In All Fairness,

Much of the misery in this world stems from a simple misunderstanding. People do not understand that "Fair" is a human concept that applies to games. It is not a natural concept that can be applied to life.

Now, depending on who you ask, "Fair" might or might not be a supernatural concept that can apply to afterlife. But when it comes to this life, I don't care WHO YOU ASK. The concept of fairness can not and does not apply to anything in this life except: games. With rules. That specific people have agreed to play by. Period.

Not life. Not nature. Not society. Not humanity. Not reality. The concept of "Fair" does not apply to any of these in any meaningful, useful, or beneficial sense (and by "beneficial" I mean: beneficial to the person who believes it).

If you are trying to convince someone otherwise, if you are trying to convince someone that there is some sense in which this life is supposed to be fair, I don't care what your motives are: you are a con artist. Intentionally or not, you are playing a horrible trick. You are building up their confidence in something utterly and irredeemably false. And you are harming that person's ability to ever be happy. Why are you choosing to be so cruel?

I'd like to point out: all of the above, all this is from a guy who is basically a sucker. Who believes in good, who believes in God, who believes in the deep, essential goodness of just about all the people I know, who believes that most people (even the ones I don't know!) are good, who is most definitely and unequivocally an optimist. Do you know why I can be an optimist?

Because my eyes are clear. Because I don't delude myself and I don't attempt to delude others with the sick, dripping, vile lie that life on earth is supposed to be fair. Once you make someone fall for that trick, they barely even stand a chance. I, on the other hand, have a stacked deck in my favor. Just by not kidding myself over what I ought to have a right to expect.

Play fair. Always, play fair. Be upstanding, be outstanding, be righteous and cool. But: live in reality.

Life really is better that way.