Monday Musings: Sometimes It’s Right, Sometimes It’s Wrong a.k.a. The Importance of Context

Today’s Musings are going to hopefully be short and sweet.  Of course, by stint of that statement, I’m probably going to ramble.  Either way, today I found myself thinking about how much the context of a situation matters.  In many cases, the rightness or wrongness of an action can be determined solely by the context and other situational facts surrounding said action.

That isn’t to say that there aren’t absolutes out there.  I truly believe some things are wrong at their core.  There may be mitigating circumstances to interject some white into the black, but never enough to completely wash it away.  However, these things are surprisingly rare when it comes to the day-to-day existence of the average person.  Most moral issues we run into over our normal lives find their resolution in the context.

What could be normally considered an immoral act might be so colored by other factors, other reasons, that at this moment it is a good and just thing.  Likewise, a morally pure act might be so sullied by ulterior motives and cruel tactics that it twists the entire thing into something twisted.  Yes, sometimes the path to Hell IS paved with good intentions … but sometimes those good intentions are enough to lead us back up to Heaven.

On a related subject are those things that are something of a muddle.  Good and bad contexts, intentions, actions, and results turn an event into a moral grey area.  In situations like this, one simply has to go with their conscience in their final judgement, but I think it’s important that, no matter what you decide to do in such a case, one never loses sight of the good or the bad of the situation.

Remember, most things in life are neither entirely good or entirely evil.  Recognizing the streaks of grey is one way to help you stay centered and to stay away from letting yourself fall into the trap of inflexible, extremist thought and feeling.  The best mind is a flexible one!