What would you choose?
Today is selection day. Not the selection of players for your favorite team, restaurant to visit on the weekend or an attire to choose. But the selection of an imperative aspect of our lives where we as humans keep faltering with. Let say, I invite you to choose one companion or acquaintance on the virtue of discipline vs morals. Who would you go with? You might apprise me on this by suggesting aren’t both the same or at least complement each other? Here, let me accentuate on the gaping difference and how our society blindfolds itself into this common human behavioral flaw.
Time and again, when we marvel on the discipline of an individual towards regular humdrum in life, we invariably assume them to hold high standard of morals and values. Our parents would give us the example of a random cousin or acquaintance who is highly revered and worshiped for being a symbol of perfectionism. How they progressed or dealt with life by displaying an exemplary act of discipline throughout the years. In the same breath, would be mentioned how wavered we have been in the pursuit. Yet, in this worship or idolizing of an individual, how has this person really fared? Does a highly disciplined individual, also display a high set of value or morals? When we think deep into this facet, we would awaken to the fact that such is not the case. Yet the former is celebrated and publicized highly as compared to the latter. In reality it should be the opposite. I present my views.
Having a disciplined life essentially means adhering to a set of rules. These rules emancipate on the individuals understanding on what is or might be good for the self. Hence, they follow the routine to the T. A set time to wake up, a style of clothing that should be worn on specific occasions. A diet routine that must be followed. Interacting with people day in day out in a certain way and so on. These are excellent virtues nevertheless. But do not label a person to have the right set of values. For some of the darkest villains in the annals of human history have known to be disciplinarians, holding absolutely no or sinister set of values and morals. Adolf Hitler personally possessed great discipline, behaviors and habits. I need not dwell on the moral and values he held in annihilating the world.
Extreme measures of discipline lead to boosting the wrong side of our self-esteem. So much so you hold no regard for the pain and agony of others. This is why people who aspire to be perfectionists, screw the living day light of others around them. It is extremely difficult to stand up to such tantrums. We all have that one relative or friend who can be tagged here. They can move mountains to drive home the point of discipline, but will not blink if it disturbs their persona to do some good on others. It is all cool when you follow a routine without disturbing the sanctity of others. But what’s the fun when you have to do it by causing grief to others?
Wiping out the evil.
This is where good values and morals come to play. The morality of serving others, bringing joy to a larger group at the cost of self. The utilitarian school of morality, where we can drop our own guard if it helps the cause of multiples. One may be tight on their discipline, but at a crossroad of following your mandate or doing what is right, we must choose on what is right at the cost of foregoing our schedule.
This is where Batman wrongs himself. In holding the righteous virtue of not killing anyone, he does not kill the Joker. Albeit, killing this menace would bring joy and relief to the whole of Gotham. Batman believes in the Kantian school of morality which hinges on the action and not the consequence. Killing being the action which is universally immoral vs consequence, killing the villain will be the greater good. And hence, we stumble upon countless self-proclaimed disciplinarians who won’t budge from their stance or be flexible on their discipline while trying to be morally correct.
Right here, wrong there
We also witness those who live by each rule of the book in following a routine but sin at will to suit their needs and still call themselves ambassadors of correctness. Hence, we are no good if we wake up at 5 am each morning, but still gossip about our neighbors’ kids and their habits and involve in a character assassination program. We are no good by having great discipline on creating wealth, but feel vindicated and joyous on saving 10 bucks fighting and negotiating with the roadside grocery vendor who survives on his daily earning. And we are also no good by praying each day for hours and then spending the remainder of our day plotting schemes on pulling our people down.
Our dear society nevertheless will endorse the undisciplined till kingdom comes with all names, even on those who display a kosher set of values and morals. We gloriously tarnish the goodness of people when they do not comply to “our” set of rules or fit into the framework of human beliefs and cognition. We fail to recognize the contribution of these individuals who in their own ways bring greater joy to a larger group of people. This set however does not care to be type-casted or be called the perfect person as long as they are committed to being morally right and create no harm on others. The ones who swear on the right morals are more concerned on the sanity of others as compared to the highly disciplined clan.
We as a society and members of a commune can reverse this trend of changing the priority or at least ensure when we sing praises for the disciplined, we also conduct a background check on the values of the person. Gauging values however isn’t as easy as knowing the discipline quotient of an individual. For the former needs specific use cases where we can understand the moral indices with respect to situations on hand.
We must also campaign for values and morals to be imbibed in schools and pushed as strongly as Math, Science or History. The society will on its own accord teach the young to be disciplined. Yet, there are very few avenues where one gets an opportunity to learn or imbibe good morals. Schools and academics are therefore our best bet. When we engulf society with such learning, there won’t be any Batman who would think twice on slaying the Joker, but will morally accept the immoral act for the greater good.
References:
You shouldn’t have brought Batman here if you don’t completely understand him 😦
you may refer to this 🙂