Hello, dear readers! What do you know about morality, ethics and their role in human life? From childhood we are taught what we can do and what we cannot do, how we should be and what we shouldn’t, thus forming a moral personality structure , or a personal list of a person’s moral qualities. Most simply, morality can be defined as restrictions and rules of behavior in society and in relation to its members.
Of course, the formation process is influenced by many factors - family and its values, culture of society, country, city, social and financial situation, life experience, religion. Morality does not exist outside of society. Each culture gives priority to certain values depending on gender, age and cultural development.
All moral and moral criteria can be defined in one big list , which should be guided by. It is very difficult to unquestioningly adhere to all principles and morals, since life presents various difficulties and trials when morality has to be pushed aside. But it is worth developing certain qualities in yourself, since the well-being of you, your loved ones and humanity as a whole depends on it.
Hard work
Moral qualities are different. One of them is hard work. A person who does not shirk from work always has weight in the eyes of society. What kind of work should it be? It doesn't matter. Each individual must work to the best of his ability and ability. If he can earn money through intellectual work, then he should work as an engineer, programmer, etc. If a person has not received a special education, he can always get a job as a driver, dispatcher, builder, etc.
Fostering hard work should begin in childhood. Some parents protect their children. They do not force their children to work and argue that the child should have a normal childhood. But if you don’t teach children to work, they will grow up to be lazy. Teenagers from the age of 14 can already go to work. Moreover, this is often practiced in families with good incomes. In this way, parents teach their children to work. Hard work is a habit, and if it is not there, a person will have a very difficult time in life. In order not to be considered lazy, you need to work not only at your main job, but also at home. You should also help friends and relatives as needed.
The phenomenon of immorality
Processes in society occur cyclically. Therefore, there comes a time when morality experiences a decline. The reason for this may be the constant broadcast of the image of a successful person who does not take morality into account, who goes towards his dream, destroying all existing stereotypes along the way.
All this, of course, is served under the sauce of romance, which is so attractive to young people who are easily influenced. However, the younger generation for the most part cannot appreciate the scale of the consequences. After all, ignoring the requirements leads to anarchy, chaos and lawlessness.
An immoral society is a community where people are led by their own selfishness. They do not feel remorse when they harm others. All this leads to a global catastrophe. Historically established attitudes are being destroyed, the border between good and evil is blurring.
Respect
The laying of the foundations of moral qualities occurs in childhood. It is the parents who must explain to the child what respect for elders is. Children may be shy and afraid of adults, but this feeling of fear should be eradicated. Replace it with respect. The child must understand the difference between himself and his grandparents. Older people have less energy and less strength. For this reason, they need help carrying heavy bags and giving up their seat on public transport. But politeness is not only what a person flaunts in the form of behavior. Respect is shown in relation to the older generation. A child, and then an adult, must respect not only those who are older, but also those who are younger. Talking on “you” with all strangers is a tribute to the person. You should not neglect simple rules of decency, so as not to be branded as an impolite person.
Related concepts, landmarks and position
There are several related terms that cannot be ignored. For example, a spiritual and moral guideline is goals and taboos that shape behavior. A person sets boundaries for himself and tries not to go beyond them. They control the activities of the individual, contribute to the search for a place in society, and determine the degree of decency. After all, some cannot commit theft, treason or betray others due to their own attitudes.
The position implies that the person evaluates the rules of social life, passing them as if through an “internal” filter, in order to later use them as a guide. This includes:
- self-control of actions and actions;
- conscience;
- a sense of human dignity;
- behavioral incentives.
And finally, principles are the basis for building social and interpersonal relationships. They are universal and are regulated through censure or approval of activities by society.
Honesty
People around you will judge you for your lack of moral qualities and, as a result, may stop communicating with you. To prevent this, you need to be extremely frank with everyone. Naturally, you should dose your frankness within the bounds of decency. A person must be honest. Lying is bad, but for some reason people forget about it. Today lies can be found at every step, so many people believe that this is normal. You need to try to be above this. Some people try to be honest, so they prefer not to lie, but to keep silent. Is this form of behavior considered lying? Counts. Imagine that you are on trial. You are being interrogated on some issue, and you are withholding some important information. In this situation it seems unacceptable. Why do you think differently in life? Frankness makes people's lives easier. They don't have to remember all the lies they make up, and this helps them keep their face in front of family and friends, as well as strangers.
The concept of relativism - what is it?
Speaking about moral and ethical qualities, it is worth touching on the topic of this philosophical movement. Its supporters are confident that the concepts of absolute good and evil do not exist. According to this theory, morality is not tied to universal rules. Every judgment is evaluative and relates to a specific subject, genes, era or culture.
