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Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

Hello,

I've been thinking of a new philosophical thesis and wanted to put it to the mindless crowd out here for though about it.

It basically goes like this:

thesis: All inter-personal relations are based on our preception of one another's superiority and inferiority.

What that means, if I think I'm better then you I won't like you as much. And if you think I better then you, you'll like me. When you find an equalibrium (he's better then me here, and he thinks I'm better then him here) then you achieve friendship and love. Anyway its something going through my brain, and it seems to be able to explain all human interaction.

So without further delay: DISCUSS. I will comment as I see fit.

So I and Yoepus just had this nice discussion over ICQ...



Yoepus

.. how can the theory be disproved? it simply explains interaction in the context of superiorty and inferiority - it has no conclusion, im clueless as to what it is

Moi

yeah right, no1 befor you had ever thought about human relationships in the context of social status

well they have - but im saying this social status can explain ALL human relationships, i think thats a bold claim

but wont u end up in an egg-chicken dilemma?
social status being derived from relationships, relationships being derived from social status!

not really - because relationships happen when there are more then one person to begin with - and relationships breed social status.so relationships (or contact with other humans) comes first, and then you have superiority and inferiority - which by definition are relative terms

thats what im saying
by relationships u get your social status. but then u go on saying that the relationships ure having are directly affected by your social status.but to get these social-status-breeding relationships ull need some kind of status (determining your superiority/inferiority-position) first. as by your rationale without a status no relationship can exist

the point being you are first netrual to a guy, and then you build your opinion of him - the more you know the stronger the opinion


ill sum it up: whoever ill meet in my life, Ill enter a relationship with him. this relationship will be characterized by my social satus which consequently determines my perception of HIS social status.

but its not just social status - i can be better then you say in wealth, but you can be better then me in say intelligence. Even if we are from different social circles we understand and respect this difference of superiorty - and inferiorty which creates a bond

you are obviously attracted to someone with superior beauty - and you see many couples that one is beautiful one is ugly, how can you explain this?

1. i wish i would but i think its a myth...heidi klum just wont date me
2. IF there would be such a law, then id guess it'd be for the sake of egoistically using the other's status to use one's own

as for 1, ya because you are off par inferior to her - you have nothing to offer he, why would she date you? 2. exactly, the law is horrible when we understand it - but the law still holds

that we're meant to live in endless competition and comparison

i defined human nature as competitive and comparitive by stating that we value every human interaction on superiority and inferiority

that might be a good point actually

and what i am saying is bascially its a law - everything we do can be described in its context - the context of bascially comparison.and that sort of crashes down many wide-held philosophical belives we have now - for one it sort of mitigates equality unless we state it is from a divine orgin


about us not being equal....i always like to believe that eventually we ARE equal for there exist some cosmic law of compensation. he who is stupid, looks better, or is wealthier, or plays the piano..whatever

as for that last comment of yours i belive in equality - this is why this theory is so hard to grasp.but i don't belive in comsic law of final equality - if you look in scripture they say some people are made a heavier life to deal with then others

why? my "law of compensation" doesnt contradict your law of "comparative evaluation " (copyright by trancegiant).
on the one hand if theory 1 is true we should all be friends but on the other hand theory two doesn't say that we care about all aspects (which eventually make up the compensation) equally.

Ok here is my first go at trying to explain my theory. And the theory is no longer stating that superiority and inferiority can explain everything us Humans do - this has changed to a law. It's just how it is, it holds true universially. The theory goes to understand why this law exist:

I have discovered a law. It states the following; �All human interaction can be described by our perceptions of superiority and inferiority�.

This seems to hold universal. From our love in a family, to lovers, friendship, hatred, jealousy, anger, laughter, and so forth, all these inter-personal interactions can be described in the terms of superiority and inferiority. By definition superiority and inferiority are comparative qualities, and therefore we can compare to one another. But when we do so, it is simply not enough to state that one is superior, or better. But in the same context state token the weight of inferiority carries the shared significance, as it is this notion that you are worse, that leads you to value better.

Let me give some examples that hold the universality of this law, in some of the instances that have been hardest to explain.

