Jimmy Higgins Seyz, "If it feels good..."

[Jimmy Higgins]

Hey, if it feels good...

There is too much morality in the world. So many people say you can't do this and you can't do that. Whatever happened to the idiom of "If it feels good, do it"? We live in the 21th century for crying outloud, there are quick fixes to all the "consequences" of being "immoral". You can' t go anywhere if you are a smoker without having people showing their disdain towards you and your habit. And don't get me started on how poorly alcoholics are treated in America. There was once a day when alcoholism was a thing to be proud of. Even our presidents like Grant were alcoholics.

But these days, it's all wrong to do what feels good. Well, don't let that stop you! I haven't let it stop me. For instance, back in college me and my former girlfriend wanted to have "relations". However we lacked the proper protection that is guarenteed to save us from any sort of problems. But we looked at each other and thought, "If it feels good, lets do it." Besides, there are plenty of solutions to any "consequences" that could arise to our seizing of the moment, penicillin for instance. And we knew in the back of our minds that even if she got pregnant she could always carry the pregnancy to 7 or 8 months and have a partial birth abortion. And when all was said and done, and a few trips to the doctors, we were just fine.

So I ponder about why some people are being suffocated by these conservative zealots that insist on keeping people from having fun. They insist that marajuana be illegal. But why? It has absolutely no side effects at all. I mean, my friend has driven stoned plenty of times and not once did they ever get into an accident. But no, it has to stay illegal, why? Because these Christians are afraid if people enjoy themselves, there would be no need for god... and they're right.

So push aside your limitations, go out and do what you feel like doing, because it will always work out in the end.

[Amazing Rando]

If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die."

That's precisely it Jimmy. If there is no anticipation of victory over death, no hope of future resurrection, then what does it matter what you do today? You're entirely justified in a nontheistic paradigm to "do what feels good." Ayn Rand's objectivism is your best answer to fill the void left by a rejection of Christianity.

[Ishmael]

Why Ayn rand? There are many others.

[Amazing Rando]

I picked her because she's the one of the most extreme examples. There are few Western non-theistic worldviews under which selflessness is commended. I mean, if the dead are not raised, then you should live each moment like its your last, because it very well might be.

[Da Lone-Warrior]

there are harmful side-effects from marijuana use, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be able to be prescribed for some.

And yes, cracking down on its usage isn't as important as other drugs.

As for the rest, I can't tell when Jimmy is being serious or sarcastic.

dlw

[salvationfound]

Because these Christians are afraid if people enjoy themselves, there would be no need for god... and they're right.

So push aside your limitations, go out and do what you feel like doing, because it will always work out in the end.


thanks Jimmy
You've convinced me to leave Christianity to your point of view. So
tomorrow I'm gonna rape 50 women cause it will make me feel good.

(obviously I'm not serious but I'm not sure Jimmy is either)

[Tobias Reiper]

Hey, if it feels good...


I like the cut of your jib, son. My fiancé's sister and her pet convict are always trying to set her up with other people. It would feel so good to go pay them a visit with my friend Mr. Winchester and put a few bullets in their heads.

There are also some people on this board (mostly athiests) with some very annoying philosophies. It would feel good if I could eliminate them. Just need to stop by Wal-Mart and get a case of shells.

Do you still think the "feel good" philosophy applies, Jimmy?


We live in the 21th century for crying outloud,

That's one of my biggest pet peeves there. Maybe I should give in to the "if you feel it do it" philosophy, shoot the next person that tries to use that as an argument, and hope to avoid a sentence by telling the judge "It's the 21st century, for crying out loud! People commit murder all the time." The progression of time does not make things acceptable or unacceptable.

[anthrogirl]

*anthrogirl is wondering if previous posters on this thread were born yesterday*


:outtie:

[Amazing Rando]

*anthrogirl is wondering if previous posters on this thread were born yesterday*


:outtie:

Anthrogirl= The girl of the future! Everyone rushes to be like anthrogirl!