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In this regard, the term is considered from two sides:
- the opinion of good and evil is conditional;
- social morality is also relative depending on the standards set.
Modesty
In our age of the Internet, every person dreams of becoming famous. To do this, people try to flaunt their talents or their good looks. But why then are children still taught lessons in politeness in kindergarten? For the reason that a person must be well developed and be able to distinguish bad from good. Modesty is a character trait that makes a person mysterious. If a person does not put himself on display, it is more interesting to talk to him. People who try to show off look too unnatural. Modesty is decorative. She helps people succeed. This quality is especially relevant today. Thanks to modesty, a person can successfully stand out from his surroundings. For some reason, people who behave too openly and overly liberated are encouraged by our society. It is worth noting the simple truth that it is thanks to such individuals that people degrade faster and faster every year.
Self-criticism
A politeness lesson in kindergarten and school should begin with teachers talking about criticism. It is rare for young children, but the older a person gets, the more often he encounters critical opinion. Few people know how to normally perceive a condemning opinion about themselves or about their work. But you need to keep in mind that everyone around you has the right to freedom of speech. For this reason, people can criticize everything they see. Every individual must become self-critical from childhood. For what? To learn to distinguish useful criticism from slander. Sometimes people around you don’t want to offend you or the subject of your work. They want to help and express their opinion, which may turn out to be competent. For this reason, it needs to be listened to and taken into account. And a negative statement that is not supported by any arguments should be learned to be ignored. And most importantly, you need to learn not to respond to slander and not to take revenge in return. Every person must understand a simple truth: it is impossible to fight human envy. An envious person is an unhappy person who needs compassion and love.
Behavior
Behavior becomes moral when an individual ties it to the existing system of moral values and tries to bring his actions to positive guidelines.
The key element of moral behavior is action .
An act, in turn, consists of an action and can receive a positive or negative assessment from members of society.
Abstaining from any action at a time when morality requires a person to be active can also be regarded as an act.
Moral behavior is difficult to evaluate objectively, but others always pass other people’s actions through “filter factors” :
- motives (if a noble motive led a person to an unsightly result, the degree of indignation of society will decrease);
- the result of an action;
- objective reality (the circumstances in which the act was committed);
- means of achieving the task (a person can use “forbidden techniques” on the way to a good goal, which will seriously darken his moral character).
Moral behavior is always an attempt to find a balance between the restrictions established by society (framework) and one's own freedom (creative choice).
Conscientiousness
The moral qualities of a person have been developed since ancient times. Without them, people would not be able to exist in one society. One of these qualities is conscience. A person can live without it, but in this case it will be very difficult for him. The pangs of conscience, which are familiar to every adult, are similar to an internal censor who says that a person is going the wrong way or doing a bad thing. Without this inner compass, it is very easy to stray from the noble path. Therefore, it is necessary to develop this feeling in a child from childhood. How? If a child acts badly or ugly, he must not only be scolded, but also reproached by appealing to his conscience. By doing this every time, parents install a censor in a little person who will guide the individual on the right path all his life.
A few words about the development of moral principles
How are moral values formed in children? There are 3 stages in the development of children's consciousness:
- Premoral (from 4 to 10 years). During this period, one’s own safety and benefit are prioritized. The child strives to avoid punishment and therefore acts in order to gain the approval of adults. Then comes the second stage, where children’s actions are aimed directly at reward.
- Conventional (from 10 to 13). There is an awareness of the established rules and value system. First, someone close to you is chosen as an authority. And the reluctance to upset him becomes the reason for observing these norms. The child then begins to understand the reason for the framework and uses it to assert his own rights.
- After 13 years. During this period, the teenager forms his own set of views by adjusting the social template. At the first stage, much attention is paid to the requirements that ensure peace of life. And on the second, an individual stable arch is created.
At this age, a person will already be able to pass judgment if the behavior of the masses seems to him to be far from justice.
Courage
What have people always valued in each other? Courage. But why then is this quality not inherent in everyone today? Courage and cowardice go hand in hand. Even though people began to show off their lives, they became more cowardly. They are afraid not only of what they really need to be afraid of, but even of some trifles, like asking the seller in a supermarket where the desired product is. Why is this happening? Courage and cowardice are qualities that are developed in childhood. They are produced by the child independently. Parents can mentor their child, but they will not go to kindergarten or school instead. Therefore, the little man has to solve problems on his own, and sometimes this is not always possible. And if it doesn’t work out over and over again, the person becomes cowardly and is afraid to get into an argument or fight. Such a person cannot protect either his own or others’ interests. How do cowardly people live? Difficult.
