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Why Bother Noticing Our Moral Compass?

Why Bother Noticing Our Moral Compass?

From my observational data, I believe everyone is born with a moral compass and understands right from wrong. Young children yell out when someone is cheating in a game, they refute anyone who lies and point their finger at the one who tries to cut in ahead of them while in line. Children are not bashful about shouting out the wrong actions of another. They simply know when someone is doing something wrong and they want the wrong to be made right. But, as we become adults, our moral compasses might become a little compromised.

The Power of Influence

The greatest influence in a child’s life is normally the parent. It is from the home-front we learn which behaviors are acceptable and which values are held in high regard. More than likely, for most of us lying, cheating and stealing was not tolerated and if caught, we were punished with strong consequences. Not only did we feel the sting which comes from disappointing our parents, but we may have also felt the sting on our backsides. 

As young adults, we may have strayed a bit from some of the moral principles we grew up with. No longer under the direct influence of our parents, our peer group may have become our main source for guiding our standards. And depending upon our companions’ criteria, our principles may have wobbled a bit. We might have experimented with attitudes and behaviors our parents would never have tolerated, but pleasing our peers was more important.  

On into adulthood, we experience more and more decisions and opportunities. We get to practice and develop behaviors and values we deem as acceptable and worthy of high regard. But, if we have to quiet our consciences in order to do so, then perhaps we have strayed too far from where we first began.

The moral compass we begin with is put in place so we are able to judge what is right and wrong and then act accordingly. The moral compass is at our very core. Not every decision we make is a moral issue, but every decision we make either reinforces our morality or weakens it. 

Why bother noticing our moral compass? It is worth noting our moral compass since it will point us toward doing right or doing wrong.

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