another interpolatory question

[James Bond]

..so that they don't depend on you for financial assistance? Or, if that's too easy, what if they had not responsibly prepared for retirement/old age, and now expect you to help them? Should you, even if you share few values?

What do you think/?

[khaight]

..so that they don't depend on you for financial assistance? Or, if that's too easy, what if they had not responsibly prepared for retirement/old age, and now expect you to help them? Should you, even if you share few values?

Your family isn't necessarily entitled to know the details of your financial situation; rather than lie to them outright just tell them it isn't any of their business. (Your spouse is obviously an exception to this rule.) However, if you are financially capable of supporting them but do not wish to do so I think honesty requires you to tell them that, rather than lie and say you want to but can't afford it. If your motivation for lying is to preserve some relationship which you value, but which would be destroyed if they knew the truth, then you're trying to gain a value by faking reality.

(As an aside, these kinds of questions would go really well on the new Objectivist Answers website. Hint hint.)

Edited October 9, 2010 by khaight

[Ivan Raszl]

(As an aside, these kinds of questions would go really well on the new Objectivist Answers website. Hint hint.)

What's the hint here? Is this not the place to ask such questions? Tx

[James Bond]

Your family isn't necessarily entitled to know the details of your financial situation; rather than lie to them outright just tell them it isn't any of their business. (Your spouse is obviously an exception to this rule.) However, if you are financially capable of supporting them but do not wish to do so I think honesty requires you to tell them that, rather than lie and say you want to but can't afford it. If your motivation for lying is to preserve some relationship which you value, but which would be destroyed if they knew the truth, then you're trying to gain a value by faking reality.

(As an aside, these kinds of questions would go really well on the new Objectivist Answers website. Hint hint.)

I actually tried to find that website but did not. I will booknote it. My bad.

[Steve D'Ippolito]

Not so much that, Ivan, but that the site already has answers to many questions, and it's more efficacious on your part as well as everyone else's for you (and others with questions) to go there. You'll get your answer more quickly without duplication of effort.

[Jake_Ellison]

What's the hint here? Is this not the place to ask such questions? Tx

Not everyone who answers questions here does it on that site as well (some of us prefer this format). I would assume it's up to you where you wish to ask your questions or search for threads that already answered them (based on your own evaluation of which site contains the better answers). I'm not aware of any official guidelines directing anyone away from this forum.

As for my opinion (based on limited info), I clicked on a couple of the subjects on that site (ones that I know have threads here too), and in those instances the threads on this site are far better than the answers there. (the threads on this site are more complete and the bad answers are usually corrected) The one downside is that here you have to sift through a little more clutter, to find the good answers.