victory_road | [Text] - Anonymous (Backdated to April 3rd)

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[Text] - Anonymous (Backdated to April 3rd)

So at what point is it okay to excuse something just because it's not "as bad" as something you might have experienced back in the world you come from?

Bad is bad, isn't it? Evil is evil?

Or are there some things that are okay to turn a blind eye to?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't really believe things are as black and white. I think it is easy for people to believe in good and evil as two immutable positions. After all, it's easier to live your life and justify your own actions if you believe certain actions are always good and certain actions are always bad. But in reality, I feel that when people speak of good and evil, what they really mean is 'someone who is good to me' and 'someone who is evil to me'. For example, I think most people would consider killing evil. It is ending a life, after all. But I know of a boy who killed two men to save a girl. Was he evil to kill? I don't believe so. These men were murderers and kidnappers. They had already killed the girl's parents. If he had not killed them, the girl would most certainly have been sold into slavery. To me, his actions were good and admirable, even if he did end two lives. Sometimes actions that are seen as bad by nearly everyone can lead to an overall better outcome than taking good actions. In that case, can it truly be called good to prioritise your own morality over the lives of other people?

So it's not a standard. There can be different opinions. Different definitions.

What if only some people believe that though? You're still going to get labeled. You're still going to get judged for your actions based on someone else's perceived code aren't you?

People seem to love dishing out judgement.

That is what I believe, yes. I don't think there will ever be a belief that is shared among everybody in a society. Even if it is just a small group, there will always be some who think differently. And where there will be differences in opinion, there will be judgement. Not that judgement itself is negative, mind you. Even thinking someone is a good person is only a personal judgement that doesn't need to be an objective truth. If I am hungry and someone steals food for me, I will judge that person to be a good person. But the shopkeeper we stole from might judge us both to be bad people regardless of our reasons. And both of those judgements might be true. If the food that was stolen was the shopkeeper's last and now his children will go hungry, it can easily be understood why someone would view the thief as a bad person. But at the same time, if the food that was stolen will keep someone from starving, it is also easy to understand why the person who eats will view that person as good. I think that is something that you need to accept though. And I think... thinking about what other people might think of you or how they will judge you can keep you from doing what needs to be done. Some things are more important than your personal reputation. When I was young, I was often beaten up for certain things I said. Ideas I had. I could've been quiet about them. Perhaps If I had been, they would've stopped picking on me. But to me, those things were more important than a bloody nose. I thought, maybe if I keep saying these things, even if I am judged for them, I'll actually make them acknowledge the things I am saying. It didn't exactly work, but I would do it again if I had to. But I don't think everybody has to agree with my way of thinking either. This is the way I think I should live, but everybody else has their own ways. And there isn't necessarily a right person.

I think I get it a little better now.

Every action can be seen in different ways. What I see as being done with good intentions may be looked at as being done with bad intentions by someone else because of the differences in morals, upbringing, where we come from, things like that.

But that's what makes people people.

That's the point of having a heart

Feelings

Being able to make choices for yourself and to build your own way of viewing the world.

Yes, that is what I believe. I think some people will argue differently and that morality is something black and white and fixed, but I feel that sort of thinking is a result of personal convenience.

That does make it easier for people to justify what they do, doesn't it? If they can claim a black and white view.

I never thought about that before.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Text] - Anonymous (Backdated to April 3rd)

[Text - not going to bother with Anon; Armin stands behind his words]

[Anon] - for now; GO ARMIN GO

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[Text] - Anon

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[Text] - Anon