[Jimmy Higgins]

*anthrogirl is wondering if previous posters on this thread were born yesterday*


:outtie:
:lmbo:

I'm convinced now that the best satire is satire that is only gotten by some people. Cause one can always laugh at those who don't get it. :teeth:
Besides, there are plenty of solutions to any "consequences" that could arise to our seizing of the moment, penicillin for instance. And we knew in the back of our minds that even if she got pregnant she could always carry the pregnancy to 7 or 8 months and have a partial birth abortion. And when all was said and done, and a few trips to the doctors, we were just fine.

I thought that pretty much clued the reader into the whole satire thing.

[Vorkosigan]

<howls with laughter>

[Alden]

I like the cut of your jib, son. My fiancé's sister and her pet convict are always trying to set her up with other people. It would feel so good to go pay them a visit with my friend Mr. Winchester and put a few bullets in their heads.

:lmbo:

I love this guy!!

[Ben Franklin]

That was satire...?! Uh-oh...!!! Hey, Jimmy... Ummm... if the postman brings you a ticking package next week, mark it: "Return To Sender"...!!! :doh:

[Ramonda]

Hey, if it feels good...



So push aside your limitations, go out and do what you feel like doing, because it will always work out in the end.

Actually I am a feel good person and have consciously lived my life that way for 35 years. So far feeling good has never given me any desire to harm another in anyway. For those times when I have gotten emotional and said things that harmed another's feelings, I have never felt good about it. In retrospect, each time was the result of my not feeling good prior to the event.

While this thread was meant to be satiric, I would like to ask those who see doing what feels good as only the extremes so far mentioned such as rape and murder, why is that what feeling good means to you?

Is there anybody on earth that actually lives without doing the things that feel good to them? I'm talking the average Jane and Joe Blow who dream of lives that are successful according to their criteria, jobs, families etc. Even praying feels good for those who pray, following their religious or non religious beliefs, feels good. What am I missing in my understanding of feeling good that some suggest would only cause mayhem?

[Christianotaku]

IT feels good to stalk jimmy higgins so I guess Ill do it :hehe:

[Raptor]

What am I missing in my understanding of feeling good that some suggest would only cause mayhem?



I thought the extreme examples were a bit much, but I understand the point.
Prehaps feeling good doesn't cause mayhem in you, but it might in others.
Does anyone remember the home video (from the mid 90's) that had some teenagers driving around a downtown metro area shooting random people with a paintball gun? They were laughing and giggling the whole time. It's a more reasonable example. Also, look at my signature line for another thought.

[salvationfound]

I thought the extreme examples were a bit much, but I understand the point.


okie dokie I'll do less extreme example. I love prayer I think its one of the
coolest things in the world. When I was in grade school my whole school
would do the Lord's prayer in the morning.
A few years after I left a student's parent
complained saying it bugged her that her child was forced to participate.

The school did a poll and only 3% of the students had a problem with prayer
in the school. The rest were for it. But that 3% were a vocal group and
eventually the Lord's prayer was eliminated from the school. So did that make
everyone happy? No after it happened over half the students signed a
petition and gave it to the principle. Didn't matter though the principle
wanted to make the 3% happy.

Despite the fact the majority were happy with prayer it was the 3%
threatening to sue the school that got prayer kicked out. The school
preferred to save their own butts to making the majority of the students
happy.

The point of this true story is the question of doing what makes you feel
good can often make the person next to you feel hurt. Even if you think
your doing the right thing it can seriously hurt the people around you.
Maybe before we always do what makes us happy we should ask are we
absolutely certain it isn't hurting someone else.

Let me leave you with this one question:
If your in the minority, is doing what makes you happy the highest
importance even if it hurts the majority?

[Raptor]

I think we should be allowed to pray in school personally, but I understand why they don't allow it. It's to keep one's belief's from being forced on another. What if the student being forced to participate is muslim or buddhist? But I also understand that the parent in question could be complaining just to cause trouble or to "get back" at someone in particular.