Compassion
Moral qualities of an individual are formed in childhood. Compassion is one of them. Unlike many others, a person needs compassion infrequently. But it is its presence that can be used to judge how kind or open the person next to you is. Receiving sincere sympathy in our world is very rare. A person does not know how to empathize with someone else's grief. People become more and more selfish every year, they move away from each other and think that grief will always bypass their home. But misfortune and happiness are two close friends. Therefore, sooner or later both will visit a person. How to survive a difficult situation? Call compassionate friends. When a person talks about what worries and depresses him, internal cleansing occurs. But this only happens if the narrator sees sincere compassion in the eyes of the interlocutor.
What indicates maturity
The degree of development depends on the socialization of the individual. That is, a person has learned a system of generally accepted values and follows it not out of fear of being punished, but thanks to a clear awareness of the correctness of his own behavior.
I will highlight 6 criteria:
- A broad sense of "I". It appears at an early age, is formed during the first 10 years and later begins to expand with the acquisition of experience and increasing social roles. An important factor is targeted activity.
- Showing concern for others. Expression of deep feelings for loved ones, the ability to love and make friends.
- Self-acceptance. A mature person has his own views and values and can convey them, taking into account the opinions of others.
- Perceiving reality, achieving goals. The individual is focused on a specific task, forgetting about pleasures and selfishness. This is associated with a sense of responsibility, which is the ideal of maturity.
- Self-objectification. An immature person can perform actions for show, without realizing that it looks unnatural. A more developed individual understands that there cannot be fake identities.
- Life philosophy. Having an idea of a single goal in life.
I will also note that socialization does not stop even among adults. It has no ending at all, but always pursues a specific goal, whether it is conscious or not. Therefore, the words “maturity” and “adulthood” are not synonymous.
Unselfishness
How to distinguish a good person from a bad one? Look at his life values. If you ask a friend to help, and he asks you for some kind of payment for it, it means that the person next to you is unworthy. You need to surround yourself with selfless people. Such persons will never betray you. They will be able to stay close both in sadness and in joy. But those individuals who are around only when everything is fine with you are false friends.
The formation of moral qualities begins in childhood. How to raise a selfless person? Mom and dad should ask their child to help for no reason. Many parents promise their children candy or other bonuses for helping them around the house or walking the dog. This approach to education lays the foundation in a child’s heart for the formation of self-interest.
Rules of morality
There are many rules that characterize morality, and we follow them almost without noticing it. Acting at the subconscious level, a person brings his mood, achievements, victories and much more into the world. Such formulations very closely embody what morality means in all its incarnations. Relationships in the world should be based on reciprocity for a comfortable existence.
By accepting these conditions, a person can learn to be kinder, more sociable and responsive, and a society consisting of such people will be similar to the ideal. Some countries are achieving this situation, and their number of crimes is significantly reduced, orphanages are closed as unnecessary, and so on. In addition to the golden rule, you can consider others, such as:
- sincere conversations;
- calling by name;
- respect;
- attention;
- smile;
- good nature.
What does the “golden” rule of morality sound like?
The basis of peace and culture is the golden rule of morality, which sounds like this: treat people as you would like them to treat you, or do not do to others what you do not want to receive for yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to follow this, and this leads to an increase in the number of crimes and aggression in society. The rule tells people how to behave in any situation; you just have to ask yourself the question, how would you like it? The most important thing is that the solution to the problem is not dictated by society, but by the person himself.
Love to motherland
A person must respect the place in which he was born. It is clear that the saying: “where you were born and where you came in handy” is no longer relevant today. But still, patriotism is a feeling that should be embedded in a person’s soul. People who love their homeland will try to work for its benefit. Thanks to this, Russia will develop and grow rich. As a result, people will receive their dividends for love and work. Of course, you need to love wisely. In order for citizens not to be ashamed of the object of their adoration, he must be worthy of love. It is also possible to love something wretched out of compassion, but still such love is not worthy of respect. Patriotism must be present in a person’s soul, just like conscience or kindness. We must not forget about this, because children are the future of our country, and it is on them that adults place their hopes.
How is morality different from ethics?
Many people argue that morality and morality are synonymous, but this is a fallacy. Morality is considered to be a system established by society that regulates the relationships between people. Morality means following your own principles, which may differ from the attitudes of society. In other words, moral qualities are given to a person by society, and moral qualities are established by character and personal psychology.
Morality | Moral |
A specific sphere of culture in which high ideals and strict norms that regulate human behavior and consciousness in various areas of public life are concentrated and generalized | Principles of real practical behavior of people, in which the severity of highly moral norms is significantly softened, that is, this concept is given a more “everyday”, “down-to-earth” meaning |
What should be, what should a person strive for (the world of what should be) | Actually practiced norms that a person encounters in everyday social life (the world of existence) |