Values

[spiritquest]

My own core virtues I take from Ayn Rand -- minus her last one, the truth of which is not so clear to me

Comments

[hereticsoul]

Interesting post regarding personal values. My immediate reaction is that the realization of such values (or any others for that matter) is not a binary state. One does not have honesty or not, it seems to me. But one can demonstrate honesty most of the time while falling short of achieving it on other occasions (especially in the presence of powerful temptations to the contrary). Such is the nature of ethical and moral evolution, no matter how you construct a framework for pursuing it

[spiritquest]

I do see the danger in revenge, and especially in CRAVING revenge. Justice is based only in fact, not in how we feel, and short of taking back something that is actually ours.... punitive justice needs to be left to the courts

[hereticsoul]

As with many exchanges of views, the definition of terms is critically important. Were I to embrace your chosen definitions for both justice and altruism, it would be difficult to disagree with the conflict because the definitions are chosen to create that opposition. Simple logic would require that to be so