[salvationfound]

I think we should be allowed to pray in school personally, but I understand why they don't allow it. It's to keep one's belief's from being forced on another. What if the student being forced to participate is muslim or buddhist? But I also understand that the parent in question could be complaining just to cause trouble or to "get back" at someone in particular.


I totally see your point don't get me wrong. But of course the problem is
sure we might have just made the atheist and other religions happy but
still have hurt the Christians. So the ultimate question is of course who
should have the final decision. And I think it is getting to the point where
the atheist is the only one to make the final decision on any religious issue.

Who cares how many Christians we hurt as long as the atheist is happy?

[SlipSlidin'Away]

<snip>The point of this true story is the question of doing what makes you feel
good can often make the person next to you feel hurt. Even if you think
your doing the right thing it can seriously hurt the people around you.
Maybe before we always do what makes us happy we should ask are we
absolutely certain it isn't hurting someone else.
Whatever someone does has the potential to and probably does in many cases make someone else unhappy.

For example, helping a neighbor could make another neighbor unhappy because you didn't help them. Helping someone takes your help away from someone else.

There aren't many examples of actions that makes EVERYONE happy. That's the nature of being human.


Let me leave you with this one question:
If your in the minority, is doing what makes you happy the highest
importance even if it hurts the majority?
That sounds like a utilitarian philosophy, not a Christian one. Majority rules is not the Christian philosophy. The Christian philosophy, as I understand it, has more to do with the minority who are marginalized and protecting their rights as human beings.

Slipster

[Raptor]

I totally see your point don't get me wrong. But of course the problem is
sure we might have just made the atheist and other religions happy but
still have hurt the Christians. So the ultimate question is of course who
should have the final decision. And I think it is getting to the point where
the atheist is the only one to make the final decision on any religious issue.

Who cares how many Christians we hurt as long as the atheist is happy?


Think of it as majority rule with minority rights. You can still profess you faith as a christian, you just have to find other ways to do it. The kids could meet 5 min before class to recite the prayer. They still express faith and it would be legal.

[Pilgrim]

In the 20th century you don't need salvation
we got chemists dedicated to your recreation

Ohhh, been my staple for so many years...
It's hard to taste the wine when you're drunk on the tears
hard to taste the wine when you're drunk on the tears.

[salvationfound]

In the 20th century you don't need salvation
we got chemists dedicated to your recreation

Ohhh, been my staple for so many years...
It's hard to taste the wine when you're drunk on the tears
hard to taste the wine when you're drunk on the tears.


sounds like lyrics of a bee-bop song that would be sung in the 50s. I keep
having visions of background singers singing, "shoo bop shoo bop" while your
singing that.



That sounds like a utilitarian philosophy, not a Christian one. Majority rules is not the Christian philosophy. The Christian philosophy, as I understand it, has more to do with the minority who are marginalized and protecting their rights as human beings.


yeah I see your point. I think what ticks me off more than anything is
abuse of their position whether majority or minority. Although I understand
lawsuits are necessary sometimes too many people use it for the wrong
reasons and damaged people occur thanks to stupid lawsuits
some people do. I guess I just wish people would spend all of their time
with the verse "love your neighbor as yourself." Imagine if we all did that 24/7
how much better off we would all be.




Think of it as majority rule with minority rights. You can still profess you faith as a christian, you just have to find other ways to do it. The kids could meet 5 min before class to recite the prayer. They still express faith and it would be legal.


yeah I kinda agree but still people can even claim that their private
religious studies are hurtful and should be banned like what occurred in nazi
germany or former soviet union.

man this world is way too complex. JESUS COME SOON

[Ramonda]

I thought the extreme examples were a bit much, but I understand the point.
Prehaps feeling good doesn't cause mayhem in you, but it might in others.
Does anyone remember the home video (from the mid 90's) that had some teenagers driving around a downtown metro area shooting random people with a paintball gun? They were laughing and giggling the whole time. It's a more reasonable example. Also, look at my signature line for another thought.

