I think it's fun to step on ants. So what?

[Enmos]

Firstly, who put the the word 'ants' in my post in red?

Isn't it quite appropriate ? lol
You used the search function and put in "ants".

Secondly, I do value the contribution of the ants' nest to my garden. However, like I said, I have little regard for a solitary worker. In fact,the only situation in which I could see myself giving a toss about an individual ant is if it stung me. I'm not going to lie to make myself sound better, nor can I particularly help what I think, I just feel that an individual ant is completely inconsequential to my existence. I am also sure that this is a sentiment shared by many others.

I can't see how that would work.. where do you draw the line ?

You still haven't answered my question: what do you mean when you describe a 'respect for life'?

I don't know what you want to hear, it seems pretty self-explanatory to me..

 

[Thrylix]

Thrylix
The point I am making is that we have no scope for understanding the extent of our actions and reactions as they affect others ... although we display acute sensitivity to how they affect us.

You may mindlessly stomp on an ant colony but I am sure you wouldn't appreciate getting stomped on

What can stomp on me? Even if something could, what's wrong with me doing it too?

Dude
that's exactly how you're acting!

That's true, but I'm bigger than they are and the populations I've killed don't mean anything to me. Therefore I can act that way without any consequence. So why shouldn't I?

 

[Thrylix]

I can't see how that would work.. where do you draw the line ?

He means he recognizes ants' collective importance in nature. However, one ant isn't important to nature. Therefore, it really doesn't matter if he flattens a bunch of them.

 

[Nasor]

I don't have much empathy for ants, so it's not really their death/distress/whatever that would make me frown at someone who gleefully stomps on them. I would be disturbed by the fact that the person who was stomping on them takes pleasure in killing and destroying things. It tells me things about their personality, and would make me wonder if they perhaps had a few screws loose, or might be dangerous in other ways.

 

[Enmos]

He means he recognizes ants' collective importance in nature. However, one ant isn't important to nature. Therefore, it really doesn't matter if he flattens a bunch of them.

1+1+1+1+... where do you draw the line ? When does the number become important ?

 

[Enmos]

I don't have much empathy for ants, so it's not really their death/distress/whatever that would make me frown at someone who gleefully stomps on them. I would be disturbed by the fact that the person who was stomping on them takes pleasure in killing and destroying things. It tells me things about their personality, and would make me wonder if they perhaps had a few screws loose, or might be dangerous in other ways.

So you are defining it as sort of a taboo.
Why might it be dangerous in other ways ? Don't get me wrong, I agree, but I would like to hear what you think

 

[Thrylix]

1+1+1+1+... where do you draw the line ? When does the number become important ?

There are several hundred ants in a single colony? More, I think. Any number you can come up with that can be killed by one individual in a given period of time won't make it past any "line" where the number does become important... so we don't need an exact number here. Be smarter than that.

 

[Enmos]

Originally Posted by Cellar_Door
Secondly, I do value the contribution of the ants' nest to my garden. However, like I said, I have little regard for a solitary worker.

 

[Nasor]

Why might it be dangerous in other ways ?

If they take pleasure in killing and destroying things, maybe they'll eventually decide they want to destroy things bigger than ant hills, or kill something bigger than ants.

 

[Enmos]

If they take pleasure in killing and destroying things, maybe they'll eventually decide they want to destroy things bigger than ant hills, or kill something bigger than ants.

Yes, because (it seems to me) they take joy in killing ants precisely because they are alive. They wouldn't enjoy stepping on a piece plastic quite as much..
So it is really the destruction of life they find enjoyable. This kind of behavior is highly disturbing to me..

 

[Thrylix]

I've never killed anything bigger than a spider... so, yeah.

 

[Ophiolite]

That's true, but I'm bigger than they are and the populations I've killed don't mean anything to me. Therefore I can act that way without any consequence. So why shouldn't I?

You should very definitely continue to do this. More than that I believe you should take every opportunity to acquaint your friends, neighbours, relatives and work colleagues with your liking for killing ants. Be sure they are aware that this is not a passing phase, but something you have done for a long time and plan to continue doing for a long time in the future.
Make suer you also convey two very important aspects of this practice:
a) you thoroughly enjoy it.
b) it doesn't mean anything to you.

It won't mean anything to you - for obvious reasons - but by carrying through on these actions you will have performed a public service. You will have clearly identified yourself as a sociopath. The rest of us will have been warned and we can avoid you in future.

 

[lightgigantic]

What can stomp on me?

there is literally an infinite number of ways providence can undo you in a red mess

Even if something could, what's wrong with me doing it too?

just the delicate issue of you wantonly inflicting a result on the world that any other inhabitant in the world (yourself included) would go to great pains to avoid

That's true, but I'm bigger than they are and the populations I've killed don't mean anything to me.

so if I am bigger than you, and if grinding you into the pavement means nothing to me, you don't have a problem with that?

Therefore I can act that way without any consequence. So why shouldn't I?

Dude
the world is full of consequences

Even if you want to rule out issues of karma etc, you are certainly debilitating your sense of compassion which will have more apparent ramifications even in your immediate life

 

[cosmictraveler]

There are several hundred ants in a single colony? More, I think. Any number you can come up with that can be killed by one individual in a given period of time won't make it past any "line" where the number does become important... so we don't need an exact number here. Be smarter than that.

I am. You just like to troll and what you say is pure bullshit.

 

[nietzschefan]

This thing, this thing, cannot you see this thing you do is wrong? Why do you do this thing?

 

[Thrylix]

Because killing is fun and I can. I like seeing their squished little bodies around my feet more than I like seeing their moving little bodies.

I don't see it as being wrong. I see it as being indifferent to their lives. All but a few probably feel the same way toward them.

 

[Enmos]

Because killing is fun and I can. I like seeing their squished little bodies around my feet more than I like seeing their moving little bodies.

I don't see it as being wrong. I see it as being indifferent to their lives. All but a few probably feel the same way toward them.

Would it be wrong for me to kill you ? Or would that just be me being indifferent towards your life ?
You sick fuck.

 

[Ophiolite]

You sick fuck.

He's psychopathic. Leave him be. The worms will get him eventually.

 

[swarm]

Do you have to feed the troll?

 

[The Breaker]

I don't understand the hate in this thread. Most preach letting people speak their opinions, but if their opinion conflicts with our own, they are told not to speak. You compare killing ants to killing humans, but this is not the same. Ants do not feel pain, they do not fear death. Their brain is not developed in the same way as ours. Killing something which can feel pain, which does not want to die, now that is regrettable. It sounds to me that many of you are ready to throw him in jail simply because he enjoys killing ants.