Good and Evil

[bennyboy]

Moral means the conduct necessary to maximally manifest a person’s potential.  

I like this definition, but it doesn't seem a popular one.

My own view of morality is that it is an attempt for the human part of the mind to engage in battle against the mammalian and pre-mammalian brains. In other words, to act on a world view and the ideas and long-range motivations that go with it rather than to act on the desire of the moment. For example, I could rape a girl and get sex right now; but my long-range view is one in which people don't shout "RAPIST!" at me, and in which I'm not in jail trying not to drop the soap.

I also like the list of the 7 deadly sins. This seems a pretty good list of those animal instincts which most often cause our pre-human brains to take over, and often to lead to damage to our attempts to mold the world and ourselves to good effect. For example, sex. There's nothing really wrong with it. But then you get caught up with some girl, quit college, get herpes. . . whatever. You wake up one day, and realize that the "you" that fucked your life wasn't the you who made and worked toward all those long-range dreams; it was just your monkey brain trying to find a target to ejaculate into. Totally not worth it.