If the maximum penalty for stealing cookies is being forced to put the cookies back, then it makes no sense for anyone *not* to try stealing cookies at all times. If any notion of deterrence is entertained, then, by all means, punishment should be *disproportionate*.
Cooperation is more efficient than competition, but competition itself is necessary to keep things fluid. "Humanity got where it is today not because of competition, but thanks to cooperation" is inaccurate; We only got so good at cooperation because *there was so much competition*.
Lying is a more complex, more *advanced* activity than telling the truth; What's more, it is competitively advantageous — so much, in fact, that it's no wonder everyone lies to you that it isn't.
Better yet, listen to both sides, make your own conclusions, and then not trust *those* either.
"The fact that any given functionality exists is not sufficient to create in me a sense of obligation."
Democracy: the process in which a majority's vote results in the acceptance of a policy the speaker personally approves.
"Know your place, woman!" — "And what place is that?" — "Why, in key positions for ruling the world, obviously!"
Whether or not you can trust your judgement is far from being a banal question. On one hand, there is a significant body of evidence against. On the other, it is the only thing you have!
"I'm a *pragmatheist*. I believe in whatever makes most sense from practical considerations."
Philosophy in cinema: Tommy Lee Jones' famous "There's always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser" speech, provides a fairly concise depiction of existentialist philosophy; And substituting "do not know about it" with "do not think about it", provides an adequate resolution.
Being a liberal doesn't grant you any automatic moral superiority. If anything, political leanings should be established based on a set of pragmatic or, at least, ideopragmatic considerations.
The problem with any two-party political system is that someday you are guaranteed to be forced to choose between the bad and the ugly.
"While i wasn't looking! Someone went and traded! Three packages of high-quality chocolate! For a single, lame, twelve-piece package of bonbons, barely half the weight! What are you doing? Don't bother showing me your tits! You won't be able to... Distract me... With... What was i talking about, again?"
"You know, if you go on like this for a bit longer, i'm going to start thinking badly of you."
Listening to my own music after a while, having a fair amount of "Oh! I see what i did there!" moments.
If you insist on criticizing someone (who may or may not be several times smarter than you), you might as well show the respect of at least remembering their name.
"I have no concrete opinion on the matter" is not an invitation to start explaining, in detail, what that opinion should be. I invested more thought into my lack of opinion than you did into your presence thereof.
"It's not that i have any qualms about letting you into my world — in fact, i'd love to! It's just that, for some reason, you don't seem to like it there."
"It is uncertain, whether or not there is a special place in hell for agnostics." — A philosophic joke.