Afterlife?

I think that we created the idea of an afterlife for a few reasons. One is that we need comfort about the unknown. Death is scary to all of us, and believing in an afterlife helps us cope with the fact that "everyone dies". We feel that we have some kind of control over our situation if we believe we'll get a "do-over" in the afterlife. The idea that our loved ones are happy after death is another reason to believe in an afterlife/heaven. Another is to guide us on a virtuous path in life. The idea is that if we live our lives with the goal of living well enough to go to heaven, we will be good people.

Many people believe that a higher power watches over us and decides whether we go to heaven or hell. I think that our personal values determine how we are supposed to live, and if we live up to our potential, when we reflect on our lives, we will know what is meant to happen after our death. I think that hell is a way for us to feel that justice will be served to those who wrong others, hence "go to hell" being exclaimed in anger.

I've always believed that people go to heaven, because that is what we are told from the beginning. I think it's the easiest way to explain the complex concept of death to children. "He's in heaven now" always comforted little me when I accidentally squished an earthworm or an old dog had to be put down. I feel that we wouldn't be able to deal with the sadness of death without living by the idea that out loved ones are in a happy place and we will see them again. I don't really believe in hell because I don't feel that people are destined to live another terrible life because they messed up their current one. I think that people who live lives that would destine them for hell just do not receive the privilege of an afterlife. We figure as we live whether or not we are living up to our personal standards. We decide for ourselves through our morals what happens to us after we die. If you live a good life and deserve to live on in another, it will be somewhere happy, in my opinion. I believe that eternal love is the reason for the afterlife as love carries us on forever.

My thoughts on life after death

When I think about life after death, I think about where I would like to end up after death. Id like to be able to live in peace knowing everything and everyone I care about is taken care of. I like to believe that if you do good things, good things will happen to you. When we had the discussion in class about what we believed happened after death, I really felt like I could connect to a lot of the others who expressed their opinions

My grandfather actually passed away just last night from Leukemia. When I got the news, I was in shock. When bad things happen to me, I tend to freeze and become numb. It didnt really hit me he was gone till during the school day. When I think about my grandfather I think of all the things I did with him, all the things I wish i could have done, and more. I also think about my grandma. My grandma and grandpa have been together many, many, years, he was everything to my grandma. I just cant help but feel the pain for my grandma. I know she is hurting and I feel her hurt. I wish I could see him again, and hug him, and just talk to him.

Now that my grandpa is gone, I feel like I have a different outlook on life. I see how disease and illness can so easily take people from us, so quickly. My grandpa was an amazing man, with a kind heart and soul. I remember baking homemade bread with him, and him teaching me the piano. I truly believe that my grandpa will be up there, with a smile on his face, playing the piano and baking bread. Now that he is gone, I have a different outlook on life, I want to start doing things in honor of my grandpa, living in his legacy of kindness and honesty. I hope I make him proud. I believe people have their own choice on how they want to live their life, and their depictions of what happens after death. People believe that kindness gets you a happier after life and some do not. I believe that living a life of kindness and honesty will help you feel comfortable and happy in your life for when it is your time to go.

What happens after?

Death. Even the word itself gives me goosebumps. I am terrified to die, personally. It makes me worry that when I die I will miss something important from the life that just ended. When I die I want to rememeber the life that I previously lived, and it scares me to think that I might not remember my life or the people that were in my life. I think, well id like to think that when we die we are able to go where we would like and do what we would like instead of just Heaven and Hell.

There is no real possible way to know for sure what happens when we die, but I do have my own hope and dreams for what could happen. I like to believe we are all reunited with who we have lost in our lives and who we've been missing and who we have been begging to even possibly meet.I think that one day everything will just disappear and we will not be around anymore and I am not exactly okay with that answer but I am not able to change what happens after life. I would like there to be an after life where I will continue on but deep down I feel that will not happen, so I have to be okay with that.

Eternal soul

At some point, everyone will die. To be completely honest, the idea of dying scares me.  I fear the unknown. This, I believe, is why I choose to believe in an afterlife. As I said in my last post, I believe in God and a Heaven. I choose to believe in them because it gives me comfort. It eases my fears about dying. I believe our loved ones who have passed continue to watch over us and that one day we will be with them again. 

When I was younger my brother could see "angels." I don't know if that is actually what they were, but he saw people who weren't there.  When I was 6 and he was 4, we were in the car with my mom and we drove by a crash. He asked "what is that man doing over there" but no one was there. Another time we were driving down maple ave and he asked if we saw the angel. When we said we didn't, he pointed and said "it's right there!" These events have also shaped what I believe in. I definitely believe that something happens to our souls after we die. 

