DD, you ask for "a fitting tag" from me, about you. Well I see you as a modern day 'Educated Nazi', and please don't take the word NAZI with all its evil connotations, although that is difficult to escape. The old school was in your eyes philosophically correct, but to crass to implement national socialism correctly, not like you, they lacked the necessary education. Besides they were bloody losers and who wants to be associated with losers. When you say; "read Plato’s Republic" its not that you want me to read such, but rather want others to known you are a cultured person who not only can read Plato, but understand it, certainly a cut above the rabble. You far right elites like to believe your outlook is based on hard facts, well "facts" as you interpret them, being always cynical but believable. Cynicism allows you to distance yourself from any perceived way-out hard and fast philosophy, but still maintaining the general thrust of that philosophy.

I am amused to see above the same basic clash of views being enacted as under my recent article on Barty, which so far garnered a recent record of 84 contributions!

https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=21520

I think the basic contest is between those of us who attempt to stand for an all-inclusive, win-win, 'no loser'approach to life and those who are convinced that life is intrinsically a war and the task is to be on the side of the top dog winners.

These positions are so deeply ingrained that no rational discussion can change them for such'true believers.' But perhaps an inner crisis can.

I love the serenity prayer:

'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.'

To this I add my prayer:

'God grant me the serenity to know that I cannot change others; the courage to change myself
and the wisdom to remember this!

Dear Nathan,

In further answer to your question -
"Do people take life for granted?"
I'm reminded of this beautiful poem:

"One night I dreamed a dream
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life,
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand,
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it,
"Lord you said once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest
and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed
You the most, you would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child,
I love you and will never leave you,
never, ever, during your trials and testings,
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

"Life for me is very important and respecting others is vital, but what do you think?"

I think respect is a 2-way street.
You have to give it if you want to get it.

How true Foxy.

I think a lot of people would be a dam sight happier if they did take life more for granted. Going through life gently, being kind to those you touch , & most of all enjoying the things you do is the recipe for a happy life. A happy life brings a little if it to all you touch.

Meditating on your navel, trying to find some grand meaning in the cosmic scheme of things is the way of misery. Your parents enjoyed a moment of passion, or your mother achieved her dream, getting pregnant. That is why you are here, not to solve the miseries of life, or the problems of the world. That way lies madness.

Lighten up folks. If you can say you have never done anything to harm anyone, & with your happiness spread a little light & warmth around you, you will have made your bit of the planet a better place. If everyone did just that, it would be a better world. Just don't get involved in do-good works for the sake of it, the unintended consequences are always otherwise.