What are your morals

Most people of conscience live by the golden rule, found in Christianity in Luke 6:31. However, this "ethic of reciprocity" as it's called predates Christianity, and is found before it in the philosophies of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and with the ancient Greek philosophers.

With or without belief in God, human beings live and experience suffering, love, happiness, sorrow, and all the other wonderful attributes that make us human beings. Leaving aside psychopathy, human beings are also empathetic, and understand what it is for others to suffer, love, feel happiness, etc. Being what we are, there is an inbuilt aversion to suffering which not only means an aversion to personal suffering, but which is extended to mean that we also do not wish others to suffer.

The most relevant morality one can express is a desire to minimize or extirpate suffering in other people. It's the only morality that actually means anything in a practical sense, and it's the only morality that actually makes the world a better place. And the minimization of suffering does not necessarily have to be reflected in spectacular acts of benevolence. It is also relevant and life-changing in very small ways, even tiny ways.

While in a restaurant many years ago, I watched as an older woman was seated by a manager at a table with eight seats, though she was dining alone. The manager probably thought he was doing her a favour by giving her so much room. But she was lost in this gigantic sea of chairs. It seemed to me she didn't eat out that often. She looked a little confused by the arrangement, and certainly uncomfortable in the extreme. Within moments, a waiter not taking care of her noticed her discomfort, and without saying much but with an expression of empathy on his face, moved her quickly and discreetly to a small two-seater in a private corner. The look of relief on her face was truly astounding, and she was thereafter quite comfortable in her space. Her level of suffering -- minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but enough to make her existence a little more miserable at that particular moment -- was eliminated by the waiter, who exercised a relevant mode of morality by making that woman's life more bearable by a hair's width. In short, he didn't have to help her, but he did.

I believe the ethic of reciprocity can be considered a position of altruism. For a discussion on why human beings are altruistic, read Dawkins' "The God Delusion", Chapter 6: "The Roots of Morality: Why are We Good?"

"Live and let live."

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Originally Posted by Christian Soldier

On some other threads, I have noticed that conflicting moral are causing a problem.

CS,
How is "conflicting moral" causing a problem? A problem just for you or a problem for everyone?

While I don't push morals on other people, I really can't stand the degeneration and lack of self respect of most people out there. Most people just believe what they want and make up the rules instead of doing the work it takes to find truth, reality and positive solutions.

Most people are so caught up in spirals of dysfunctional thinking, they haven't a clue why they feel the way they do, or are just hitting walls. They complain about everything, yet they do nothing about it and blame it on society. When you point their dysfunction out to them, they just get offended and make you walk on eggshells. It's a perfect defense for continuing to be their predictable selves.

They are also very empty and materialistic. They package themselves in boxes and put a price tag on themselves, and then try to bargain for friends and relationships with their "price". If they get better, they bargain for better friends and relationships. I find it heartless and inhuman. Every inch of self improvement has to be done alone.

Alternatively, I've always believed in caring about people unconditionally. When you do that, you can help people out, no matter where they're at in life. I find it really shatters boundaries when people know you're not just gonna ditch them when someone better comes along.

I also find people have such a lack of vision and ambition, it's simply incredible. When you talk to them, there's just no concept of achievement or wanting something that's bigger than themselves. They just want to make a family bubble and have a happy family like on the TV commercials.

I also find a lot of social jokers too. They're really good at social situations and always have some wisecrack to say, but they really have nothing profound to say and you don't feel like you're any better for having been around them. Most of them are overconfident and are just too stupid to realize they're just the same as everyone else.

Society cranks these kinds of people out at such a high rate, it's simply sad. I blame it on:
-Lessons given and ingrained by corporations who tell everyone whatever they want to think to sell products
-Bad parents who see their kids as an accessory or bullet point to the resume of their life
-Government that has no self-accountability to hard facts and statistics
-A prevalent idea that every opinion is equal and that passion and emotion is better than reality

So, morals? I try to do pretty much the opposite of what I just described. I love to put thought into things around me, and to understand how the world ticks. I also actually care about what goes on around me and am pretty altruistic.