[ text | un: trickster ]

[dothelokimotion]

What would you consider to be unforgivable?

Comments

[dothelokimotion]

I'll let you decide that.

[billyrocks]

Can't go giving away all my secrets, but I would have to say manipulation of the innocent.

[dothelokimotion]

Do secrets really matter here.

What kind of manipulation?

[billyrocks]

I like to keep some things to myself.

The kind in which the manipulator's intentions are far from the benefit of their fellow man. I know not all manipulation can be considered strictly "bad," because sometimes it's necessary to avoid hurting people's feelings. "Little white lies" as the Westerners like to call 'em. Or maybe it's all just part of a joke.

But just like everything else in life, there's always those at the other end of the scale, those who do it with some sort of malicious intent.

[dothelokimotion]

How would you see manipulation that serves the greater good then?

[billyrocks]

I leave that thinking to the politicians and priests.

But

Sometimes I think the "greater good" is often used as an excuse.

[dothelokimotion]

Fair enough. I've rarely seen it in a positive context.

[billyrocks]

From what I've seen and experienced of it, "greater good" actually means "the greater good of one group over the other."

Still, I like to think of myself as a realist. I know there's a lot of bad in the world, but there's some good in it, too. I've seen and experienced both sides of the coin.

[dothelokimotion]

And what have you determined, having experienced so much?

[billyrocks]

Been a while since I had a conversation like this.

[Since the only one who would engage in such talk with him is dead.]

First, I'm not saying my answer is the right one. Everyone's got their own way of handling things, which brings me to my point.

Life really is what you make of it. It can put you in circumstances you never asked for, let alone had control over, but you can control how you react and what you decide to do next. There were so many other, darker turns my life could have taken if I'd made different choices. Of course there are things I wished I'd done differently, but I think no matter what you do, you're always going to think that.

I don't have any "powers," so all I can do is take one day at a time.

[dothelokimotion]

I enjoy philosophical debates.

You have a very balanced outlook.

sorry/not sorry for the pun

[billyrocks]

Where I'm from, too many people thought I wasn't "smart enough" for such talk, so they usually didn't bother with me.

Only because of all the people I encountered in my life. That, and I've traveled a long way back home. Gave me plenty of chances to see all sorts of things. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

i love it

[dothelokimotion]

Why would they think that?

[billyrocks]

Even I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. They base it mostly on looks. I was also born in another country, so I guess they thought that was a factor too.

[dothelokimotion]

Ah. That is a commonplace attitude.

[billyrocks]

So I've heard.

I was kind of hoping it'd be different in other worlds, but I guess even that was too much to hope for.

[dothelokimotion]

Human nature rarely changes.

[billyrocks]

I think environment has something to do with it, too. I don't personally believe people are born with such prejudices. They had to learn it from somewhere and someone.

[dothelokimotion]

Of course not.

But they take to it very easily. Too easily in fact.

[billyrocks]

Fear could be another factor. People tend to be wary of things they don't understand.

You sound like you've had your fair share of prejudice as well.

[dothelokimotion]

To put it mildly. My brother would talk about putting my kind down regularly.

[billyrocks]

Your own brother? But that doesn’t make any sense.

[Unless...

Another text comes in shortly after.]

Unless you two have different parents?

[dothelokimotion]

I was adopted into his family.

[billyrocks]

Adopted, yes. That was the word I was looking for.

But that's still no excuse for such talk.

[dothelokimotion]

He didn't know. Neither of us.

And when we learned the truth, the damage was done.