The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Most will choose a path in life based off of self-gain and profit. All decisions come down to what will work out for one's personal best interests.

Though there are those who are true vampires, there are also those who choose the lifestyle to enhance their personal being.

In either case, what does being a vampire afford you? How do you use your gift to bring about self-benefit? Do you believe that your morals are on par, or off target with the morals of the rest of humanity?

Vampires are predators and as such, will maintain a certain degree of desire to use their ability to further the self. At what point would you consider using your talents to "get ahead" or to sway others towards your desires?

Are you trying to indifferate between humans and vampires? Even if there is a difference, and I'm not saying there is, both will use any means possible to better themselves and family/lifestyle. In general terms, of course. There are always exceptions. A solitary may wish to separate himself/herself from the fold and either follow a path that is for a higher purpose or for self destruction. The same for anyone. It is an individual choice. Many will choose a mundane lifestyle but not all do.

i cant see any problem with self gain, so long as u are prepared to pay the consequences, for every ying there is a yang!

As i see it everyone uses certain trates to further them selves or self gain.........it's not just vampires who have this abbilty...hum not sure if htats hte right word but still you see where I'm coming from.

It all depends on your personality. Speaking of vampires as humans- you have those that care, those that don't. But even those who claim to have 'morals' find no problem with taking in such a manner. There, it is point if view~ we're all coming from a different one.

and there are some of us who use what we are and who we are to the benifit of others,I use mine to protect,it isnt always about self gain

I think it is the same as with everything in society, you have those that are out to abuse their privileges and powers, others that use them to serve and protect. It boils down to an individuals morals and ethics.

For ME--I think it is a give and take of ENERGY. I do not always take.....I could not in the work I do..otherwise I could really hurt the people with whom I work.

I take from those who have extra when needed......but I also give to those who have none...and have on occasion been close to drained myself. I have learned much about the importance of balance over the years.

people are pretty much people. free will, it is a bitch! but what you have to dissiminate is which type are you? then you'll know which people you want to hang with.

I never act for self gain...only... I think is a balance... I never did it in the past and I won't do it now...

Vampire or human, we all have a human sole. With this comes both a concience and a natural instinct for self preservation. Everyone has the power to better themselve and also to help people, but these two do not have to conflict. One can always help suport the other, it just depends on what desisions you make in life. Or if you even care.

Everyone has morals, but we're all naturaly selfish.

i dont believe it is any different between vampire and a normal human we all use wat is given us to inhance our lives

I use what i can for the better of our kind as a whole. i am not a selfish person and personal gain is not something that you can take to the grave with you.

These are all interesting responses, and thank you for your answers.

Allow me to narrow it down a little more, as I should have in the beginning. Hellsguardian69 states that he uses his vampiric ability to guard and protect others. Wildsorkid uses the vampiric ability to better the path for all vampires. HellaciousRose believes that we all do things for self-gain. IndigoBizarre believes that it is all dependent upon the personality and point of view.

In the long run, what does the point of view of others or even the self do to serve you? Do we all really do some things for self-gain, or are all things done in the name of self-gain? Is it possible to always act in good faith to further the cause of all vampires? And if the guardian of all is a vampire, where will "all" stand when it comes time to protect the guardian?

Undoubtedly we all live a life that is damned in one way or the other. What good are noble intentions if in the long run they serve no purpose? Even the best of noble intentions can be enacted in vain for a lifetime or two or three. In our world, is it possible for noble intentions to be our legacy if we are not truly great such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, and Mother Teresaa? All noble intentions will die within a generation after we are gone unless we use those intentions to do something truly extraordinary and dedicate our entire life's path towards nobility and honor. I have seen many people live their lives with this intention, but going forward are quelched by the selfish desires of others. It is truly a noble and oftentimes thankless path to take, but many have gone before you. And trailblazers who made their lives truly extraordinary have cut through the path in wide sweeping arcs.

Now, for the dark path. This is the path that is trod by the individual in the name of self-gain and furtherance of the soul. It is the hope of many who cut their own path that at the end, their efforts will strengthen their soul to the point of ensuring its continuance after the body finally fails. With the little that is known about life after death, this is at best a risky path, but it is risky for all who cannot say for certain what lies beyond death and the body's destruction.

However, it is on this path that acts of self-gain are the most obvious and visible. One understands that the time of human nobility and a selfless legacy has all but passed and instead seeks out that which will further evolve the soul and spirit: knowledge, experience, and a legacy that is left behind of the trail one has traversed buried deep in the forest.

