and only at this point will everyone realize we're all hypocrites, liars and cheats that will all do whatever we can get away with when we need to or it serves our purpose. We'll all have to acknowledge that life isn't as black and white as we like to pretend but is almost entirely some blurry shade of grey that only resembles our own specific set of beliefs in the most narrow of circumstances... and that any and all human behaviour is totally normal and would most likely be considered completely fucked up when applied through your own set of ideals.
We're all capable of fucking up, making shitty decisions, painting ourselves into corners, getting depressed, thinking emotionally instead of objectively/logically. That is the peril of the human condition. I don't think it's fair for any one of us to pass judgment on others actions except when it comes to the physical safety of the community.
So what, one group of people holds marital fidelity dear and think that any action that compromises this view is worthy of exposé. Another group doesn't believe in monogamy or lies about it... largely because to disagree with it ostracizes you from the community - makes you an outsider. Forget innocent parties that are hurt by this - collateral damage, a necessary evil to expose the cheaters. Can you even hear yourselves? Who cares? People lie, cheat and steal all the time. Politicians do it, spies do it, FBI, CIA, NSA, the police, hell, even Presidents do it if it serves their objective. Think about that. When are we going to wake up and realize that this is normal human behaviour - regardless of whether you're happy about that or accept it or not, this is the case.
I agree with those who say leave this behind closed doors. If marriages fall to pieces because of this, that is between them. But to publically name and shame people because their [non-criminal and not-concerning-you] actions don't jive with your morals [Perhaps politicians would be an exception to my perspective on this] is inexcusable. Not many are going to die because someone cheats on their spouse - even if they're caught. But leaking a database of this nature has real repercussions that could cause people death or persecution for something that should only between them and their partner and was none of anyone else's business.
You can't generalise like that. It's a mistake to tar everybody with the same brush in supporting the erosion of privacy. Some people, rightly, hold themselves and others to higher standards. Because they do so, does not necessarily mean they support outing cheaters.
> any and all human behaviour is totally normal
Categorically not. Lines are drawn and accepted socially. People even abide by the rules.
I wasn't tarring everyone with this brush. I don't support the erosion of privacy, so it would be hypocritical of me to tar anyone with this brush, let alone everyone. Much of my family for instance believes in the "I've got nothing to hide, so I have nothing to fear" argument, but my perspective is "neither did the Jews before Hitler".
> Some people, rightly, hold themselves and others to higher standards.
You cannot control the actions of everyone else, only yourself. Others will do what inspires them. What inspires them may or may not align with what inspires you. When it doesn't, expecting them to abide by the rules you hold dear is only setting yourself up for disappointment.
> People even abide by the rules
Yes, when it serves their purpose. When it doesn't, they either break the rules publicly, demonstrate to get the rules changed or break them privately to avoid judgment or being ostracized by partners, family, their community and hope like hell they don't get caught.
Lines are drawn regarding all kinds of things. Let's take just for the argument's sake, speeding, or smoking marijuana, never downloading music or movies illegally - things that we can all agree, there are rules about, rules that (currently) define these activities as prohibited in many jurisdictions. Even though there are rules, and many people may argue they're dumb rules about benign activities, there are still rules. Many break the rules publicly, voicing their defiance; many others break them privately and hope they don't get caught. I'd say given your stance you never break any rules - even rules you consider dumb or counter to your own set of beliefs or don't align with your interests; you always abide by the rules and you always fall in line with the wishes of your neighbour. Of course you don't, nobody does. It's human nature to question the rules and to find loopholes, and to bend them and/or break them when they don't align with our interests. These rules, which are defined for the good of the masses, to maintain the status quo. But what happens when what's good for the masses doesn't align with what's good for you? Do you put everyone else first or do you put yourself first? You put yourself first, you hope like hell you don't get caught or called out; or you hope if you do get caught you get away with a slap on the wrist or that a reasonably competent lawyer could fight your case in court and help you avoid the charges.
For me to believe that you strictly abide by all the rules, without questioning human nature, and without understanding your set of circumstances, would be incredibly naive. There are many reasons people break the law, it's not always cut and dry nor black and white. Most of the time it's incredibly grey - to the point that billions of dollars every year are spent on lawyers to argue to put people in jail or keep people out of jail based on legal technicalities, loop holes and precedence set by previous circumstances; because nothing is black and white. If it were then anyone could go to court and defend themselves and no more lawyers would be required.
Some of those revered as the greatest people on earth shunned the rules to invoke great change. Some canonized as saints after the fact, but in their time considered rebels, misfits and, in some cases, criminals: Rosa Parks, Bob Dylan, Mahatma Ghandi, Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, the lone protester at Tiananmen Square, Nelson Mandela, heck, even Jesus Christ - the son of man, shunned the rules and defied the status quo because of their beliefs - and many believe their rule breaking changed the world for the better.
We're all capable of fucking up, making shitty decisions, painting ourselves into corners, getting depressed, thinking emotionally instead of objectively/logically. That is the peril of the human condition. I don't think it's fair for any one of us to pass judgment on others actions except when it comes to the physical safety of the community.
So what, one group of people holds marital fidelity dear and think that any action that compromises this view is worthy of exposé. Another group doesn't believe in monogamy or lies about it... largely because to disagree with it ostracizes you from the community - makes you an outsider. Forget innocent parties that are hurt by this - collateral damage, a necessary evil to expose the cheaters. Can you even hear yourselves? Who cares? People lie, cheat and steal all the time. Politicians do it, spies do it, FBI, CIA, NSA, the police, hell, even Presidents do it if it serves their objective. Think about that. When are we going to wake up and realize that this is normal human behaviour - regardless of whether you're happy about that or accept it or not, this is the case.
I agree with those who say leave this behind closed doors. If marriages fall to pieces because of this, that is between them. But to publically name and shame people because their [non-criminal and not-concerning-you] actions don't jive with your morals [Perhaps politicians would be an exception to my perspective on this] is inexcusable. Not many are going to die because someone cheats on their spouse - even if they're caught. But leaking a database of this nature has real repercussions that could cause people death or persecution for something that should only between them and their partner and was none of anyone else's business.