When I was 6, my great grandmother passed away. When my mom was trying to explain it to me, she told me she went to heaven. I asked my mom if we could take a plane to see her. This was the first time anyone I knew had died so it was hard for me to grasp what was really going on. I always talked to my mom about seeing her again and knowing that she was watching over me. I think this was were my beliefs formed. Last summer with the death of my grandfather, these beliefs strengthened. He was diagnosed with cancer when I was 11 and had a long and painful battle. Knowing he is in a better place makes his death easier because I know he is no longer in pain. 

Unfortunately know one knows exactly what happens to our souls when we die. Death is inevitable and we all will leave the earth at some point. I believe our soul continues to live past this and will continue to watch over our loved ones. 

My Thoughts on After Death

What happens after our time on earth as we know it is up? Unfortunately, we never know until we die. Although she wasn't close to me, I lost my grandma at the age of six, and this is when I first learned about death. Since that day, death has been my biggest fear. I always fear that I will go before I am ready, before I am truly satisfied with myself. I feared the thought that once you die you disappear into oblivion. Because of these fears, I have put faith, not necessarily in God, but in the universe that there will be something waiting for me after my last day on earth. However, this is challenging.

I grew up in the Catholic church, and the idea of heaven and hell was pretty believable to me. However, as I got older and gained some knowledge about how our world was created, science has created doubt within my mind. I knew I no longer fully believed in a heaven and hell when the idea of going to hell didn't scare me. I was no longer scared of hell because I no longer believed in hell. As science and knowledge filled my mind, I learned how bodies rot. Although a gross thought, to me rotting into the earth is a form of eternal life. The earth will always exists; perhaps the mass of the earth may change forms, as will my body, but I exist now, and a piece of me will always be out there.

My ideal afterlife would be a world where we can reunite with our loved ones and never have to worry about death. An ideal afterlife wouldn't have an end, it would be something permanent and certain so we don't have to worry. I'm not looking for an afterlife of luxury, simply just a life with no worry. I realized that this however is selfish. In earth's time as an inhabitable planet, there will be trillions and trillions of people who will exist (assuming we don't destroy our planet and population first). The wish to be immortal is selfish, yet natural. Death will happen, and it is necessary for the survival of the human population.

Instead of wishing immortality for myself with an afterlife that I find scientifically impossible to exist, I feel that making the best of the time you do have is an important aspect of life. Science has made it possible to mix human ashes with seeds, and your ashes can grow a tree. To me, this literally is an afterlife considering your remains are creating something living. Although I don't see how an afterlife is possible, I find peace in the idea that there was infinite time before me, and there will be unlimited time after me. This means I just have to be thankful for the time I am given, and if there is an afterlife, then that's awesome, but if not, I will be at peace with death when it comes and won't have to fear it.

After Our End

The world of which we currently live allows us to grow and build ourselves, as well as experience great wonders and opportunities. I am someone who, though lives in the now, has to have a plan for the short term. Where some look at life plans for years in the future, I cannot think much further than the few weeks ahead. I find it incredibly difficult to look at what could happen in the next six months as much can change in a very short amount of time. So looking at what could happen in six years is even more difficult to determine. When we have lived our lives to its very end, where is it that we end up? If I cannot plan for what is to happen during my own life, which I have relative control over, I am unaware of what will come after I pass. Despite this, I do have an idea of where we end up.

Recently I realized that I do not believe in God and the afterlife of which He states is true. The afterlife I believe we are sent to is similar to our own world but how we feel when we are there depends on the type of life we believe we lived on Earth. Since there is no God or higher being that judges our actions in our life on Earth, how we feel in the afterlife is dependent on how fully we believed we lived our life. All spirits are able to travel from the afterlife to the human world as they please, and I find that those who do not believe they lived a full life are more likely to spend time on Earth to make up for something. The afterlife is a place of peace for those who have passed and it is open to the good and the bad. There are no physical bodies, or speaking, or touching. Spirits exist among each other and base their time in the afterlife on their emotional experience.

In the afterlife, spirits are at peace with one another, even those who did not live a good life and are not having a good experience in the afterlife. Spirits are at peace with everyone but not always themselves. Those who did not live a full life to their own standards on Earth only feel negative emotions toward themselves. The afterlife is a place for self reflection and a place where we have the ability to make changes to our soul. I don't believe in reincarnation as I find each soul only has room for one lifetime of experience and then an eternity of reflection and peace. As our lives continue on Earth, it is difficult to remember that we must live our lives for ourselves. Some people live to please others, and some to please a God. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact, I encourage others to do so. It is important, however, to remember you cannot live a full life being unhappy. Take the time to do something for yourself and to experience the wonders of the Earth while we are still on it.