You missed the point of what I am saying. Do you not base the majority of your life on feeling good? We eat what makes us feel good most of the time. We wear clothes that make us feel good most of the time. Think of all of the things that you do in your regular life that make you feel good that doesn't cause mayhem in you and maybe you'll understand what I am saying. I am guessing that almost every decision you make is made on the premise of feeling good?

As to the few occasions where some ideas of what might feel good as in your example and the other extremes, we have laws that curb that and the majority of people simply don't need those laws because with the majority it doesn't feel good to harm another physically.

[TCapp]

Is that what Jimmy Higgins Sez? :hmph: Well, let me tell you a few things about that.

See, TCapp sez, "If it even remotely feels good, it must be sin!" :hrm:

Sneezing, that's a sin.
Going to the loo, that's a sin.
Watching television, that's a sin.
Scratching an itch, that's a sin.
Turning on your AC in the summer, that's a sin.
Taking a shower, that's a sin.
Playing Nintendo, that's a sin.
Eating when you're hungry, that's a sin.
Paddling your canoe, you better believe that's a paddlin.... er um, I mean, sin!

See how much freedom you have when you see it this way? You get to put others down to make yourself feel good. :smug: If it feels good, deride others for doing it. :tongue:

[Raptor]

You missed the point of what I am saying. Do you not base the majority of your life on feeling good? We eat what makes us feel good most of the time. We wear clothes that make us feel good most of the time. Think of all of the things that you do in your regular life that make you feel good that doesn't cause mayhem in you and maybe you'll understand what I am saying. I am guessing that almost every decision you make is made on the premise of feeling good?

As to the few occasions where some ideas of what might feel good as in your example and the other extremes, we have laws that curb that and the majority of people simply don't need those laws because with the majority it doesn't feel good to harm another physically.


It just seems to be a very broad intepretation of "good". I work at a job I'm not happy with, but it's sufficient while I go to college. Many people in society don't feel "good" with their jobs, but they continue to do them anyway. Some in much worse situtations than I. As for food, I don't eat a spinach salad because its good, i eat it because I want to lose weight.
Also, on many threads in this forum, people spew insults all the time (on both sides of the argument.) How is this good for anyone? I know I'm probably reading too much into what you meant. I just think there are several exceptions to it.

[Ramonda]

okie dokie I'll do less extreme example.

The point of this true story is the question of doing what makes you feel
good can often make the person next to you feel hurt. Even if you think
your doing the right thing it can seriously hurt the people around you.
Maybe before we always do what makes us happy we should ask are we
absolutely certain it isn't hurting someone else.

Let me leave you with this one question:
If your in the minority, is doing what makes you happy the highest
importance even if it hurts the majority?

Reverse that now. Put aside minority and majority and ask yourself why you or they had to pray if others were hurt, no matter how few? Did you ask yourself before prayer that made you feel good whether there was somebody who felt hurt during this time? You were doing what you felt good about and more than likely it never occurred to you that not everybody was like you about that prayer.

In the case of what happened, actually everybody was allowed to do what they felt good about. Everybody that wanted to pray could very well pray in silence. And for those who no longer were forced to participate, they were also happy. So it was actually a win win for all.

There are always situations where doing what feels good does hurt somebody else but everybody must be responsible for their hurt feelings in the great majority of any examples that I can think of. i.e accepting a job promotion when another also wants it. Having nice things even when there are people who can't have everything they want etc.

My original point is that most people do live a life of feeling good but when the phrase doing what feels good comes up, immediately there is a rebuttal that we can't live based on that criteria. Yet, most of us do and most of us never hurt another in doing that.

[Raptor]

"Reverse that now. Put aside minority and majority and ask yourself why you or they had to pray if others were hurt, no matter how few? Did you ask yourself before prayer that made you feel good whether there was somebody who felt hurt during this time? You were doing what you felt good about and more than likely it never occurred to you that not everybody was like you about that prayer."

But were they really hurt in this instance? I guess that my problem with situtations like these, you never know what the motivation of each person is. Are the Xians imposing their beliefs, or initiating their own spirtual growth? Are the others trying to "put one over" on the Xians, or just expressing their own views?


