Exploring Your Morals

This exercise is not for the faint-hearted. What we are going to touch is something that has been the source of much discussion, not only on these boards, but in many philosophical, religious, and political arguments.

Granted that we are average individuals, with no mental illnesses, we all have morals, even if we are not aware of it. Some have been passed to us by our parents, the media, the church we attended when we were kids, and many other influential entities or individuals we have come in contact with. Others are harder to track and seem to be universal and common to most human beings.

The relation between morals and emotion is undeniable. When we do something we consider immoral, we suffer emotional backlash. In the same vein, when we comply with our morals, we feel emotional relief and connectedness. Apart from the emotional level, morals can inhabit a mere intellectual level. These, instead of morals, are beliefs that we have been hard-pressed to follow and adopt.

In light of this, how to tell whether something is a real moral, stemming from the depths of yourself, or just a mere meme (belief) that has been ingrained in your psyche? We need but a mere exercise.

The Exercise:

Disclaimer: First a note of warning. I request one thing from anybody taking this exercise, consider it the rules of fair play by which we will abide. You cannot break the laws of your country, and you should not harm another sentient being. It is not permitted. If you take this too far, it is solely your responsibility.

First, I want you to do something you believe is moral. For example, if you are a Catholic you might have been raised to think that helping those in need is the right thing to do. In this case, I would suggest you go out of your way and do it.

Secondly, I want you to do something which you consider as against the morals. Keep in mind the note above. It does not have to be something low or harmful. A snotty remark, a white lie, faking an emotion... it is your call. Go and do it.

When you are doing the above, delve into your emotions. How did the "moral" deed make you feel? What about the immoral? Report back your experiences. And above all, be brutally honest with yourself (and if you want, with us too).

Purpose:

Using this method of direct experimentation, you will be closest to your true self. With enough practice, you will see, directly and without rationalizations, who you truly are.

This is not a mere intellectual exercise; the sake of this is not simply understanding oneself. You, by trial and error, should develop a "moral map," so to speak, to know accurately which routes will lead you to an abyss of self-loathing and guilt and which ones will lead you to a plentiful existence.