I assume you're meaning if your principles maches your actual conduct. These days they do because I have stopped trying to be somone I'm not. And people who say it's baaaaaad to not be 100 % honest and always abiding high standard moral or principles are usually not really honest IMNSHO. There's not one person who haven't violated their own standards at one point or another. Or other moral rules for that matter.
As captain_lila said last week... "It's a pity to have principles. Or you can have them but it's important to ignore them when it feels right."
I consider myself to have fairly strict moral standards for myself at least, and I know that I sometimes fail to meet them. But I would much rather have standards that I fail to live up to, than to give up and downgrade my expectations. To give up your ideals just because you can't meet them would feel very unpleasantly like giving in. I'd rather have something to aspire to.
I'm me, i like me, some people like me, some don't, thats life, as for my principles and priority's in life, well i make them up as i go along, always adjusting them because i learn and experience things, i am always true to myself though and to my friends.
I don't think I'm a moral absolutist, because I at least recognise that other people may have very different moral codes than me, and that those moral codes may well be defensible. I don't think that my moral code is the unalterable standard by which all others should be judge. I'm willing to be persuaded that I'm wrong about things, and I hope that other people feel the same. All we can do is strive to be more moral...we can never hope to attain the final goal. The world is just too complicated for us to figure out how our actions affect others.
On the other hand, I wouldn't call myself a moral relativist either. I don't think that all actions are equally acceptable, equally moral or immoral. I don't think that just because a culture values certain traditions, whether that be female genital mutilation or blind patriotism, it means that those traditions are unchallengable. To say "well, that's their moral code, it's all right for them" seems to be to be an abdication of responsibility, and rather naieve.
Comments 15
As captain_lila said last week... "It's a pity to have principles. Or you can have them but it's important to ignore them when it feels right."
Reply
...I have thoughts about this but I have to dash out of the house now. Later, my heart.
Reply
No wonder Anders reacted so strongly when I emailed him that little snippet of Sunshine Wisdom...
Reply
Reply
Reply
I'm me, i like me, some people like me, some don't, thats life, as for my principles and priority's in life, well i make them up as i go along, always adjusting them because i learn and experience things, i am always true to myself though and to my friends.
As for Lila.. *just smiles*
Reply
On the other hand, I wouldn't call myself a moral relativist either. I don't think that all actions are equally acceptable, equally moral or immoral. I don't think that just because a culture values certain traditions, whether that be female genital mutilation or blind patriotism, it means that those traditions are unchallengable. To say "well, that's their moral code, it's all right for them" seems to be to be an abdication of responsibility, and rather naieve.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment