544 Beyond the Trauma Vortex and The Hedonistic Imperative

Message no. 544[Branch from no. 499] Posted by Thomas Culhane (1311520071) on Sunday, March 4, 2007 10:23am Subject: Beyond the Trauma Vortex

Thanks Pat! As you said in your posts, we try to turn traumas into enlightening experiences, painful though they may be, so that we can spare others suffering they may not be able to cope with. I think the way it works is that while we all will have to cope with some trauma in our lives, our jobs are to reduce the amount of suffering to manageable levels and certainly buffer people from suffering as much as possible. I don't believe we can create a eutopia that completely eliminates pain, and I am in doubt as to whether we should. But since the universe is infinitie and unpredictable, despite all our science, I don't think there is any loftier goal than the universal elimination of UNCHOSEN suffering. I believe that we should create environments that give each individual the CHOICE to suffer or experience pain or difficulty IF THEY ELECT THIS PATH. I believe that as people grow in strength and wisdom they will naturally choose greater challenges and pain as tests of their own cognition. My observation is that children who are raised without pain AND WITHOUT FEAR tend to choose adventures and challenges if they learn they can approach danger with a sense of control.

There are many of us who are thrust into painful experiences unwillingly and must learn to cope, and we become those who must take on the responsibility of removing unwanted suffering for others.

I know that Michelle would have continued to stretch her horizons and travel to the areas of the world where suffering was occuring, as she had started to do already in her young life, and would have blossomed into a defender of sufferers everywhere. The worst cruelty is that she had no opportunity to survive the horrible trauma she was exposed to so she could work on behalf of women and victims everywhere.

If you guys are interested in theories about whether humanity should eschew suffering altogether and create a world where it no longer exists, there is a great website by the philosopher David Pearce on the subject here:

http://www.hedweb.com/

http://www.hedweb.com/hedab.htm

It is called "The Hedonistic Imperative" and it will challenge you with the question "If we could all "live happily ever after", would we? Could we? SHOULD WE?

My answer to the question is yes, but I'm sure we can debate this for hours! In fact, that is what your Midterm is really all about isn't it -- what would EUTOPIA be for YOU!?