Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - How truthful to your principles would you be?

bluedragon · 06-20-2009, 04:06 PM

I am asking especially those of you who live your lives by the principles of peace, tolerance, honesty and freedom. How do you manage to live by those principles in real life, especially in complex situations. I am very curious about how YOU think about this, because I am having increasing doubts about my own ability to adequately function (and survive) in a complex situation for more than... a few days at best

, given the fact that I want to live by the above principles.

In SOME complex situations, most people aren't even interested in following those principles, and many issues could arise that would require me to take a stand immediately, and possibly loose everything in the process (my job, my acceptance in society, my life etc). I don't know how I would be able to contribute to most complex corporations, political organizations or military confrontations as long as I abide by the principles or peace, honesty and freedom. How would you manage?

Corporate environment

Would you work in a job where you would be required to lie from time to time?
Would you work for a pharmaceutical company knowing that ONE of their products actually had more negative effects, and the management knew it? If not, what exactly would you do? Would you quit right away, regardless of the effect of this decision on your career and life?

Would you work for a company that tortures animals somewhere along the production chain?
If in a job you loved, you were given ONE assignment that required you to harm or deceive someone, in any way, would you do it? Or would you refuse, even if that would get you fired?

Politics

Would you ever do something you considered wrong, because you believed that the positive effects would outweigh the damage? Would you condone lying, incarceration of innocent people, torture, killings, if you were absolutely convinced that from a rational, political point of view, your actions would be absolutely necessary for the greater good?

How would you handle not being able to understand how your decisions or actions will affect a group of people or the country as a whole?
Would you feel comfortable deciding the DEGREE to which individual freedom should be sacrificed for security?

War

Would you accept to be a soldier if your country attacked another? How about if it was under attack? Would you kill enemy soldiers who you knew were just following orders? If not, would you just let yourself be killed or sentenced to jail for that, with no hesitation?

What would you do as a political leader? Would you condone war for any reasons? If not, what would you do?

Personal life

How would you feel about paying your taxes if there were some policies that you didn't agree with? How is integrity compatible with supporting a government that (among many positive things), also condones some negative ones, such as a war in some part of the globe? This applies only if you are in fact totally opposed to war.

What if some sort of authority wrongfully denied you your freedom, in a way you would consider truly wrong? Would you allow someone else to keep you captive and lead you around, or would you be ready to fight against anyone who imposes domination and torture upon you? What if your actual captors were just following orders from superiors?
If someone you cared about was in this situation, would you try (and risk) anything in order to save them?

06-20-2009, 04:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
bluedragon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 1,030	How truthful to your principles would you be? I am asking especially those of you who live your lives by the principles of peace, tolerance, honesty and freedom. How do you manage to live by those principles in real life, especially in complex situations. I am very curious about how YOU think about this, because I am having increasing doubts about my own ability to adequately function (and survive) in a complex situation for more than... a few days at best , given the fact that I want to live by the above principles. In SOME complex situations, most people aren't even interested in following those principles, and many issues could arise that would require me to take a stand immediately, and possibly loose everything in the process (my job, my acceptance in society, my life etc). I don't know how I would be able to contribute to most complex corporations, political organizations or military confrontations as long as I abide by the principles or peace, honesty and freedom. How would you manage? Corporate environment Would you work in a job where you would be required to lie from time to time? Would you work for a pharmaceutical company knowing that ONE of their products actually had more negative effects, and the management knew it? If not, what exactly would you do? Would you quit right away, regardless of the effect of this decision on your career and life? Would you work for a company that tortures animals somewhere along the production chain? If in a job you loved, you were given ONE assignment that required you to harm or deceive someone, in any way, would you do it? Or would you refuse, even if that would get you fired? Politics Would you ever do something you considered wrong, because you believed that the positive effects would outweigh the damage? Would you condone lying, incarceration of innocent people, torture, killings, if you were absolutely convinced that from a rational, political point of view, your actions would be absolutely necessary for the greater good? How would you handle not being able to understand how your decisions or actions will affect a group of people or the country as a whole? Would you feel comfortable deciding the DEGREE to which individual freedom should be sacrificed for security? War Would you accept to be a soldier if your country attacked another? How about if it was under attack? Would you kill enemy soldiers who you knew were just following orders? If not, would you just let yourself be killed or sentenced to jail for that, with no hesitation? What would you do as a political leader? Would you condone war for any reasons? If not, what would you do? Personal life How would you feel about paying your taxes if there were some policies that you didn't agree with? How is integrity compatible with supporting a government that (among many positive things), also condones some negative ones, such as a war in some part of the globe? This applies only if you are in fact totally opposed to war. What if some sort of authority wrongfully denied you your freedom, in a way you would consider truly wrong? Would you allow someone else to keep you captive and lead you around, or would you be ready to fight against anyone who imposes domination and torture upon you? What if your actual captors were just following orders from superiors? If someone you cared about was in this situation, would you try (and risk) anything in order to save them? __________________ Looking for myself Last edited by bluedragon; 06-20-2009 at 04:09 PM.