In the very loaded debate about 'right and wrong' some believe them to be absolutes, or at least believe they should be consistent.

That is to say, if I think it is wrong when you do it, I should feel it is wrong when I do it or anyone else, "Wrong" is about the what and not the who.

And likewise, if it was 'right' for me to do it, than it is 'right' for anyone else.

If we go by that premise, is it 'hypocrisy' to call wrong wrong , even when we do wrong? Or should our doing wrong exclude us from being able to call it wrong?

If I cheat on my spouse, and I know it is wrong, does it exclude me stating it is wrong for others to cheat on their spouse? Does that make me a hypocrite or just someone who has done wrong?

Please consider, that I believe simply stating wrong is wrong is different than brow beating or making character assassinations of other people who are doing the same kind of wrong.

Not necessarily, you in America drive on the 'wrong 'side of the road, but it's right for the uk. well left lol.
So, what's wrong for one may be right for another and vice versa.
The west always tells other countries ( mainly muslim types )they are wrong in the way they live and treat people yet it's right for them.

ha ha, Im not talking about 'right' as in correct, but morally ...lol

I feel them to be fairly absolute in my little circle, but agree with Mickey that my corner is just one perspective.

I do feel it’s important for every little corner to have a prescribed gauge of right and wrong that apply to everyone all of the time just to maintain a semblance of order and balance in a region.

Every religion and every individual’s standards cannot all reign in any given region or there would be complete chaos, where none are truly aware of the rules they may be held accountable to despite their own religion or beliefs

That may be getting a little out of the topic area though.

But I do think that whatever ruler you measure another by, in your own mind, it would be hypocritical to use a different ruler when one measures oneself.

"If I cheat on my spouse, and I know it is wrong, does it exclude me stating it is wrong for others to cheat on their spouse? Does that make me a hypocrite or just someone who has done wrong? "


Yes, it MIGHT make you a hypocrite, depending on certain other factors. No, it doesn't preclude you from criticizing others who did as you did.

Most important, wrong does not BECOME okay, simply because an accuser is also wrong.

This subject reminds me very much of a debate I got into with my father when I was a young teen. As I remember, he was frustrated with my siblings and I complaining about each other, as children often do, pointing out each others' errors, and trying to get what WE wanted, by getting the other sibling in trouble. At one point, I remember well that he quoted the old Bible phrase "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," essentially in an effort to declare that none of us were allowed to cast blame on another of us, until we were ourselves perfect in every way.

I ended up spending a LOT of time pondering that challenge. I ultimately decided a number of things. One,that my dad was wrong, and that I didn't need to be perfect before pointing out errors elsewhere.

Thinking about it also prepared me for later events, such as all the times when a politician is revealed to have broken the law, or committed an act that most of society considers reprehensible, and the opponents try to defend their "bad guy" by pointing out similar errors by the other side. I am, because of my ponderings, quite adamant that no ADULT should be excused for doing what they know is wrong, just because another adult did the same thing. I wont even excuse that reasoning from a five year old kid.

Thus, the fact that Clinton was a cad who screwed around on his wife, and got reelected anyway, doesn't make Trump okay when HE screws around on HIS wife. They are BOTH jerks, undeserving of respect as positive examples of manhood.

By the way, the "certain other factors" I mentioned before, have to do with timing, and with learning. If you did something wrong, but learned and realized that you should not have done it, and you STOP doing it and resolve never to do it again...when you point out someone else doing the same wrong thing AFTER your change of heart and mind, you are NOT a hypocrite. You are only a hypocrite if you think that something that is okay when you or your friends do it, is BAD when someone you don't like does it.

So, for example, the politicians who pointed at Clinton or Trump and complained about THEIR dalliances, were only hypocrites if they refused to criticize BOTH men, along with anyone else they know who is similarly failing their spouse.

I believe it doesn't make you a hypocrite. All you are doing is pointing at something you identify as objective and absolute. You aren't asking someone to change or follow you. You are only pointing at them that they are doing wrong. It is then their prerogative whether to continue it or not, just like it was your prerogative when you did something you knew was wrong according to your judgement.

Here's what I get from this, you may gleen something else entirely but for me, Its what I see.

Right and wrong are always going to be subjective to the one doing the considering. There are as many degrees of right and wrong as there are personalities on the planet.
Sometimes those considerations align in groups of people.
We call that a society.
Societal groups align on morals and values common to its participants.
For every right or wrong, somewhere there may be a society that aligns differently and within all those societies there will be individuals that align separately.
Nothing is always right for all people.
Nothing is always wrong for all people.
Therefore there will never be a pristine right or wrong for all people.

Consider killing another human being.
There are many people that consider it wrong to do so.
But, because there are some people that do not, murders take place.
There are times even when someone considers murder to be wrong, yet tolerate murder. Think death penalty. Think stopping a crazed killer, a serial killer or a mass murderer.

The concept of right and wrong is tolerated by societial influences.
What may be right for one society may be wrong for another.
Its a fluctuating concept governing society's values and morals that may or may not be transmitted to the individuals that make up the said society.

This wouldn't be so darn confusing if people would detach from everything and get upstairs, I mean literally get up stairs and rewire! You have been conditioned with this crap for years. Ever heard of the word integrity? Try grasping it. Committing to your own integrity will clear a lot of that up for you.

Seriously, self induced drama up above? I don't know, but it amazing that you get so complicated with everything. (Extremist) just so you and everyone else knows and understands. This is not an attack it's a concern. Take your power back quit giving it away. Thank you mrsharmony. have a nice day.

Lots of truth.

I also want to note that MsHarmony is one to present topics for consideration and discussion for the sake of discussion.
Being a mother, raising a child, she examines concepts for a working grasp to properly guide her child(ren).
I see her topic as a scenario where she is seeking feedback from others on the subject. Not as an actual question she needs answered.

hmmm, or I felt it was an interesting thing to consider and discuss, you know? like people do in public forums ....


talking about making things 'serious' ... lol

this is one of the rare posts that I didn't understand the point of or the relevance ...and that is not an attack either, just the truth. You have a nice day too.

ty, you are correct. Not seeking validation or acceptance, just discussion and consideration.

The morality of "right or wrong" is taught at an early age, but what is right for some is wrong for others and vice versa due to several factors, these need to be considered before reaching a decision ?

I know real life examples where it is not. I was one.
My concept of right and wrong was based on my alcoholic parent's concepts.
It wasn't until I gained responsibility for myself that I chose to break the cycle.
When I started to raise my own family, I made a choice to teach my children fairness and acceptance. I raised them with love instead of threats.
I purposely broke the cycle.

I see the results of distorted family values in some of the people in my life that matter. From my X to my daughter-in-laws. They exist with a twisted sense of morality with their siblings.
Luckily, my sons provide guidance to the children their mothers lack. As did I, to my own children.

I recently had this very type of discussion with one of my daughter-in-laws concerning how her family treats her. She now senses it is wrong because she now has an example of how she should be treated.
I told her she can break the cycle in how she raises her own children.

Concepts of right and wrong, morality and virtue, are not predestined and can be changed but to do so requires breaking the pattern. There are many that are not brave enough or strong enough to break the cycle. The dysfunction perpetuates generation after generation.

Some people are not even aware of the dysfunction until they are enlightened by someone else. I had no idea, as a child, just how messed up my morals and virtues were until I saw enough people to realize that maybe it was me that was different. I was seriously twisted as a kid.