Amp Zaphrix Posted:

In all sort-of-but-not-really seriousness, I think the only thing one really needs to deem as a rule is the Wiccan rede: An’ it harm none, do as thy wilt.

My understanding… which is still incomplete, though less incomplete than, say, ten years ago… is that “Uncle Gerald” felt it necessary to include that because people truly seemed to need to be told, at that time, that society can go suck a nut. That if what you are doing does not actually harm another person, you shouldn’t be so worried about “But what will the neighbors think?” because, quite frankly, the neighbors don’t even need to know. That fear was likely to keep a lot more people from persuing their desires then than it still does now.

Whether this is true or not, I think the idea has some merit. Some people still need to be told it’s just none of anyone else’s business, and the worst they can really do is not like you, so go ahead and do your thing. However, while I am a person who is not inclined to purposefully hurt others, I would still take this a bit further. Just go ahead and do as thou wilt… but be prepared for the consequences. If understanding the consequences makes you decide you don’t like this idea so much after all, and that setting fire to your neighbor’s dog isn’t really what you want, that’s great. But if you do go ahead and set fire to the dog, I don’t wanna hear you **** when the neighbors take you to court, the judge makes you buy them a new dog, they tell everyone in town what you did, and nightmares keep you awake. You brought that **** on yourself.

Not that I think *you* would… I just feel weird constantly saying, “One brought that **** on oneself.”

Most people I know… who may very well not be representative of “most people”... choose to do things harmful to others because they don’t think it through beforehand, or expect to be able to escape consequences. I’d rather have people do the wrong thing, having thought it out and honestly decided to be an bumhole, rather than have them do the right thing just because a rule told them to.