The Greater Good

I’ve been sad lately so I’ma try blogging again. Maybe it will cheer me up. Shout out to Miss Jackie Peppers. The greater good is the idea that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall ability in maximizing happiness or pleasure as summed among all persons. I do believe in the greater good. Sacrifice one to save many. And if you are not factoring everyone involved in outcome then you are being selfish. The example that has been getting me in the most trouble during explaining is the married man at the party. There is this married guy, marriage is on the rocks but he loves his wife and kids… it’s just they are going through a rough patch. Say this married man is a party he gets really drunk and kisses another woman. Nothing more. He knows it was a mistake. The question does he tell his wife? And there is no way he would get caught or told on. Does he voluntarily tell his wife? I am all for honesty. If she asks him, he should tell her. But he should voluntarily run and tell his wife. Why? What possible good would come out it? He can say he’s on honest man and tells the truth? Really it’s to clear his conscious. The marriage on the rocks, why help push it over, if you want to keep it? If his is really sorry he could make up for it in other ways, like seek marriage counseling, stop going out, or be a better husband and father. The main reason he would tell is to help relieve his conscious. Because him telling her doesn’t do her or the family any favors, odds are it would have a very negative effect. I’m not saying he should lie, but you don’t tell on yourself either. I had two good examples late week at lunch; let me see if I can remember one. Say a man committed a murder, should he tell someone? Why? It puts the other person in a negative situation. Do they keep the secret and be an accessory to a murder or snitch and tell the police? The greater good is the man deals with it himself; don’t put someone else at risk and cause mental stress on them. Hypothetical questions are easy when they are hypothetical’s. But when faced with a real situation things change. Anyway, I wish I would follow my own advice….the greater good.