theophiles.org - What's important?

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What's important?

Ask Theophiles

Written by PerpetualAgnostic

Monday, 23 June 2008 19:32

Wide open question. Even the meaning of the question is up for grabs. Any takers?

Comments

wezlo - Well...

|2008-06-23 23:30:14

...I taught my kids how to ride their two-wheelers, that's kinda cool. It's important to me in a rite of passage sort of way...

exile

|2008-06-24 00:44:08

"important" implies there is a subject who deems it important.

karhu

|2008-06-24 18:19:06

Whom we consider important enough to value the opinion of.

emperorbma - An interesting question

|2008-06-24 02:56:39

As you said, it is a "wide open question" and without knowing the context that the question is being asked in, it will produce a wide range of answers.

Among these hypothetical answers, some general categories can be derived:
Category 1: Overall importance. This is largely equivalent to the question "what is the meaning of life?" For the many theists on this board (myself included), this will obviously tend to involve God and His purpose for our lives. For non-theists, this most likely will involve some sort of concern for fellow man or the world in general. Of course, the existence of the former theistic position does not preclude the inclusion of the latter position in part or in full; since God's purpose is usually seen to include some or all of the latter.

Category 2: Important topic to the subject at the moment when you asked. In this case, you generally get an answer of what the subject is thinking at the moment.

Category 3: A definition of the word important. As per Wiktionary, "having relevant and crucial value."

Category 4: An analytical discourse about the nature of the question. e.g. this post.

Category 5: Anything else that I have failed to discern.

holmegm

|2008-06-24 06:02:34

Loving God and loving each other.

wezlo

|2008-06-24 07:48:52

Wait, isn't the quote, "Love God and love your neighbor?"

SteveGus

|2008-06-24 07:47:49

To love God;

To love my neighbor as myself;

To remember that I shall surely die;

To hold all other things in a perspective informed by these first things.

Entity

|2008-06-24 08:30:45

Gibeon, Nineveh, life, the body, justice, mercy, faithfulness, to love him [God] with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, seats, and that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.

MakaDad - Insert Smartypants Comment Here

|2008-06-24 13:06:03

Just this ashtray.

And this paddle game. The ashtray and the paddle game and that's all that's important.

And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game, and the remote control, and that's all that's important.

And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball.

And this lamp. The ashtray, this paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that's all that's important.

And that's all I need too. I don't need one other thing, not one - I need this. The paddle game, and the chair, and the remote control, and the matches, for sure.

And this. And that's all I need. The ashtray, the remote control, the paddle game, this magazine and the chair.

And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.

No, I don't need my dog.

grizzly - more smartypants

|2008-06-24 14:08:51

I'm glad you don't need the cigarettes, but what do you need the ash tray and matches for? To burn the magazine? If so, why do you need the magazine? Do you have a deep-seated need to see things burning? ;-)

CoffeeZombie

|2008-06-24 15:39:04