Not by Choice ...

[sshah]

Something has been bothering me as of late; how can people lay down their lives for strange, forced concepts in which they had little choice since birth? Keep in mind, we don't know a thing, don't remember a thing from before our birth; it is all up in the air.

You are born and raised somewhere, given a set of beliefs, nationalistic ideals and you lap them right up, as if you actually had a choice. I don't get this, how can people love their country, religion, or any concept for that matter, when they had little to no hand in their birth? Their birth place, or the circumstances? Why embrace these concepts?

Do people just want something to cling onto for their self-satisfaction, to belong somewhere? I don't get it. What are your thoughts. And please, don't be bratty. Keep it civil and clean.

 

[Blastwave]

The need for identification, individuality, ego, nationalism [to some extent], social and moral boundaries.

You just can't escape all that.

By the time you gain consciousness about all this, its either too late or too useless to act upon it.

 

[manigamer]

i think people did think for themselves !

didn't you look around and saw people converting to ISLAM

 

[Benighted]

I don't believe most of the things I was raised being told. I chose my worldview for myself.

 

[manigamer]

^^ but i do think the stuff being told to u as u grow UP ! does initially makes an impact on you looking to the world view AS U DO NOW ! it does make an impact... but the end choice is definately upon you ! if u did take it seriously and really did think about it...

 

[CobraN]

We all are born for some reason's and for that purpose we need a true Identity and once you know the Purpose of your Existence its either too late or too useless to act upon it.(Quoting some Text from Blastwave!)

An Old man said once!

"Find Something to Believe in and find if for yourself, and when you do , Pass it on to the Future".

That's the perfect answer for the Question!

 

[sshah]

Interesting replies from all sides.

i think people did think for themselves !

didn't you look around and saw people converting to ISLAM ​

A lot of people who converted to Islam, were usually the down-trodden, which happens with ever religion. It doesn't make islam special.

 

[Ali Man]

Well its obvious, that's how life works. You're born in a specific society, you're brought up that way in a certain belief-system and in time you're given different values and roles and responsibilities to act upon.

It only makes us human to love our country, birth-place and even religion as these are the only things that we've known since birth.

No one is born in a perfect world as it doesn't exist and neither is any religion perfect either.

 

[sshah]

Why do you love your country, birth-place or religion? I'm sorry, but there is no way in hell these things define humanity. It is a common behaviour, but does it outline what a human should be? No.

 

[theundead]

it seems like its a built-in function of the human ego to identify itself with something much bigger than itself, as a sort of defense mechanism perhaps, the ego being overwhelmed by the world around. Its not just about identity, because a name is enough for identity.

a more mystical explanation would be that since every human soul is a saparated part of the whole, it knows that it lacks something, & therefore tries to associate with broad ideals such as nation & race. However such association is only a temporary solution, coz the soul will never be perfect until it is part of the whole, the One

Another explanation would be imprinting
more detail here: Imprinting (psychology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[omarko]

Lets just say... even though it occurs to most of us, we try not to think about it.

The average Pakistani has much more things to ponder about.

 

[Major Aly]

If we are born to die and we all die to live...
Then what's the point of living life if it just contradicts?

AAH !

 

[Ali Man]

If we are born to die and we all die to live...
Then what's the point of living life if it just contradicts?

AAH !

Some people can never understand that 'living life' is the most valuable thing itself.

 

[omarko]

Its like, most of us choose to stay virgins until marriage, not drink or eat pork. Even after we can decide for our selves.

 

[optimus950]

Something has been bothering me as of late; how can people lay down their lives for strange, forced concepts in which they had little choice since birth? Keep in mind, we don't know a thing, don't remember a thing from before our birth; it is all up in the air.

You are born and raised somewhere, given a set of beliefs, nationalistic ideals and you lap them right up, as if you actually had a choice. I don't get this, how can people love their country, religion, or any concept for that matter, when they had little to no hand in their birth? Their birth place, or the circumstances? Why embrace these concepts?

Do people just want something to cling onto for their self-satisfaction, to belong somewhere? I don't get it. What are your thoughts. And please, don't be bratty. Keep it civil and clean.

