Let’s define “MORAL” as “good for everyone involved”

Let’s not get any deeper than this, and assume we can find something that’s GOOD for everyone involved

 

Indeed, good for everyone is perhaps not that complicated.

-start with some silver rule — don’t cheat, don’t steal, don’t be a lying piece of shit, don’t harm others, first do no harm indeed

-then add some golden rule, slowly — find something that others want, and give it to them

-and of course give it to yourself too — you’re NOT excluded from the “good for everyone”

 

Once we know what morality is, and we know what is good for everyone — now the only thing left is DOING that thing

 

How do we even do things, anyway?

Well sometimes we make a meticulous plan

And sometimes we just do them

bear with me

 

Morality can be approached from a very logical, systematic standpoint

Or it can be a more spontaneous, free exercise

 

We actually have a pretty strong natural ability to be good

-We have built in COMPASSION — which makes us CARE how others feel, how others are doing

-We have built in RECIPROCITY — which makes us reward others for benefiting us

-We have built in TRIBALISM — to care about our tribe, and care about how our tribe feels about us

All of that is quite conductive to bringing forth more of the “good for everyone involved”,

 

It’s also sometimes at odds

And often not sufficient

 

Our natural intuitions are often not enough

Those are but a compass

But the road itself is anything but straight

 

In a tribe, there may not be enough resources for everyone

You can’t just give the same to everyone

You can’t just give enough to everyone

You have to forego your natural instinct, your compassion

You have to be prudent instead

Intelligent instead

Intelligent indeed

You have to rely on intelligence

 

Our modern world is yet far better example of this

To answer the question of bringing forth the MOST GOOD to the MOST people — is ABSOLUTELY not a question for silly fucking COMPASSION

(At least not in a material sense. Philosophically it is perhaps SOLELY a question of compassion)

This is a systemic problem

Logistical problem

Philosophical problem

Problem of SCALE

You don’t just GIVE everyone what they want

It’s a complicated problem and our natural intuitions about what is good and what is bad are insufficient

We need more refined approach

We need more refined morality

 

In the same time, does it call for complete abandonment of our natural human instincts?

Absolutely not

Just as being guided by mere feelings — when dealing with GOVERNANCE and SCALE and SYSTEMS — is utterly INADEQUATE and MISGUIDED,

So is being guided by MERE RIGID RULES and “IDEALS” and IDEOLOGIES — when dealing with HOW WE TREAT OTHERS EVERY DAY AND WHAT WE DO — absolutely INADEQUATE

 

Your everyday relations and actions can’t be reduced to a neat system of DOS and DON’T

It requires continues prudence

It requires understanding of the other person

Of the ever unique situation

IT STILL benefits TREMENDOUSLY from healthy CORE rules

But it requires ADAPTATION, FLEXIBILITY

It requires humanity

 

I DO believe we, in our relationships — would benefit from being more RULES-driven

An average person is of course way too emotional and this continuously distorts the reality and fails to come to any kind of understanding

However, again, MERE RULES are not enough — because they are not so easily susceptible to NUANCE

 

There exist people who just don’t have much empathy, emotional intelligence

They learn to adapt by rules alone

When the rules are clear — they are some of the most upright men you’d ever meet

When they run out of rules — they are some of the worst callous, duplicitous scum you’d ever meet

 

Therefore

The role of empathy, emotional intelligence, compassion, kindness — cannot be overstated

It MUST supply reason, of course. It must supple VERY STRONG, WELL-THOUGHT OUT MORAL RULES, INTERPERSONAL RULES, RELATIONSHIP RULES

But the latter is not enough

If you lack this humanity, this understanding of the human — you’re BLIND

Men would call you “heartless”, and would be correct

You’re missing half the picture

You’re unintelligent too. You look unintelligent because you don’t see what other’s see.

It’s a disability

 

Some are born this way

And some still learn to “read” others

To empathise

To become more sensitive

Therefore it’s doable, at least to some extent

Sharpen your perception

Learn to see others, fully

 

Conclusion is

-Do consider deeply how you can be of USE to others, how you can bring some GOOD to this world, and be a bit less of a fucking nuisance

-AND learn to FEEL what others feel, what others need, what other’s want, NOT merely logically, but LEARN TO FEEL IT, from moment to moment

This is how you stand a chance of being quite a lovely human being