by Paul Lines

Created on: September 09, 2008

The definition of the word moral is related to the principles of right and wrong, good or bad. In other words it is something that we use to determine our behaviour and character, especially when interacting with other people in society.

With every human action there is a reaction or consequence and in terms of morals the same theory applies. Whether we base our lives upon bad or good morals there will be a reaction to it from others that we come into contact with, and from society as a whole.

The real question is, bearing in mind the prevalence of greed and anger in this world, why does it pay to have good morals. The answer in reality can be found in two areas, these being the reward that we personally receive for having good morals and the benefit it brings to the community and society we live in.

There is a lot of truth in living our life by the biblical saying "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Let us take an example. If one gets angry and hurts another person, either physically or with words. Superficially, the one who has caused the hurt can walk away with their anger relieved and feeling better. However, would they like to have been in the position of the person hurt? Similarly, if we see someone in need of help and we walk by without offering that help it is important to think about how we would have felt had that been us in need.

Furthermore, think how much better we feel about ourselves when we have done something good for another person. It is always nicer to be greeted with a smile than a scowl and, in addition, the former response is more likely to encourage us to continue to exhibit good moral behaviour towards others.

It is this last aspect that links the benefits of our good moral behaviour with the behaviour of the local community. Think about it. If we react with anger or rudeness towards a neighbour they, because the hurt of someone's anger is likely to fester within them, are more likely to take the same approach towards others. This has a knock-on effect in that the more smiles and good we present to our neighbour, the more they will act in the same way when greeting others and, before you know what it happening, the local community is being uplifted by our simple deed, and becoming a friendlier and happier place to live.

Finally, although to some it may seem unlikely, it also pays to have good morals even when those around us do not. Many researches have proven that the way we behave as individuals does actually influence the behaviour of others. The way that a group of people, for instance a crowd of fans at a soccer match, can be influenced into anger and bad behaviour is an example of this theory and the reverse is equally true. If one person in social gatherings acts with anger, but others remain calm and good mannered, that person is likely to soon calm down and join with the good behaviour.

In conclusion therefore, it pays to have good morals because it will make us feel better about ourselves, others will respond to us in a more positive manner and the world, or at least our community, will become a better place to live in.

Learn more about this author, Paul Lines.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.