The Beginning

I want my life to be the beautiful and complex answer to a simple question –

How can I do the greatest possible good?


Don’t ask, “Am I a good person?” An affirmative answer is possibly more dangerous than a negative one, as already being a good person is the single greatest contributor to moral apathy I of which I know. Ask rather, “What am I doing to manifest my power to forge good for all creation?”

Good is not dictated by society; neither is it an arbitrary obedience of God.

Good involves the right alignment of the universe, a synergy of parts. While a culture’s values may shape the way good is made manifest in that particular place, the good end remains the same.

Good involves the right alignment of the universe, a synergy of parts. Good, therefore, has a value “apart” from the desires of the creator. God does not dictate by authority what is good. Rather, the world was created in such a way that right action is what brings it into healthier being. If God wished to change what was good, God would need to change the nature of the universe.

Good deeds are good. Being a good person is good. Good. It’s something that has value, it is worth having, on top of being right and just. Moral action need not be torturous. In fact, desiring something other than the good comes from a malalignment of the person; an incomplete understanding of the state of affairs.

Learn what is real. What is good puts the world in a more favorable arrangement. Knowing what is real will make the desire to do good more effective. In this why, the study of the real is in service of the good

Also, put the beautiful in service of the good. Strive to value in an immediate way what is right. Avoid mindsets that cause right action to seem unattractive, even if only for a moment. There is no accomplishment in detesting the good but doing so out of personal sacrifice. Such drama and staged surrender attains nothing, and indicates no stronger character. The greatest moral accomplishment is to be in aesthetic unity with the good of the world, such that you truly desire what is good.

Do not underestimate the power of conditioning. Systematic exposure to events and ideas shapes the human. Be aware of this, and be proactive concerning what your conditioned responses are. Great good can be done by those who are prepared.

Be careful what you learn. All experiences are teachers, but not all teachers lead you toward the truth. Callous and cynical lessons are often borne of bitter experiences, but that does not make them true.

Empathy is learning. An objective outlook should be rooted in justice, not abstraction from the realities of human experience.

Moral actions are actions, and in the reality of human experience actions need motivation. Rely heavily on the aesthetic attraction toward the good of the world to incite good action.

Gratitude is also a powerful motivator. Humans behave altruistically in situations they feel grateful for. Knowing this, you should foster benevolent tendencies by fostering a worldview of gratitude. Luckily, the world happens to be ever showered with blessings.

Do it now. While patience is an important contributor to fortitude and balance, it can also contribute to laziness and apathy. If something can be done now to improve the status of a person, society, or the environment, do it now. Be impatient about injustice.

The universe was not created eons ago, but is rather created in every moment of now. Our relationship with our creator is not a distant, strategic one, but rather one of intimate understanding.

Almost no one thinks they are full of shit. When you think someone is full of shit, ask, “What sort of mindset generates this talk/behavior?” Now, their perceptions don’t make it right, but understanding is both valuable for its own sake, and it facilitates further persuasion. You may also discover that you are the one that is full of shit.

Everything is not like the way you think. Not everyone thinks like you. There can be incredible disparity between people. Be respectful of this, and be cautious of the desire to conform everything and everyone to your standards.

We are not alone. Despite our differences, people share vast amounts of experience. The vividness of human emotion is very nearly a tongue of fire.

Similarly, we are not separated from the world. Break down the notion that the phenomenological aspect of human experience separates us from external things. Maintain a healthy skepticism about the ultimate nature of things, but recognize that our experience is what imbeds us in the world and the world in us.

Be attentive to your intellectual tastes. People often accept or reject beliefs based on a sort of aesthetics of ideologies. Not everything is balanced. Not everything is the third choice. Not everything is simple. Not everything is complex. Be wary that you do not let your desire for a particular shape of idea be your major critical mechanism. Many true ideas will fail to live up to your standards.

True intelligence should increase a person’s ability to thrive and contribute to the thriving of others. If someone is tortured by their genius, they either lack actual intellect or are being tortured by something else because of their genius. Do not idealize dark brilliance.

The good act is the smartest possible pursuit. Good is not dumb. Rather, an evil act is motivated out of incorrectly formed desires and out of an incomplete or erroneous vision of reality. Reject the notion that an evil thinker is less restrained, and therefore more creative. The good thinker is not restrained by anything either, but they have additionally a vested interest in valuing multiple goods. It is this greater intellectual burden that requires the good thinker to be more cognitively complex and nuanced in their creativity.

The ends never justify the means. No evil act is ever justified. It is evil, therefore unjust. The service of a great good often coaxes the minds of the powerful into the false perception that the small has no value.

When faced by a difficult decision concerning ends and means, reconsider all possible means. Very often the scripted responses to situations involve the violation of one thing for the sake of another. Look for more ways. There are hidden premises and expectations that direct our thinking. Identify these, and only abide by the ones that exist for the good.

If you cannot see a way toward the good without violating another good: 1.) Admit that is your lack of knowledge, power, and finesse that necessitates this choice… the greatest good is good for all, and 2.) Make a choice. Either refrain from doing the bad, and fail to accomplish the good, or do the bad, accomplishing the good, but do not justify the behavior. A bad act is always bad, no matter what. Do everything in your power to prevent it from happening again, and make reparations.

Evil is not sexy. Do not romanticize defunct moral action. There power in sex, and sex in power, but so too is gentleness and abandon. It may be an exercise in understanding to root for the bad guy, but it should be done irregularly.

Power is not evil. Imagine the power that created the universe. Use great power judiciously to go great good.

Judgment is born of awareness and integrity.

Awareness of the world is a must for moral action. As creatures with power we have the responsibility to learn the extent and impact of that power, striving to muster an awareness just as vast and intense. Do not hide behind ignorance to defend bad acts. While true sinfulness is done when bad acts are done knowingly, perceptual irresponsibility still causes bad things to happen. Those accidents may not be sins exactly, but they are still result of your action and a due to your irresponsibility.

Integrity is doing good when doing bad would have no personal consequence. This makes integrity the key to being good when no one is looking as well as when you have a powerful upper hand. Foster your integrity in small ways, and train your spirit for resisting great temptations.

Be humble. Now, that doesn’t mean you should lie about your talents, or over exaggerate your flaws. Rather, do not consider your gifts yours. Be realistic about where they come from. Admit to the biological, social, and spiritual factors that have contributed to your excellence. Similarly, know to what end your gifts should be in service of. Celebrate all success equally. Be happy about a great gift, no matter who has it.

Be courageous in action. Train your mind to react quickly in dangerous situations so that good can be done with efficiency.

Be courageous in thought. Do not be afraid to face uncomfortable truths. Do not be afraid to accept and defend truths that will face the scorn of others.

Take care of yourself. You are the tool by which you do good. Attend to your health, foster your good moods, and be spiritually well.

Strive to do no wrong. If you do falter, remember the power of healing. Heal the wounds you cause, as well as the ones you don’t.

Honor is a powerful tool. By valuing what you say and who you are, you can give your words powerful inertia and increase the likelihood they will actualize as behavior. Be wary, however, that you do not create phantasmal moral worlds, where things that have no value are treated as sacrosanct and real value is besmirched. Embarrassment is not a violation of honor.

Never loose your dignity, but be realistic about what is dignified. Being broken or small does not sully your humanity.

Use your mind to channel your emotions. Irrational expression and impulsive behavior can wreck great suffering in the world.

Use your heart do channel you thoughts. Heartless thinking and emotionally empty beliefs can wreck great suffering in the world.