For starters, when one sees a couple together, where one of the pair is remarkably gorgeous and the other is just plain ugly, we ask how can this be? In the context of superiority and inferiority it explains attraction in the following way. Lets say in this situation the girl is beautiful and the guy is ugly. Well the guy is attracted to the girl for her beauty which is obviously superior to his. Although he has inferior looks to the girl, the girl is attracted perhaps to his charisma, his charm, or his intelligence, all which are superior to the girls in this regard. For this the lack of superiority and inferiority is mitigated for each side � the girl feels superior because her partner is superior in fields she is inferior, likewise for the guy. This same notion can then be expanded to explain friendship. When an �equilibrium� of sorts is met to when the qualities of our superiority are equal to the superiority of another in the same category, we have a common value, however when it is our superiority that makes up for their lack in inferiority and vice versa, you have a bond. This is why friends, like lovers tend to compliment one another in the sense of their �virtues� � superiorities and inferiorities. The closer this equilibrium is met � to the fact that equality is seen as an understood value between friends, the friendship is stronger. When inequality exists, when it is extended marks a lessening of that very same bond.
From here we have hatred; hatred is simply the in-acceptance of ones superiority or inferiority over others. It does not necessarily bother us that someone is better looking then us � superior in looks. But it does bother us when they are �snobby� � when they refuse to recognizes our superiorities to their inferiorities.
The hardest challenge to explain however is the love in family. Where does this bond come from? It seems apparently impossible to explain how families can love one another fairly unconditionally when many members of the family refuse to recognizes superiorities and inferiorities. However this can mitigate by a certain point; Childhood. As a child, you unconditionally recognize your parents as superiors, and accept your inferiority to them in almost every acceptable notion. From here stems the deep love, the recognition of such. But at a certain age a child comes to bare his own perceptions of the world and here is the test of the families love. Many families come to ruins at this point. The child grows of age, realizes his father say is not as superior as he believed him to be in a certain aspect, and believes himself to be actually superior, and his father inferior. It is at this time that the new recognition of superiority � yes they actually are better then me here, they are wiser in age and wisdom, reinforce our love. Or the breaking of our perceptions of the established superiority and inferiority cause our love to weaken � no he lied to me he is not the strongest man in the world, he is not smart, he�s not clever, and he is actually a low life. The love however has a strong base on the understanding of the superiority and inferiority equilibrium that has been built previously through childhood, and perhaps strengthened such. In the same regard, if we have a break of this love in childhood, and degradation of this love further we come to the other extreme end.

These are just a few examples, but the point I am making is that all human interaction can be described by the law I noted above. Everything can be described by our perceptions of superiority and inferiority. And you may ask so? And so indeed, what does it matter? I will cede two things on this note. First, that many of us do not realize this. As a firm opponent of unconscious thought, I was the least to want to grasp that we � our brain evaluates all our current human interaction on this very basis. Once someone points this out you will now realize what your brain has been doing without realizing. You will compare your interaction, situations with other individuals and witness how your mind values their inferiority and superiority to your inferiority and superiority. The second is that there seems to be a conclusion to the fact that ALL human interactions can simply be explained in the context of two words.

It proves something, the fact that we can describe all human interaction in these two words, of superiority and inferiority, means we live in endless competition and comparison. Now having proved we live in endless competition and comparison, so what? What does this mean?

And for here a true philosopher would have to derive a great conclusion. For me it simply means the following at this point in time. The fact that we live in endless comparative evaluation means that the basic notions of our equality must be questioned at least from an inherent nature or creator origin. If we are created to be comparatively evaluating everything, why is this? Is this a sign of a natural, or divine hierarchy? I do not know. One thing is clear however, feeling superior makes us happy. And we feel superior by sharing in someone else superiority � this makes us happy. But that again begs the same question, why does superiority make us happy? Why is it important, and what is its origin. For this I must still think.

Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Yoepus Hello, I've been thinking of a new philosophical thesis and wanted to put it to the mindless crowd out here for though about it. So without further delay: DISCUSS. I will comment as I see fit.

I can't discuss. I'm mindless. You told me so.

Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Nalin I can't discuss. I'm mindless. You told me so.

And i'd like to confirm his findings!

