Wa-pedia Home > Japan Forum & Europe Forum

View Poll Results: Would you choose :

Voters
35. You may not vote on this poll
  • World peace for at least a generation

    20 57.14%
  • 1 million US$

    1 2.86%
  • 1 million is not enough, I'd go for 1 billion US$

    14 40.00%
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 36

Thread: Would you choose Peace or Money ?

  1. #1
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 17, 2002
    Location
    西京
    Posts
    2,434

    Arrow Would you choose Peace or Money ?

    If you were given the choice between a huge sum of money or peace in th world (don't ask me how, or it would already be done), which one would you choose ?

    I'd certainly go for peace in the world, whatever the sum offered.

    My prime concerns in life are far from being topped by money as I mentioned in another thread.

    My ideal world is one of peace, happiness and reason. Money is just a necessity created by some futile cravings for material possessions. Only food, a home to sleep and feel secure, and access to information (eg. the Internet) are absolutely necessary for the good development of a human being. All the rest is optional and should not be a cause of unhappiness. At best, the external factors that influence happiness are the weather (sunny and comfortable enough) and the relations to people ("the society") around us.

    I am sometimes appaled at the shallowness of people. In Japan, for instance (as it is where I live, the example springs to mind more quickly), many people I know seem preoccupied by giving each other presents (o-miyage, o-chugen, o-toshidama...), helping a old woman carrying her heavy bag, being polite, arriving on time, etc. These are all relatively important things, but what shocks me is that these very people would certainly choose money over world peace, because money and material possessions is all that ultimately counts for them. I can't agree with that because I can control my cravings, relativize them and make them feel unimportant. My Japanese just do not understand that buying lots of stuff won't make you more happy in the long-term. It may cause some excitement and satisfaction at first, but then the novelty wears off and another craving replaces it.

    Isn't weird that in a country supposedly influenced by Buddhist values, the most basic principle of Buddhism (renunciation of desires for material possessions) should be so startingly absent from people's minds ? But we could say that in the most Christian countries (USA, Southern Italy 50 years ago), the most basic principles of Christianity ("love and forgive all") should be as blatantly at odds with the behaviour of people. The US is after all the developed country with the highest crime (and esp. murder) rate and the country of the vendetta par excellence, where people sue other people over anything. That is a far cry from Christian forgiveness. I'd say that Japanese people are much more "Christian" (i.e. following the teachng of the Christ) in their behaviour than most Westerners, but particularily compared to Americans.

    This kind of "Christian" behaviour does not distrub me at all (as an Atheist). What bothers me is "the only true and almight God" and "fear the divine punishment" thing and all cult (mass, prayer, crucifix...) and superstitions (saints, Xmas...). Jesus was otherwise a good chap, but not very realistic in his expectations, as 2000 years of Christianity (in name at least) have proven.

    Visit Japan for free with Wa-pedia
    See what's new on the forum ?
    Eupedia : Europe Guide & Genetics
    Maciamo & Eupedia on Twitter

    "What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill.

  2. #2
    夜露死苦! TwistedMac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location
    orz.eu
    Age
    42
    Posts
    76
    1 billion!
    peace is overrated and a generation of it would only breed worse wars next generation, a generation revolting against the last only in epic dimensions...

    ok so I'm just really selfish and I justify it with that.
    夜露死苦!

    www.orz.eu
    I find affence at your post as I ware eyeglass and have lmited site.
    Sankyuu~!
    http://japan.orz.eu - A site for my trip to Japan.

  3. #3
    Hullu RockLee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 22, 2004
    Location
    Espoo
    Age
    40
    Posts
    217
    peace ofcourse...no doubt
    ~ Parempi hullu kuin tylsä - Better crazy than boring ~
    http://www.fin-style.be/blog -> My Blog about Finland and other random thingies.

  4. #4
    Co-owner: Jovesca Records jovial_jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 4, 2003
    Location
    North West England
    Age
    38
    Posts
    19
    Peace.

    Money is not particularly important to me and having more than enough to get by leaves me feeling pretty empty in a way as it is. The knowledge that others were living peaceful lives is certainly worth more to me.

