352 notes
·
View notes
Russian Doll The Good Place
🤝
The only meaningful thing
we can do in life is to connect
with each other
339 notes
·
View notes
on 'how to be perfect' - mike schur
those of us familiar with mike schurs work (specifically the good place,) are familiar with his writing style. in the good place, one thing i admired was that he was able to tackle complex topics like morals and ethical philosophy with a humorous outlook, and explain all the contradictions to different theories without giving me a headache. i came upon his book by accident- i was looking for some oxford textbook and i recognised a familiar font on the shelf. i flipped through a few pages and noticed mike schurs name on the cover, and so i bought it.
at first glance, the title, 'how to be perfect' sounds a bit overpromising for a book thats only about 200 pages or so, but thats partially the point of the book- there is no guide on how to actually be perfect, and the book explains how attempting to be perfect all the time will lead to moral exhaustion (a term schur coins in the book). part of me was expecting some poor quality ghostwritten overview of ethics (as other celebrities have written some books before that... arent that great,) but WOW, did mike schur deliver.
the good place was mentioned only a few times- it was more of an interactive guide to ethical philosophy's basics (so if you're looking for more good place content, probably not the place to find it) instead, there were chapters named "do i have to return my shopping cart to the shopping cart rack thingy?" and other ethical questions that actually affect modern lives. schur takes aristotles theory of virtue ethics, kants theory of the categorical imperative, and utilitarianism as just few ethical lenses to answer the various questions he poses, and explains the flaws and imperfections of almost all of these theories. 'what we owe to each other' by scanlon, which good place viewers will remember being referenced MANY times in the series, is also discussed, and mikes advocacy for scanlons pov is explained.
while the book starts off talking about grocery carts and supporting artists who've done bad things, and lying about a friends ugly shirt, schur dives deeper into ethics and tackles the hard questions, such as how much we actually owe to those around us, what to do when theres so much bad in the world, and if being a good person in a world where there really is no accurate measure of goodness or true obligation to be good is even worth it.
i personally think 'how to be perfect' was a great book for anyone looking to get started in ethical philosophy, as it provides an excellent easy to comprehend guide to the main 3 schools of ethical thought, and is written as if you're having a casual conversation. its entertaining and a wonderful primer to ethic philosophy. even if you're not interested in ethics, or philosophy, or don't even care about being a good person, it's still a good read- and has the potential to change your life.
get the book here! (or a free pdf like anywhere else online)
6 notes
·
View notes
“The reasons we have to treat others only in ways that could be justified to them underlie the central core of morality, and are presupposed by all the most important forms of human relationship. These reasons require us to strive to find terms of justification that others could not reasonably reject. But we are not in a position to say, once and for all, what these terms should be. Working out the terms of moral justification is an unending task.”
– T. M. Scanlon, What We Owe to Each Other
22 notes
·
View notes
Spring is on the way, the days are getting longer, and I'm having mixed feelings. There's a lot to love about spring - lambs in the fields, blossom on the trees, April showers. But it also heralds the approach of Summer, which I'm dreading.
I've decided to make the most of the season, and embrace something new. I've stepped out of my comfort zone with six books I would never normally read. I usually read Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult books, but this season I'm branching out with Mystery, Romance, and Biography. I may not find my new love affair, but I hope I'll enjoy my "Spring Flings"!
What We Owe to Each Other - T.M. Scanlon
Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
My Friend Anna - Rachel DeLoache Williams
Wild - Cheryl Strayed
If I'm Being Honest - Emma Wibberley
Mr Briggs' Hat - Kate Colquhoun
2 notes
·
View notes
From the fifth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.
10 notes
·
View notes
According to NBC here in the US, the missing titanic sub has been found. As debris. Off the bow of the Titanic wreckage.
And it looks like the sub suffered what we all suspected, and what was undoubtedly the more merciful of the two options: a catastrophic implosion from the pressure.
Also, more info has come to light about the fishing trawler with the hundreds of migrants that sank cataclysmically off the coast of Greece, indicating that the greek coast guard knew about the vessel AND how much trouble the vessel was in, and were towing it at a speed that made it capsize, at which point they unhooked the tow line and watched the trawler sink without helping the passengers to safety. Despite a bunch of other ships trying to help as well throughout the whole ordeal.
So a lot of people are dead, all because of regulations (and the lack thereof) regarding sea-faring vessels and rescue protocols. People shouldnt be allowed to make a business charging a ton of money for a ride on an uncertified, unsafe, un-seaworthy ship going deep into the ocean with no distress beacon or tether to the mothership. People also shouldnt be allowed to enact laws that criminalize the ferrying of refugees, which then force the refugees to hitch rides on fishing trawlers, and which also prevent people from helping those fishing trawlers full of refugees due to fear of legal consequences.
Hopefully BOTH of these events spark changes on an international scale in terms of what is legally allowed to be sailed, who is legally allowed to be the passengers, and what the rescue protocols are in the event of disaster for any seafaring vessel, illegal or not. It shouldnt be just the global 1% who get 24/7 search parties and remote-operated submersibles helping rescue them.
12K notes
·
View notes
0 notes
desmond & friends modern day assassin sequences…..I miss you……..
461 notes
·
View notes
Jason’s frame of reference for how smart and pretty Tahani is Nala from The Lion King.
1 note
·
View note
Tolkien Reading Day is almost over, but just popping on to say that my favorite passage on this year's theme of service and sacrifice is from Gandalf in ROTK:
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till."
This so perfectly encapsulates the imperatives of service here in the real world. You have a responsibility to others to address the problems and evils of life. You literally owe that to the people who are yet to come, who deserve a fair shot at making their way in a world that isn't irreparably tainted by the messes that we made for them. And yet, it isn't your responsibility to fix every single problem and for all time. It's too easy to get discouraged by the immensity of how much is fucked up in the world that needs to be solved. People end up doing nothing because they quickly discover that they can't do everything.
So stop trying to find that magic, silver bullet solution. There is no way to solve everything all at once. Instead, pick something -- what you know and what's in the fields in front of you -- and make it better. Clean that earth. Another person can do the tilling, and someone else the sowing and yet another the harvesting. Someone else can complete the work, but only if you find the strength to honor your responsibility to start it.
30 notes
·
View notes
@darkcrowprincess OOH I JUST CAME UP WITH SOMETHING- DBSBDBBD
*Po and the furious five were beating up a bunch of bad guys as per usual in the valley, whilst confronting them, the wolf bandits start mocking Po and Tigress*
Wolf bandit leader to Tigress: "HAHAHA! Sorry to break it to you, kitty, but you and your pudgy boyfriend are no match for us!"
Tigress, growling: "'kitty'?"
Po, taking a double take: "wait- 'BOYFRIEND'???"
The five and the group of bandits they're beating up: *freezes midfight* "uh oh."
Tigress, pounding her fist together: "I'll show you who's a kitty-"
Po, holding Tigress back: "WHOA WHOA WHOA FREEZE, PAUSE, TIMEOUT- I'M NOT- ME AND TIGRESS ARE NOT TOGETHER!"
The bandit leader: "you're not?"
The five and the rest of the bandits: "you're not??"
Tigress, surprisingly: "we're not?"
Po, flustered and sputtering: "wha-HUH-WAIT WHY ARE YOU ASKING THAT??"
287 notes
·
View notes
SIMPLY PUT
24 notes
·
View notes
Ok. Get closer why don’t you.
33 notes
·
View notes
Also, Ruan Mei was the one who lent the Phase Flame to Ratio, wasn't she?
7 notes
·
View notes