![]() ![]() You have to use your innate abilities, your knowledge of harm/care and fairness/reciprocity, and your ability for empathy. Some, if not much of it may be good stuff but to determine if it is good, you need to imagine it does not exist. You need to liberate your mind of all the cultural conditioning you have had since you were born. The only source you need for ethical guidance is a liberated mind, and a continued urge to seek truth and greater understanding. The ten commandments are not an ethical compass nor are ancient text. The only way to ensure that positive forward progress is made is through knowledge and understanding of ethics. That being said, there is no guarantee they will. Cultures should evolve over time to become better. No one culture has figured it all out although some are clearly on better paths than others. The only way cultures get better is to hold on to the good and reject the bad. Some current ideas and past ideas are good, some are bad. Living an ethical life is difficult, and societies being composed of many individuals are hard pressed to get most of it right. The more you question yourself by asking the basic question, “How would I like it if that was done to me,” the better you will get at evaluating ethical conditions. Introspection is the only way to gain a deep understanding of ethics. The best way to question your world view is to engage with others that do not share your view of things. External sources of wisdom my help us achieve much needed paradigm shifts. That said, you gain enlightenment through “knowing thy self.” In other words, we need to use introspection to derive the ethical truth. There are many sources of wisdom and it’s wise to seek as many as possible. The idea that there is one source of truth or way to understand things is a fool’s errand. The key line is, “The less I seek my source for some definitive, the closer I am to fine.” The song reveals that “thee answer” is not out there to be found, it is discovered within through introspection. This song is about trying to make sense of the world by seeking “thee answer” from trusted sources of knowledge. They look to diagnosis problems, seek perspective in nature, observe the innocent, seek knowledge through scripture, learn through physical trials, try obedience to authority, etc. On their search they find ignorance and fear to be boundless, enlightenment hard to find, comfort in fear until exhausted by it, and balance through letting go of a certain amount of control. The individual in the song seeks insight between right and wrong. One of my favorite songs of the Indigo Girls is “Closer to Fine.” The songs tells the story of personal growth through seeking various sources of wisdom. Does that last statement make you upset? Stop and ask yourself why? I would not be surprised if some of our founding fathers were gay. So it is no big surprise that gay people are generally introspective, liberal thinkers. Gay individuals have to develop a good ethical compass at an early age or risk years of unnecessary self loathing if they internalize negative societal norms that tell them being gay is sinful. When cultural rules are at odds with what one feels is right, individuals need to dive deep into introspection to derive the ethical truth inherent in the situation. This is a period where individuals just want to fit in to their peer groups, yet gay people have to deal with being different in a relatively significant way. Most people who are gay realize this fact about themselves during puberty. ![]() Most gay and lesbian people I have met in my life demonstrate a good deal of introspection and empathy. One of the most insightful singer/song writers of my time is a duo of lesbian women, the Indigo Girls. ![]() Authority/Respect and Agenda-type Control.Where does ethical knowledge come from?. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |