Very good thoughts here. We take for granted the idea that somehow our moral beliefs are fundamentally right and will always be considered right. Even though if you look at history, that's clearly not true. We should consider that we're not the good moral people we claim to be. I was recently reading a piece about the importance of debating with yourself. Take the opposite position in your head and find a way to make it the best possible argument against yourself. Once you're sure you've exhausted all the arguments, you can be sure you're probably not just accepting things as fact.
Or as Solzhenitsyn said, "The line between good and evil cuts down the middle of every human heart."
Never assume your heart is entirely good or entirely bad.
Well said! I particularly appreciate the emphasis on the importance of debating with ourselves. None of us are pure or perfect. But we can iron out moral inconsistencies and nurture our potential for goodness by acknowledging that imperfection, and resolving to engage in routine self-examination. The quote from Solzhenitsyn is helpful in clearing the way for this kind of work. The point is not to lower moral standards, of course, but to create the conditions for genuine moral improvement and hopefully excellence.
Very good thoughts here. We take for granted the idea that somehow our moral beliefs are fundamentally right and will always be considered right. Even though if you look at history, that's clearly not true. We should consider that we're not the good moral people we claim to be. I was recently reading a piece about the importance of debating with yourself. Take the opposite position in your head and find a way to make it the best possible argument against yourself. Once you're sure you've exhausted all the arguments, you can be sure you're probably not just accepting things as fact.
Or as Solzhenitsyn said, "The line between good and evil cuts down the middle of every human heart."
Never assume your heart is entirely good or entirely bad.
Well said! I particularly appreciate the emphasis on the importance of debating with ourselves. None of us are pure or perfect. But we can iron out moral inconsistencies and nurture our potential for goodness by acknowledging that imperfection, and resolving to engage in routine self-examination. The quote from Solzhenitsyn is helpful in clearing the way for this kind of work. The point is not to lower moral standards, of course, but to create the conditions for genuine moral improvement and hopefully excellence.
If you’re interested, I found this particularly good:
https://psyche.co/ideas/margaret-cavendish-and-the-power-of-debating-with-yourself