Morality is something that’s talked about a lot, but also very undervalued. Right now, it’s not clear that many people have morals. We tend not to know each other well, and while crime is rare, it’s very random. With the pressures of capitalism, it can feel like we need to make money fast, even at the expense of others. Some of us may like doing immoral things for random reasons. This is unfortunate, and I feel bad for anyone who naturally feels this way. Over the course of my life, I’ve been forced to face myself a few times. I’ve had to ask myself: “was I in the right?”. The answer, generally speaking, is it’s complicated. I’m happy to say that most of the time, I wasn’t totally on the wrong side of history. I look back and cringe, but I’m not faced with overwhelming guilt. That being said, there have definitely been occasions during which I’ve been faced with choices and made the wrong decision. Becoming more of a moral person has been a process for me, and it’s one that has been influenced solely by growing older and wiser. That being said, the process of becoming a more moral person is the same regardless of who you are.
Realize that you care about being a good person, for its own sake
Whether it’s for your own self-esteem, or for the sake of a legacy, the first step to being moral is knowing that you actually want to be moral. When I was younger, I didn’t really care about being moral, or maintaining a pristine image, at least. I didn’t have an interest in anything sadistic or extremely evil, but I didn’t see the problem with activities such as drug use or casual sex. Now that I’m older my attitudes are changing. I have a vision of a good life, and living it involves eventually removing drugs and alcohol from my life. It also means that I’ll have to make my money legally, no cheating the system. My newfound attitudes have been adopted for partially selfish reasons. I don’t want to go to jail, for example. But generally speaking, I want to be a good person for its own sake. It’s a better “vibe”.
Acknowledge when you feel wronged, and figure out why you feel wronged when you do
This is really important, because it will teach you empathy if you’re smart. Knowing why you don’t like something should make you realize that other people might have similar experiences to you. If you’re a decent person, you’ll try not to make that “something” happen in the presence of others. Empathy is the most important part of being a moral person. It’s really hard to be moral without empathy, because without empathy you need flawless logic to remain a moral person.
Acknowledge your mistakes
If you can acknowledge your mistakes and take accountability for them, you will find yourself being moral. Firstly, you’ll be owning up to things and working to make things right constantly. Nobody’s perfect, and a full life involves a lot of screw-ups. If you’re half decent at holding up a mirror to yourself, you’ll be making changes constantly.
Try to see the best in people
Even if people are annoying your or disappointing you, try to see the best in them. The better you view people, the better you view yourself. This is because you’ll adopt a positive mindset and be motivated to meet people. Meeting more people will improve your self-esteem, and that will be amplified by the fact that you’re already thinking positively. You’re also likely to make fewer mistakes. This because you won’t always be paranoid and jumping to conclusions.
Communicate
Communication is the transfer of information between people. The more you communicate with others, the more you’re able to learn. Communicating with other people allows you to make your point of view known, while also figuring out what other people experience every day. Communication builds empathy and allows others to feel empathy for you. You gain a lot by communicating with those around you. Be selective with who you talk to but start to open up. You would be surprised what you get out of life when you just talk to those around you.
Being more moral seems easy at first. All you have to do is not hurt people, right? Even then people struggle, and it isn’t that simple regardless. Being more moral is a process and existing as a moral person is a lifestyle. Living that lifestyle everyday takes patience and work. There’ll be some days where you don’t get what you want. There’ll be other days where your kindness is taken advantage of, and others yet where you’ll forced to work far harder than you otherwise should. But when you live a moral life, you’re far less likely to have karma come for you later. When you’re old and on your deathbed, you’re going to want karma on your side. You can’t take money, fame, or other accolades with you to heaven. Do the right thing whenever possible.
Thanks for paying attention.
