tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post4816639559035091505..comments2024-03-02T08:30:57.322+00:00Comments on Fame & Fortune: toolkit: conflict theorysatyrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08479802116614818015noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post-28416757648586858352009-09-17T03:19:12.000+01:002009-09-17T03:19:12.000+01:00I think that depends on your perception of perfect...I think that depends on your perception of perfection. Is it something that stands still, or something that constantly improves upon itself?<br /><br />Here's a more eloquent interpretation of my take on things.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEOjNe80fdwStormgaardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post-7266962053937881782009-09-15T12:11:50.000+01:002009-09-15T12:11:50.000+01:00Thanks - you put some work into that! I'm pre...Thanks - you put some work into that! I'm presenting conflict theory here as a tool to provide fuel for stories or RPGs. Each list item has implications on a character, location or scene.<br /><br />Sometimes people are unwilling to engage in conflict driven by one of those list items because it takes them outside their comfort level. Yet you can't stay insulated from these issues because they're pervasive, everywhere.<br /><br />I'm not entirely convinced by your argument all progress leads to better things. Those things you hail as being the consequences of progress had problems whose origins were also driven by progress and conflict theory. <br /><br />Concentration camps, species extinction, slavery, medieval witch hunts, the Crusades - driven by conflict theory and by progress. I agree progress and conflict are inevitable but won't say it's always been for the best. <br /><br />There is a price to progress. It's not always right or fair. It just is.satyrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post-68694585051646700982009-09-14T23:06:21.000+01:002009-09-14T23:06:21.000+01:00Typically, in the morally "Gray" popular...Typically, in the morally "Gray" popular culture we tend to mill around in, it is morally wrong to engage in conflict because you hold on too strongly to your own beliefs. That is to say when it comes to differences between people the only real “Evil” is conflict between those people and the only real “Good” is peace. The truth is that’s not true at all. One might think they're being open minded in order to stay flexible and adapt to any given situation, but it's really just a long term commitment to ideological pacifism. <br /><br />It’s like the lyrics to that song “Freewill” by Rush – “If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice”. Even if you want to you can never get away from your own ability to decide for yourself.<br /><br />On the contrary it can be argued more rightly that the only good that has ever come to this world was the result of people holding tightly to their beliefs and forging ahead regardless of the risk to themselves. Think of the expansion of Greece and Rome into a dark and uncivilized world; think of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the age of Enlightenment in Europe; think of the American Revolution and the American Civil War; think of The End of Nazism, the End of Segregation, and the rollback of Communism in recent times – there are countless examples of this all throughout history and it will go on and on long after we’re gone. <br /><br />While conflict is painful, and conflict for conflict’s sake is destruction, it is necessary for better things to happen.Stormgaardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post-41411732892235810322009-09-14T23:05:58.000+01:002009-09-14T23:05:58.000+01:00Deadpool is then confronted with an important deci...Deadpool is then confronted with an important decision. By killing Mithras he potentially robs humanity of this peace and harmony, but if he doesn’t everyone becomes mindless robot slaves. He ultimately chooses to kill Mithras and save humanity’s free will because without it things can never get any better for anyone. He saves free will because without it progress is impossible.<br /><br />The logic in the story works like this…<br /><br />We all suffer from conflict with one another because we have free will. We all work at cross purposes with one another on some level. The result of this conflict (apart from suffering) is change – sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse – but however it comes out the situation is always different on the other end. Things can’t ever get better for anyone – progress can’t occur – without change. Progress by definition IS change. Therefore progress requires conflict to occur and ultimately requires free will as its primogenitor.<br /><br />Without free will everyone is a slave, everything is static, everything is death. While conflict is painful, and conflict for conflict’s sake is destruction, it is necessary for better things to happen.Stormgaardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4372920225292272844.post-1953799380739701352009-09-14T23:05:34.000+01:002009-09-14T23:05:34.000+01:00More than that... conflict is the engine of progre...More than that... conflict is the engine of progress.<br /><br />There was one comic book series in particular that changed my whole belief system. It answered the classic question for me of “Why Do Bad Things Happen?”<br /><br />It was Deadpool's "Dead Reckoning" series.<br /><br />It revolved around an alien entity named “Mithras” who was going from planet to planet throughout the universe bringing perfect peace and harmony to the inhabitants of those planets. As it approached Earth it was revealed to Deadpool that the way Mithras was achieving this “perfect peace and harmony” was by robbing all living beings on the planet of their free will. Any decision that Mithras made everyone on the planet automatically accepted. Nobody thought for themselves. This ended all indecision, conflict, war, and strife among everyone. Mithras called all the shots and everyone obeyed.Stormgaardnoreply@blogger.com