by Andrew J. Zintl

Created on: September 07, 2008

Morals are the principles by which we live our lives. Too often, we fail to examine them, placing intrinsic trust in the idea that the morals we follow are sound. The assumption is a dangerous one which may lead us astray from the path of righteousness when we encounter temptation. Our morals may be faulty, betraying us into taking unjust action. Alternatively, our loose grip on what we hold as important might cause a lapse in judgment at the critical moment of decision which might just be the first step down a slippery slope towards total abandonment of our valued principles.

The benefit derived from clearly defining and examining our core moral beliefs far outweighs the effort involved in such an undertaking. A person whose morals are suspect will not truly be respected, despite any public deference given on account of wealth or status, probably earned by unscrupulous means. Though pretending to publicly respect such a person, everyone around him will be careful not to trust him or her, labeling the person as dishonest when they gossip privately amongst themselves.

Though we naturally like to assume that people will not accuse us of having bad morals, we can easily earn a reputation for corruption, deserved or not, while still maintaining a good opinion of ourselves. Our tendency to always believe the best of ourselves can, and often does, mislead us as to our true level of proper moral behavior. The only way to counter this perpetual illusion is to carefully examine our behavior and our morals to ensure that both are good and correlate with one another. We should also be careful to maintain our moral codes in heart and mind to aid us should a questionable situation arise.

Half-hearted belief in moral precepts like the Golden Rule will not be sufficient to prevent our possibly transforming into someone who continually violates such guidelines for moral behavior. All the wealth of the earth and eternal life to enjoy it cannot compensate us for the price paid if we lose our morals in obtaining it. A human being without good morals cannot truly be described as a living being. Our morals give purpose and direction to our lives. Losing them, or allowing them to be corrupted, is equivalent to losing ourselves. Though a person can go on living without a moral code, such a life will be an empty one, scarcely worth living. The constant fear of his or her unjust actions being discovered will cut them off from human society and companionship. Avoiding such a dismal fate is the reason developing a good moral code and sticking closely to it at all times is so vital for every man and woman who desires a truly enjoyable life.

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