Self gain is not always equated to selfish. Self-gain strives to ensure that all actions will be done in furtherance of self-enhancement in anticipation of that final ultimate step into the abyss and beyond. There are quite a few times in my own life that self-gain has indeed benefitted the many.

Now, it is also my belief and personal experience that vampires, psychic and sang, contain a higher degree of presence and are able to more easily captivate the eye of their intended targets. In these abilities and in several others that vary between individuals, lie the nobility of the vampire kind. Elegance and eloquence are the trademarks of our kind in some, and strength of the warrior and domination are the trademarks of others. Still others have different abilities.

How, then, does one fail to use their abilities for the ultimate quest? What is the final aim of the path you walk, for make no mistake, as a vampire it is often a solitary path even in a group (which is true for all humans, if you really think about it).

As brother H.G. said I to use what I am to help others.

I think we have to do whatever possible to help and better our community... I absolutely agree with WilsordKid we can't take self gain to the grave...

Spiderman said it best! With great power, comes great responsability! It might be lame, butt true none the less!

Self-gain cannot be taken to the grave? Or is it what propels us beyond the grave? Is this a known certainty for you?

Litha, yes, you are correct. With great power comes great responsibility. One of my personal favorites. But responsibility to whom? And to what ends?

As a vampire and a Wiccan, I have to walk a fine line. I tend not to see myself preying on others.

Whether you are talking about a vampire or a human or anything other living thing as well; it depends on the individual and the morals involved. Some will use their powers to benefit themselves and other use the powers to help others. All that is really needed is a motive of some type.

as all of us our kin on some level we are all connected to each other. Some can see this connection, other can feel it, and yet some still have no idea that the connection is there. The ones that can see and feel the connection will by natural instinct help those that cannot see or feel the connection to help them understand themselves and others better and by doing such will gain the betterment of oneself by those who are less skilled than they. I for one, use my abiliteis and gifts to help others understand themselves and answer questions that they could not possibly find by themselves by helping them down the right paths that will provide the answers instead of letting them go down paths that will only lead to more confusion and that tends to turn them away from further seeking the truth about themselves. Even though I may take from others for self-gain, I take only from those that offer fore the simple fact that I helped them find themselves and the meaning behind their smal part of the whole. Carpe Noctem

As much as we all would like to think we are selfless, and would do no harm, everything we do has a direct effect on those around us. To say one is truly sefless is a absurd statement. We are all predators seekinking some kind of prey, be it a hunter stalking deer, or a person seeking a lover. We all hunger for things we cannot have, and most will do anything to obtain their inner most desire. Would I? Yes! Is that selfless? No probly not, butt who's to say in the end whats realy right, from wrong? The only one who can anwser that is ourselves. I try to never take advantage though.

If there are vampires, I believe them to fall into the classification of human. We are all guilty of being selfish and prone to desires. It is human nature. Even the concept of charity in the chance of eternal life can be viewed as selfish.

Don't forget that humans are actually also predators able to eat plants...but still predators.

I'm not sure what your definition of the "true" vampire is, but I believe that vampires and humans alike plan their lives around what will benefit them and their families the most.

All vampires have certain abilities. I use mine strictly for advantage. I see this not as abuse, but rather as a tactic and advantage that aids me along in my path.

Along with have responsibility for power, there is also the need to ensure that one doesn't burn their bridges upon crossing them. That is where the abuse comes in.

The privilege lies in having these innate abilities, abuse lies in using these abilities in a way that is against one's morals.

Being another who is primarily self-interested, my morals tend to flex pretty far and I always am prepared for others who show the same level of moral ambiguity when it comes to flexing their muscles. I find that having the abilities I possess helps to counter a lot of muscle thrown my way.

I personally ( if I was a vampire) not even dream of trying to exploit that. I look at the abilities I do have and I think to myself, how lucky I am to have been blessed with them. Wouldn't it be a terrible exploitation of them to use them for personal gain?

what do you mean at what point I use it any time i can to get ahead as long as it harms no one what is the problem with it :)

I liken it to any part of life. There are those that will use it to unfair advantage and gains, others that will quietly suffer in the ideal of their view of good.

In the end abuse and responsiblity are based off of the ideals and beliefs of the individual.

when ever nessary

i also agree