Social Approval or Principles?

[Bad Writer]

I was thinking about how during the peak of slavery in America, it was completely disapproved by society to be against slavery and racism.

Are you sure about that? I can guarantee you that the slaves themselves sure didn't disapprove of anyone being against their enslavement.

You would have virtually no friends, people would attack you verbally or physically if you questioned slavery and racism.

-Dad...I was thinking. Why do we have slaves? Aren't they people too?
*SMACK*
-Quit yer' yappin', sonny, and go bring me a glass o' whiskey!

Ah, yes, I'm sure it went down something like that every time.

But... I wonder how many of these anti-racists awashed in modern culture would still stand for their principles, even when the chips are down, and you are completely outnumbered and ostracised for your principles?

Do you think so little of us here at these forums to think that we would just toss out our good sense and rationale? If we were to act like this, then we wouldn't be atheists at all, considering we are outnumbered by theists.

How many of you would still be anti-racist if you were completely outnumbered by racists?

All of us, same as how we're all still atheists despite being completely outnumbered by theists. The reverse can be employed too; how are you still a dumbshit when you're surrounded all the time by extremely intelligent individuals on this website? You see, majority does not always change the way a person thinks.

Every single society in history has pretty much said the same thing "We are normal, healthy and rational people - but we have a few outliers". If you would take anyone from the middle ages, and put them in modern society, they would be carted off to an insane asylum almost instantly.

Every single society? Nope.

Someone from the middle ages would adapt to living among us. Someone from the stone age would do the same. Someone from the future would be another good example. We can do this all day, Koolaid.

How do we know, what we are doing right now in society is valid and ethical, when in a few hundred years, our Joe Shmo might be considered completely irrational and weird.

This is actually a good question. You see...we don't know, but we can definitely expect some things to remain as constants. I would hope that we might even be better at that time. Perhaps by then, someone being irrational and weird will have been proven to be a false idea.

I guess the question is... Do you care more about social approval or principles?

Another good question, but is it the question? This definitely depends on the individual. For me, I care more about principles and what they can do for society when adhered to.