This past weekend I was given the opportunity to try a new activity. One that, when I first heard about it, I thought went against my established principles and morals. Granted, I wanted to do it, after all, trying something new is always interesting, but something in my head put the brakes on, and I was locked in indecision.
And that was the key thing. Normally, when I find that something goes against what I believe, I just refuse and drop the matter. But something kept pushing me to reexamine the situation. It was like I knew I would be making a mistake by refusing. And it turned out I was right. In re-thinking the issue, it turns out that I was refusing because the opportunity was being provided by someone who wasn't acting according to what I thought should be done. And once I figured that out... everything changed.
The single biggest rule in my personal code of conduct is that my rules apply to ME. I can't expect the rest of the world to live by MY rules. Who am I to tell everyone else what to do? God? Hitler? The Republicans? No. Just because someone is acting by what they believe is right instead of what I believe is right doesn't make their actions wrong. I don't eat snails or frog's legs, but I don't say that the French are wrong to enjoy that. In re-examining the situation from that perspective, my whole outlook on the matter changed and I think it became much more accurate.
However, in looking back, I'm surprised how subtle the influence of my principles are. It was a gentle pressure to guide my "kneejerk reaction" to land against something that turned out to be greatly to my benefit. I think that in the future, I will be much more vigilant in how I apply my philosophy to the world around me.
Showing posts with label principles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label principles. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thoughts On... Principles
"Principles only mean something when you stick to them when its inconvenient."
- Author Unknown
Last night, I watched a movie that a friend of mine recommended to me awhile ago called, Unthinkable. The movie itself is a fascinating and engrossing suspense thriller that covers a wide variety of politically charged topics. What I found most interesting was its exploration of American societal principles in the face of threats and dangers. The bulk of the movie deals with the EXTREME interrogation of an American Muslim who planted three nuclear bombs in three U.S. cities. As time runs out on the bombs, the interrogation becomes more extreme, going beyond physical torture of the man to torturing the people he cares about.
In the U.S., it is believed that everyone has rights. Even those people who have committed crimes have rights, granted some of their rights are taken away as punishment for their crimes, but they still have certain core rights. The movie raises the question of what happens when the criminal threatens millions of lives? In the case of the movie, does that justify torture methodologies like amputation of fingers, electrocution, or water boarding? What about torturing the people the criminal cares for? The criminal's wife or children? Does such a widespread threat where in the best case hundreds of thousands of people (in the worst case millions) die justify removing the rights of one individual? If so, what about two? In the context of the movie, does the threat to millions of people justify the murder of the wife of the criminal responsible for that threat? What about the criminal's children?
These are very tough questions to answer. And you have to consider the millions of people whose lives are in the balance. Not just the victims, but also their families and friends.
The dictionary defines "principle" as, 1) a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption, 2) a rule or code of conduct. And in MY code of conduct, my personal set of rules that I try to live by, I believe the quote at the top of this posting. It's when you're at your worst that you know what you truly believe in. And those beliefs, those principles, they are the framework you build your life around. You live by them, and yes, if necessary, you die by them.
- Author Unknown
Last night, I watched a movie that a friend of mine recommended to me awhile ago called, Unthinkable. The movie itself is a fascinating and engrossing suspense thriller that covers a wide variety of politically charged topics. What I found most interesting was its exploration of American societal principles in the face of threats and dangers. The bulk of the movie deals with the EXTREME interrogation of an American Muslim who planted three nuclear bombs in three U.S. cities. As time runs out on the bombs, the interrogation becomes more extreme, going beyond physical torture of the man to torturing the people he cares about.
In the U.S., it is believed that everyone has rights. Even those people who have committed crimes have rights, granted some of their rights are taken away as punishment for their crimes, but they still have certain core rights. The movie raises the question of what happens when the criminal threatens millions of lives? In the case of the movie, does that justify torture methodologies like amputation of fingers, electrocution, or water boarding? What about torturing the people the criminal cares for? The criminal's wife or children? Does such a widespread threat where in the best case hundreds of thousands of people (in the worst case millions) die justify removing the rights of one individual? If so, what about two? In the context of the movie, does the threat to millions of people justify the murder of the wife of the criminal responsible for that threat? What about the criminal's children?
These are very tough questions to answer. And you have to consider the millions of people whose lives are in the balance. Not just the victims, but also their families and friends.
The dictionary defines "principle" as, 1) a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption, 2) a rule or code of conduct. And in MY code of conduct, my personal set of rules that I try to live by, I believe the quote at the top of this posting. It's when you're at your worst that you know what you truly believe in. And those beliefs, those principles, they are the framework you build your life around. You live by them, and yes, if necessary, you die by them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)