Well, one thing I know is true of most people (including myself) is that people tend to behave more friendlily, more generously, and more accommodatingly if they are happy and satisfied; therefore, moderate self-indulgence combined with generosity are crucial. I obviously reject asceticism; and I believe enjoying things like good food, friendship, sexuality, and knowledge are all inherently good. People who enjoy life will not be clouded by the negative emotions like anger, hatred, greed, envy, and jealousy that lead to immoral behavior. I believe one should be forward looking—make apologies and reparations when necessary but, more importantly, look for ways to make things better in the future. If one has need to apologize, it pays to reflect on the causes and its effects on the other person.
I believe every individual human being is innately free and sovereign of themselves; they deserve to be treated with basic respect by default. Unnecessary intrusions on another person's autonomy are wrong; likewise, it is just to defend one's own personal sovereignty from encroachment (libertarians, please do not read this as an anti-government scree as my ideas about the role of the individual and society towards government is more complicated than that). People who hold positions of influence and authority in our society are as human as the rest of us and so are undeserving of special deference (of course, for example, I recognize police officers' social function as enforcement of the law, but I do not see them as automatically morally superior to the rest of us). An individual should come to respect those who most merit it through deeds, wisdom, and skill. I cannot respect someone, though, who may have technical skill or factual knowledge but who lacks all wisdom and virtue.
Honesty is very important (towards others as well as towards oneself). However, this does not mean it is always necessary to share one's personal opinion.
I believe a person should not be inordinately moved by desires for material possessions and public accolades; these allow one to be swayed like branches in a storm. It is better to "dispense" compliments to those who deserve it (since it encourages behavior). If one has an abundance, it is best to share with family, friends, and those most in need (the poor and the sick).
I believe it is crucial to help others improve instead of chastising them; most often, the people being chastised and punished are those most in need of people's help. I really do not think of anyone as wholly evil.
I definitely do not believe in blind application of the rules without examining the context they would be applied in. If it doesn't make sense, it's probably because it shouldn't. One's emotional instincts about such things are rarely too far off base (and can be improved through conscious striving to better oneself).
One should not boast but let one's actions speak for themselves. One who knows where they stand has little need for others' admiration or agreement.
This is not to say a person should be a pushover or a feckless hedonist. The person who's not dependent on accolades and wealth can more readily attain the courage needed to speak up for what's right. A person who is known to be honest and compassionate will be trusted when criticism is offered without it being taken as a personal slight. The person who is generous with abundance will not miss its absence. The person who is made happiest by the intangibles—knowledge, wisdom, friendship, love—can be happy in times of strife.
It is best to look beyond oneself and actively seek to improve one's communities: family, circle of friends, city, country, world. The idea is to make things better for people.
20 Sep 2008, 5:30 pm
. Although, I also see that sets of moral codes are subjected to different interpretations and different argumentation of how and when they work as well as exceptions.
