Moral Superiority

I had a hard time finding where to put this. This relates to the dichotomy of our political systems, I think.
I consider myself to be morally superior. At this time the world seems to be more divided on moral issues than ever before. Some say we must destroy all who oppose our set of beliefs. Some say we must live together despite our differences. Some try and find a moral ground we can all stand on. Do you consider yourself to be morally superior? Does this make you a judgmental person, and is that a bad thing?

I have to be honest here. The mojority of people I have meet through the course of my life that have held themselves to be "moraly superior" have been neither.

However, It also points to the issue you raise. I think it is a serious mistake to attempt to analyze people and situation based on personal morals. They are a product of upbringing, life experience etc, society and will vary from person to person, culture to culture.

Osama Bin laden feels he is just as moral in his cause as anybody else.

[edit on 10/11/08 by FredT]

People should stand for things they believe in, instead of being just consumers. I believe that we have a right to be different, but it does not mean others cannot exist. I am not sure why this system of doing things cannot exist.

I assume it has to do with people needing to feel they are the best, that our social system has breed into them. The consumer society just feeds on peoples needs to be better than others, and the amount of jealousy i see is amazing.

If i have never commited a crime, and never done anything to others, maybe i do have a ground to stand on when i say that people are absolutely sh+t, and most of them are.

This is what priests are supposed to be, they are supposed to be the best a human can be, of pure heart, which does not make them perfect.
So in theory a priest should be a morally superior person, but of course today priests see plenty of sex and violence on tv like us all, and they drink, so sometimes they let themsleves down.

One thing i can say about myself, is at least i have done done anything wrong in my life, and my conscience is clear, not like many living today. I for along time, wanted to go and live as a monk, but for some reason, the west think your off your head, if you believe there is a god, and you should not do anything wrong, which sums up the western society.

So maybe in answer to you, i am judgemental, as i see so many people acting as trash, and they seem to never feel, any emapthy or feel bad about what they do.

The dog eat dog world sums it all up. I just think maybe one day man will maybe be more like i am, and others have been, and maybe be able to live there lives with something more than just buying cr+p.

End of rant.

[edit on 10/11/2008 by andy1033]

reply to post by earthman4


I just wonder what makes you morally superior to others. And, why do you see yourself as such?

Not everyone broadcasts their morals to others. Some live their life quietly by their own morals and don't push their beliefs on others.

[edit on 10/11/2008 by skeptic1]

reply to post by skeptic1


But where do you get your morals from skeptic. Do you think we are born knowing right from wrong, or do you think its just upbringing?

Surely in society some have to stand for something, but today i suppose people are so cynical of each other, why bother with morals.


Do you think we all have morals?

reply to post by andy1033


Where do we get our morals from? Our upbringing is the base of our moral structure. Life experience, education, logic, reason, and emotion build upon that base as we grow up, grow older, and begin to live life on our own. Personally, I don't have blind faith in anything. I have a concrete set of things I consider to be wrong; I don't do them, but I don't expect my set of "wrongs" to be the "wrongs" of others or of society as a whole.

Are we born knowing right from wrong? I don't know. I don't know what is hardwired in our brains or conscious at birth, and science hasn't figured it all out either. But, if one bases right and wrong solely on their upbringing and what they were exposed to as a child, then I think they are selling themselves, and others, short.

You can't judge individuals based on society. If you do, you are doing a disservice to individuality. The worst and best of society is not the worst and best of the individual. Generalizations never work. They just take into account the extremes.

Do we all have morals? Yes, to an extent. But, you can't base other's morals on your own, nor expect everyone to have the same moral structure.

[edit on 10/11/2008 by skeptic1]

I suppose my feelings of moral superiority stem from a social conscience. I judge others to be wrong thinking their actions will lead to discordance in my society. I'm trying to make the world a better place. Just when I think my set of values will make things work I encounter a person who's morality surpasses mine. We make laws to support our moral stand but reserve the right to change them if they just don't work for us. Often those who's morals appear to be quite high are the most immoral among us. I suppose it is best to concentrate on what we can all agree on.
1. Keep our territory
2. Feed our children
3. Don't die or suffer

reply to post by earthman4


The problem is that you can't legislate morality. It will never happen, and in the few cases where it is tried, it never works.

Your morals are not the best. My morals aren't the best. All we can do is try to live the best lives possible. As individuals, we can try to set an example for others.

I find myself to have a set of morals based on my overall perception that has been integrated from early childhood. I think that morality as most sheeple use is nonsense. It is worthless to adapt to what people say should be done, based on how things seem to have worked in the past. Life on this planet is dynamic. It's situations are complex and constantly unfolding in seemingly new ways. I don't believe in any absolute moral.

I do, however, consider myself more of a man of conscience then the average person. My judgements arise out of my perceptions. I see everyone and everything as one being. I think that is what having a conscience requires. I think that morals are a product of labeling the actions of the man of conscience.

Conscience supercedes morals. If you see everyone as one being why would you lie, cheat, steal, etc.. to anyone else? Doing so would be doing it to yourself. Unless you are masochistic that wouldn't make much sense.

Anyways, I guess in conclusion, that most people would see me as thinking I am morally superior, but I just don't really get the idea of morals too much. As stated, each life experience is too unique for black and white, dichotomized standards, that must be used.

If there was one high-ideal that I think would come close to an absolute, it would be honesty, truth. I would much rather someone tell me the hard truth, then an easy lie.

edit:grammar

[edit on 11-10-2008 by unityemissions]

[edit on 11-10-2008 by unityemissions]

in reality there are no such thing as "morals" or "morality"

all that matters, is what side of the gun your on

sad , but true

super villains rise to power because of their ability to blend in and their silver tongues.

moral superiority is bad. how could someone else know what is best for me? the moral part is good, but this 'above top justice' (sic: Superiority) garbage is dangerous

who will police the police?

who said we could be Judge/Jury/Executioner of any man woman or child?

I try not to guess the motives of others because we are all onions with thousands of layers.

i try and spread knowledge and creativity.

Just be a Jedi

i try to live a moral life, i do my best, but there will always be things that we fall down on. general morality for instance says that it is wrong to lie, i try to limit the number and severity of the lies i tell but i do admit that i occasionally lie. so i am not a perfectly moral person.

moral superiority is a relative thing. i feel i'm morally superior to a serial killer, but i'm sure that there are people that are morally superior to me.

anyone may be morally superior, there is always someone more immoral than you, but that doesn't make you a moral person. often people who are lacking in morality will attempt to hide the fact by exploiting this relativity in moral superiority.

that's why, as someone mentioned, morally superior people are usually neither moral nor superior.

[edit on 11/10/08 by pieman]

But at the mo, we have lost people with moral authority as things like the priests have gone down hill, and with plenty of help with the vatican and vatican 2.

Police are no people for me to have that authority, even though we are moving into a society that where this may be viewed as such, with things like social workers, or other idiots.

Some day we can all dream, that we may design a computer that will know about all human things, and decide what is right and wrong, and be right all the time. Maybe there will be such a computer.

But until then, we will just have to put up with people like the police, who attract the worst types of people in society, so they can bucther peoples lifes, with there lack of morals, or as we judge them to be lack of morals.