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Old 05-17-2008, 06:28 PM   #9 (permalink)
ziplock
Dreamer of the dreams
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by snapshot View Post
I would say the main thing that it has done is it has brought me in touch with my emotions more. This is also been extremely tough on me. Imagine going through life knowing that you've committed evil. To me, it seems like the reason people are moral relativists is not because they don't believe in an objective reality, but because they can't come to terms with their own views on what is good or bad--because then they would have to come to terms with everything they have done wrong that they know, deep down, they shouldn't have.
I have been musing on this observation recently... It's funny the relativistic games we will engage in in order to maintain some sort of moral standing.

I was thinking on how from my current understanding of things I can look back at my life and feel shame or remorse for some of the actions I did, how I negatively impacted some people. There is a sort of natural desire to separate myself from these instances or more specifically the individual within these instances. An embarrassment, or shame, as I would not generally bring them up in casual conversation about one's childhood or something to that effect. I found this quite comical when I first was exposed to the realization.

To me however, it serves no purpose to engage in this activity of conscious separation. Those actions were a necessary step to be taken on the path to becoming the person I am. I realize that if those various situation were to have gone another way I could have very well been a much different person. In that sense, I don't have a sense of guilt, or embarrassment, or anything else towards those times. I sort of simply rejoice that I am now able to appreciate their impact and influence.

I found my dive into the depths of moral action to have varying results as well. Morality is in a way an applied science and applying that science to one's life is a difficult undertaking. A life-long practice really, worth dedication to imo though. I found it imposes a powerful obstacle though, as the observation of interaction around you through such a "moral" lens in a sense is terribly... demotivating, depressing, frustrating, blah blah blah.
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Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.

Rumi

Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire.

Kurt Tucholsky


a spoken silence
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