Thread: if you could get away with anything

Yeah, I think I would fuck with people like Invader - whisper in thier ears, watch them freak out. I'd also break into places, probably rob a bank. Um free circus animals and make Dr. Phil go absolutely badshit insane

Originally Posted by AirRick101

a little indirect blow towards Christianity, hmm??

Why is it a "blow"? That's exactly what Christianity does. Funny you should call an accurate description of it a "blow"! Although to more accurately portray Christianity, replace "people" with "children".

I would use my powers to improve the world.

But I probably wouldn't be able to resist eavesdropping on a few conversations every now and then!

I would steal from everybody in this thread who said they would steal.

I'd hack an admin account.

I'd rob banks, and casinos, until I amassed about $500 million.

If I had this so called "ring of invisibility," (LotR reference, anyone?) I would:

1) Try to listen what people are saying behind my back. As an insecure individual, knowing what everybody thinks of me is something that I'd really want.

2) Fuck with politicians' heads. Maybe slip a few some psychedelics so they think that they're going crazy.

3) Become a spy. Figure out what some of the of corporations are doing to consumers and expose it.

Originally Posted by Daniel Danciu

I would go inside of the White House and take pictures of everything I see.

Wait, they have thermal cameras...and goggles...oh shit...

haha, oh ye, never thought about that kind of thing

well all these kind of roadblocks would be taken away. because it is a philosophical question, not just a question of what an invisibility ring would do.

Originally Posted by [SomeGuy]

I'd hack an admin account.

lol! I love how your crime doesn't need any invisibility to be pulled off But I guess, you knew that.

I would probably try doing good things... and mess with people's mind... I'd maybe steal but not from people except maybe for dirty rich peeps who have no apreciation for what they have... I would not do crimes that could hurt anyone, that's stupid to my eyes. I'd probably evesdrop and walk in buses without being notice and have to pay 2 dollars (I can save so much that way! Ain't I smart! )

Originally Posted by SleepyCookieDough

lol! I love how your crime doesn't need any invisibility to be pulled off But I guess, you knew that.

Actually in a sense it does requires invisibility, just not physcially. Unless he plans on not getting away with it.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

I would steal from everybody in this thread who said they would steal.

Nice

It pisses me off how people say things like "I'd steal from rich people who wouldn't miss a little money stolen or from shops directly (business owners are supposed to be well off)." I've just been out to dinner with some guys who have built their businesses from scratch over the past decade and at the beginning one of them was working 80-100 hours a week! So many people begrudge wealthy people without stopping to consider all the hard work those people have put in.

Rant over

Originally Posted by DreamQueen

It pisses me off how people say things like "I'd steal from rich people who wouldn't miss a little money stolen or from shops directly (business owners are supposed to be well off)." I've just been out to dinner with some guys who have built their businesses from scratch over the past decade and at the beginning one of them was working 80-100 hours a week! So many people begrudge wealthy people without stopping to consider all the hard work those people have put in.

Rant over

Making sweeping statements about people begrudging wealthy people is not right. It's a personal evaluation.

I'd find it difficult to steal from the poor, that's all I said, would you be able to do it if you thought that it would make somebody starve or store money for a necessity like a refrigerator for months? I think not. How much who worked is really of no matter when you evaluate their ability to survive after being robbed.

Originally Posted by DreamQueen

Nice

It pisses me off how people say things like "I'd steal from rich people who wouldn't miss a little money stolen or from shops directly (business owners are supposed to be well off)." I've just been out to dinner with some guys who have built their businesses from scratch over the past decade and at the beginning one of them was working 80-100 hours a week! So many people begrudge wealthy people without stopping to consider all the hard work those people have put in.

Rant over

I totally agree. Success alone is not evil. People's rights to their possessions should be respected. They are THEIRS, period.

Originally Posted by Arutad

Making sweeping statements about people begrudging wealthy people is not right. It's a personal evaluation.

I'd find it difficult to steal from the poor, that's all I said, would you be able to do it if you thought that it would make somebody starve or store money for a necessity like a refrigerator for months? I think not. How much who worked is really of no matter when you evaluate their ability to survive after being robbed.

So, it's okay if I steal your CD collection because you will be able to survive just fine without it?

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

So, it's okay if I steal your CD collection because you will be able to survive just fine without it?

Yes.

Edit: And I don't say that I would enjoy it. But from the thief's perspective it's better to steal from me than from poorer people.

I'd be a spy. Then I could kill shit and get paid.

Originally Posted by Arutad

Yes.

I'm hoping you only replied yes to UM's question to be argumentative and you don't actually endorse theft. I'll give the benefit of the doubt (not that there's much benefit) since anyone who thinks stealing is acceptable can't be a very nice person.

Originally Posted by DreamQueen

I'm hoping you only replied yes to UM's question to be argumentative and you don't actually endorse theft. I'll give the benefit of the doubt (not that there's much benefit) since anyone who thinks stealing is acceptable can't be a very nice person.

Why are you not pulling out the holier-than-thou attitude with everybody else in this thread who said that they're going to steal, am I special?

Originally Posted by Arutad

Why are you not pulling out the holier-than-thou attitude with everybody else in this thread who said that they're going to steal, am I special?

My post was directed at everyone who said they'd steal. Notice I said "It pisses me off how people say things like..." and then I happened to use your quote. The "like" indicates that what follows is an example.

I guess I chose your post as my example because it also contained the specific and common misconception that business owners (as opposed simply to rich people) are "well off and wouldn't miss a little money stolen" from their business. Business and shop owners can't necessarily afford to lose money. I know a lady whose business went under due to shop theft. She lost her life savings that she'd invested into it from working as a nurse. It irks me how many people automatically assume that shops/companies can afford to absorb financial loss from theft and I wanted to set the record straight since I am a business owner myself.

