This week we talked
l about reasons for studying morality, and why morality is an important part of our lives. On Monday and Tuesday we talked a lot about the truth and lying and why we can never fully know the truth and in turn never have the ability to fully tell the truth. On Wednesday we discussed what we believed to be the biggest moral issues in our life, in all teenagers and in the whole world. On Thursday we shared stories, movies, and music, that may have meant something special to us and changed they way we live and view life.
One book that really changed the way I see life and live life was "To Kill A Mockingbird". This is my second favorite book after "Cathcher In The Rye". This book gave me a lot of insight about racism and justice and showed me just how real those things were. Growing up I never really encountered any sort of racism either toward me or anyone else, but this book showed me how racism can influence and of corrupt not only the lives of young kids but a whole town. My favorite line comes from the character Scout. She says something like, "I guess the only kind of folks is folks". This means a lot in that it proves that throught the eyes of a young child, everyone is set on the same plane and everyone is equal and it makes me wonder how the idea of racism could last for so long.
I think people do wrong because it is easy. I also think some people may be forced to do wrong to stay alive. Doing the right thing is often very hard. It is hard for me to get the motivation to do my homework. It is even harder for my mom to get up at four thirty in the morning and stock vending machines all day, only to come home at four thirty to have to cook dinner for my family and bake cakes for her vending business for the next day. It is hard for my dad to get up at four thirty in the morning and move vending machines all day (they work for the same company) only to come home at four thirty to have to drive my brothers to their sports practices. These are hard things to do but my parents know that they are the right things and this is why I see fortitude as being the very most important virtue of the four.
Doing wrong is easy. Doing what is easy is rarely right. My parents could probably work less and send me to Hazelwood Central and my brother wouldn't have to play soccer for Scott Gallagher and my sister could quit dance. In fact they would probably have a lot more money too. That would be way easier for them. They don't do that, however, because they see giving their whole lives to their kids as the right thing for them.
Doing what is wrong makes people's lives easier and that is why I think people do wrong.
A TRAIT I UNCONCIOUSLY ACQUIRED: When I first read this question I couldn't think of any traits I had acquired unconciously which probably makes sense because I was unconcious when I acquired them but one story popped into my head. My younger twelve year old brother told me about how he had stayed the night at his friends house and how something he din't like at all happened. Apparently he and his frind were looking for something to do in the backyard. My brother spotted some kids playing football down the street and said, "Why don't we go play football with your neighbors?"
His friend responded with, "No Way! Those kids are black, we can't go play with them!" So they didn't, and probably did not have any fun in the process. My brother said he wondered why he naturally had no premonitions about going to play while his friend was totally against associating with black kids. My brother told me that he thought the reason for his own behavior was that he had unconciously acquired from me the acceptance of black people because I had a lot of black friends who hung out at my house. My brother told me he just wasn't uncomfortable with black people because he had grown up with them and he attributed some of this to me which I felt prety proud of. Although I wouldn't call "not being a racist" a special trait, I would say that it is a good way to live and I happy to be responsible for my brother's good attitude of acceptance of al people.
A big question that I know a lot of people have is
"If there is no God, id their a basis or even a need for morality?" or "If we face no consequences for the way we live after death, shouldn't we simply be trying to experience as much happiness and pleasure as possible?"
I don't have a good answer for this because I think there is a God, but it is still interesting to me.
I think th
This week we talked
l about reasons for studying morality, and why morality is an important part of our lives. On Monday and Tuesday we talked a lot about the truth and lying and why we can never fully know the truth and in turn never have the ability to fully tell the truth. On Wednesday we discussed what we believed to be the biggest moral issues in our life, in all teenagers and in the whole world. On Thursday we shared stories, movies, and music, that may have meant something special to us and changed they way we live and view life.
One book that really changed the way I see life and live life was "To Kill A Mockingbird". This is my second favorite book after "Cathcher In The Rye". This book gave me a lot of insight about racism and justice and showed me just how real those things were. Growing up I never really encountered any sort of racism either toward me or anyone else, but this book showed me how racism can influence and of corrupt not only the lives of young kids but a whole town. My favorite line comes from the character Scout. She says something like, "I guess the only kind of folks is folks". This means a lot in that it proves that throught the eyes of a young child, everyone is set on the same plane and everyone is equal and it makes me wonder how the idea of racism could last for so long.
I think people do wrong because it is easy. I also think some people may be forced to do wrong to stay alive. Doing the right thing is often very hard. It is hard for me to get the motivation to do my homework. It is even harder for my mom to get up at four thirty in the morning and stock vending machines all day, only to come home at four thirty to have to cook dinner for my family and bake cakes for her vending business for the next day. It is hard for my dad to get up at four thirty in the morning and move vending machines all day (they work for the same company) only to come home at four thirty to have to drive my brothers to their sports practices. These are hard things to do but my parents know that they are the right things and this is why I see fortitude as being the very most important virtue of the four.
Doing wrong is easy. Doing what is easy is rarely right. My parents could probably work less and send me to Hazelwood Central and my brother wouldn't have to play soccer for Scott Gallagher and my sister could quit dance. In fact they would probably have a lot more money too. That would be way easier for them. They don't do that, however, because they see giving their whole lives to their kids as the right thing for them.
Doing what is wrong makes people's lives easier and that is why I think people do wrong.
A TRAIT I UNCONCIOUSLY ACQUIRED: When I first read this question I couldn't think of any traits I had acquired unconciously which probably makes sense because I was unconcious when I acquired them but one story popped into my head. My younger twelve year old brother told me about how he had stayed the night at his friends house and how something he din't like at all happened. Apparently he and his frind were looking for something to do in the backyard. My brother spotted some kids playing football down the street and said, "Why don't we go play football with your neighbors?"
His friend responded with, "No Way! Those kids are black, we can't go play with them!" So they didn't, and probably did not have any fun in the process. My brother said he wondered why he naturally had no premonitions about going to play while his friend was totally against associating with black kids. My brother told me that he thought the reason for his own behavior was that he had unconciously acquired from me the acceptance of black people because I had a lot of black friends who hung out at my house. My brother told me he just wasn't uncomfortable with black people because he had grown up with them and he attributed some of this to me which I felt prety proud of. Although I wouldn't call "not being a racist" a special trait, I would say that it is a good way to live and I happy to be responsible for my brother's good attitude of acceptance of al people.
A big question that I know a lot of people have is
"If there is no God, id their a basis or even a need for morality?" or "If we face no consequences for the way we live after death, shouldn't we simply be trying to experience as much happiness and pleasure as possible?"
I don't have a good answer for this because I think there is a God, but it is still interesting to me.
I think th