Well i dunno about others but as for as my concern
Why i do i love my country or birth place ?
Coz i know its worth, at least im not living in an occupied territory where any soldier could step in n kill my family or me, i love my country coz my elders sacrificed their lives, their everything for it.im not such kind of senseless person to give a shitt about the blood they shed for it.
Besides human brain develops at a peak n in a unique way between 1 to 5 of your age.The things you use, the surroundings n people you have around in this age leaves such an imprint in your brain, like no other.
You would love these things as you get older.If you get a chance to visit your store room n you just gaze upon your childhood toys or a bicycle, you feel like "OMG i used to play with it.
Why ????????????????????
Coz its from your childhood, the era when you were raising up.its a human nature.
Does anyone know why every normal human being got a sexual urge...NO...its a human nature.

Why do i love my religion ?
Coz it tells me the reason of my existence, tells me how should i spend my life.
Tells me from where i came n where i have to return.
Tells me how to treat my parents, how to treat my friends, how to treat each n every person around me, Its a complete n perfect religion, why shouldn't i love it ??????????????
Without my religion i must say i won't have any direction of my life.
The more i thank to my CREATOR for blessing me this religion by birth, the lesser it will be.
Alhamdolillah.

Interesting replies from all sides.



A lot of people who converted to Islam, were usually the down-trodden, which happens with ever religion. It doesn't make islam special.

No one is born in a perfect world as it doesn't exist and neither is any religion perfect either.

Hey bro tell me why you think Islam is not a perfect religion, Tell me its flaws.

 

[Ali Man]

Hey bro tell me why you think Islam is not a perfect religion, Tell me its flaws.

Sorry man, ain't gonna start a religious debate (apart from the fact that its not allowed on PG).

But what you just asked is absolutely the wrong question. I never did or will say anything against Islam. What you should really ask is that how is this or any other religion perfect (that's the real question).

Research it my friend and you'll know what I mean.

 

[Shary Bhallu TC]

I think emotions play a huge part in this.

Being told that you were born here, or your grandpa died here etc will make you emotionally attached to that place.

A friend whose mom recently died has been hanging around the area alone where she died. He has become emotionally attached to that place...

I think that when our parents tell us that you studied from this school, you will always look up or look down to that place depending on whether you are a successful person or a fail person because of that school.
You will either get attached to that place because of the respect and success you have gained by studying at that school, or you will get attached to that place because of the failure you've become because of studying at that school.
Either way you'll become attached to it.

For me, the place where I was born, the school I went to, the areas I have hung alone when I was young have all become emotionally attached to me. When I go to these areas, I have that feeling of "returning home".

Also there is a void in the brain in the area of "I belong to". Some things are needed to fill this void that you will always remember. I think that the things our parents or elders tell us about our past, that your grand fathers belonged to "this city", this will become yours forever.

I can't explain emotions. The most I have understood is that brain interprets your memories and your decisions become biased because of those emotions.

I would prefer to live in my city than in other cities because I am emotionally bounded by this area. My brain is making a biased decision to live at this area because emotions are tilting the balance in this area's favor.

 

[Raza7154]

i agree with the OP.... i find it quite unsettling that people can give up everything for some half-baked notion that was thrust upon them by society and family, and they do it readily... they don't pause for a second thinking "why am i doing this" .....

as for some of the posts above:

it's funny how people can say "that is human nature" without actually understanding a thing about "human nature".... you can't justify your decisions by doing what an ostrich does... burying your head in the "it's human nature" or "i've been taught this way" sand.... ask yourself "WHY????" and think on it.... i've failed to find a single genuine reason behind all the stuff that has been labelled "human nature" here. and that's exactly what people should be doing. they should be thinking. you can't understand something by only contemplating on it's positives.... i always have a negative mindset when exploring something... and that makes me get a good idea of what it is....

[MENTION=23334]sshah[/MENTION] "admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding"

---------- Post added at 09:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 AM ----------

If we are born to die and we all die to live...
Then what's the point of living life if it just contradicts?

if you actually think on this you'll realize it's pretty garbled .... we aren't born to die... we are born to live with death being an inevitability.... this makes a person think "how should i live" if i'm gonna die any way, should i live by what i feel is right or should i live the way "they" tell me to

 

[HAMMER of THOR]

life needs a purpose ... without that it is not worth living... so whatever...

talking about half baked ideas... religious or otherwise are fed to you since birth... if you are EDUCATED... you will question them and grow out of them if they are wrong... so again WHATEVER...

 

[Tech Reaper]

Is OP inspired or got effected from the Mass Effect 3 Ending?:hm:

Spoiler: show

But to be honest, Sharry's speaking is much more reasonable I guess because emotions do play a huge part no matter if you give a damn to your country, religion or ethics!