Good Intentions

I've been thinking a lot lately about a person I know. She seems to have it in her head that as long as her intentions are good, it doesn't matter what happens otherwise.

So it made me think, are we responsible for the results of our actions or only the intent of them?

'"Kindly let me help you or you'll drown," said the monkey, putting the fish safely up the tree.' - Alan Watts.

Good intentions are not "good" enough without wisdom, and consideration whether the actions they encourage us to take are appropriate.

i think that people with genuinely good intentions will express and demonstrate some willingness to alter their behavior or their perspective when they see that their influence is not helpful or productive

whereas people who are just self centered will not actually care how their actions affect others so long as they can tell themselves "well i TRIED" or "i didnt mean anything by it" or whatever, according to the situation

but still keep moving along entirely on the momentum of their own impulses and not seeing - or wanting to see - or even being willing to see - beyond whatever they FEEL LIKE doing in any given moment

in which case their intentions werent REALLY that good

not bad maybe, but not exactly GOOD either, from a community perspective

we all make mistakes and miscalculations, and we all have flaws, weaknesses, short comings, and what i like to call "blind sides" to our personalities

while the goodness of the intent doesnt protect anyone from the consequences of the act - its not at all possible to know the full scope of consequences for every act

and we MUST act; life is a participatory event

so there are times when all we have as a guide for determining our acts is the nature and focus of our intentions as they relate to our best judgement of whats going on

in terms of judging someone else, i think the best we can do is talk to the person in a genuine way, communicate respectfully and listen well, and then maybe, MAYBE we will be able to accurately gauge what their real intentions are

as for judging ourselves, i often have the experience of seeing that my intention in a given circumstance and my effect - the outcome as witnessed or experienced by others - are not the same at all

and sometimes i have nothing but the knowledge that my intentions are good or "my heart is in the right place" (or at least im willing to put it in the right place if i can figure out where that is) and after that i just have to say "it is what it is and i am doing my best" and then go on and chop wood and carry water with whatever peace i can hold on to

I think part of good intentions is the intention to be skillful in execution and to build skill. Without that added element of accountability, the willingness to work to be effective, I don't know how good the intentions are. I find people just think they know better, but they call it good intentions. Or, they are really good-hearted, but they neglect the second part.

I figure if I really intend a good result, I should also do what is necessary to become effective in my helping. It can be humbling to learn that a good heart isn't enough.

That said, a high skill level with a mean heart is no fun to have around either.

The road to hell was paved with good intentions. :silly:

Cabur Senaar hit on something I want to ask a question about...

Can intentions be considered good with out a mentality of self improvement?

or

What good are good intentions when we still hurt other people regardless?

What is good? If my intent is to serve my own needs, that's good intention, right?

rugadd wrote: Cabur Senaar hit on something I want to ask a question about...

Can intentions be considered good with out a mentality of self improvement?

or

What good are good intentions when we still hurt other people regardless?

I guess I regard meaning well as an incomplete good. Not bad on its own as such, but great plans still need great execution. In certain situations, where I am unskilled, I will do more harm than good. If you need an oil change, for instance, I am not your guy. I could refer you to someone or help you pay, but for the task itself, I am not the guy. I know that about myself. In other things, I strive to get better and better at the skill.

We're going to mess up. Bank on that. We then have an oppurtunity to learn a better move.

Helps if the intention is focused on the results :lol:

Kant argues that we are morally responsible for only those things which are in our control. He argues that the actual outcome of our actions aren't solely within our control, but that intentions are entirely within our control. So, we should be held responsible for the intentions we have whenever we go through with an action. Of course, with that line of reasoning any action can be justified. The consequentialist argues that it is the outcome alone which matters, since that actually takes place in reality and isn't limited to something as obscure and unseen as "intentions", which you could very well lie about at any given time. An issue with consequentialism is the doctrine of double effect, that unintended effects can take place due to our actions alongside the intended effects, and those unintended consequences can be dire. I, however, generally take the consequentialist view.

Intent cannot ever be proven. And ultimately, if you shoot a gun intending just to be excited by the loud noise and happen to hit an innocent bystander, you're still responsible for hurting that person! So I can't see how you would put much stock into the idea that intentions alone matter.