If the words we choose to speak are precursors for actual exercises of morality, choosing the right actions speaks volumes more. You can gauge what a person is like based on what they say, but you can began to see their moral character by examining the actions they execute on a day-to-day basis.
There are five major components of “Right Action”, provided below:
No killing: This means protecting life across the board. I’m a relatively strict opponent of abortion, yet at the same time I consume animal products. I think when it comes to judging what the morality of life entails, you have to choose your own standards. I don’t necessarily see animal consumption as being good or evil, but I tried to limit my consumption of it this week (especially whenever I ate at home). Obviously it was easy to avoid killing my fellow peers and other humans (or even having thoughts to do so).
No stealing: At the same time I attempted to promote the well-being of everyone this past week, in my time doing community service on the weekend, as well as helping various persons with their essays. Though it is technically a part of my job, I spend virtually every day at the YMCA attempting my best to tutor and mentor kids in a positive direction. At the March of Dimes today I even encountered a former student at Loara who told me “to come back to the school”, and that the new employees “sucked” so to speak. While this boosted my ego a bit, I realize that it means I’m essentially doing my job right, especially if one of my students is doing community service on the weekend. I’m very much against the idea of exploiting others for profit, whether it be through pyramid schemes or advertising. Though I majored in communications at UCSD, I still hope to inevitably use my degree to help a non-profit such at the YMCA prosper in the future (after I teach for a few years first).
No misuing sex: Paralleling the moral trait of “chastity” a few weeks prior, I refrained from any sexual relations this week. In all fairness I’m not one to have one night stands anyway, so it’s highly unlikely I would ever regress to that character trait. Instead I’d hope to get to know someone pretty well first before engaging in said activities.
No lying: I obviously try my best to avoid lying to people. I try to be as straightforward as possible, although I tend to twist things in an effort to not come off as an pompous person. At the same time I try my best to listen to people when they come to me with their problems. As much as it might reinforce and bring back past memories of my past experiences with certain elements of life, I do think that if we all take the time to listen to one another, we can tear down the barriers that separate us, and create a better world (In all fairness, this is why I’m against the current foreign policy we have now, which focuses more on bombing/killing by drone strikes rather than understanding and open communications).
No abusing intoxicants: No alcohol consumption this week. I also have never/will never do drugs classified as illegal under the Controlled Substances Act (although as a libertarian I can’t in my right mind judge anyone that chooses to do so). This doesn’t necessarily JUST pertain to what things we consume in our body, but also things we consume mentally. Though I think the educational system we have in the United States is largely inefficient, I tried my best to do some “active learning” this week, while simultaneously abusing my brain with television shows like Glee and Game of Thrones. I could also argue that Candy Crush is a terrible intoxicant because it consumed much of my time this week.
The End Result: I am trying to become one step closer to achieving not necessarily moral perfection, but an understanding of what it will take to ultimately become a better person. With the wisdom I have acquired over the past 3 weeks, I hope to develop the intimacy and empathy necessary to already understand the people around me and their struggles. Listening leads to understanding. Understanding leads to empathy. Empathy leads to morality. I give myself a B for the week overall.
Next Week: Right Livelihood.
