Hmm, really enjoying this debate. Not exactly the topic I started in this thread, but interesting nonetheless. And certainly relevant to my question. Here's what I've gathered so far:

From a purely logical standpoint, I would say that Fastillion is the winner of this debate. As "bitter" and "angry" as he might sound, I believe he speaks the truth about people. I think people are ultimately self-serving and egotistical. Some are just better at hiding it than others. When people interact, they do so in order to give themselves a sense of purpose, to alleviate boredom and lonliness, to satisfy sexual urges, to get some favor/task accomplished, etc. I don't think that love exists (certainly not on a human level). I think love and friendship is a concept that humans invented to hide their primal urges and come off as more civilized. All people are egocentric beasts, but they're hiding so deep in rhetoric that they've fooled themselves into thinking they're civilized and sophisticated. I know it comes off as pessimistic, but this is the world as I have experienced it and I believe it to be (at least for the most part) accurate.

HOWEVER, in my initial post I had mentioned that I was FEELING lonely and replaced. Logic and feelings is certainly a duality that always seem to be at odds (at least in me). I know that people are a virus that deserve to be eradicated, but I FEEL the longing to be with them. No matter how illogical it is, I still feel that way. I presume that PureLife4Me is a person of faith, and while I'm not a religious person, I know that faith is capable of making a person feel happier by giving them a sense of worth and purpose in the world. I don't know if God exists or not, but even an atheist has to admit that research has shown that faith can make a person happier. So, in that sense, PureLife4Me makes a valid point.

So.....

Both of you are correct. Knowing and feeling are two very different aspects of being alive. Many times I wish I had one and not the other. Knowledge is power, but ignorance is bliss....

Hi Gomez,

I'm glad that you enjoyed the conversation. The reason that we feel lonely is because "man was not meant to be alone" in this instance, "man" refers to mankind both male and female. This whole talk about ego is a dangerous thing. For example, look at how the ego makes people bitter and angry. You have made an awesome comment regarding how science has proven that faith makes a person happy, because it's true! Put your logic (ego) aside and ask yourself "could there be something even deeper to this thing called faith, something very real and a whole lot better than living by ego/logic alone?"

Also, you will NEVER be to old to find someone to love you and that you can love back, but you will lose out on that if you become mean. For example, Fastillion had a decent person send him a bowl of soup, of course it was in the emoticon family and not serious, but the man deleted it. The reason I bring this up is because someone reached out to him seeing how grouchy he was with the purest of intention and what did he do? He ran like a gazelle from a Cheetah! So yeah, if you do things like that to people you most likely will one day chase anyone who tries to be supportive or a friend or even a romantic partner away.

I understand that with Asperger's Syndrome comes the logical thinking and that is wonderful, but my suggestion, if you want a suggestion, is to explore emotions and don't be afraid of them. Try to leave out the emotions of anger, hostility and bitterness and focus on times when you feel the warm fuzzy emotions. Don't act on them, just think about them first, even logically if you want and see what you come up with.

PureLife4Me

Gomez, see that? Don't do what Fastillion just did. He is angry with a total stranger. He has no idea who I am and yet he throws out the insults. Do not chase people away for no good reason. Life is too short for all of that hostility. As a matter of fact I am working hard at getting rid of my bitterness and it's a struggle but so far so good and at least I'm trying. He doesn't dislike me, he's just mad at me. Gomez, do NOT allow yourself to stay lonely out of fear. You're worth more than that and you deserve to be happy and loved without worrying about getting a knife in the back :)

I just read your entire post Fastillion because I hadn't before I made my last post. WOW are you kidding me? I have alienated you? WHEN? I am mocking you, WHEN? I have not been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome so I can't be here? I happen to love an Aspie VERY much and I happen to relate to Autism VERY much because of things in my own life. If I want to come here in support of my friend and to give support, advice or just an ear to people who are looking for it I will do so. You and I have never even spoken, not even in a private message so I have no idea what you're talking about. I forgive you though because I know you're upset, but please, try to be polite and fair and if you HONESTLY feel that I have been mocked you I am sorry. I would never do such a thing. If you are saying it just to start a fight, then you will have to fight by yourself.

Fastillion, if you have something going on in your mind regarding me and you would like to talk honestly about it we can do that. I am sorry that something I have said or done has triggered such hostility. Remember this is text and we can't hear expression in each other's voices so what might come across as condescending, rude or masculine probably isn't.

I totally understand the self-serving aspect.

"friends" are often defined in my life as people who can help me with something. I'm not saying I define them that way or even want it that way, its just how things play out. I'm not even talking about hidden agendas, in plain English-can you help me with this.

However when people come to me for anything, I practically do what ever they ask. I even have helped others to my detriment on my own. I sometimes look out for others with 0% regard for myself, in these relationships I would call that love.

So what I think it comes down to is what you do with this "self-serving" knowledge. Either think everyone lies to you and I think we can see where that might get you. Or you could largely disregard it, because honestly, what is it going to help thinking about that? There is protecting yourself and over protection. Just keep in mind that everyone has a motive, and it may not be a bad one.
Generalizing and prejudice only serve to alienate yourself.

Catcairo, that's right and you doing things for people that you love with no thought to yourself is love and it's good. As for wanting something from our friends or loved ones, that is natural. We want from them decent treatment. Anyone wants that. It's not self-serving to want that. So yeah, sometimes people take that to an extreme EXTREME and get things all mixed up in their minds because they are so busy protecting their hearts. I spent so many years doing that myself.

I'm sorry, I meant self serving as more like the motives outlined by gomez. You could say my motive for doing things for others with out regard for myself is to gain approval/worth, I can think of many more possibilities. But there is nothing bad about that, and it doesn't change the fact that I only do that with those whom I "love"
I mainly wanted to stress that just because everyone has a motive for anything that they do, doesn't make all humans bad or egotistical.

I think there is the basic human motives like wanting approval, companionship, entertainment etc
and then what I would consider bad motives or hidden agendas, like using people for sex, money, metaphorical punching bag etc