So no, you are not special

As for referring to me as "holier than thou", you should be thankful there are still some people with morals in the world.

Originally Posted by DreamQueen

it also contained the specific and common misconception

That's your personal opinion, somebody else's opinion doesn't have to be a "misconception" only because it clashes with yours... That said, I've seen both types of business owners. Some were hard workers and didn't have much, and one guy I knew was bleeding his workers dishonestly by paying them miserable money for good work and feeding them by fake promises. Old workers would realize what's going on and leave, but new ones would come to replace them.

People are so different and the world is not so black-and-white that making all-inclusive rules is possible. I'm surprised that such conversation even ensued in a thread that was supposed to be funny if anything

As for referring to me as "holier than thou", you should be thankful there are still some people with morals in the world.

This attitude is rather annoying. Often people who have their noses high up in the air stand in their own dirt without noticing it.

Originally Posted by Arutad

That's your personal opinion, somebody else's opinion doesn't have to be a "misconception" only because it clashes with yours... That said, I've seen both types of business owners. Some were hard workers and didn't have much, and one guy I knew was bleeding his workers dishonestly by paying them miserable money for good work and feeding them by fake promises. Old workers would realize what's going on and leave, but new ones would come to replace them.

People are so different and the world is not so black-and-white that making all-inclusive rules is possible. I'm surprised that such conversation even ensued in a thread that was supposed to be funny if anything


This attitude is rather annoying. Often people who have their noses high up in the air stand in their own dirt without noticing it.

First of all, I find it incredibly ironic that after admitting on a public forum that you think it's okay to steal from someone you then turn around and insinuate that I'm probably immoral. How ridiculous.

Second, it is not my "personal opinion". You are the one who made the "all-inclusive rule" (as you like to put it) that

Originally Posted by Arutad

I'd steal from rich people whou wouldn't miss a little money stolen or from shops directly (business owners are supposed to be well off).

which implies all business owners are well off. I simply wanted to correct this misconception by informing you that no, not all business owners are well off.

Anyway, I don't wish to discuss it further.

(business owners are supposed to be well off).

Does that imply certainty in English?

Hey Arutad, you were right in that we’ve got completely sidetracked from the original point of the thread which was meant to be fun! So let’s not argue anymore. Here’s a smiley for you…

Originally Posted by DreamQueen

Hey Arutad, you were right in that we’ve got completely sidetracked from the original point of the thread which was meant to be fun! So let’s not argue anymore. Here’s a smiley for you…

Aww thanx Have something to drink!

But now I'm really interested in what "supposed to" implies. One dictionary tells me that it implies duty, like "she's supposed to do the cooking today". So if I say "I suppose" does it mean certainty, like "I'm sure that.."? I used to use this construction a lot.

Originally Posted by Arutad

Does that imply certainty in English?

It's close to it yes.



Personally I think think that stealing is morally wrong in 99% of situations.

There are never any total black and white rules though.

However, someone elses relative need for the item (survival or otherwise)
isn't a good moral yardstick of if it is justifiable to take it from them.

A better yardstick would be the need of the person considering stealing in relation to the need of the owner.

For example a very poor man who is starving, stealing food from the owner of a shop, I would say, is more justifiable - than say, a poor man who i starving stealing from another poor starving man.

Another way to look at it is, is it ok to steal stolen good from a thief? (if you are not the original owner?)

But theft, can be many things. A rapist is a form of thief.
Is it ok for for a man who can never get sex, to rape a beautiful woman who can get it whenever she wishes?
I think the answer is obviously not, it is still a vile crime and utterly unjustified.

I think the simplest answer, regarding theft, is that you can never be sure of the impact your crime will have on the victim. A seemingly rich business mans entire business will rest on a point, where theft of items will push his business into impossible to sustain territory. You can never be sure if your crime will be the one that tips the balance.

What is interesting in this thread is that, considering the title is "what if you could get away with anything?", that people seem to default to doing things that are illegal, rather than considering the options for improving the world.

But i do think that it is easy to be moral when not faced with this "getting away with anything power". I myself would find it mighty tempting if i could walk into a bank and walk away with a million dollars, with no consequence.

The problem is it's all a matter of degree. If you can steal from a rich bank and justify it, it is only a matter of small subtle steps, until you can justify crimes that initially seem morally completely corrupt.

Perhaps the saying "absolute power, corrupts absolutely" is true after all?


Unfortunatly it seems that most humans define there actions on if they will cause a negative consequence for them. Rather than realising that all humans want to avoid negativity in life, and trying to avoid creating negativity in the world as a whole.

Stealing would create negativity for the victim.
They too are human, like ourselves.
Rather than focus on personal consequence, it is best to focus on the consequence of the world you live in.

Do we want to be creating a world in which people greedily mind their own interests? or a world in which people try and make each others lives better?

One path leads to a world of fighting, greed and paranoia,
the other leads to peace, kindness and trust.

A victim of theft, may in the future become cynical about other humans, and so less caring, and may eventually be pushed to commit crimes themselves... because they conclude that "it happened to me, so i have a right to do it myself"... and once that chain of thinking is created, eventually it'll come back to bite you in the arse.

Whilst i am not a fan of the word "karma", I do think if there is any such thing as Karma, it is the idea that your actions will create a wave of either positivity or negativity that will wash over the world you too inhabit.

Do you want to be drowned in waves of negativity to which you were party to creating? or do you wish to create waves of harmony, that make the world better for yourself and others?

That's my take on the situation.

Originally Posted by Invader

I would whisper into peoples' ears, and command that they be kind, else I burn them eternally in a pit of black fire.

Haha, nice!

Yeah I would definitely fuck with people.