Evidence for God from Science

This is completely unrelated to religion and the existence of god, but I think this topic can belong here.

Fyodor Dostoevsky mentions the concept of human tendency towards masochism - taking pleasure in one's own pain, one's own humiliation, in several of his novels, and probably many more I haven't read. It seems to be a concept he was fascinated with.

It appears in:

Notes from Underground
Gambler
Notes from the Dead House


What do you think about this? Are humans in general masochistic? The Underground Man is in particular interesting because he claims he intentionally made wrong life choices numerous times just so he could take pleasure of the pain that would subsequently ensue. The other characters tend to be baffled with the awareness they just enjoyed their misery.

Noah1201 wrote:Are humans in general masochistic?

If masochism is the tendency to inflict harm on oneself, then I would tend to agree: humans are drawn towards self-destructive behaviors.

Noah1201 wrote:This is completely unrelated to religion and the existence of god

Not really. Making oneself god - consciously or unconsciously - is an important first step towards properly ruining one's life.

FL

Furstentum Liechtenstein wrote:

Noah1201 wrote:Are humans in general masochistic?

If masochism is the tendency to inflict harm on oneself, then I would tend to agree: humans are drawn towards self-destructive behaviors.



FL

Have to disagree there. Call me crazy, but I'm certainly not drawn towards self-destructive behaviours, to my knowledge anyway!

SB

The first sign of masochisim is the belief that we don't need anything or anyone but ourselves ie: Pride and Ego.
The second sign is the belief that the end justifies the means as opposed to the means lending validity to the end.

Sam1995 wrote:Have to disagree there. Call me crazy, but I'm certainly not drawn towards self-destructive behaviours, to my knowledge anyway!

Well, I was answering from a twisted-logic biblical perspective. Sin is self-destructive/we are all born sinners/therefore we are all self-destructive.

FL

Furstentum Liechtenstein wrote:

Sam1995 wrote:Have to disagree there. Call me crazy, but I'm certainly not drawn towards self-destructive behaviours, to my knowledge anyway!

Well, I was answering from a twisted-logic biblical perspective. Sin is self-destructive/we are all born sinners/therefore we are all self-destructive.

FL

Ah, my apologies! Your "twisted" logic appears to be correct logic! I came from the perspective of deliberately causing myself harm in the sense that I would feel physical/mental discomfort or pain!

SB

Sam1995 wrote:Ah, my apologies! Your "twisted" logic appears to be correct logic!

I forgive you, my child. Go in peace.

FL

Sam1995 wrote:

Furstentum Liechtenstein wrote:

Noah1201 wrote:Are humans in general masochistic?

If masochism is the tendency to inflict harm on oneself, then I would tend to agree: humans are drawn towards self-destructive behaviors.



FL

Have to disagree there. Call me crazy, but I'm certainly not drawn towards self-destructive behaviours, to my knowledge anyway!

SB

You are right - because the first step towards self-destruction is to fully and completely relay on your knowledge with any reference to the revealed knowledge of the Mind of Christ. This is why I think that other posts got it straight and correct - self-destruction is just one of the millions of aspects or flavors of human attitude to others and him/herself if it is not informed by revealed knowledge of what is actually going on. Human ambition and practice of the total self-reference is a first step towards self-destruction, because is annihilates the entire purpose of the human life. It may not be seen as a something as obvious as suicidal tendency or other set of steps that eventually ruin the health and the body and mind, like chemical addictions, but in essence it is a destruction, even if the world could see you as successful and happy. It is a matter of building on the rock and knowing the difference between the rock and the sand. Cheers