Sometimes finding the line is difficult, because the line between "right" and "wrong" is almost fictional, and is always completely subjective. When making decisions, I find myself toeing the line with unease, a part of me firmly grounded in the strong moralistic teachings that have were faithfully ground in to my by our trusty missionary service, a part of me aching to break free of all this virtuous crap and be the free-thinker that my education and life experience have taught me to be.
Perhaps it is this dichotomy that holds the seed for most of the inter-generational conflict we see today, not counting the internal conflicts that go unmentioned. There's such a tug-of war between the indoctrinated beliefs that we were weaned on and the iconoclastic culture that the Age of Internet has brought us. Where is the line, then? How do we reconcile ourselves?
Perhaps it's east to ignore the struggle--I know plenty of young, educated minds that firmly abhor all things outside belief. "prudes" we call them, why can't they live a little? Maybe this is just their way of dealing with the conflict within themselves, surely it's easier than questioning yourself constantly, God knows.
Then there's the other lot--the smokers and jokers. The ones the aunties talk about, the ones you whisper about, while secretly wishing you had half the guts to do something that wild. Again, a great way of dealing with, beginning and ending with that beautiful sentiment: fuck this, fuck this all.
But for the rest of us, constantly questioning Life, belief and reconciliation of the self with the two, it's a long and arduous journey towards gaining some peace of mind. Fuck this, I say, fuck this all :)
May I suggest (and mere suggestion indeed this be), that rather than looking at a "line" between right and wrong (because this implies some sort of static boundary), perhaps consider that each issue is unique in its own right, and therefore warranting consideration of specific attributes of the matter at hand? Because as you said, right and wrong is indeed subjective, albeit in terms of the matter ITSELF as well. While it is a less comforting and decidedly more arduous approach to decision-making, I find that it is very much worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is true, and rational. And you're quite right that this "line" business is rather subjective. The difficulty just lies in being rational all the time, I guess. And the fact that most of our indoctrinates beliefs are not strictly rational.
ReplyDeleteTrue.. Humans generally prefer something comforting and straightforward, rather than allow themselves to believe the possibility that life really *is* as complicated as it is... So what you end up with is dynamic organisms in a ever changing social structure and natural environment, trying to conform to a set of static rules... Got to love the irony!
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