2:39 AM - Saturday Morning
After a long day of study, BacT, more study and a little bit of bad TV (Hulu style) I find myself reclining on an eggplant, ass-swallowing couch wondering about the nature of morality.
Is it a social construct or an evolutionary mechanism to keep some semblance of order in the universe of ethereal reality? Is it a learned response to a corporal theme that helps our genes live on? I mean, seriously, whats the deal with Santa Clause?
You see Santa Clause is the keeper of all morality - the ever present stalwart of human dignity. "He knows when you've been naughty; he knows when you've been ni-" No, the naughty part is the big deal with morality. The thing about 'naughty' is it'll run away with you if you let it. 'Nice' just is. 'Nice' is a seedling you find in the woods and bring home to cherish. 'Naughty's' a virus that'll spread out of control without proper antibiotics (Dr. Vaughn groans here). Were used to Santa keeping 'naughty' in check: staying out late, not doing home work, not calling home when-. Morality loves 'naughty.' 'Nice' is the honor student that no one notices while the naughty delinquent is on first name terms with the principal.
Just to clarify, the lover of sexual innuendo that I am, 'naughty' just means naughty. Sorry. No leather, whips or a priest that walks into a bar and orders a Virgin Mudslide here. Just cliches.
I'm thinking of morality because I postponed a New Year's resolution (intention) for a later date, bought a 6-pack of gluten-free virgin (yet still containing alcohol) Twisted Teas, and had myself a movie night. After a couple hours of watching a "Sci-Fi Channel Original Series" on Hulu, I checked the time to see if there was time for just one more. The time: 2:39 AM. And what was the very first thought to pop into my mind?
"Wow, that's a little excessive."
Yep, that's what I thought, plain and uncensored. "That's a little excessive?" Seriously? It's like I was whining to the universe about an unreasonable curfew. Excessive? I didn't say, "Whoops, I stayed up later than I'd expected," or took credit and said, "Damn, I'll be tired in the morning." I appealed to the Great Keeper of Time to extend my curfew just one more hour for one more show b-b-because I wannit!!!!!
My first thought in organizing the ridiculous amount o studying I need to accomplish in the next week wasn't of personal responsibility but of authoritative accountability. And I hate authority!
I don't know what this means or what moral gems this late night musing holds. It was the most surprising thing, though, to catch myself red-handed in a moral act.
As for me? I'm gonna watch another episode before turning in.
And, maybe; just maybe, I'll crack open another twisted tea.
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(Incidentally, if you can get past the B-list acting and shotty story-line, check out Eureka on Hulu. I'm gonna watch one more episode tonight. I'm already on season three!)
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3:09 AM
Saturday, May 9, 2009
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Lately I've been equating my morality with my aesthetic sense. Subjectively I experience them the same way: pleasures and revulsions. Morality can be like the aesthetics of the human mental life, decision-making and behavior. Saves the trouble of having to appeal to an objective source..
ReplyDeleteI like that.
ReplyDeletei like hearing what you think late at night but getting to experience it in the morning :)
ReplyDeleteMorals exist to keep us our immediate desires in check, in hopes we'll be rewarded with something better (which is both a social construct and a useful evolutionary mechanism, since we've evolved as social animals, just like chimps and ants). But there's no such thing as external morals; we must sometimes appeal to an external enforcer, but we always choose to break or keep whatever laws for our *own* reasons.
ReplyDeleteYou have nobody but your conscience to appeal to about your bed time. Will Santa punish you for breaking your resolution? Will God? I doubt it. Will Kate? Your professors? Not directly. You set your own law, so how can you possibly be mad about it?
I frequently set and break my own rules, and always state that the problem lies with the rulebreaker, but my subconscious, which both loves and hates authority secretly suspects the rulemaker. If you can figure out which side of the equation in your balance is having the problem (maybe both), then adjust, maybe you won't have a problem keeping your own rules.