Don't put trust people. They will steal your shit.

[Skaadvik]

I went into the urgent care clinic downtown to do a pre-employment drug screening. 25 minutes later, I step back outside and my not-so-cheap bicycle is gone. It's my own fault I guess for not locking it, but seriously? What a bunch of shit people we have living in this world. Makes me sick.

[Okhu]

Yeah pretty much. Humans are underhanded conniving creatures.

The trick is to catch them in the act.

Cause I mean if I caught someone running off with my bike and I got a hold of them before they got away, they wouldn't be stealing anything else for a very long while.

OH! OH!.. MAYBE THEY STOLE THE BIKE TO BUY FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILY!.... MAYBE THATS WHY THEY STOLE IT SKAADVIK!

[Skallagar]

Hell, I had a party a few weeks back and had some stuff stolen. Caught one of the dudes red handed and had to give him some physical persuasion to get the fuck out of my house.

This doesn't go for everyone, obviously, but people will take advantage of any easy way to make a quick buck. Always gotta be on the lookout.

[Malethor]

People suck. A good person is the exception to the rule.

[Xiphus]

Never ever trust anyone freely unless they had done enough to earn it. And even then, keep a mediocrum of suspicion on them. The world is a mess. Whoever says humans are naturally good definitely is living in la la land.

Put your faith in the words of Nicolo Machiavelli. He knows just how much of an asshole humanity can really be.

[Skallagar]

Partially cause he wrote the book on how to be one.

[Xiphus]

Partially cause he wrote the book on how to be one.

Under the assumption that the world is populated with assholes. You forgot to mention that he wrote a book about how to be an asshole in a world full of assholes.

[Ashenmar]

While this may be off topic from the original poster's intention, I do feel the need to mention that Machiavelli also had the utmost respect and belief in humanity. He did feel that leadership and government should secure the future of its people without apology. Despite the reputation the man's most infamous work gathered, he believed in the independence of the state and also in the people's ability to govern themselves.

He simply believed that a government should serve the interest of its people and not the moral leanings of its rulers.

[Xiphus]

While this may be off topic from the original poster's intention, I do feel the need to mention that Machiavelli also had the utmost respect and belief in humanity. He did feel that leadership and government should secure the future of its people without apology. Despite the reputation the man's most infamous work gathered, he believed in the independence of the state and also in the people's ability to govern themselves.

He simply believed that a government should serve the interest of its people and not the moral leanings of its rulers.

That's what was in The Prince. But he was realistic enough to understand that people are jerks and crafted his book under the assumption. You become an asshole, but at least you are the asshole who has created a government that lasts for a very long time that is resistant to uprisings, revolts, social unrests and civil warcraft.

[Ashenmar]

Yes, but what was written in The Discourses is considered his more personal philosophy rather than what is presented in The Prince. In the former he does not believe in the power of a prince to create a lasting government. Many of the principles he outlined in that book are quite forward thinking and optomistic.

[Karkarov]

good thing too since his moral leanings were suspect at best and his book is still considered required reading for todays business world. Read: Cut throat kill or be killed no mercy anything it takes to win.

However the average human being might be a retard qualified to do no more than flip a mcdonalds burger but they are also typically moral and understand that stealing your bike is wrong and not only wont do it but under normal circumstances wont even think of it on any level. The person who stole your bike is basically human feces and garbage and one day karma will hand him his bill. It always does sooner or later.

[Ishinara]

Whenever I leave something alone, say my laptop in the library, even for a minute I always ask someone nearby to watch it.
In my psych 101 class we read a study in which a boombox was left on a beach next to some other people. If the 'owner' of the boom-box didn't ask the nearby people to do anything then only about 20% of people actually stopped someone who came over and took it. If the 'owner' of the boom-box actually asked the nearby people to watch it then nearly everyone stopped the person taking it, and there were a few incidents of people tackling the thief.

[Rand_Shea]

That's what was in The Prince. But he was realistic enough to understand that people are jerks and crafted his book under the assumption. You become an asshole, but at least you are the asshole who has created a government that lasts for a very long time that is resistant to uprisings, revolts, social unrests and civil warcraft.

He wrote that book while he was in prison himself for political reasons as a means of kissing up to the ruler at the time and getting himself out.

[Skaadvik]

Cause I mean if I caught someone running off with my bike and I got a hold of them before they got away, they wouldn't be stealing anything else for a very long while.

I caught a mexican kid stealing my bike once when I was in high school, I kicked the back tire to the side and he ate shit super hard on the pavement. If only I'd caught this asshole....

[Malethor]

his book is still considered required reading for todays business world.
I haven't heard this. I could understand it being recommended but I've never heard this particular work as being mandatory, especially given it's satirical nature.

[opalexian]

Whenever I leave something alone, say my laptop in the library, even for a minute I always ask someone nearby to watch it.
In my psych 101 class we read a study in which a boombox was left on a beach next to some other people. If the 'owner' of the boom-box didn't ask the nearby people to do anything then only about 20% of people actually stopped someone who came over and took it. If the 'owner' of the boom-box actually asked the nearby people to watch it then nearly everyone stopped the person taking it, and there were a few incidents of people tackling the thief.

See? Even when I read studies like that, I still can't see that. I'm just that fucking paranoid. Need to pee? It'll wait 'til I pack up. But I'm a girl so I can do that sort of thing ; 3

[Rand_Shea]

I caught a mexican kid stealing my bike once when I was in high school, I kicked the back tire to the side and he ate shit super hard on the pavement. If only I'd caught this asshole....

You're lucky you didn't get sued and charged with a hate crime. -_-

It's only ok to protect and get back your stolen property if you're niiiiiice about it.

[Malethor]

Bleh. Somebody stole the hubcaps off my car in the middle of the night a couple days ago. Now I plan on getting new ones and setting a trap so I can catch the person who did it doing it again and literally beat them into a bloody mess.

[Yatokth]

Yeah pretty much. Humans are underhanded conniving creatures.

The trick is to catch them in the act.

Cause I mean if I caught someone running off with my bike and I got a hold of them before they got away, they wouldn't be stealing anything else for a very long while.

OH! OH!.. MAYBE THEY STOLE THE BIKE TO BUY FOOD FOR THEIR FAMRY!.... MAYBE THATS WHY THEY STOLE IT SKAADVIK!

Fixt.

[Hype]

You're lucky you didn't get sued and charged with a hate crime. -_-

It's only ok to protect and get back your stolen property if you're niiiiiice about it.

Not if you live in Texas. The Joe Horn case pretty much sealed the deal for lethal vigilantism. He wasnt even the guy being robbed at the time and he shot the two suspects in the back. So I guess next time you see the guy stealing your bike in Dallas you can go ahead and chop his head off. They might just give you a medal for it.

[Gorvena]

Damn right! Remember, if you come to Texas and kill someone, we will kill you back. And for those of you who do it in a really horrid fashion, we're putting in an express lane.

[Karkarov]

The response has to be reasonable. You cant shoot someone because they stole your bike. Now if you see them beating up someone or they threaten you with physical harm or death say using a knife or other weapon ball game may be a little different now. So in "texas" you can beat the bike thief up and walk I am sure, but beat them into a "bloody mess", shoot them, chop their head off, etc etc is going to get you jail time or a lethal injection.