Why, like so many others, do I lack knowledge and discipline in everyday life choices?
What has made us so focused on making emotional, typically selfish, choices?
Plato concluded that most people are unfit by training and ability to make the difficult and necessary decisions that would result in a just society. The “average person” lacks wisdom and self-restraint to serve the needs of society. As Plato viewed the world, most people make emotional responses based on personal desire and sentiment rather than on rational considerations stemming from an objective view of what is genuinely good for the individual (Soccio, Section 5-1b).
I feel so many of us including myself lack discipline and knowledge to make choices that are efficient for society while staying morally correct. We allow our emotions to completely drive the choices we make. So many times we are emotionally wrapped in our feelings and mind that we do not realize the consequences to the choices we make. I find that we are naturally selfish beings .
A recent example is the school shooting that occurred in Arizona. In this particular situation,a student killed a peer that she had a romantic relationship with.Than she killed herself making this situation what was considered to be a murder suicide. Obviously, many questions may be left unanswered but we can suspect what drove this student toward their actions...emotions. Her emotions,lack of knowledge most likely made her feel like she was making a wise decision.It was what she wanted to do, having zero regards for the future,her life idea of taking the life of another. She made a selfish decision to somehow “benefit” her and harm the life of others. This is a more influential example of how our choices in everyday life can affect us just as strongly.
Time, age, and general maturity can play a key part in our decision-making skills. Perhaps she felt this other person wronged her in some way or that ending her life would benefit her. Regardless of the real reasons, having no discipline in morality or knowledge of life prevent us from making choices that could positively influence our society altogether.Similar to the past, people are still making choices that benefit themselves on a personal level. We are people who emotionally respond in the moment and not thinking of the long-term results. This has caused many of us to make some good and some bad choice; ultimately, just selfish choices.
I feel that most of us lack discipline and wisdom on every day life choices; myself included, I am a diabetic. I often find it difficult to resist sugar or sweets knowing that they are not beneficial for my health. I find myself ignoring the warnings and advisements of my medical prescriber because of my own selfish wants. We simply have those physical cravings that I find difficult to fight against.
These selfish tendencies can cause individuals to be blinded by their desires. I have witnessed a person in the car smoking, while their are children in the car. Would that not be considered satisfying one's own personal wants without thinking about those around us, whether it be strangers or our own children (including disregarding one’s health conditions)?
Bibliography
Soccio, Douglas. PAC LMS INTG MT PHILOSOPHYARCH/Archetypes Of Wisdom, 9 Th Ed., Mindtap. 9th ed. Cenage Learning, 2016. Print
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