Does viewing pornography have a negative impact on your character?

i don't believe so

Nah.

No. Neither does viewing shoot-em-up shows or movies with unethical plots (even geared toward the viewer rooting for the bad guy!)
What you take in by your senses is filtered by the logical brain. If you have a rational mind and can use good judgment, your experiences aren't going to change the way you are. If you are all about emotion, with judgment that is always clouded by feelings, than just about anything can potentially impact your character.

I don't view porn.

Depends on the type of porn and how big a part of your life it takes up. Also, it will if you come out thinking that is how sex is in the real world.

Yes, it creates low self esteem in the person viewing it. It creates rifts between relationships in families and marriage. It degrades your sense of beauty in the genders. Bad bad bad.

I don't think so, I mean if you're not going around talking about your favorite sites, and you're just doing it once in a while, I don't feel that it can do much. Especially if someone already felt the need to find it; they were obviously already dirty minded. But I don't think it can be something to be proud of either. But with our internet there is probably a lot more porn viewers than we think anyway, not that we are all perfect the way we are.

I do not view porn, but have heard of it. Once on TV, one naughty channel slipped some material on, and I almost fell through the floor, viewed for a couple seconds. I don't want to taint my brain with porn. It is very destructive to a person.

Yes, probably, somewhat (it depends) but I don't think we should ban it either.

No. I mean, I don't even that much. 3 DVDs, that's it. Who needs more really?

It makes my character rather happy, actually.

Speak for yourself! Many people utilize pornography in a positive manner.

No.

No.

Killing random strangers has negative impact on my character.

Exactly how is pornography utilized in a positive manner?

> Exactly how is pornography utilized in a positive
> manner?

Married couples use it.

The only problem I see with pornography is that it is fantasy based and an individual that is caught up in fantasy may have trouble distinguishing between reality and fantasy allowing fantasy to leak over into reality. In a relationship this could have very negative influences on how one deals with their relation ship. Real life relationships are not at all like pornographic fantasies. Sex is and should be full of creativity and imagination but still grounded in the relationship of love not just physical satisfaction.

Why do married couples use pornography? I'm not married so I wouldn't know.

very well put!!

I became more pornographic.... heheheh

not necessarily

No, I do it enough and I'd think to see that point proven wrong.

mmmmm nop not in my mind entirely and beside I only look up one gender and that's my own and basically the majority of men in the world are walking boners, just my opinion

haha same, the net on my own computer has really opened my dirty teen mind up

Hmmmmm... That's obvious... hehehe

To get aroused, then fudge like rabbits.

No it does not

Television is fantasy based. Computer games are fantasy based. People who have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality already have pre-existing issues more significant than the porn itself. Healthy-minded people don't have those fantasy/reality issues. Porn doesn't create it. I'd guess a lot of people being misled by porn are ones who were exposed to it for too long before being exposed to real sex. Even then, some who do get exposed to it early know it's not realistic.

I don't view pornography, but I don't think it would make me a bad person if I did. I think that some people may have other pre-existing conditions that mean that pornography may be bad for their mental health, but I don't think that most people will suffer any ill-effects. I am in two minds about the effects of pornography on a societal level though - especially from a feminist perspective.

> Television is fantasy based. Computer games
> are fantasy based. People who have trouble
> distinguishing fantasy from reality already
> have pre-existing issues more significant
> than the porn itself. Healthy-minded people
> don't have those fantasy/reality issues.
> Porn doesn't create it. I'd guess a lot of
> people being misled by porn are ones who
> were exposed to it for too long before being
> exposed to real sex. Even then, some who
> do get exposed to it early know it's not
> realistic.

I would propose that a large percentage of people abuse television, computer games, just like they do drugs that as well create unhealthy real life issues. I stated the ‘only’ problem was that it could be an issue for some; I did not make a blanket comment.

ok I agree. I also think that if some people are unable to handle certain freedoms, that doesn't mean those who can handle it should lose them.

> ok I agree. I also think that if some
> people are unable to handle certain freedoms,
> that doesn't mean those who can handle it
> should lose them.

I NEVER proposed infringement of freedom of speech in the form of printed media, visual media or in any form. I only pointed out the potential of the unhealthy ramifications of pornography.

okay. I agree with you on it

Good you are wearing me out! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!

No, it gives you a rise in part of your character.

> Exactly how is pornography utilized in a positive
> manner?

Huh? Pretty obvious - you jack off while watching it. Or is jacking off not a postive experience for you?

