Reflection 65 (whose rules to follow)

Whose rules to follow?

"What may others think if I would do this?"
"What may others think if would not do this?''
Sometimes the above lines cross our minds.
the word 'others' maybe this or that person (or group).
Sometimes this becomes a main motivation for things to do or not to do.

Oh, yes, society wants very much to control what we do and don't
to a certain extent this may be OK, but to another extent it is not OK at all.
There are things we have to do or not do, no matter what!

Perhaps one of the worst control mechanisms, used by society is coercive powers in religion.
When I listen to religious leaders talk, I often hear: 'You should follow the rules of our God and not your own rules.' This is a very ambiguous statement.

How can we follow the rules of our God, if we do not search ourselves thoroughly to find with our utmost and highest level of reasoning, mind, heart and soul to find out what are these rules of God.
Of course the religious leaders mean: we should follow the rules of God as the leader himself perceives them. He ignores there completely that his own perception may be wrong or not suitable for a man or woman with completely different talents and aims than himself.

We know very well how they interpret the scriptures and how they try to force their own interpretations on others and in the process gain a very powerful position.

If some rituals from a tradition of more than a thousand years ago dictate people (or try to dictate people) to follow or perform rites that go against our own reason, that go against our conscience, against the universal values of humanity as perceived by ourselves, we should not blindly follow the tradition. I am sure it does not take too long for each of us to think of an example within our own society.

We have the moral duty to think for ourselves. We can listen to leaders and the so called masters but still they are humans, just as us. Our own conscience may be ever a better guide.


I really would like to refer the reader to selfreliance , an essay from Emerson. He writes very eloquently about this topic. Here are two small quotes: Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.

What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.

Quotable quote:
 A teenager is all pre-occupied by what others think about them
A young adult realizes that often it does not matter to much what others think about them
A mature adult realizes that others do not think about them, everyone thinks mainly about him/herself