God given, unalienable rights.

Your rights are an illusion maintained only because society deems it in it's interests to do so. As soon as your rights become inconvenient, the rules will be changed and your rights will vanish. You have the right to remain silent and they have the right to waterboard the information out of you. You have the right to an attourney and they have the right to exraordinary rendition.

Like God, rights only exist while people believe in them. Anything that ceases to exist when people stop beliving in it can only ever be conceptual, never real. Fight all you want, that is the reality of it.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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Just wondering over this past weekend about what people think that they "deserve"?

A vacation. Including weekends and holidays I haven't had more than four days in a row off since 2005. I worked May except when sleeping (6 hours a night), commuting, beer on Thursdays, and a couple afternoons with my wife. I've slacked off since then and actually worked less than 100 hours one week in June. I'm working now in an IM conference with my Chinese co-workers (they don't type that fast and it's too distracting to do other real work).

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Do you have rights to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"?

Absolutely.

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Do you "deserve" three hots and a cot?

People are entitled to all that comes with their natural state. If the governments are going to make subsistence hunting and farming on national lands illegal it needs to provide (not necessarily tasty) food. If the governments are going to make camping in the parks illegal they need to provide (perhaps dormitory style) shelter.

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Do you "get what you pay for" or "caveat emptor"

I'm entitled to whatever I contracted for, including accepted standards of care/design/manufacturing (my car should not burst into flames when I hit a speed bump).

[shropshire 0]

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Absolutely

Unless in the pursuit of those [so called] 'rights' you adversely affect anyone elses..... who gets their 'rights' trumped?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[TankBuster 0]

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There will always be those who have your view, and hopefully, there will always be those willing to fight and die for freedom, for God given, unalienable rights.

Your rights are an illusion maintained only because society deems it in it's interests to do so. As soon as your rights become inconvenient, the rules will be changed and your rights will vanish. You have the right to remain silent and they have the right to waterboard the information out of you. You have the right to an attourney and they have the right to exraordinary rendition.

Like God, rights only exist while people believe in them. Anything that ceases to exist when people stop beliving in it can only ever be conceptual, never real. Fight all you want, that is the reality of it.

The rights are always there. An individual might attempt to deny them or a group might attempt to deny them, but they are always there. Force is usually necessary in their denial, (although an insidious path through apathy makes it easier) and force is almost always required in the removal of the oppressor. Deciding where one's rights end and another's begins is mostly pretty easy, but when it's not we have a system of law. Not perfect, but the best system devised by man to date.

So, you see, the rights are always there, and what it boils down to in the end is who has the biggest/coolest weapons, and who has the will to use them.

And K, my answer pretty much echoes lawrocket.

The forecast is mostly sunny with occasional beer.

[rushmc 23]

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Very valid points.

I think back to political speeches from almost 50 years ago.

Quote

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

I'm just curious as to what the present population thinks.

Are the current beliefs of the people - "I should be taken care of", that they are "owed" something, that they can take without giving.

Or do people still think to contribute to society?

I've just been having some internal conflict with wanting to help but still experiencing a level of disappointment with those that don't.




*

What do I "deserve"? Not a damn thing. Not a dollar. Not a "thank you." Not a thing. I would like to have what I work for... I enjoy acts of kindness... I am appreciative for the freedom that I have been given.


What do others "deserve"? I haven't figured that out yet.

All great points.

Your post reminded me of the best life lesson my dad ever taught me.

"If you worry about what others have that you dont, you will spend your life worrying. Cause there will always be somebody out there with more than you"

The poltics of today uses this "worry" to eviliz and demonize those who work (include companies) and succeed to take away what they have earned and give it to a potential voter/supporter..........

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[shropshire 0]

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"If you worry about what others have that you dont, you will spend your life worrying. Cause there will always be somebody out there with more than you"...

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QFT and worth repeating - Writ BIG

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

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[JackC 0]

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Deciding where one's rights end and another's begins is mostly pretty easy, but when it's not we have a system of law. Not perfect, but the best system devised by man to date.

My point exactly. You do not have an absolute, unalienable, god-given right to anything. Your rights are dictated to you by laws which are man made and therefore subject to the whims of man.

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So, you see, the rights are always there, and what it boils down to in the end is who has the biggest/coolest weapons, and who has the will to use them.

And he who has the biggest guns and the greatest will to use them decides who has what rights.

[TankBuster 0]

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And he who has the biggest guns and the greatest will to use them decides who has what rights.

Ah well, fundamental difference in world view, I suppose. The rights are there. If you choose to deny mine, I'd like to try other forms of persuasion first, but, be prepared to lose your life, as I am prepared to lose mine defending them. Simple really.

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Believe me, dear Sir: there is not in the British empire a man who more cordially loves a union with Great Britain than I do. But, by the God that made me, I will cease to exist before I yield to a connection on such terms as the British Parliament propose; and in this, I think I speak the sentiments of America.

—Thomas Jefferson, November 29, 1775[5]

The forecast is mostly sunny with occasional beer.

[maadmax 0]

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Just wondering over this past weekend about what people think that they "deserve"?

I can't see that I deserve anything in the way of rights or material possessions. I am entitled to what I have earned as long as I can keep someone else from taking it form me or I choose to give it away.

I do deserve to be held responsible for the consequences of my sinful failures, but due to the Grace of God that debt has been canceled.


..

[turtlespeed 220]

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Not a damned thing.


But I'd 'like' to be treated like I treat others.... Self respect first, but respect from others is earned not deserved.

Here on this side of the pond we are forced to treat others . . . to our income.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun