Morals for Modern Day Society

[TiG]

A discussion on morals are and are not required for modern day society.

I'll start with Honour, its definitely not required for modern day society.

Greed on the other hand is essential

TiG

[Big RICHARD]

You are just trying to stir up controversy now aren't you??

[spikegifted]

Originally posted by TiG
I'll start with Honour, its definitely not required for modern day society.

That is a very sore subject...

What is honor? It is ill defined and not often observed, but in rare occasion people would notice a 'honorable thing' being done. It is difficult to see the relevance of honor in typical Westernized society because Western cultures tend to be highly verbal and literal - ie. all things are defined and all things defined have rules and regulations attached to it. But there is such thing as the 'unspoken rule' and I belief that the 'unspoken rule' and 'honor' are heavily inter-related.

I, being Chinese and have spent time living in Hong Kong, think I know how important honor is a person's own conscience. In east Asian societies, honor is very much alive and kicking. 'Doing the honorable thing' means maintaining one's good name, saving others' 'face' or giving them 'face'. It is a very difficult concept to explain... There is a saying about 'honor amongst thieves' - there're certain things you do and certains things you don't - it is highly subjective to the culture or society that it exists in and evolved from... The reason why honor is so important in east Asian cultures is that these cultures are less verbal/literal, but more contextual and non-verbal. In a typical conversation, what is important is not what is spoken, but how it is delivered and what is not spoken. It is very subtle. That's where the 'unspoken rule' come in.

[TiG]

Okay look at general daily life, a single mum trying to get up some stairs with a pushchair with a 2yr old and a 5 yr old crying her eyes out on her other arm.

How many people would it take to pass her before someone gives her a hand with getting up the stairs?.

I view honour as something a tiny bit more significant than this but this is the real aim for my posting. Sure some people may have morals and honour etc, but i'm wondering if people would like to generalise things.

I can only talk from a UK perspective too, and since most people here are from the uk i'm quite happy to take this slightly limited view.

Thanks
TiG

[Punky]

honour is not an integral part of modern day society anymore. i'm no sure what this is due to, maybe the fact that many children are not brought up to respect their elders and be helpful anymore, just to look out for themselves. i spose if society was less selfish, then honour whould still exist.

[Ravens Nest]

I feel we live in a society where there is too many people now, everyone is in competition.

Whether in the workplace, or a parking space.

Everything is accelerated as well making people impatient if they have to wait for anything more than a predetermined time they have set themselves.

All this makes a lot of people act more ME! ME!
and this effects things like honour, as you dont respect people you dont have time for them are impatient to listen and sometimes especially in workplaces you try find a way to beat them to a better position in a job.

Also because of the rush rush mentality of people now, if they saw a woman having trouble with a pushchair they'd probably not help her due to there hectic schedule that they just have to keep!

[spikegifted]

What makes your day? Getting a surprise increase in your pay check? How often that happens? Getting completely bladdered with some mates? You get a headache the next day...

If you can help someone in need and the person turn round and say 'thank you'... Does that make you feel good? If you've done that recently and it really does make you feel good, you're already doing something to improve society. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you should stop being so selfish and rethink your attitude towards life and your place in society...

[Ravens Nest]

If you can help someone in need and the person turn round and say 'thank you'... Does that make you feel good? If you've done that recently and it really does make you feel good, you're already doing something to improve society
I do that as much as i can, and it does make me feel happier, im old fashioned like that

But more people annoy me now, the lack of respect you get from other people when you try to help them is sometimes too hurtful for words.

The people who say thank you are few and far between nowadays, but it always makes your day when they do.

[Zak33]

To me honour is a bit different: To me honour is NOT just good or bad acts, it is a self belief, a central part of oneself where you must be true to your own beliefs....and thats hard to define.

An example for you: I truly believe that Fonz (now Russ) did the honourable thing recently here at Hexus, in giving back some valuable memory that someone posted to him by accident. But that was only a minor thing, compared to the lengths he went to, in an attempt to find the real owner and help organise it.

You see it wasn't just a good thing, cos that would have been a case of just announcing it and waiting, leaving it to drag on if need be....but he tried to sort it, cos in his head, that was the right thing to do. Thats honour. and it was TO HIMSELF.

The young lady on the stair case with 2 kids etc that TiG points out......to help her would have been a good deed, but not honourable. There was no honour in it, because nothing was called into doubt. She may well have needed help. If she had asked and you had refused, that would have been dis honourable ....SO LONG AS YOU ARE OF THE BELIEF that young ladies need helping.

If you don't believe she needed or even deserved help, then you have a CLASH of honours between rival beliefs, and to STEADFASTLY stick to your beliefs, even if wrong in others eyes, is actually HONOURABLE.

So in my opinion it is a case of being Honourable to Ones Self and Ones own beliefs.

It is required in todays society....if I sell something on eBay, I work my arse off to get it done, on time, to the total satisfaction of the customer. That satisfies my homour, and I am pleased.

[Ravens Nest]

So in my opinion it is a case of being Honourable to Ones Self and Ones own beliefs.
Hmm staying true to yourself is honourable

I'll try to keep to my beliefs, even though it is hard these days.

I'd liked to be an known as an honourable man, if nothing else

[Zak33]

hey its just my opinion....if someone shafted me, I'd not think twice about having a go back...and there would be no dishonour...

If I felt right in my head about a decision and it was OK in my heart, then its right.Full stop..


Which normally means that my parents created my Honour System.....oh hell

[spikegifted]

Originally posted by Zak33
So in my opinion it is a case of being Honourable to Ones Self and Ones own beliefs.

So what happens if what you believe in is significantly different from what is considered socially acceptable? You get your gun out and hose a few hundred people dead to make a point? Does that make you 'honorable'? (not trying to pick a fight... )

[tanman]

Honour to me is something you do without thinking about it, but in todays society u have to be street wise or otherwise you may be considered something else.

Tan