Discussions about what’s “good” and “bad” often end in heated arguments and fail to reach satisfying conclusions. Morality in general can be a slippery topic, even in the most basic situations. Everyone’s probably been in a conversation in which someone says: “Well, killing another human being is definitely immoral.” And then watched as someone else retorts, “But what if it’s done in self-defense? Or during a war that one was drafted into?” Another common exchange centers around stealing – “But what if you’re starving or need to feed your children?” Clearly, reaching definitive moral conclusions can be challenging. Often when people do claim to have defined views on morality, they are labeled close-minded or intolerant.All this confusion usually leads people to decide: meh, everything’s relative. I’ll just do my best to be a good person, and judge situations as they come. I understand this point-of-view, and for a long time this was my default position. However, over the past couple of years I’ve started to change my views.Where Are Your Actions Ultimately Leading?You can usually get away with “bad” behavior for awhile. There are many people who’ve dabbled in hard drugs during a phase in their youth and not suffered any lasting consequences. I’m sure that half of Wall Street has participated in at least one transaction that could be considered insider trading, but hasn’t been caught. Hell, it took Bernie Madoff decades to be brought down, and he was running an industrial-sized scam.So an action’s repercussions often aren’t immediately clear. Moreover, bad things often feel good for a time (otherwise we’d all be angels and wouldn’t ever be seduced by evil.) These two facts - lack of immediate repercussions combined with the seductive feeling of pleasure - are roadblocks that cloud the human mind and prevent it from being able to objectively judge morality. The alcoholic, for instance, is literally killing himself and yet the draw of pleasure is so strong that he may adamantly claim alcohol is a positive influence on him. Illusions can run that deep.To bust through these roadblocks, try asking yourself: where does this action logically end up? What if you decide to get more into drinking and start getting hammered every Friday and Saturday night? This may work for a time, but one need only look at Johnny Manziel to see the train wreck that will eventually ensue. At the end of the road of drinking is addiction, sickness, and even death. With this knowledge in mind, it’s a lot easier to skip the bar scene altogether.Everything Leads SomewhereI think it’s best to view decisions and habits as a wave-form. They are always moving you either forward or backwards (i.e. more towards “life” or “death”.) Indeed, absolutely nothing (even on an atomic level) stands still in this universe. Every time you avoid doing work in favor of playing video games, for instance, you further cement that pattern in your life. Your neural pathways literally rearrange and begin to inform you that “work” is something to be avoided, with video games being the superior alternative. Each time you pick up the controller, you further increase the odds you will repeat the same behavior the next day, and on the cycle goes. Even once you’re consciously aware this dynamic is happening, it can still be difficult to break. Personally, I know ordering Domino’s pizza often ruins my eating habits for a couple days, but the urge still arises sometimes. Pineapple and ham on top of pizza is just that good.Thus far I’ve talked about decisions that lead towards suffering, lowered consciousness, and even death. But the same method of philosophical inquiry can be applied to positive choices as well. Again, this may not seem groundbreaking at first, but what’s the logical end of becoming educated? I’d say it’s an expanded field of awareness and greater life satisfaction. What’s the end result of marrying a woman you love? A life of companionship and often a bunch of kids. These actions lead to positive and life-affirming results, and thus are certainly “good.”Identify Your Drives to Reach ClarityBehind every decision and action lurks an intention, or as many psychologists have put it, a “drive.” We all have a laundry list of inherent needs – from safety, shelter, and food to more complex things like belongingness and self-actualization. These drives are positive, in that they lead to life (procuring food, shelter, and even companionship obviously greatly increase one’s life expectancy.) On the flip side of the coin, you have what Freud called the “death drive.” Wikipedia explains, “In classical Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the death drive is the drive towards death, self-destruction and the return to inorganic chemistry…” (1) The death drive is the part of us that is not completely recovered from past traumas and therefore says “fuck life.” We throw our middle fingers up and revel in rebellion, affirming that everything is not OK. This internal battle – between life and death or good and evil – rages to some extent within everyone.Thus, nothing you do is really that random. Viewed in isolation you might say, “well I’m just sitting here at my desk reading this reddit post.” OK, but “zoom out” a little. Are you reading this post when you should be working – in effect looking for an escape and a stress relief? Or are you reading it during your free time as part of a larger plan to pursue self-improvement and self-actualization? The context of each action is completely different, and will lead in two different directions.ConclusionLife and Death drives interest me because they are the two most extreme ends of the consciousness spectrum. Happy and Sad or Pain and Pleasure are almost there, but they aren’t quite as broad as Life and Death. It’s very useful to ask yourself: which way are my current drives, thoughts, and desires leading me? Years down the line, will they lead to an increased level of consciousness and overall personal development (i.e. more life?) Or will they merely provide me with fleeting highs and pleasures that ultimately lead to ill health, emptiness, and nihilism (i.e. lowered consciousness, being closer to death)?SOURCES1) http://ift.tt/21aP5lf
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