    If you balance up $1million for yourself vs peace for 6 billion people (many of whom could really do with peace in their lives), I think it's a pretty easy choice.
    The biggest problem with being better than everyone else is that people tend to assume that you're pretentious.

  5. #5
    Where I'm Supposed to Be kirei_na_me's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 31, 2003
    Location
    Virginia
    Age
    47
    Posts
    218
    Peace.

    If we had peace, it would give those people in turmoil a chance to make something of themselves, and then maybe everyone could prosper as a result.

    Forget the money. I'd be much happier knowing that my children and all other children in the world would be safer.
    i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)

  6. #6
    Co-owner: Jovesca Records EscaFlowne's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 14, 2003
    Location
    Orgi. Born in Ceiba,Puerto Rico, now live in orlando,Fl
    Age
    40
    Posts
    79
    Quote Originally Posted by TwistedMac
    1 billion!
    peace is overrated and a generation of it would only breed worse wars next generation, a generation revolting against the last only in epic dimensions...

    ok so I'm just really selfish and I justify it with that.

    Ditto And besides the thought of peace is like a fleeting dream.
    "An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind." ~ Buddha
    "I am clever because I know the cause of my ignorance..." ~ Bruce Lee

    Cacawate Fan Club: President "Personal" Assitant

  7. #7
    Regular Member Mimmy_08's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 16, 2004
    Location
    Philippines
    Age
    44
    Posts
    9
    Definetely PEACE
    "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." Mark Twain

  8. #8
    Envious of Nabeshin's Fro Fantt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 29, 2003
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Age
    55
    Posts
    16
    Peace. Though, I don't think I'd really want to have to choose anything that would artificially alter the future. The future is as it will be and I'd rather leave it at that.

  9. #9
    Jacques Rocks! Jungle Boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 1, 2004
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Age
    40
    Posts
    10
    I would choose the billion dollars. Simply because you stated in your hypothetical "World peace for at least a generation". After that generation no doubt that mankind would descent into the same pattern of voilence that it has followed for thousands of years. There will never be world peace, call my synical but it's man's nature to kill and that will sadly never change.

  10. #10
    Envious of Nabeshin's Fro Fantt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 29, 2003
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Age
    55
    Posts
    16
    The world is a much happier place when your thinking is more optimistic. At least for me it is. I can imagine a world with no wars or killing. There's so many more constructive things we can do as a species. Once aging, senility, heart disease and cancer have been cured, people will think differently about death and killing.

  11. #11
    夜露死苦! TwistedMac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location
    orz.eu
    Age
    42
    Posts
    76
    yesssss.. it will be done much more efficiently and in much larger quantities thanks to development and science!

  12. #12
    squabblemaker ax's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 27, 2003
    Location
    Japan
    Age
    50
    Posts
    11
    Has there been peace in this world? even the goose that queitly float on the lake, its feet is not at peace

    ax

  13. #13
    もうすぐ卒業するんだ! ragedaddy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 17, 2003
    Location
    The Midwest
    Age
    44
    Posts
    16
    Quote Originally Posted by Jungle Boy
    I would choose the billion dollars. Simply because you stated in your hypothetical "World peace for at least a generation". After that generation no doubt that mankind would descent into the same pattern of voilence that it has followed for thousands of years. There will never be world peace, call my synical but it's man's nature to kill and that will sadly never change.
    My sentiments exactly, In a Utopian world there may be a chance for world peace, but the fact is that this is reality, and it is never going to happen. You can have all the optimism in the world, but as long as there is money, natural resources, and power in this world, peace goes right out the window.
    ビール。。。Its what's for dinner......

  14. #14
    Co-owner: Jovesca Records jovial_jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 4, 2003
    Location
    North West England
    Age
    38
    Posts
    19
    I still think depriving the rest of the world of peace for their lifetime so you can have some money is pretty lame, regardless of whether the peace will last. If somehow we could guarantee peace for a generation, then who knows what could happen after that? It's impossible to predict how the future would turn out due to the arrival of peace because it's never happened. Humans are weird creatures and it's impossible to say 'this is how we will react' to something which would be such a major change to what we're used to.

