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How would you act if you were a massive giant to tiny intelligent lifeforms?

 
 
Thrylix
 
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 12:29 am
This thread is inspired by an old thread I made about whether or not it is wrong to step on bugs, but with a different subject. There is an episode of the Twilight Zone called the Little People where a couple astronauts get stranded on a distant planet and while repairing their ship, they stumble upon a race of tiny humans a who are sophisticated enough to build houses, boats, trucks, cities, and appear in all aspects to be identical to the humans in every way except their size. You can probably guess what happens next.

An alien version of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. One of the astronauts decides he's going to be their God and begins to dominate the little people through fear and cruelty, based on no godly qualities except the advantage of having evolved to be massively bigger than them. It was a cool episode.

Anyway, what's interesting and possibly shocking to some, is I don't think I'd act very differently from that guy in his circumstance. I could see myself becoming a tyrant to them and enjoy every second of it. If I somehow came across a planet of tiny little aliens that were the size of ants to me, I don' think I'd have much of a problem with crushing a few of their towns, provided that that no one (or at least no one who mattered) would find out or try to punish me for it. I'd actually think it's hard to blame a guy like me for taking advantage of the size difference. I would love the chance to be revered as a god, even if I'd very much be an old testament god. Well, except that instead of meting out discipline with lightning, I'd be tyrannizing the little aliens with nothing but my giant stinking feet. Heck, who knows; I run competitively so maybe the smell of my feet could intimidate them enough if it doesn't kill them outright. If they needed me to press a giant sneaker-shaped footprint in the middle of their capital to remind them to worship me, then that's fine. Actually, I'd probably do that anyway.

Here is where you may disagree, but to me it seems like nature taking its course and I don't think I can fault some giant alien who came to Earth doing this either. In the immediate moment he's planting a huge foot down on NYC, I'd probably think the alien was a giant jerk, but looking at the big picture, I know I'd be too insignificant to this being to even get his attention, much less communicate in any meaningful way. And does Godzilla care about the humans he steps on? Besides, I already step on bugs all the time, often purposely.

In spite of what I'd do in the above situation, I wouldn't consider myself to be evil, immoral, or unethical. Rather, I'm generally considered to be an all-around great guy by friends and coworkers. I help people all the time for nothing in return, have donated to charities, given people rides, and I even volunteer as an EMT when I can. I run competitively, coach track for no pay. I've never been arrested, vandalized property, or wanted to hurt anyone.

What do you think of the behavior I described? How would you behave when in a situation where you gain absolute power over others? Would you be kind or cruel? Or would you walk away from the situation? Try to stay respectful of one another!
 
edgarblythe
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 12:52 am
I am happy in the knowledge that you are a midget.
Thrylix
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 12:56 am
@edgarblythe,
I'm 5'11". Didn't know that was a midget. But I can understand you being grateful I'm not a giant, haha.
0 Replies
 
rosborne979
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 06:31 am
@Thrylix,
I’m not sure anyone could answer that question until it happens to them. The situation is too bizarre.
0 Replies
 
maxdancona
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 07:40 am
@Thrylix,
You should read "Sandkings" by George R. R. Martin. It is an early story of his that deals with this exact situation. It is a great story.
0 Replies
 
PUNKEY
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 02:48 pm
This is why young boys play with toy soldiers. Set ‘em up, crash ‘em down.
0 Replies
 
InuYasha3901
 
  1  
Reply Sat 8 Dec, 2018 07:54 pm
@Thrylix,
We already are. Get your facts straight. 😎
0 Replies
 
Finn dAbuzz
 
  2  
Reply Tue 11 Dec, 2018 01:45 pm
@Thrylix,
I appreciate your honesty.

I remember that episode, and of course the godlike astronaut was eventually taken down.

The aliens in that episode were infinitesimal in size (compared to the astronaut) which probably shouldn't make a difference, but would. I think it would be hard to empathize with beings you can't see without a microscope. However, I also think it would be difficult to appreciate or benefit from the worship of such beings. Realistically, such a race could never have fed, clothed, or sheltered the astronaut.

If the beings are of a size where they can be recognized individually, then you can appreciate any suffering you might visit upon them, and you can establish. to some extent, individual relationships. I think it would make a big difference.

