Tag: judgement

Morals

therightliberal1 Comment

We toss the words moral and ethics around so much that I have begun to hate both words.

Now my morals and ethics have come into question on multiple occasions, just like almost any one else. Maybe it is my youth, but I find it so curious how people could tell others what is right and what is wrong.

Now I do not say this in a fully rebellious way. I think there should be laws for society to function. But I do not believe in right or wrong.

This may be because I am such an atheist and I do not see any god or such figure that has more knowledge than us who can tell us what is right and wrong. I do not feel the threat of damnation to motivate me to do the “right” thing.

Again, it may be due to my young age that I do not see that some things are just straight up wrong. There are things that I feel are wrong such as murder, but I do not feel that everyone must share the same belief.

Rules and laws exist to keep society in check and functioning. I do not believe they should be there to force people to do what is right. People will do what they will do and they must suffer the consequences of what society dictates.

But when someone says to me “How can you believe that?” I question them with “Because that is what I feel”. Why are some feelings about actions superior to others?

Who are you to question what I believe is right? Who are you to look down on me for what I think?

I feel that this is an area where we can improve as a society.

We can keep our laws and we can change them, I have no qualms with that. But we as people should be more accepting and understanding of the thoughts of others, no matter what we are predisposed to think.

the endless circle the endless circle the endless…

yrreskrap1 Comment

It’s funny. I didn’t think that I’d find such depth and meaning in my summer reading.

 

A Confederacy of Dunces
Image via Wikipedia

 

I was assigned four books over this past summer, one of them being Toole’s The Confederacy of Dunces. In reading this book, it opened up my eyes of the vicious circle that has been plaguing our society since the birth of mankind and undoubtedly will do so for eternity (or, in my mind, the Rapture).

People want to be viewed by others a certain way. They portray themselves accordingly depending on who their audience is. As shown through the main character of Ignatius J. Reilly, one might strive for acknowledgment but receive nothing but judgement in return.

Prejudice is a instantaneous reaction, an almost inbred behavior. It may take your brain a few seconds to scan a stranger before you feel like you already have a grasp of the kind of a person he or she is.

People, whether conscious of the fact or no, put on a guise in order to recreate themselves. Most people describe going off to college as a time to “start with a clean slate.” This is essentially people putting on a new persona. You are given the opportunity to leave your past behind. So you used to be the girl who was too shy to approach anybody? Well now that same girl is the first to introduce herself at her new college. You are allowed to break the binding chains of the stereotypes that you had been associated with during these chance times. And in this vicious cycle, there are many opportunities to change.

We are afraid to be judged (on different levels of course) yet, we judge almost all we see. The circle feeds on insecurities, on fears, on secrets and it generates even more. Just as Van Gogh‘s potentials were never realized (at least not until after his death) and Ignatius’ motives were misinterpreted, humanity will always reject what is not the norm. And, in one way or the other, people will always strive to live up to the standards of their peers.