Quote:
Originally Posted by bpcyclist
Okay, I get all this and I do this, much of the time. I use a kind of Buddhist, non-attachment type approach.
So, great. But what about the moral imperative not to stand by idly while clearly evil actions occur? For example, had the United States not entered the war against both Germany and Japan, respectively and for very different reasons, well, far, far, far more evil and suffering would have befallen planet earth and its inhabitants. Had I been around then and elected not to involve myself because it caused me stress and discomfort and pain and unhappiness, well, I do not believe that would have been the right choice in the grand scheme of the universe.
So, what I am saying is that, just for myself, totally focusing on my own mental health well-being may not actually always be the morally correct decision. Which I find quite difficult. Sometimes, pain is required in order to do the right thing. Child birth and child rearing are painful, often, but we don't abandon our kids when they are misbehaving, because that would be wrong. Doing 7 years of brutal residency was extremely painful, but it had to be done in order to save lives that otherwise would likely have been lost. Etc.
|
You didn't ask me... But I think there's no morally superior road. I think if we feel compelled to take action against something we must recognize that an equal and opposite reaction is coming our way. Is that worth it? That depends wholly upon your internal value structure. So like you said, you may be signing up for pain. Pain sometimes leads to what we feel is the greater good and it adds value to our experience. It is a choice.
Someone choosing not to engage in something that is painful doesn't make them bad or inferior. It just means they choose not to expand along that particular pathway.
So in your war example, me judging the actions of others as not right for me is one thing. Me standing in their way and applying force against them is another. If I apply the force, I must do it with the knowing it will generate a counter force. If I let them proceed without restraint on my part I can know they will eventually be met with a counter force even if I do not sign up to supply it. Maybe I'm ok with that. Maybe not. If someone were to attack my family I'd probably jump right in despite the consequences. It would be pain that I sign up for willingly.
I think the goal is to have clarity about where you want to go, how you want to get there and what to do if you decide it isn't for you and you wish to go someplace else.
Be a hero if you want to be a hero. That can be an awesome and worthwhile adventure. Just be prepared to dance with the villain. I got in deep with that once on a moral high road. It knocked me flat on my face and left me rethinking my feeling I had a right to judge the actions of what I thought was my opponent... I'd probably be willing to mix it up with them again, but I'd take a wildly different approach.