Heaven's BBS | Text

[unlucky7]

From: Anonymous
Date: October 26th

Personal happiness or loyalty. Suppose choosing one comes at the cost of the other, which would you choose and why?

Comments

From: Edge

[onehandsomeslickninja]

If your loyalty doesn't make you happy, it's not well-placed at all!

Anonymous

[unlucky7]

That's not what the question is asking.

[But still a useful answer for consideration.]

Anonymous

[iron59]

Loyalty to who? I would chose some people I know first. But only some.

Anonymous

[unlucky7]

I'll leave it to the individual to decide whether its loyalty to a specific person or a blanket statement.

text, from: Li Tieguai

[reformedsinner]

Unless you have no loyalties, or you don't care at all for your own happiness, you have to find a way to balance the two-- isn't that right?

In other words, it depends on the situation.

Anonymous

[unlucky7]

I suppose.

What if the situation is a hypothetical one where you have to choose one or the other?

[reformedsinner]

I don't think either concept has any value when you isolate them from specifics.

The person who answered you first said, "Loyalty that doesn't make you happy is ill-placed." I would also say, "Can you be happy, having betrayed someone's trust?"

[unlucky7]

Then let me offer a specific scenario.

If a shinki is unhappy in the service of their god, should they stay with that god or seek another to serve?

[reformedsinner]

That's a much simpler question. Try to resolve it first, but if that doesn't work, leave.

After all, true loyalty doesn't come as easily as simply being assigned to someone. If a god hasn't earned it, they shouldn't receive it.

[unlucky7]

[...Huh.]

If one of your shinki asked to be released, would you let them go?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Sure it is. If your loyalty is given properly, you wouldn't be happy to abandon it.

[reformedsinner]

I would. In fact, I have.

Any god who would refuse to release a shinki shouldn't be allowed to name shinki at all.

[unlucky7]

Do you think there's a certain amount of time a shinki should stay with a god before asking to be released?

[reformedsinner]

Generally, it's worth at least trying to work together before finding a new god. Without good communication, any partnership will fail.

If you'd be in danger staying with them, of course, it's better to leave right away.

[unlucky7]

Maybe I don't know what loyalty is then.

[unlucky7]

I'm not in danger, but I don't want to stay either. Their temple makes me uncomfortable.

But I don't want to leave them without a shinki.

[reformedsinner]

That's a more difficult question. There are, I believe, some soulless shinki with no god....

[unlucky7]

I'm the first shinki they've had that isn't soulless.

[And thus the massive amount of guilt in thinking about leaving.]

I do not know if they would want a soulless shinki.

[reformedsinner]

If you don't want to be their shinki, your preferences matter as much as theirs.

They wouldn't have to be defenseless in your absence, is all I mean.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Put it another way -- why would you be loyal to something that made you unhappy?

[unlucky7]

Duty. [Obligation.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

If you failed to live up to your duty in a way that you felt was right and proper, you wouldn't be happy.

Anonymous

[iron59]

Then some people earn loyalty.

The rest can jump in a lake.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia wants to argue she can fulfill her duty while remaining unhappy, but no, things clearly aren't so right now. If they were the case, she wouldn't question things, struggle internally with her feelings.

Fine. So loyalty and happiness do go hand-in-hand.]

How do you know when you have someone worthy of your loyalty?

[unlucky7]

What does it take for someone to earn your loyalty?