I have seen many ponies as sweet and kind as Fluttershy come and go. I will see many more come and go. It never gets any easier to watch them grow old and die. It’s why I have chosen to remain celibate and single, for losing family hurts far more. It is an endless cycle of loss and I dare not share my grief with anypony other than my sister, the only other being who can relate to such pain. A leader must maintain her dignity for the sake of her nation. The tears I could shed for the friends I’ve lost to old age could fill an ocean. Giving in to my tears would only benefit me – and I am not so selfish as to make my little ponies feel guikt over their own mortality. I want them to be happy. Their happiness gives me a reason to persevere. I rule so that ponies like Fluttershy can spread their kindness directly and more effectively than I could. I think of it as the gift that I give myself. Would that be considered as selfish? I’d like to think that I am allowed at least that much.
@Millennial Dan
Harold Shipman was empathetic.
You’ll usually see ruthless doctors become hospital directors (esp ones that research cures) because they’re in that ‘seen too much shit, complete emotional shutdown’ stage of their professional lives, what determines the bad ones is how much of their escapism is in the numbers game and whether or not they begin seeing the patients as money bags.
@AlsoSprachOdin
The way I see it, “resolve” is the closest to what you were originally trying to say. Having the fortitude to do what’s right, no matter how uncomfortable or even tragic that action may be. It can sometimes feel the same as ruthlessness looking at it from the outside.
However, the distinction between the two makes all the difference in the world, because it’s an issue of heart. You’ll see very quickly how important that is, because heart, or motive, is what separates murder, manslaughter, and justifiable homicide, just as an example.
Yay, semantics! Fuck I hate it. And I did look up “ruthless” myself, before posting, but thought I could get away with simply explaining the meaning behind my first post.
But fine, do you have a suggestion for a more fitting word? You know, to avoid this bullshit another good day?
@Niggoslav_Krawczyk
I happen to know you too well to take anything you say about this sort of thing very seriously, but even if I did, I would have to ask you to rephrase for clarity. The word “ruthless” has a very specific definition, and in no way would such a disposition ever be a desirable trait in a doctor. Nazi doctors were ruthless, and that was definitely not virtuous of them.
@Millennial Dan You’re thinking far too binary on that.
Also, sometimes it comes about by simply being fatigued with ‘doing the hard thing’ (you see such with doctors that work exclusively in Africa a lot, as well as with specialising in the care of the terminally ill.)
Meanwhile, an empathetic doctor/nurse might believe their patient is suffering too much, and well, you get the idea where that will lead.
Having or showing no pity or compassion for others.
Do you not understand that a person can do what needs to be done, even exacting the full lethal extent of justice, while still feeling pity and holding onto your sense of compassion? To be ruthless is to be cold and heartless, and that is neither a virtue nor a strength.
@Millennial Dan
A vice is simply a bad habit, perhaps one that does harm to oneself or others.
Ruthlessness is the ability to push aside your own empathy: that’s a virtue because it’s a strength, and because your empathy is not always right.
@someguy111
Really. I experimented by sprinkling some of the ground cinnamon in a circle around a lone ant. He just kept trying to find a path through the circle and would not walk over it. I sprinkled it liberally on and in the hole in my wall where they were getting in and not one of them dug through it to get in.
