Conversation

Rewards and punishments are an abomination, really, with anything to do with humans, because they are trying to forcibly change a human’s situation which had involved some creativity to one that doesn’t. -DD

Quote Tweet

FJEiwofjIOGHIOEGHIOESJFOI:SEJ

@James11804433

· Feb 22

In the US, people still litter even though there is a $1000 fine. In Japan people don’t litter because they want the country to be beautiful. You can’t buy respect.

雲水

@foodofthegods3

Replying to

@James11804433

This fits very well in Taoist thought. There's a (probably false) Zhuangzi quote that goes "Rewards and punishment is the lowest form of education.“ He does write about rewards and punishment in his book on multiple occasions, one being:

1:37 PM · Feb 24, 2022Twitter Web App

Replying to

and

Also, chapter 38 in the Tao Te Ching says much the same thing. Only when the Tao is lost—i.e., when people do not feel one with where they are—does morality and notions of explicitly doing good and being rewarded arise.

雲水

@foodofthegods3

Feb 24

So, when people feel one with where they are, they know that whatever they do to their environment they do to themselves. Westerners do not feel this, and thus need to be externally motivated to not litter and treat their environment with reverence—with poor results indeed.

Show replies