Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
If you’re nothing more than a bag of self-aware chemistry, how do you arrive at moral imperatives like these? Genuinely curious.[COLOR="Silver"]
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The thing to remember is that 'moral imperitives' are a social construct. In fact, our everyday lives are run and governed by a set of social constructs designed to keep peace and stop those animal instincs from runnign riot in the street! Without laws and rules, civilisation as we know it would not be. I guess the word 'moral' is how we describe 'not being a dick'. Unfortunately, there are enough epople in the world that we need to enforce rules because a lot fo people would just be dicks. To be fair, some still are all the same!
Now that is not to say that there would be no civilisation. At the very least, there would be groups that work work together in order to care for young, hunt, provide and protect.
And this is where the my viewpoint comes in;
Do the things you enjoy
Society and civilisation in the form we currently are fortunate enough to live as part of, affords us the opportunity to take up intrests and hobbies of our choosing. We are not bound by any laws here in the uK which are too overbearing, nor prevent us from seeking pleasures that other coun tries or regimes might see as immoral or against the state / their God or whatever it might be. I can choose, for example, to pick up a camera and take photos, or delve into an education in psychology, or drive a nice car. This things bring me pleasure, and so other things bring others pleasure - where you can, and where it is not to the detriment of others, one should seek to take those pleasures.
Be kind
An obvious one really. Being kind is to the benefit of oneself and to others. It's a way to build rapport and to bond. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Good relationships are beneficial, and you won't get those by being an arse to people. Beyond that, doing good deeds has been proven in many, many studies to release endorphines - they make us feel good. So if we can feel good about what we do and also bring benefit to others at the same time, why would we not?
Be inquisitive
It's so important for our own growth as a perosn to want to know more, learn more, understand better. Especially other people. The more we know, the better equipt we are to deal with situations. By standing still, digging heels into the ground and refusing to listen, learn and become more, we will stagnate, be left behind and get stuck in our ways. This does not benefit anyone at all, especially oneself.
Be mindful
Your actions have an affect on others, not just yourself. Think about how what you do or say might affect other people. It ties in tightly to doing thing you enjoy (ensuring it is not at the detriment of others), being kind and being inquisitive. It is the overarching governance required for the other aspects to be successful for everyone who might be touvched or involved by those things. It also leads us onto...
Don't hurt others
Again, this is about ensuring relationships are beneficial to everyone. And if they are not, if there is toxicity in there, walk away. You don't have to maintain a relationship if you do not wish to. But even in this scenario, you still do not need to hurt others, either physically or mentally. Their might be times when you may hurt someone emotionally, or indeed be hurt emotionally. But we would all do well to rmeember that whilst we cannot control the actions of others onto us, we can control how we react and move on from that.
I hope that covers it. We are very lucky to have such an opportunity of being alive, being conscious, being able to build relationships and enjoy things. Let's not be toxic, rude or dismissive and take those pleasures away from others whilst we have our time. We spend a lot of time not being here - be good and nice whilst you are here.