To ask what are morals?

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I don't get morals, say you feel stealing is wrong and immoral do you feel stealing to feed your hungry child is immoral to?

I really don't understand what morals are, I wouldn't say for example sleep with a married man because I wouldn't want to be involved over a break up of a marriage, but I don't condone anyone else who does. Am I supposed to be outraged because I wouldn't do it.

Inspired by another thread, I don't see spending money on your children at christmas or buying them designer clothes and trainers immoral. I don't see what morals are involved there.

I haven't had a religious upbringing do install how the church want you to behave, are morals just the 10 commandments for example?

Laymans terms please spell it out to me lovely MNetters

TIA

[Mrsjay]

Morasl are your own perception of right and wrong that is why you get debates as daft as buying designer clothes on here as immoral , that is how see morals anyway, you treat people who you expect to be treated you get what you give, it is nothing to do with religion imo

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

I would say morals are guidelines you follow in life that leave you with a guilt free conscience.

Stealing is wrong, but it would sit better on my conscience that i stole than if my children went hungry.

It's a huge debate able subject.

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

So I would choose to steal food rather than my children went hungry iyswim

[Mrsjay]

every parent would steal food to feed their child I do think that too.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

So then stealing is not wrong all the time then. So how is not stealing a moral?

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

Stealing is wrong.

It's wrong to steal food to feed my children.

But it's my responsibility to feed them.

And if the only way they would be fed is for me to steal, then I'd steal and feel guilty for stealing, but justify it as my children had been fed.

Stealing is still wrong. Whatever it is for.

[DameEnidsOrange]

IMO morals are your own personal code of conduct - everyone has different morals.

I guess stealing for personal gain would be wrong for a lot of people - but not all, stealing to avoid your child starving would be ok for most people.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Stealing remains morally wrong but when your backs up against the wall morals go out if the window and survival kicks in!

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I don't have any morals, I don't understand what people mean by their conscience and being guilt free.

I'm getting slightly worried now maybe I'm a Psychopath

[Mrsjay]

well it would be immoral for me to go into a shop lift a jumper I fancied and not pay for it wouldnt it,
If i was in such dire straights that my dds were starving stealing some food is still wrong and still immoral but it was for the greater good, if I was caught shoplifting food I could/would be arrested but at least my child wasn't hungry, you pay for immorality even if it is for the greater good,

[PickledFanjoCat]

Well would you feel bad if you shot a puppy?

[MoleyMick]

It's complicated isn"t it? Mostly it is about choosing the right thing to do by weighing up the consequences. So, is it worse to let my child go hungry or steal some food? Would it make a difference if you stole from a friend or a supermarket?
Then it comes to what you accept in others I guess. I would never have an affair, but would I remain friends with a person who I knew had had an affair?
Very much individual. Hence mn debates!

[Mrsjay]

you must have morals even if you dont know, you dont kill somebody if they annoy you do you ?

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Yes pickled, but then I can see some instances where the right thing do do is shoot it/PTS. If for example it was so hurt blabla and nothing could be done I would put it out of it's misery.

[StripeyCircle]

I agree with pretty much what's been said. Morals are your own rules and standards which you live by. Yes, they can be religious, if that's your inclination, but they don't have to be. And morals will vary from person to person I think. Stealing is a really good example. IMHO it's fundamentally wrong, but to do it to feed a starving child brings in a very grey area of how far you are willing to stick to your morals in the face of something like that. I think that's why it's called a 'moral dilemma'. And yes, I probably would steal in that situation.

Spending money on designer stuff is only immoral, I think, if you can't afford it. You might be a misguided idiot, but I don't think it's immoral. But someone else will take completely the opposite view on that.

At the end of the day, you need to be able to look yourself in the mirror.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

No MrsJ I feel better now.

[TimothyTumblespring]

If you don't have any morals then you are an anarchist.

Or a sociopath.

[Anniegetyourgun]

You're confusing morals and rules. Not stealing is a rule which can either be followed or broken. Morals have plenty of stretch room for circumstances to be taken into account. That's why laws are written down but morals are debated endlessly.

So in the scenario BoysBoysBoys posits, stealing food would be legally wrong but morally justifiable, in the circumstances.

Bottom line: morals are not absolute.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Moley yes I could steal from a supermarket but I couldn't from a friend or someones house in that situation.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Stripy I don't understand why is it morally wrong IYO to buy designer when you can't afford it. I'm not saying it's a clever thing to do but how is it wrong.

[MoleyMick]

Because it would weigh on your conscience = not a psychopath. Hurray!

[PickledFanjoCat]

Phew! Your not a physcopath.