Good topic, I'll see if I can get myself to read through it more thoroughly and comment on it when it isn't 2 a.m. with 2 programming assignments i haven't started and 20 more pages of a 70 page paper still to be written all due in about 10 hours.

As for why I am browsing the forums whilst in such a predicament:

awesome thread!

Yoepus, you wrote everything with brilliance

Do you consider this part of your theory? People are your friends ONLY because they think ur better than them and therefore, it would be *beneficial* to be ur friend...

Being very blunt..you think you have friends ? Not initially! You have people who hang around you because you can give them something they want. They don't hang around you becase they want to contribute TO your life but because they can take something FROM ur life.

quote:

If we are created to be comparatively evaluating everything, why is this? Is this a sign of a natural, or divine hierarchy? I do not know. One thing is clear however, feeling superior makes us happy. And we feel superior by sharing in someone else superiority � this makes us happy. But that again begs the same question, why does superiority make us happy? Why is it important, and what is its origin. For this I must still think.

the first thing i thought of when i read this (and who knows if it makes sense or not) was charles darwin and natural selection; basically, survival of the fittest. superiority makes us happy because it reflects things that we would like to see in ourselves. we seek it out.

one of the purposes of all organisms is to procreate, so therefore its a natural instinct that we seek out relationships with people who may potentially benefit us in this aspect. (this is where the confusion with having friends of the same sex comes in for heterosexuals and homosexuality comes in).
so maybe you could say its our natural drive to tend to gravitate towards people who will help to create more superior, 'fitter' progeny.

Nice post Yoepus, this time I actually agree with most of what you're saying.

quote:

Originally posted by King_Mack one of the purposes of all organisms is to procreate, so therefore its a natural instinct that we seek out relationships with people who may potentially benefit us in this aspect. (this is where the confusion with having friends of the same sex comes in for heterosexuals and homosexuality comes in). so maybe you could say its our natural drive to tend to gravitate towards people who will help to create more superior, 'fitter' progeny.

Ya I could say that, but it just lackes that meaning to life quality of Philosophy - its just to simple to say. Althought a good argument from a purely natrual perspective.

Re: Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

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Originally posted by melech_mike And i'd like to confirm his findings!

Us mindless idiots can't even read His Majesty's theory, musch less discuss it.

quote:

Originally posted by King_Mack awesome thread! Yoepus, you wrote everything with brilliance Do you consider this part of your theory? People are your friends ONLY because they think ur better than them and therefore, it would be *beneficial* to be ur friend... Being very blunt..you think you have friends ? Not initially! You have people who hang around you because you can give them something they want. They don't hang around you becase they want to contribute TO your life but because they can take something FROM ur life.

Yes, quality philosophy. King Mack, Although your friends take something from your life, you also take things from their lives otherwise you wouldn't consider them your friends. So they are still "friends" in the sense that there is mutual gain from both parties.

quote:

Originally posted by occrider Yes, quality philosophy. King Mack, Although your friends take something from your life, you also take things from their lives otherwise you wouldn't consider them your friends. So they are still "friends" in the sense that there is mutual gain from both parties.

Exactly, and once their is no mutual gain you stop being friends.

Two more examples this law helps explain very well. Why do people do
charity work? It is simply because the action is the realization of your superiority to other. The same can be said for the feeling of pity, and taking pity. The second example, why do people feel good when they are being religious? Why do some have a �divine feeling� when they pray, or believe they are close to God? The answer is the same, they are simply taking upon an action whereby they realize their superiority.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by DrummeRaver86 Us mindless idiots can't even read His Majesty's theory, musch less discuss it.

I use this as an example of The Law of Superiority as well. You difuse yourself as being a mindless idiot by using sarcasim to illustrate your superiority to me and yourself, obviously believing that I am inferior to you.

quote:

The second example, why do people feel good when they are being religious? Why do some have a �divine feeling� when they pray, or believe they are close to God? The answer is the same, they are simply taking upon an action whereby they realize their superiority.

I'd say it's not so much their own superiority they realize, but instead believe that by being closer to a superior being, they are becoming more superior than they were in their normal lives. Basically it's coming from the idea that every person is somewhat similar to the people he/she is dealing with, so if you're on close relations with god, you become more, let's say, godly.

Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Yoepus Hello, I've been thinking of a new philosophical thesis and wanted to put it to the mindless crowd out here for though about it. It basically goes like this: thesis: All inter-personal relations are based on our preception of one another's superiority and inferiority. What that means, if I think I'm better then you I won't like you as much. And if you think I better then you, you'll like me. When you find an equalibrium (he's better then me here, and he thinks I'm better then him here) then you achieve friendship and love. Anyway its something going through my brain, and it seems to be able to explain all human interaction. So without further delay: DISCUSS. I will comment as I see fit.

I don't mean to impugn the originality of your theses, but what you're suggesting seems like a variant of Foucault's theory of power.

I obviously can't do Foucault justice here, but the most simple way I can explain it is that power is based on relative social relations and the perception of those relations.

Power, as a network, is ubiquitious and we constantly tap into it in our everyday social and professional lives. No matter how poweless one may be (or perceive themselves to be) they can always tap into these networks and gain a modicum of power. For example, regarding social interactions in this arbitrary internet forum, a Supreme Tranceaddict excercises more power than a Junior Trancaddict, but in the Junior Tranceaddict's living room, the situation would possibly be reversed.

Your examples involving people "liking each other" are based on sets of shared asumptions/perceptions can be quite neatly juxtaposed alongside the theories of power relations.

Or you can explain away Foucault the way I've done it to students in the past, using the "fielder's choice" in baseball as a metaphor for the excercise of selective power.

Check out Foucault's "Power/Knowledge" and "Discipline and Punish" for far more detailed analyses (don't forget to bring along some aspirin and ice cream when you start reading).

Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Konijn Island I don't mean to impugn the originality of your theses, but what you're suggesting seems like a variant of Foucault's theory of power. I obviously can't do Foucault justice here, but the most simple way I can explain it is that power is based on relative social relations and the perception of those relations.

No not in all, I don't claim to be the only one to have discovered this theory - but regardless I have discovered it on my own. Simply stating I've never been taught, heard, or read of this theory or a similar variant.

I have heard of Foucault's theory of power, but thats about it. I will definetlly look into it. I guess it could be similar to "power" (and I do know Foucault defines power really oddly, as basically everything... but I will definetlly have to read up) except for the following reasons.

i. Superiority is always existant - everyone considers themselves superior.
ii. The realization of Superiority makes us happy (this will be my second law in my thesis). I don't know if the same can be said for "Foucault's power". The fact that superiority makes us happy is a sign by nature or creator, I believe, that it is correct to interpert human interaction under superiority, and that humans pursue superiority.
iii. I'm starting to play with the following law as well and if it works will make it my third addition to the thesis: "All happiness is derived from perceptions of superiority[/inferiority balance]".


Getting back to your comments Konijn, and I appreciate them as they are insightful - using your analogy of trance addict memebrship. Here I will interpert it using my Law of Superiority, from my personal experience of it.

Being a Senior TranceAddict member did not and still does not, make me feel happier then when I was a n00b TranceAddict. This I explain, is because it does not make me feel superior for any reason. Perhaps I just don't consider making many post a superior trait for online discussion. If however indeed being a Senior TranceAddict bestows upon me some advantages - that contrast to the other TAs here, this will make me feel superior - and happeir by extenstion.

I see the point you are making however, that my status here is different then my status in the real world. But then we are getting into an identity issue. I am simply saying we can explain identity issues, and all other things using the law of superiority. Perhaps Focualt can do the same, I don't know - I haven't read him, and you don't make it sound very appealing to read him either

The claim goes that this theory of superiority can explain everything - although not the best, and perhaps in many times saying what other theories say in but different terminology, but regardless the poing goes you can examine everything in this context. And when we evaluate everything in this context it changes our preception of the world, and our thinking regarding certain issues.

Anyways thansk for the post guys, keep them coming.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Yoepus I use this as an example of The Law of Superiority as well. You difuse yourself as being a mindless idiot by using sarcasim to illustrate your superiority to me and yourself, obviously believing that I am inferior to you.

