Does it take strength to be totally ruthless?

[Zenos]

So I was watching my copy of Enter the Dragon last light and theres a scene in it where the Villian Han tells one of the good guys that very few people can be totally ruthless,and it takes more strength then you might believe.

Personally I have to agree with Han on what he says!


I found the scene here on youtube:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=colg-baGyXQ

[ksdnfkfr]

I think it takes more a matter of determination and lack of compassion to be ruthless.
A certain amount of conceit and arrogance. The man who showed mercy on the cat by putting his hands in the guillotine was the one exhibiting strength.

[Zenos]

I think it takes more a matter of determination and lack of compassion to be ruthless.
A certain amount of conceit and arrogance. The man who showed mercy on the cat by putting his hands in the guillotine was the one exhibiting strength.



I disagree with you because mercy and compassion are natural human traits,and it doesn't take much strength to show mercy or compassion.

basically Han was saying not many people can be totally ruthless because they do not have the strength to over come the traits of mercy and compassion,and yes there are times and situations where one must be totally ruthless but not everyone has the strength to be totally ruthless,ruthless to a degree yes but not totally.

[Croconaw]

I think it does.

[Zenos]

I think it does.

I have seen ruthless people out there that had even their limits due to the traits of mercy and compassion so Yeh if a person can overcome them to be totally ruthless they are strong person.

[Vlerchan]

I disagree with you because mercy and compassion are natural human traits [...]
No. They're not.

At best they're commonly-held human-traits - and even that's debatable.

[Ethe14]

Yeah it honk it is hard, at some point someone has mercy so complete ruthlessness is very hard to achieve.

[Zenos]

No. They're not.

At best they're commonly-held human-traits - and even that's debatable.

I still say they are natural traits

[ksdnfkfr]

I disagree with you because mercy and compassion are natural human traits,and it doesn't take much strength to show mercy or compassion

I disagree because there have been many filmed documented tests where actors (including little kids) have pretend to be hurt, sick or lost in public places and everyone around them was afraid to get involved and help. It was far easier for them to take the easy way out and ruthlessly disregard them.

Ruthless: willing to make other people suffer or allow them to suffer so that you can achieve your goals.
Sorry, but in no way is strength a synonym for that. Just heartlessness.

[Vlerchan]

I still say they are natural traits
Your word does not make them such, however.

There's no evidence pointing towards one or any trait being inherent (or natural) to humanity or a sub-set thereof.

EDIT: The Will To Live may be the exception here. Though I've personally never considered it a trait as I would perhaps compassion or mercy, so.

[Zenos]

I disagree because there have been many filmed documented tests where actors (including little kids) have pretend to be hurt, sick or lost in public places and everyone around them was afraid to get involved and help. It was far easier for them to take the easy way out and ruthlessly disregard them.

Ruthless: willing to make other people suffer or allow them to suffer so that you can achieve your goals.
Sorry, but in no way is strength a synonym for that. Just heartlessness.


Sorry but again I disagree with you because it takes more strength to overcome the traits of mercy and compassion to be totally ruthless..[/QUOTE]

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Vlerchan Quote:
Originally Posted by Zenos View Post
I still say they are natural traits

Your word does not make them such, however.

There's no evidence pointing towards one trait being inherent (or natural) to humanity or a sub-set thereof. .[/QUOTE]

Read history you find for example during WW2 Japanese soliders letting allied soldiers escape,or how about the Nazi's some of them showed compassion to allied soldiers,heck one Nazi big wig they made a movie about actually aided jews so that they would not be killed,so mercy and compassion is not inherent (or natural) to humanity?

I disagree and think a close reading of history will back me up when I say mercy and compassion are natural human traits!

[Vlerchan]

I disagree and think a close reading of history will back me up when I say mercy and compassion are natural human traits!
I'm not arguing that such traits don't exist in humanity. I'm arguing that such traits aren't inherent or naturally-occurring in humanity. Pointing out to me that over the course of world-history a number of people displayed compassion and/or mercy does not prove that such traits are inherent or naturally-occurring in humanity. It being natural or inherent to humanity would require it existing within every human-being that has ever existed.

[ksdnfkfr]

Sorry but again I disagree with you because it takes more strength to overcome the traits of mercy and compassion to be totally ruthless..

I just do not see strength as the operative word. Strength when it comes to character is always synonymous with virtue. Ruthlessness is a complete lack of virtue. I think the word determination is more applicable than strength.

[Zenos]

I disagree because there have been many filmed documented tests where actors (including little kids) have pretend to be hurt, sick or lost in public places and everyone around them was afraid to get involved and help. It was far easier for them to take the easy way out and ruthlessly disregard them.

Ruthless: willing to make other people suffer or allow them to suffer so that you can achieve your goals.
Sorry, but in no way is strength a synonym for that. Just heartlessness.

