Quote:
Originally Posted by cardboard adolescent
Is there a difference between happiness and pleasure? I agree that man is self-sufficient in finding pleasure, but doesn't self-esteem require others? I think the whole point in sacrifice is realizing that you're not enough on your own, and need others to achieve true contentment. And once you realize that you also realize that not only do you need others, you need others to be willing to sacrifice for you, and that will only happen if you're open to sacrifice yourself. To me, that's what love is all about and I don't think you can really get around it.
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Self-esteem does not require others. Self-esteem should not be "How good am I in relation to other beings?" It should be a question of "Am I being as good of a being as I can be?"
Now if you are talking about the fact that in order to create and produce, the highest means of achieving healthy self-esteem, we need others then I would say I agree. If we all worked alone and never worked with each other then mankind would be a hell of a lot further away from where it is now.
One can work with others selfishly though. One doesn't need to sacrifice himself to do that. Relationships between rational men are trades. One person wants something, and the other person wants something else. Each has what the other wants. They trade in order to gain the value that they both desire. No sacrifice was made, and progress was made on both sides.
If self-sacrifice is needed in order to achieve contentment then it what areas is that true?
Also, I fear that we may be arguing with different definitions of self-sacrifice. I am operating on the idea that self-sacrifice is when one experiences a net loss or gives up a higher value for a lower value.