Number 1: I don't think that in this context "difused" can be correctly used. Number 2: I don't feel inferior or superior to myself, how could I? Number 3: It's not sarcasm (note, no "i"), it's humor. And, no I don't think that I'm inferior to you. I was agreeing with someone else's point of view, and I was just having a laugh at the situation. Take it easy mate, this isn't "Let's Make Fun of Yeopus Time, and See What He Does." I was just thinking about your theory, and making a small comment on it.
Also, I believe that now you feel superior to me. You have posted your opinion in a public viewing area, so that my comment could be refuted there by suppourting your theory, and making me look bad. Well, I'd like to refer you to Mr. Charles Darwin. He said that only the strongest survive. It's in our nature, Yoepus, to try and surmount what has been put forth against us. Therefore, we are always trying to be the superior person. Even in writing this response, I am rebutting your response to my previous comment and trying to make myself the superior one. Well, congratulations Yeopus, you've dicovered something that people have known for quite a while.
Take it easy mate, it's only a joke.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Originally posted by Yoepus I use this as an example of The Law of Superiority as well. You difuse yourself as being a mindless idiot by using sarcasim to illustrate your superiority to me and yourself, obviously believing that I am inferior to you.

Number 1: I don't think that in this context "difused" can be correctly used. Number 2: I don't feel inferior or superior to myself, how could I? Number 3: It's not sarcasm (note, no "i"), it's humor. And, no I don't think that I'm inferior to you. I was agreeing with someone else's point of view, and I was just having a laugh at the situation. Take it easy mate, this isn't "Let's Make Fun of Yeopus Time, and See What He Does." I was just thinking about your theory, and making a small comment on it.
Also, I believe that now you feel superior to me. You have posted your opinion in a public viewing area, so that my comment could be refuted there by suppourting your theory, and making me look bad. Well, I'd like to refer you to Mr. Charles Darwin. He said that only the strongest survive. It's in our nature, Yoepus, to try and surmount what has been put forth against us. Therefore, we are always trying to be the superior person. Even in writing this response, I am rebutting your response to my previous comment and trying to make myself the superior one. Well, congratulations Yeopus, you've dicovered something that people have known for quite a while.
Take it easy mate, it's only a joke.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Philosophy: Superiority and Inferiority

quote:

Take it easy mate, it's only a joke.

Hey man I know its a joke, I don't take offense at it. Me stating you guys are "mindless idiots" was a joke (and challenge) as well.

I was just trying to illustrate some other point. Hobbs in his Levithan (sp?) comes up with the orgins for the superiority theory of laughter - which basically describes that laughter is our instant realization of superiority over another.

Now saying that again I will state - yes I get it, its a simple joke no offense taken, I feel no ill towards it. I just happened to like it and used it to make a point of illustration of my theory.

As for evolution fitting into superiority - yes it definetlly has a place in it which can be accomadated. However evolution does not help describe all our social interactions, after all how does evolution describe why we laugh? why we cry? (or could you describe these in such) How can evolution describe depression, schizophrenia, and so forth?

Initially I was thinking exactly like you. Yes haven't I just stumbled onto something everyone knows - "we all want to be the best", and then I realized no. Every single decission we make, every interaction is based (unconscioulsly until we seek to realize it) on our evaluation of others.

And furthermore if we can decribe evertyhing as "Evolution", or in my termed "Superiority Law", then what does this say about man? If you simply believe in evolution then who do you cherish equality? What is your explination for the greater ideals of life, and what is the reflection of the Law of Superiority on such matters?

quote:

Originally posted by DrummeRaver86 Number 2: I don't feel inferior or superior to myself, how could I? Number 3: It's not sarcasm (note, no "i"), it's humor. And, no I don't think that I'm inferior to you. I was agreeing with someone else's point of view, and I was just having a laugh at the situation. Take it easy mate, this isn't "Let's Make Fun of Yeopus Time, and See What He Does." I was just thinking about your theory, and making a small comment on it.

Number 2: You can, after all when do you laugh at yourself? When you do something stupid - you know you are better then that, but you did something stupid. You can feel inferior to yourself at this time. Many time you know you can be superior to yourself. I procrasenate, when I know I can be better then what I am and get some work done. Do you understand this point now?

Number 3: I don't believe you are inferior to me either, I believe you have many valuable superiorites to my own. This should mitigate your anger.

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