After my last post I didn't really think about the topic much further, I've been extremely busy with some major life changes coming up and my mind has been off in wonderland. I stopped with my first attempt at writing, I know shame on me, but I really did not like where the story was going. I haven't given up on writing, not at all, but the genre of that story was more... I guess thriller, and I'm not even into that genre, plus I found that the story wasn't too original and bored me. So, I'll be moving on to the next one soon.
Anyway, onto the topic of moral perseverance, which is the wrong term. I think it should be moral fortitude. About a week ago I went to a bar with two of my friends so I could sit there and not drink, poverty works wonders when it comes to avoiding vices. The three of us got into our usual discussion where we bitch and moan about how difficult it is to find a job. My one friend, also named Scott being that almost everyone I know is named Scott, made the claim that there are only two excuses for quitting a job; A, the job is so terrible and demeaning that it causes utter depression and risk to your life, or B, the job actually costs more than you make.
Remembering how a year ago I turned down the only job offer I had been given a year after getting my BA, I had to disagree with my friend. I turned that job down because I would be working with a political group who's values I did not share. This might fall under the A category, but in my opinion it is completely excusable, and even the right thing to do, to turn down a job that goes against your own personal values. I was shocked to find that both of my friends disagreed with me. A long debate ensued, with them saying that they value personal comfort and happiness over morality.
Is it judgmental and wrong for me to say that I am horrified and to say the least disappointed in my friends? I think about it, and it feels as if this is really how most of the world works, people are so utilitarian that they will go against their morals in order to make enough to afford a nicer car. When given the option of driving a Hyundai and being moral, or driving a Mercedes and throwing away morals, it seems many would choose the Mercedes.
So, after my discussion I really came to the realization that moral fortitude is important. A month ago I said that I'm not sure if I would be able to keep my morals if offered a large sum of money, but somehow hearing someone say they wouldn't have a problem at all just felt wrong. It even saddens me, thinking that this is what our world has become. No longer are we mankind, risen out of natural chaos to stand on values and morals, we have reverted back to animals, doing only that which our instincts command us to do; seek pleasure and survive.
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