Even before taking this Ethical Well Being class I
lived my life by the Golden Rule, treat others how you would like others to
treat you. I was born and raised in a Catholic home where I was taught at a
young age to respect others and to always be conscientious of my actions. I
believe that my religion and my upbringing in this faith helped me to become
the person I am today. These principles shine through in my actions everyday in
not only major ways but also the smallest of actions. For example, I was taught
that if someone holds a door open for you to always say thank you, when you see
a friend or even a stranger in need always lend a helping hand, and you should
do it out of the kindness of your heart not for the approval of others. It’s
hard to always follow this rule because sometimes when a person treats you
badly you would rather get even with them than forgive them, however I’ve
learned that being the bigger person pays off in the long run.
Our readings and discussions have actually had a bigger affect on my beliefs than I expected. First of all, our readings have taught me that there really is no purpose to life and that life is much more about one’s self than I realized. I always thought you were supposed to respect others but after the readings I saw a lot talked about making yourself happy, and striving for virtues, and that there is no one better to judge our lives than ourselves. This went against everything I was brought up believing. Also, our discussions tested my principles so much because during our discussions it’s evident that different people have different views on issues and some people like to make their issues know more than others, sometimes to the point it seems like they are criticizing others in a way that makes it seem like their thoughts are wrong. This obviously finds a way to get under my skin I’m sure like most of you however; I try to let it go in one ear and out of the other. Out of all the topics covered so far I found myself most drawn to Taoism simply because it seems like the only concern is happiness and I would love for my life to be that simple and carefree. I tend to worry a lot which I wish I didn't do so often and I feel as though Taoist have very little to worry about.
I commented on Dallas Smith's blog.
http://dallaslrsmith.blogspot.com/
