It seems I didn't get your attention with the Heaven or Hell posts. But, the scenario that I laid out should make you think about civilizations moral compass a bit. And, hopefully you thought about what exactly are morals in the first place, which is why I started the Heaven or Hell series of posts. I have noticed that no matter how much "good" a person does for their fellow man, how many times he has helped others out, be it a simple warm meal, blankets in the winter, fans in the summer, clothes on his back, or shoes on his feet. It seems to take only one "bad" thing to bring it all down and for him to be declared a sorry piece of shit, a sinner, evil, no good, or a vast number of other things that shouldn't be said in public. Yet, on the other hand, if a person does nothing but "bad" for others, doesn't give to charities, sells drugs, beats his wife, or her husband (It does happen people), or any other thing that society has decided was "bad" or evil. And, they decide to have a heart once because he goes to the soup kitchen with his mom to help, they look at him and say, "No big deal", "He's just doing it for ....", they're always skeptical as to his motives, and even if he flies straight from that moment on, people still look at him and say, "Well, you remember twenty years ago, he's the one that...". Whatever the case may be, he will never live it down.
I ask you why is it. Why when someone does a little something "bad" do people have a negative perspective of him, regardless of what or how much "good" he has done. Or, when they do a lot of "bad", when they do something "good" it is pretty much ignored or looked upon with skepticism.
Why does the negative so much outweigh the positive. Are, we just microscoping the "bad" to make ourselves feel better, programed to remember the "bad" out of self preservation, or do we really know why we're like this.
This reminds me of a story that describes what I'm talking about to a T. I'm not sure where the story came from, who came up with it, or if it was originally intended to be the joke it is today, or if it was suppose to project a moral lesson. But, it is very fitting to our train of thought.
A little boy asked old man Tom how he got his nickname.
Old man Tom replied, "Son. Ya' see that beautiful bridge over yonder that crosses the river goin' outta town".
The boy says, "Yea!"
Tom, "Well, I designed and built that bridge, as well as more en half the ones in this county. Ya' know tha Town Hall."
Boy, "Yea!"
Tom, "Same thing there, I designed and built it as well, and nearly a quarter of the business and houses in this here town. You, know the statue of the man this here town was named after, ya know down in the square".
Boy, "Sure do!"
Tom, "Now I weren't much on carvin' but my brother was the best in the land, I laid out the design for it and he carved it out of the same limestone we build the Town Hall and Babtist Church out of. Ya, gettin' me now son".
Boy, "I sure am, mister Tom!"
Tom, "Now you ever hear any these town folk call me Old Man Tom, the Bridge Builder. No. Nor do they call me Old Man Tom, the House Builder. And, they sure as hell ain't never called me Old Man Tom, the Statue Artist. Ya ever hear 'um call me that. Why hell no ya ain't, cause they ain't never done it. But, ya fuck one goat...."
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