Capturing an insight (dealing with me)

[drwex]

In chat just now I tried to summarize why something was annoying me and came to this summary:

I prefer that people do what's Right rather than what's Correct.

I think that the people who know me best, and who get along with me best, understand this difference. It's OK if you believe differently, but if you don't see that those are two different things we're probably not going to be good friends.

Comments

known quantity

[mizarchivist]

yep.

Understood.

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

Favorite Asimov Quote:

Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right.

[darxus.livejournal.com]

I had a friend, years ago, who had a melt down at the idea that something could be illegal yet not immoral.

Ethics != morals

[drwex]

All depends on your perspective, really.

[chienne-folle.livejournal.com]

My mother is so wedded to doing what's Correct that she often doesn't even SEE what's Right when it's pointed out to her. This drives me totally bugfuck crazy.

[catya.livejournal.com]

oh, i get the difference, but i wonder if we would class things the same way. interesting.

Probably for a lot of things

[drwex]

the differences would be interesting

[sindrian.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, I know exactly what you mean.

As a related idea, I fear that as a society we focus too much on the technical meanings of laws and rules, and forget that there is an actual intent behind them that can't be completely contained within the specific wording. That is to say, someone could do something that is technically Correct, but not actually Right.

I fear that many people like to stick to what they are told is Correct because they think it relieves them from a lot of responsibility. If instead they make a decision based on their own ethics, they might have to come up with an actual rational that goes beyond "that's what the law/bible/my dad/etc. said." In short, they'd have to think.

Thinking is a heavy burden

[drwex]

For some people, at least.

[sariel-t.livejournal.com]

Seconded.