Fairy Tale Spotlight: A Standard of Morality

There is one question that is very hard for me to ask people. The reason it is hard to ask is because, more often then not, it makes people angry. It angers them to even be questioned. Sadly, this question should not anger people. All they have to do is answer it, and the job is done.

The question is this: What is your standard of morality?

If you claim to have morals or do and believe things that you consider to be moral things, then I always assume that you must have a standard of morality. This standard can be just about anything that embodies the great list of things that you consider to be moral things. Let's look at four things that could be considered someone's standard:

1. A book. There could be a single piece of literature that encompasses everything that you believe is moral, and so you act morally according to the information in that book.

2. A person. You could see a person as a supreme example of what morality is. Everything that person did must be moral, so your standard would be that person and only that person.

3. A movie. You might have seen a movie that represents what you believe is an example of what morality is. You saw the film and want to model your morality after it.

4. A deity. You could subscribe to God or a god to which you believe that deity represents the whole of what is moral. You would then be expected to abide by that deity's tenets in order to be considered a moral person.

I could list other things, but you probably get the idea. A person's standard of morality is something that they choose what they consider the boundaries of morality to be. If they or anyone goes outside of those boundaries, they could say that they or those persons are considered immoral.

I've had a few people refuse to tell me what their standard is. I've also had people say they choose what is moral and what isn't (without a standard). As previously stated, I've also just made people outright angry with the query itself. Let's look at these three situations for a moment.

1. Why would someone not tell me of their standard? Are they ashamed of what it is? Are they not comfortable with it? If they are okay to say if something is moral or immoral, why can they not have the same eagerness to explain how they came to know that? I think this usually comes down to people not actually knowing what their standard is... and suddenly realizing it. You can't admit to something you aren't sure of.

2. When someone says they like to choose what is moral and what isn't, they are opening the door to everyone doing that as well. This is something called "subjective morality." Subjective morality means that you can choose morality for yourself, but if you can do it, so can any person. It assumes that anyone who claims a standard of morality is merely doing it as a matter of opinion. Therefore, if you believe that killing someone for your own survival is a moral act, you are, by the rules of subjective morality, absolutely moral to do so. By it's very nature, subjective morality dips into the realm of anarchy.

3. The anger. Why do people get angry when I ask this question? I think some people just don't want to deal with responsibility for their actions. They don't want to admit to things that they are ashamed of. A lot of people try and lean in on being mysterious or ambiguous. But when a person gets angry when I ask them this simple question, I have trouble taking their moral beliefs very seriously.

There is an odd forth case that I have run into: "I don't have a standard of morality." My friends, this is what you call sociopathy. A person without morals can kill another and not care one way or another. And I would wager that the person who said that to me did not really mean it. Sociopathy are the thoughts of demonic beings. These are the real fairies of the world. Humans who live sociopathic lives don't integrate very well. Why? Because most humans have morals whether they are following them or not. Even bad people can see when immoral things are happening most of the time.

My challenge to the world is this: If you are not sure what your standard of morality is, why not try and track it down? Look into the people you've spoken to, books you've read, TV shows you've watched, stories you've heard, and try and figure out how you came to believe in the moral laws you've come to take so seriously. Don't just blow it off by saying, "It's just moral because everyone knows it is!" Actually try. Try and figure it out. Go all the way to the beginning. Who created the morals that you now subscribe to? If you think it was your parents, then check to see where they learned it from. Go as far back as you need to... or maybe you already know.

You don't have to tell me what it is. The truth is for you and you alone. What you do with it is your business. At least for me, I was able to lock the answer down with a heck of a lot of work. I figured out what my standard is... but what's yours?

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!