  15. #15
    Danshaku Elizabeth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 22, 2003
    Location
    アメリカ
    Posts
    298
    Quote Originally Posted by Fantt
    The world is a much happier place when your thinking is more optimistic. At least for me it is. I can imagine a world with no wars or killing. There's so many more constructive things we can do as a species. Once aging, senility, heart disease and cancer have been cured, people will think differently about death and killing.
    I definately don't think aging is a disease, much less one that will be 'cured' anytime soon, perhaps heart disease, Alzheimers and cancer in the next generation or two. But then what will there be left to accomplish ?

    It reminds me of a book which came out a few years ago called "War is the Force which gives Life Meaning" by a former NYTimes war correspondent who was ultimately irrefutably repulsed by the horrors of political violence at least and argues it is only perpetuated by certain types of people addicted to killing like addicts to drugs. On the other hand, there is space for reflection and thought in the title. So I'd have to say peace, but only for a generation at a time.

  16. #16
    Envious of Nabeshin's Fro Fantt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 29, 2003
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Age
    55
    Posts
    16
    Some very smart scientists think that aging is a curable disease.

    One hundred years ago people would have laughed at the thought of sending people to the moon or travelling from Europe the the states in a matter of hours. Curing aging may be controversial, but again, I'd rather be optimistic. People a lot more intelligent than me are working very hard to make it a reality.

  17. #17
    Danshaku Elizabeth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 22, 2003
    Location
    アメリカ
    Posts
    298
    Quote Originally Posted by Fantt
    Some very smart scientists think that aging is a curable disease.

    One hundred years ago people would have laughed at the thought of sending people to the moon or travelling from Europe the the states in a matter of hours. Curing aging may be controversial, but again, I'd rather be optimistic. People a lot more intelligent than me are working very hard to make it a reality.
    But what would be the point ? There are other perspectives on life besides the challenge of scientific pursuit, obviously.

  18. #18
    Envious of Nabeshin's Fro Fantt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 29, 2003
    Location
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Age
    55
    Posts
    16
    The point would be to eliminate the suffering caused by growing old.

  19. #19
    Danshaku Elizabeth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 22, 2003
    Location
    アメリカ
    Posts
    298
    Quote Originally Posted by Fantt
    The point would be to eliminate the suffering caused by growing old.
    At what age should aging be eliminated, though ? And why is it not sufficient to simply work on the diseases concomitant with old age which directly effect the degree of suffering ? The answer must lie in those links I haven't made time for yet....

  20. #20
    Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan Flashjeff's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 28, 2003
    Location
    Philadelphia, PA
    Age
    65
    Posts
    53
    Well, as long as human beings populate this planet, we'll never have world peace. That's just too unrealistic, so I'll take the money and run!
    "It's better to try and fail than to never try at all."
    -Jeffrey C. Branch, crackpot philosopher

    Interested in old school J-Pop? Please visit my website:
    Pink Lady: The Website!


    Many thanks to Ayu-youkou for this mondo cool banner!

  21. #21
    Regular Member sgt. Pepper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 29, 2004
    Location
    Sweden
    Age
    35
    Posts
    10
    I'd take the money.

  22. #22
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 1, 2004
    Posts
    1
    WORLD PEACE.

    The money sounds tempting but NOT worth peace.

  23. #23
    夜露死苦! TwistedMac's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location
    orz.eu
    Age
    42
    Posts
    76
    notice how the swedes (neutral country, no wars for a couple hundred years now) chose the money

    are we spoiled with peace or fed up with it?

  24. #24
    Regular Member sgt. Pepper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 29, 2004
    Location
    Sweden
    Age
    35
    Posts
    10
    Both i guess.

  25. #25
    The contact Lacan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 26, 2004
    Location
    Paris
    Posts
    24

    OK, i choose peace...

    over money, so all human beings should give me a thanksfull dollar,


    Lacan,
    Abel,
    Fei,
    Kim,
    Grahf,
    Id


    I had so many names...

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Love & Money
    By Maciamo in forum Miscellaneous
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: Jun 2, 2004, 21:51
  2. Do Japanese prefer money above all ?
    By Maciamo in forum Culture Shock
    Replies: 49
    Last Post: Oct 29, 2003, 02:34

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •