This is the only poetic thing that ever reared up and beat on the doors of my head and fought it's way out of the ends of my fingers. I don't know if it's any good, but I do know that it's feisty
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I only had one character that was that Heroic. In one campaign, there was the Sword of Destruction which was the polar opposite of the God of Creation.
At one point, it became clear that the Sword of Destruction was as powerful, if not more so, than the God of Creation. And the Sword's hunger for destruction far exceeded the God's ability to create, so the universe was pretty much toast.
So, White Jogger tried to gain control of the sword, and instead got suck into the sword. Since White Jogger was Immortal, he couldn't be completely destroyed by the sword quickly, but instead became entrapped in a very Promethean way. The sword remained just as powerful, but its hunger abated just enough to keep the universe somewhat safe.
I go back and forth on calling White Jogger, the God of Naivete and the God of Self-sacrifice depending on whether I thought he had foreknowledge of what was going to happen and whether or not he would escape if he could.
The more I think about this, the more it just sounds like a toxic meme waiting to happen. It's not that I don't believe that there isn't noble causes and some of them require noble sacrifice.
That being said, this is a dangerous idea. I think it romanticizes death and can, out of context, trivialize living heroically. There is a certain heroism in just living a positive life.
However, since 9/11, we have been bombarded (pun intended) with the idea of heroic self-sacrifice. I propose instead of "dying for a cause" that we instead find something "worth living for" and even to go as far as saying, "worth heroically living for" in a world that practically masterbates to violence.
I'll admit I don't have any ideas how one actually lives heroically, but I can't think of a more noble cause. That's what "Living in the World of Tomorrow" is. It's not about flying cars, or personal jetpacks, or sleep-learning. It's having a life worth living.
Actually, I think we need more of these kinds of posts. :)
I recall from the Movie "Patton", the title character (in the form of George C. Scott) saying:
"Anyone can DIE for their country. The trick is getting the other poor bastard to die for HIS country!"
You've got a good point. If there is an alternative way to stop the bad that doesn't involve sacrifice, that is the superior solution. If at any time you start looking for the sacrifice opportunities, you have drifted over that line to the side where "Idiot" is.
The point is the wanting the greater good, and being WILLING to sacrifice, or at least risk sacrifice, for it, if there is no alternative. If you HAVE an alternative that accomplishes the same good without your sacrifice, then even if you don't value yourself, clearly you're damaging the greater good by depriving them of your help the NEXT time...
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At one point, it became clear that the Sword of Destruction was as powerful, if not more so, than the God of Creation. And the Sword's hunger for destruction far exceeded the God's ability to create, so the universe was pretty much toast.
So, White Jogger tried to gain control of the sword, and instead got suck into the sword. Since White Jogger was Immortal, he couldn't be completely destroyed by the sword quickly, but instead became entrapped in a very Promethean way. The sword remained just as powerful, but its hunger abated just enough to keep the universe somewhat safe.
I go back and forth on calling White Jogger, the God of Naivete and the God of Self-sacrifice depending on whether I thought he had foreknowledge of what was going to happen and whether or not he would escape if he could.
So, yeah, lots of parallels.
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That being said, this is a dangerous idea. I think it romanticizes death and can, out of context, trivialize living heroically. There is a certain heroism in just living a positive life.
However, since 9/11, we have been bombarded (pun intended) with the idea of heroic self-sacrifice. I propose instead of "dying for a cause" that we instead find something "worth living for" and even to go as far as saying, "worth heroically living for" in a world that practically masterbates to violence.
I'll admit I don't have any ideas how one actually lives heroically, but I can't think of a more noble cause. That's what "Living in the World of Tomorrow" is. It's not about flying cars, or personal jetpacks, or sleep-learning. It's having a life worth living.
Actually, I think we need more of these kinds of posts. :)
Reply
"Anyone can DIE for their country. The trick is getting the other poor bastard to die for HIS country!"
You've got a good point. If there is an alternative way to stop the bad that doesn't involve sacrifice, that is the superior solution. If at any time you start looking for the sacrifice opportunities, you have drifted over that line to the side where "Idiot" is.
The point is the wanting the greater good, and being WILLING to sacrifice, or at least risk sacrifice, for it, if there is no alternative. If you HAVE an alternative that accomplishes the same good without your sacrifice, then even if you don't value yourself, clearly you're damaging the greater good by depriving them of your help the NEXT time...
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