This is just one of those abstract logical statements. Nothing mystical. "Good" as an abstract quality, is that to which one is attracted; that which one wants. Even if you want to deny all things for yourself, or if you are attracted to "bad" things, still, that is what seems good to you.
You can travel toward good, or you can be pushed away from it. But your impetus is always in the direction of good. That is an absolute statement, only in that language has a common meaning to people. To say that good is what people are attracted to is to say Good is good, or, "When people make this sound, they are referring to something they like."
I'll leave the abstract meaning of "unidirectional" to your general experience. Good is unidirectional. All that means is that the abstract quality "good" has the abstract quality "unidirectionality." To over 90% of humanity, as I have experienced them, this would be the most boring discussion in the world. If it is interesting to you, I want to get to know you. In fact, I am specially burying this invitation, instead of setting it off in a paragraph, so that only non-bored readers will see it :-).
"Good" as an abstract quality, is a quality that resides in the eye of the beholder, like beauty. I could probably make a good logical argument for that, but I think it is self-evident. I know that legions of theologians and philosophers have debated it for centuries. But without an ax to grind around whose God is the greatest, there doesn't seem much of an argument that abstract qualities exist in some meaningful sense, outside of time, space, and matter. They are part and parcel of the thing they are attributed to; else they are part and parcel of the functioning mind that is attributing them (some are one way, and some are the other.) We think we attribute "goodness" to something we appreciate, when attributing goodness is really just the expression of being oriented positively toward something.
If someone who is a good logician wants to help me clarify my thinking, please, have at it.
Hi Linda, I think you might be saying that good is unidirectional because people tend to gravitate toward expereinces, food, people, feelings, etc that are good ( good in it's sensual form)- So, I'm visualizing people moving in one direction toward good- yet, on this movement toward good one might change direction or come across a rock in the road. Or come across a rock in the road and need to change or motify the direction For example I tend to move toward finding the good in people-However, when a person behaves in away that feels attacking or hurtful my direction toward good seems is challenged. Do I see the good in that person while protecting myself? Continue towards the good and interacting with their pain and mine? I'm not sure if this fits into any form of logic- but..
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! are you the Econats of Econats's Blog | Just another WordPress.com site?
ReplyDeleteOne of the gifts of getting older is that you can see more and more people as simply immature. You can see a kid as a "good kid", just behaving badly for the moment. Having that mindset gives you a chance of saying or doing something that will help the person past the immaturity that is causing them to attack.
That being said, you have no obligation to act as their parent. Moving away from an attack is usually the normal and wise thing to do.
I think this makes perfect sense. What would help more perhaps would always to be using I language when proclaiming something good, i.e.: I think hershey chocolate is good.
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