Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Harm- the definition

"Harm" is damage. Physical processes can cause harm, and intentional or accidental acts by individuals can cause harm.

It can be physical such as scrapes, bruises, broken bones, or other manifestations of applied force.

It can be financial such as a loss of your money or other property through theft, fraud, or damage to your property. Being successful while others are not is not a case of you harming them.

It could be emotional if you are subjected to psychological abuse while being held prisoner and not allowed to escape, but it does not include "being offended" when escape is physically possible.

When individuals cause intentional harm, evil has been committed. Accidental harm incurs a debt, just as intentional harm does. Restitution is a proper way to settle those debts.

All harm hurts, but not everything that hurts is harm. Some hurtful things do not cause actual harm. Many things that hurt and many things that cause harm are just the result of living in the universe by the laws of physics.

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