"In the case of what happened, actually everybody was allowed to do what they felt good about. Everybody that wanted to pray could very well pray in silence. And for those who no longer were forced to participate, they were also happy. So it was actually a win win for all."

Sounds like it worked out just fine. I agree.

"There are always situations where doing what feels good does hurt somebody else but everybody must be responsible for their hurt feelings in the great majority of any examples that I can think of. i.e accepting a job promotion when another also wants it. Having nice things even when there are people who can't have everything they want etc.

My original point is that most people do live a life of feeling good but when the phrase doing what feels good comes up, immediately there is a rebuttal that we can't live based on that criteria. Yet, most of us do and most of us never hurt another in doing that."


It's just because that line is so blurry, and everyone wants to rule the world! :hehe:

[anthrogirl]

Jimmy has created a monster....

[SlipSlidin'Away]

My original point is that most people do live a life of feeling good but when the phrase doing what feels good comes up, immediately there is a rebuttal that we can't live based on that criteria. Yet, most of us do and most of us never hurt another in doing that.
I agree with you. But that's because when I think of feeling good, I'm thinking of short-term as well as long-term, for myself and as many others as I can work in and would not do the action if it would blatantly hurt another needlessly.

For some others, feeling good only means short-term and for themselves regardless of the consequences to others and even regardless to their ability to feel good in the long-term.

I suspect that you automatically look at the longer term and factor in others. There are many who don't. Since they come from this viewpoint, they're quick to point how working on this principle wouldn't work.

Slipster

[Ramonda]

I agree with you. But that's because when I think of feeling good, I'm thinking of short-term as well as long-term, for myself and as many others as I can work in and would not do the action if it would blatantly hurt another needlessly.

For some others, feeling good only means short-term and for themselves regardless of the consequences to others and even regardless to their ability to feel good in the long-term.

I suspect that you automatically look at the longer term and factor in others. There are many who don't. Since they come from this viewpoint, they're quick to point how working on this principle wouldn't work.

Slipster

Yes, you suspect well :)

Feeling good has to be self examined to realize what it truly means. Anybody who jokes about raping 50 women in a day would only have to step back and imagine it. There would be nothing in that scenario that feels good. He would more than likely find it impossible to physically come close to that amount by the very nature of the act. It would also be fifty acts of violence and violence doesn't feel good even once.

Had the individual said he would have consensual sex with fifty women in one day, even that would lose the fun aspect after just a few if he would step back and assess what feeling good really feels like.

Doing what feels good is not running rampant over others. That simply wouldn't feel good very long to most people I believe. What does feel good consistently for me is living life harmoniously with others yet trusting my feelings when doing that living as an individual.

[Ramonda]

It just seems to be a very broad intepretation of "good". I work at a job I'm not happy with, but it's sufficient while I go to college. Many people in society don't feel "good" with their jobs, but they continue to do them anyway. Some in much worse situtations than I. As for food, I don't eat a spinach salad because its good, i eat it because I want to lose weight.
Also, on many threads in this forum, people spew insults all the time (on both sides of the argument.) How is this good for anyone? I know I'm probably reading too much into what you meant. I just think there are several exceptions to it.

You aren't happy with the job itself but is there another happiness connected with the job that still gives a feel good feeling?

If you only eat spinach salad then for now you may not be enjoying the food aspect. Are you allowing yourself any food that you do like? Again, the feel good part about the spinach salad could be how good you feel about the weight loss that you anticipate? Putting a temporary diet aside, do you not usually eat food that you enjoy?

Threads that spew insults are not good for me and I'm the only one that I can control. I don't read threads that do that generally unless I know the people who are in them and I may glance overall to see how they settle their differences. I've certainly lost my temper more than a few times in my life so I understand how words can fly sometimes that are later regretted. Again, I didn't feel good so I learned how to avoid expressing myself when I do feel heated anger. Differences will always exist between people but they can always be settled in a feel good way.