To be honest, it's mostly by a hedonic state that kind of whispers to me: "This is as it should be." For example, if I wake up on Christmas day and my son is jumping on my bed freaking out and my daughter is locked in the bathroom cuz she's just at that age where they do that, I think "Yup, this is how things go. Everyone's acting as they should. This is good." Or like when my son was born and he wasn't crying and I held my breath until I heard that first scream. That siren-like wailing was good, too.
Or when I'm in the store, and some lady just abandons her shopping cart in the middle of the aisle, blocking the ten people moving directly behind her, then I think, "Nope. She should at least be aware enough that she sees she's inconveniencing others. This is bad." Then, about one time out of a hundred, the lady turns around, sees what's happened, and says embarrassedly, "Oh, dear me, I'm blocking everyone. I'm so sorry!" My brain says, "Yes. This is as it should be. She SHOULD be embarrassed, and the fact that she is confirms her humanity and her basic goodness."
I'd say the essence of a moral system is that of expanding one's view of how things should be to be more inclusive and understanding (taking joy in the "enthusiasm" of someone else's child, rather than being offended that the child is not being restrained and scolded), and avoiding as far as one can giving others the experience that anything is not as it should be in the world (by shouting "Just fucking goooo!" at a red light, for example).
Most importanly, an ethical person has to educate himself in the kinds of things that people of different backgrounds, ages, etc. will see as functional. There is a fundamental goodness in young adults being able to go out and cavort; it is their job at that age to take risks, to explore the world and their place in it, and to be a little out of control, and to be a little selfish, and their lust of life is essentially good, even when it is annoying to others-- because they are playing their part in life well. There's also a fundamental goodness in older people who want peace, tranquility and stability, as they provide a mediating force that will prevent the youngsters from getting completely out of control and bringing society to its knees.
I'd define wisdom as the ability to see in all non-dysfunctional human action this basic goodness: this person is acting as a person in his/her place in life should be expected to act, and while I don't enjoy the actions, I appreciate that it is as it should be. So the woman who leaves her cart in the aisle is so engrossed in thinking about her kids' needs that she isn't paying attention, and that is good. The guy saying "Just fucking gooooo!" at the red light is probably late for work, and cares about his job and about inconveniencing the boss and wasting everyone's time, and that is good. The kid who TP's my house on Halloween is role-playing for popularity among his friends, is lashing out against neglect or abuse by his parents in a relatively harmless way, and that is good.
Or when I'm in the store, and some lady just abandons her shopping cart in the middle of the aisle, blocking the ten people moving directly behind her, then I think, "Nope. She should at least be aware enough that she sees she's inconveniencing others. This is bad." Then, about one time out of a hundred, the lady turns around, sees what's happened, and says embarrassedly, "Oh, dear me, I'm blocking everyone. I'm so sorry!" My brain says, "Yes. This is as it should be. She SHOULD be embarrassed, and the fact that she is confirms her humanity and her basic goodness."
I'd say the essence of a moral system is that of expanding one's view of how things should be to be more inclusive and understanding (taking joy in the "enthusiasm" of someone else's child, rather than being offended that the child is not being restrained and scolded), and avoiding as far as one can giving others the experience that anything is not as it should be in the world (by shouting "Just fucking goooo!" at a red light, for example).
Most importanly, an ethical person has to educate himself in the kinds of things that people of different backgrounds, ages, etc. will see as functional. There is a fundamental goodness in young adults being able to go out and cavort; it is their job at that age to take risks, to explore the world and their place in it, and to be a little out of control, and to be a little selfish, and their lust of life is essentially good, even when it is annoying to others-- because they are playing their part in life well. There's also a fundamental goodness in older people who want peace, tranquility and stability, as they provide a mediating force that will prevent the youngsters from getting completely out of control and bringing society to its knees.
I'd define wisdom as the ability to see in all non-dysfunctional human action this basic goodness: this person is acting as a person in his/her place in life should be expected to act, and while I don't enjoy the actions, I appreciate that it is as it should be. So the woman who leaves her cart in the aisle is so engrossed in thinking about her kids' needs that she isn't paying attention, and that is good. The guy saying "Just fucking gooooo!" at the red light is probably late for work, and cares about his job and about inconveniencing the boss and wasting everyone's time, and that is good. The kid who TP's my house on Halloween is role-playing for popularity among his friends, is lashing out against neglect or abuse by his parents in a relatively harmless way, and that is good.