I just do not see strength as the operative word. Strength when it comes to character is always synonymous with virtue. Ruthlessness is a complete lack of virtue. I think the word determination is more applicable than strength.

I don't think Ruthlessness is a complete lack of virtue,plus virtue varies from culture to culture.

Plus i'd trust a ruthless man with my life far more then I would someone that's caught up I mercy and compassion to the point they don't have what it takes to take another man's life to defend themselves or others.

[ksdnfkfr]

I don't think Ruthlessness is a complete lack of virtue,plus virtue varies from culture to culture.

Plus i'd trust a ruthless man with my life far more then I would someone that's caught up I mercy and compassion to the point they don't have what it takes to take another man's life to defend themselves or others.

Guess we will have to agree to disagree on this matter.

[Zenos]

Guess we will have to agree to disagree on this matter.

Yup,

[Capto]

It takes common sense.

[Zenos]

It takes common sense.

lol if that's all it takes then their would be very very very few totally ruthless people,plus that would explain why most teens just don't have it in them to be ruthless to any degree!

[sqishy]

I think strength is the ability to adapt, rather to be resistant. Being ruthless demands more lack of empathy and compassion, rather than strength as greater society sees it.

[ninja789]

definitely does

[OrKing]

I don't think so. I've known more than one person that could be called ruthless in my life, and I'm not talking about being an asshole every now and then, I mean a complete lack of emotion when it comes to other people/issues. When I was younger I was even worried that I might be a sociopath due to being highly desensitized to violence and being apathetic on a huge range of subjects/people. I know now that I'm not, quite obviously, but for a while I thought I might be. Personally I don't think it takes a lot to be ruthless, in my experience it is extremely easy for people to ignore the pain of others. Being kind on the other hand takes courage and quite often determination; especially these days where most people don't even seem to know how to take or give a compliment, let alone a kind act. The cultural factor plays a huge part too though; some people are raised being taught that being kind and doing the right thing makes them a good person. Others know before they even hit their teenage years that doing something kind has the possibility of marking them out as weak; thus a target and thus this once again takes quite a bit of courage. So yeah, I think it hugely depends on the individual and his/her circumstances. A kind soul may find it very difficult to be ruthless and a ruthless person may find it near impossible to find any compassion in his heart. At it's most basic though I believe it is harder to be kind than it is to be ruthless. More often than not apathy is the default reaction. As an example of this I'll let you in on a messed up game me and a couple of friends would play as kids. We would go near the side of a busy road; a main one near all of us most of the time and pretend to kick the shit out of one of our group. When someone eventually stopped and got out to stop us we would all run away laughing our little maniacal heads off. For every twenty or so cars that drove by only one or two BEEPED. Someone actually stopping to check the shit out was rare. So yeah, on that and many other experiences I firmly believe that it takes a far stronger person to be compassionate than it does ruthless.

[Jean Poutine]

I disagree because there have been many filmed documented tests where actors (including little kids) have pretend to be hurt, sick or lost in public places and everyone around them was afraid to get involved and help. It was far easier for them to take the easy way out and ruthlessly disregard them.

Ruthless: willing to make other people suffer or allow them to suffer so that you can achieve your goals.
Sorry, but in no way is strength a synonym for that. Just heartlessness.

That's called the bystander effect and it has nothing to do with ruthlessness, simply a belief that someone else will act so you don't get involved. If anything it's the belief in the compassion of others.

[DeadEyes]

I think it takes more a matter of determination and lack of compassion to be ruthless.
A certain amount of conceit and arrogance. The man who showed mercy on the cat by putting his hands in the guillotine was the one exhibiting strength.

Then again, it depends on people I would think, some will find it harder to show mercy and others to show no mercy.

I disagree with you because mercy and compassion are natural human traits,and it doesn't take much strength to show mercy or compassion

It is not a natural trait whatsoever, just watch how kids treat each other. Some tend to have more compassion and learn to have even more in life but it's the opposite for others.

I have seen ruthless people out there that had even their limits due to the traits of mercy and compassion so Yeh if a person can overcome them to be totally ruthless they are strong person.

Not at all, it doesn't require strength to overcome compassion but a plain loss of empathy for others. wether you consider this lost a good or a bad thing, it's a point of view.

Yeah it honk it is hard, at some point someone has mercy so complete ruthlessness is very hard to achieve.

Not everybody is merciful whatsoever.

I just do not see strength as the operative word. Strength when it comes to character is always synonymous with virtue. Ruthlessness is a complete lack of virtue. I think the word determination is more applicable than strength.

I suppose you have the will to become whatever you want to be, that would bend on the side of determination for sure.

Stubbornly becoming someone or rely on certain events to make you become someone has nothing to do with strength.