When is the exploitation of others for your benefit a "good" thing to do?

[Just Me]

Just wondering if there are exceptions to the rule that you should never exploit others.

:shrug:

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Did I "Exploit" my teachers' knowledge?

If not, they would be very disappointed.

[Just Me]

3. Did you manipulate your teachers into giving you profit?

Did your teachers TRICK you into benefitting their lot in life?

You are clearly talented in twisting human potential into human weakness. You hurt people, and you don't care,...do you.

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. What kind of absurd flame is that?

And what purpose does it serve? What is the definition of "Exploit"? I learned things from my teachers and used what they taught me. That does not mean I used the knowledge to hurt people.

Sheesh.

[NorCalDem]

7. I'm on your side TC

cause as we all know, it really depends on the what the word "is" really means.... oh wait, I mean "exploit"

If by exploitation you mean do them harm in some manner, then yes, it is wrong to exploit.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. Yes, see Dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=exploit
-----------------------------
ex·ploit ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ksploit, k-sploit)
n.
An act or deed, especially a brilliant or heroic one. See Synonyms at feat1.

tr.v. ex·ploit·ed, ex·ploit·ing, ex·ploits (k-sploit, ksploit)
1. To employ to the greatest possible advantage: exploit one's talents.
2. To make use of selfishly or unethically: a country that exploited peasant labor. See Synonyms at manipulate.
3. To advertise; promote.
-----------------------------

So, yes, there are definitions that make "Exploitation" unethical, but if one uses the first verb definition, it's usually considered a virtue.

[Solon]

8. No you didn't...

That's absurd, your teacher's job description was to teach kids, for compensation of time and education. Now if the administrators of the school were being assholes and taking advantage of the teachers then they would be exploiting the teachers, not you.

[mermaid]

2. Fucking NEVER!!!!

You should NEVER profit AT THE EXPENSE of another.

If you profit by someone else, and cause no suffering onto the one you are profitting off of, such as a teacher/student relationship, that is well and good.

But the term "exploitation" clearly means, and has overtones of...one party benefitting AT THE EXPENSE of the other party. And that is wrong.

There are a few types of relationships in nature between organisms...

There is the symbiotic relationship, such as what exists between, say, humans and trees. Each takes something it needs from the other, and both parties benefit. In the humans/trees scenario, trees take our waste product of breathing, carbon dioxide...and they use this in their photosynthesis process to make food for themselves. The trees then, as a by-product of this, give off free oxygen as a waste product...which we humans benefit from in that we need it to breathe, and thus the cycle perpetuates itself to the benefit of both organisms.

There is a benign relationship where one party benefits, but the other party neither gains nor loses. Such an example is tougher to come across, but, just as an example, there are certain bacteria that live in our digestive systems. They benefit by feeding on the food we consume for ourselves...but, the bacteria in no way harm us...nor do they do anything particularly beneficial, either. (There are other bacteria in the digestive system that DO have a beneficial effect for humans...and some which have a negative effect.)

Then, there is the parasitic relationship...whereby one party benefits at the direct expense of the other party. Such an example would be, say, a toenail infection. The bacteria causing this are benefitting, by taking what they need...and are having a negative effect upon their host, actually causing harm to the host. In this case, the relationship is parasitic.

Another example of a parasitic relationship is CEO's and executives, and stockholders in corporations...and workers. The CEO's executives and stockholders benefit off the worker's labors, and do so AT THE DIRECT EXPENSE OF WORKERS...in terms of lower wages, lost benefits, job outsourcing, rotten work conditions...this is a parasitic relationship.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Why do you hate Capitalism/America?

[leftofthedial]

6. In Murka

it's always a good thing

[Bluerthanblue]

10. the only exception would be

if YOU become the 'other'-

in essence, if you've got to 'use' someone to get what you want, it is only ok to 'use' yourself- because you'll be the one to bear the concequence-

how's that for twisted logic?

Treat others as if YOU were 'others'.

[Mz Pip]

11. I would consider

exploiting BushCo's lies, misdeeds and general incompetence to our advantage a good thing. If we could just pull it off.

Mz Pip
:dem: