Isn't Saying That Something Is Either Right or Wrong Limiting?

[ChristineES]

I was going to post this in Religious Debates, but I thought that would make it too limiting.

The question is self explanatory. Do you believe that everything must either be right or wrong? Do you believe that if one thing is right the other(s) must be wrong? If so, do you think that may be rather limiting?

I believe that more than one thing can be right. I also believe that one thing may be right or wrong, depending on the situation.

Any thoughts?

 

[9Westy9]

Logically everything must be either right or wrong. 2 + 2 = 5 is either right or wrong. The sun is orange is either right or wrong etc. How we can know what is right and wrong is more debatable though

 

[ChristineES]

In mathematics and arithmetic, the answer is either right or wrong; but is it? If I add 8+8, the answer will be different if I used base 8 rather than base 10 or base 12. 1+1=10 in binary numbers (I hope that's right, I haven't added binary numbers since my IC A school in the navy, which was an electronics class).

 

[Wirey]

I was going to post this in Religious Debates, but I thought that would make it too limiting.

The question is self explanatory. Do you believe that everything must either be right or wrong? Do you believe that if one thing is right the other(s) must be wrong? If so, do you think that may be rather limiting?

I believe that more than one thing can be right. I also believe that one thing may be right or wrong, depending on the situation.

Any thoughts?

Right and wrong are like looking in a well. Each person who looks in sees pretty much the same thing, but with a faint hint of their own reflection. Truth really is like looking in a well. Marriage is like getting chucked into it, but that's a different thread.

 

[freethinker44]

Right and wrong is a false dichotomy. Right and not right would be a more accurate division.

 

[freethinker44]

1+1=10 in binary numbers

In binary 10 (as in one, zero, and not ten) is equal to 2 in decimal so it 1+1 is still 2. It doesn't take away from what you're saying but technically it doesn't support it either. Coincidentally, this is an example of the right/not right dichotomy. What you said isn't wrong, but it isn't right either.

 

[Revoltingest]

I was going to post this in Religious Debates, but I thought that would make it too limiting.
The question is self explanatory. Do you believe that everything must either be right or wrong? Do you believe that if one thing is right the other(s) must be wrong? If so, do you think that may be rather limiting?
I believe that more than one thing can be right. I also believe that one thing may be right or wrong, depending on the situation.
Any thoughts?

Other than a priori stuff like math, "right" & "wrong" are just perspectives.....or personal opinions.

Stupid examples to illustrate the obvious:
- Anchovies taste great!
- Wirey smells delicious!
- God is great!

To whom?
Such statements are neither right nor wrong. Truth is a dangerous illusion. Certainty is the mind killer.
(I have more trite sayings if these don't do the job.)
How often do we see people get their panties in a twist when they get wrapped up in the righteousness of their personal right & wrong?

 

[Me Myself]

I agree completely.

things have levels, and specially when the subject is broader nice "clear cut" answers like "this is right and this is wrong" have no sense on it.

But I would also talk about levels of right so to say, or more accurately, levels of truth.

 

[9Westy9]

In mathematics and arithmetic, the answer is either right or wrong; but is it? If I add 8+8, the answer will be different if I used base 8 rather than base 10 or base 12. 1+1=10 in binary numbers (I hope that's right, I haven't added binary numbers since my IC A school in the navy, which was an electronics class).

of course, but for each base you use there is only one answer

 

[Wirey]

Other than a priori stuff like math, "right" & "wrong" are just perspectives.....or personal opinions.

Stupid examples to illustrate the obvious:
- Anchovies taste great!
- Wirey smells delicious!
- God is great!

To whom?
Such statements are neither right nor wrong. Truth is a dangerous illusion. Certainty is the mind killer.
(I have more trite sayings if these don't do the job.)
How often do we see people get their panties in a twist when they get wrapped up in the righteousness of their personal right & wrong?

I don't get the middle one.

 

[Sunstone]

I was going to post this in Religious Debates, but I thought that would make it too limiting.

The question is self explanatory. Do you believe that everything must either be right or wrong? Do you believe that if one thing is right the other(s) must be wrong? If so, do you think that may be rather limiting?

I believe that more than one thing can be right. I also believe that one thing may be right or wrong, depending on the situation.

Any thoughts?

Sometimes there's a right or wrong. Such as in mathematics. But in many fields -- such as morality -- there tends to be more likely versus the less likely outcomes.

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't get the middle one.

Neither do I.

 

[Quintessence]

The question is self explanatory. Do you believe that everything must either be right or wrong? Do you believe that if one thing is right the other(s) must be wrong? If so, do you think that may be rather limiting?

No, No, and yes.

But human cultures make up constructs of what is allowed and not allowed, what is correct and what is not correct, and as a human living in such a culture, it is impractical for me to live without considering my culture's standards of these things. There are some places where such black-and-white thinking make sense to me. Where they do not it is a source of frustration. I tend to get along poorly with people who think predominantly in black-and-white terms, as I am definitely a person who thinks predominantly in rainbow terms.

 

[wolfmother]

I've found that in general ppl pretty much want to be right.
Wars have been fought over what they believe is right..
I say life's too short to debate" your" rightness..

 

[otokage007]

Logically everything must be either right or wrong. 2 + 2 = 5 is either right or wrong. The sun is orange is either right or wrong etc. How we can know what is right and wrong is more debatable though

Not really. Summation varies depending on the system u are using. 2+2=4, but on another system 2+2 could be 30. The sun being orange could be right for some people, but others would argue "well the sun is colorless since color doesn't exist outside the brain".

Truth is, nothing is right or wrong in an absolute way, it will always be perspective-dependant. However, using someone's perspective, right and wrong can be muttually exclusive. And I don't think this is "limited" at all. For example, if we base an observation on your perspective, and you say "sun is orange", every other color is automaticly excluded. And this is not a limited view at all. Not for me at least. However, I think exclusiveness depends entirely on the topic, for example sometimes one thing can be both "good and bad", in the sense that it has its pros and cons.

 

[9Westy9]

Not really. Summation varies depending on the system u are using. 2+2=4, but on another system 2+2 could be 30. The sun being orange could be right for some people, but others would argue "well the sun is colorless since color doesn't exist outside the brain".

2+2 = 4 is true when used in the correct base. and the sun is orange is right if we're talking about the colour perceived.

 

[otokage007]

and the sun is orange is right if we're talking about the colour perceived.

It's not that I want to be fussy, but have u ever had the typical conversation that goes like:

-that's blue
-yeah, u mean, green
-no, I said blue
-come on, that's green!
-no it's not!!

right?

 

[9Westy9]

It's not that I want to be fussy, but have u ever had the typical conversation that goes like:

-that's blue
-yeah, u mean, green
-no, I said blue
-come on, that's green!
-no it's not!!

right?

only when there's a colour that's a mix of blue and green

 

[otokage007]

only when there's a colour that's a mix of blue and green

fair enough hahaha