endsthegame: (Default)
endsthegame ([personal profile] endsthegame) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2014-05-19 01:46 pm

Practical Philosophy, Monday

"There are those of us who come here believing very strongly in duty," Ender said. "Others who come here to escape it - and some to who it's absolutely not a part of their lives."

He smiled a little.

"I had a mentor, once," he said. "I was told that people were free, unless humanity needed them, and that humanity never asked us to be happy, merely to act on its behalf - for its survival. Happiness, he felt, was a luxury that at times we could scarcely afford. To opt out of doing our duty at such a time was the worst crime imaginable: a crime of stupidity."

He took a sip of water. "I've met people who disagreed, since," he said. "I've also met people whose lives were so intricately bound to these rules they didn't even know where they stopped and the rules began. Some of you have already made your views fairly clear already, but I'm curious as to everyone else's input, too.

"How important is duty? Do we people all carry some grand responsibility to our species, or should we exist only for ourselves and the development of our self? And if we live for duty, then when does that end? Is there some point where all of us may be afforded personal freedom, or are we perpetually tied to our responsibilities, whether we flee from them or not?"

Re: Talk.

[identity profile] makemyownway.livejournal.com 2014-05-19 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Do I have to be a lovely lady for my stuff to just be crap?" Cade countered.

Re: Talk.

[identity profile] fly-so-serious.livejournal.com 2014-05-19 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, I have to admit, I'd give you more leeway if you were easier on the eyes," Joker replied. "But what I meant is, is the crap something that got stuck on you without your say, or did you agree to stuff and then try to back out of it? I mean, if people are just pissed at you for not carrying on Mommy and Daddy's legacy, then they can go suck it."

Re: Talk.

[identity profile] makemyownway.livejournal.com 2014-05-19 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"Just the dad," Cade said. "Mom took off a long, long time ago."

Re: Talk.

[identity profile] fly-so-serious.livejournal.com 2014-05-19 09:56 pm (UTC)(link)
"Wow, even better. Sounds like you really got the short end of the stick, man. Legacy can be a pretty bullshit thing." He shrugged. "...I mean, unless you're running away from some kind of 'only the One True King can pull the Sword out of the Stone and save the World from Evil' kind of thing. That, you'd kinda have to man up and go back to."

Re: Talk.

[identity profile] makemyownway.livejournal.com 2014-05-20 08:10 am (UTC)(link)
Cade rolled his eyes. "Kark that. What if there were really a hundred guys who could pull the sword and they just annoyed Arthur until he did it? He could've gone away and waited for the next sucker."