Godzilla (according to the Japanese scientists in "King Kong vs Godzilla") had a brain the size of a walnut; so it is hardly an apt analogy. Likewise insects. I suppose a Jainist would argue with me, but killing an ant is not the same as killing an ant-sized human (or its equivalent)

The astronaut in that episode was horribly immoral, because he understood, at least intellectually, that the aliens, although tiny, were not that much different from him.

People corrupted by great power tend to believe all those over whom they hold sway are insects, regardless of their size.

Sturgis
 
  2  
Reply Tue 11 Dec, 2018 03:19 pm
@Finn dAbuzz,
Quote:
The aliens in that episode were infinitesimal...

...which probably shouldn't make a difference, but would.


This was the basic premise each week on the t.v. show, Land of the Giants. Earthlings land on a foreign planet, where, all the inhabitants look similar in most ways to earthlings. The difference being, they are about 12 times bigger in height. Even the animals and plants were bigger.

Finn dAbuzz
 
  2  
Reply Tue 11 Dec, 2018 04:22 pm
@Sturgis,
Except in the Twilight Zone episode, the astronaut was at least 1,000 times larger than the aliens.
Sturgis
 
  2  
Reply Tue 11 Dec, 2018 04:29 pm
@Finn dAbuzz,
True.

Then there was the one where the astronauts were much smaller than the person on whose roof they lamded. The episode was The Invaders (not to be confused with the series of that name) and featured Agnes Moorehead and had U.S. Air Force as the alien
Finn dAbuzz
 
  3  
Reply Wed 12 Dec, 2018 09:10 am
@Sturgis,
Yes. I remember that one as well. It was a good one.
0 Replies
 
Thrylix
 
  1  
Reply Wed 12 Dec, 2018 10:42 pm
@Finn dAbuzz,
Why was he immoral? For enjoying power?
Finn dAbuzz
 
  4  
Reply Fri 14 Dec, 2018 02:09 pm
@Thrylix,
Yes and because if I recall the episode correctly he killed a fair number of his tiny adorants.

Desiring and enjoying power over others is immoral.
Thrylix
 
  1  
Reply Sat 15 Dec, 2018 11:26 pm
@Finn dAbuzz,
He killed ant-sized lifeforms that to his scale were insignificant and evolved to be basically inferior to him. Isn't that just nature taking its course? I've been stepping on ants and other bugs my whole life, often purposely, for no other reason than I thought it was funny. Most of my friends know I have no problem stepping on bugs and none have ever said it was "immoral."
Finn dAbuzz
 
  2  
Reply Sun 16 Dec, 2018 02:12 pm
@Thrylix,
I don't necessarily think that killing bugs is immoral, although I would argue that wantonly doing so for personal pleasure is.

In any case, the aliens in the TZ episode may have been much smaller than even bugs, they were intelligent life forms at least at the same level as the astronaut. He knew they were and still, he killed them. Immoral in my book.

As well, they may have been smaller than him but that hardly made them inferior which was proven by their ultimate ability to put an end to him.
Thrylix
 
  1  
Reply Wed 9 Jan, 2019 07:37 am
@Finn dAbuzz,
They didn't put an end to him in that episode though. Two additional astronauts arrived at the end who compared to him were giants themselves. And one of them picked him and crushed him.

How could the tiny aliens not be inferior? He evolved to be massively bigger than them and just has intelligent. What advantage do they have? As painful as it would be to admit, they would have to acknowledge they were essentially living in a world far beneath his.
Finn dAbuzz
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 Jan, 2019 05:01 pm
@Thrylix,
You have, what I consider to be, a flawed notion of "inferior"
Thrylix
 
  1  
Reply Fri 11 Jan, 2019 10:26 pm
@Finn dAbuzz,
Flawed in what way?

Would it be unethical to make tiny aliens march up and down my shaft until I ejaculuate? Maybe they could adopt my spermatozoa as sacred pets.

Also I run competitively so my feet and running shoes almost always stink. An army of tiny slaves to rake up my foot crud and remove debris and corpses that accumulate on my sneaker treads would be nice.
Finn dAbuzz
 
  2  
Reply Sat 12 Jan, 2019 03:43 pm
@Thrylix,
Flawed in the sense that size seems to be so important to you.

A race of tiny angels would not be "inferior" to one of bestial giants.

I assume you think you are being cleverly provocative, but if you are serious about desiring slaves you are inferior. Either way, I'm done with this thread. Maybe someone else will come along to play with you.
 

 
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