I understand that jacking off is a positive thing for some people. However, I view it as a grotesque act. It negates the beauty of intimacy between couples. For someone who is single, such as myself, it creates an aura of low self-esteem and engraves ideas that relationships are not necessary to appease desires. This act shows that someone lacks self-control.

Self-control is over rated. People use it as an all encompassing term to include and demonize behaviors that aren't even wrong. Some people even think dancing shows a lack of self control!

well I think determining whether masturbation is right or wrong is left up to the individual. As an individual I have determined masturbation to be a wrong habit. I don't think self-control is over rated. I think just the opposite, self-control is under rated. I think we could solve a lot of our individual, personal problems if we just learned some self-control.

I think self control is only relevant in cases where the behavior you are controlling is inherently bad or destructive. I always hear 'self control' or 'lacking self control' thrown around where self control is not necessary.

haha yeah hey it's been awhile what have you been up to lately?

I have no way of knowing. I've been viewing pornography on a fairly regular basis for nearly 40 years. As a result, I find myself working in an economically depressed neighbourhood, trying to house the homeless and help the mentally ill.

Lord knows what I'd be doing if it weren't for that damn pornography!

Of course this is merely anecdotal evidence which as we all know is not in any way scientifically conclusive.

I was busy with my BS project and graduation and teaching...
What about you? What's up?

Yes, that is true. I guess self control would be considered over rated in cases where a behavior isn't bad and not necessary.

If it isn't bad, does it matter if it's necessary or not?

I don't know. What do you think? What would you consider a good behavior where self-control is not necessary?

First, I think we should probably come to some agreement on what "self control" is. I consider it something like self-restraint, where some internal conflict is going on. You want to do something, but you think better of it, and control yourself.
If 'self control' is being defined as the normal everyday healthy state of mind, where a person is in control of their mental state, then it shouldn't be used in this context: "A person who (insert any deliberate, harmless and planned activity here) is showing a lack of self control." It's not that they lack the ability to control themselves, it's that they don't feel the need to.

Being 'in control' of your mental state is always necessary for health and sane functioning. If you lose control of your mind, you lose control of your behavior.
"Self restraint" types of self control is never necessary, on the part of someone who never wants to do anything bad, irresponsible, inappropriate to the situation they are in, etc.

Masturbation, dancing down the road, singing loudly at home, screaming at the top of your lungs (where appropriate), tossing a messed up project on the floor, stomping around.. I can think of a lot of things people can do with 'reckless abandon' and no restraint, that are not necessary, but also not inappropriate/bad/wrong.

Working, trying to keep contact with friends etc

Oh... Thats good... Hope u're having fun..

haha not really, so what did you do for valentines day?

Nope.

I think viewing things like stonings, rapes, and beheadings might affect your karma.

> Why do married couples use
> pornography? I'm not married
> so I wouldn't know.

I'm not married... but I'm in a committed relationship.

So I'll answer. We use pornography because it turns us on.

There is nothing magic about real sex, which I assume you have no experience with. It's sweaty, smelly and alot of work. So much for your idea of the beauty of intimacy. Either you have strange ideas about sex or that wacko religion you belong to has you brain-washed. Probably both...........

I find it very interesting that your first thoughts about my views of intimacy in marriage are immediately directed toward my "Wacko" religion. Either you are completely ignorant to what you say or you are bitter against my religion. Do people not understand the concept of free-thinking? Even in a staunch religion, such as the one I belong to, free-thinking and gaining your own conclusions is stressed. I came to my conclusions based on my own studies and ponderings. I most certainly DID NOT come to my conclusions based on what my religion told me or "brain-washed" (as you put it) me into thinking.

You're right, I have no experience with "real sex". I may not have experience with the act of sex itself, but I definitely know there's so much more to intimacy besides the sex part. Perhaps I do have strange ideas... I won't argue against that, but love/marriage/intimacy is beautiful.

What I'm curious about, is how masturbation "takes away" from the intimacy of sex between serious couples. I don't see a connection at all.

I passed it with my gf, lunch then we hung out around until dinner time then home sweet home.. but I go many gifts: cloths, some stuff for home, teddy bears and flowers... :D It was fun...

What about you? How was it?

had the day off, with my valentine a guy of the net for the concenivence of saying we had valentines we become eachother ahhh nothing else really as romantic as that.

hahahaha... so u had a one night standing sex?

no he was from America we were just joking around

Its gross! So I downloaded every kind of software to keep it from getting in my computer, the porn is as full of viruses and other critters, as the pron stars. The only reason I would ever look for porn is to induce vomiting.

I think it probably does. Help, I can't stop myself!

Nahh, not unless you watch it excessively to the point that it is impacting your life and relationships with people.