Where do we end up?

I honestly have no idea what happens to us when we die. I don't really like to think about death because it makes me sad. If I were to believe in anything, I think I believe in some sort of reincarnation. I think that idea is really cool and it gives me hope that we aren't gone forever. I have always believed in ghosts as well, so I think that there is also a possibility that our spirits last forever!  I think it would be aw some if we all turned into trees or flowers or something. I also hope that there are some sort of consequences that may affect our next life, so if you were an immoral, evil person, you're next life wouldn't be good. That idea gives me motivation to be a better, nicer person.

Although I'm not religious, I understand why many people are. Nobody knows what happens when we die, and I think that humans are inherently very fearful of the unknown. Some part of me hopes that we make our own afterlife- so that the religious can be with their God/Gods in heaven, and maybe atheists could be reincarnated or something. I hope that we have some sort of control of what happens alto us when we die, although I know that's probably unrealistic. For the time being, I'm just going to live my life and not try to think about death or the afterlife that much.

Death and Life After Death

Life after death.  I believe the only life after death is the life that goes on without you.  After you die, everyone you knew, everyone you didn't know, all plants and animals live regardless of your passing.  I don't believe your soul goes anywhere when you die.  I'm not sure I even believe in souls.  I think the term can be used when talking about one's psyche, morals, etc., but otherwise, I believe autonomous beings simply exist, then cease to exist.

To understand life after death, you need to understand life.  Not as in, "you have to have life figured out," but as in how life starts and, for death, how exactly it ends.  I have a very hard time understanding how life happens.  How can it come from nonliving things? So, since I don't understand life, I don't understand death, or life after death.  

Like I stated earlier, I don't believe there is a life after death, but that's not a firm belief because I don't fully understand it.  Theres no reason to believe one way or another.  However, I like to be decisive, so I've taken the view I have.  That being said, it's really hard to talk about the unknown.  It's hard to explain what no one knows.  Just look at how awkwardly I've said everything. 

I don't believe in immortality of any kind.  Even the memory of you will die once those who knew you do.  Glory, fame, having your name in history, non of them will last forever.  As for Plato's thoughts on immortality, your lineage will eventually end, so you aren't imorrtal by passing your blood down the line like he thinks.  Anything you create that might allow you to live on past your death will eventually be destroyed, as will everything else in the world.

Wow, that sounds really depressing.  That's not how I mean it.  It's just a fact that things end.  As surly as something comes into existence, it will eventually end.  That doesn't have to be feared though.   It's inevitable, and fearing your own death does nothing but make your life a little less enjoyable while you have it.  You won't be able to be upset about your death once you're gone.  

Other people's mortality is, too, inevitable, but it's much harder to reason your way out of feeling things for them than it is for your own demise.  After their death, you still have the ability to feel.  With your own death, you don't.  The best thing to do then, is to cherish their life, as well as your own, while it exists.  Then, almost as inevitable as death itself, you grieve for what's gone from your life, from what's been taken from you, and what's been taken from them.  

Second Life

To be honest, I don't have a concrete answer about what happens after we die. With so much tragedy that has happened not only around the world, but also within the Keene High community, it's hard for me to say we just disappear when we die. You want to believe that someday you'll be reunited with your loved ones, and that it is a "See you later" not a "Goodbye". I feel like it's impossible to live life so quickly, die, be put in the ground, a wall, or cremated, and then it's just...over. Everyone makes life out to be this marvelous thing, and there's so much out there that we haven't even learned or discovered yet so why couldn't there be a possibility of an afterlife. Personally, I think us as breathing, alive humans can not say nothing happens after we die. We have no idea what happens, and the only people that do are the people that passed, and unfortunately we can't ask them what's going on out there. 

This might be ridiculous to the realists out there, but I personally believe in spirits, good and bad. There are so many documented occurrences that have happened, vibe changes within places, and just a lot of unexplainable scenarios. Some people have the belief in spirits as way to comfort themselves; to help them believe that the reunion with their loved ones is a definite one. Maybe it's a stretch, but if these scenarios really can, and do happen there has to be something more out there than a life on average of about 90 years. Life goes by too quickly to experience everything in that short amount of time. Maybe theres reincarnation, and maybe there really is nothing, but who's to say there isn't a "what if" factor along with the whole topic?

This Post is Dark

  To be completely honest, I have absolutely no clue what happens after death and I think this is what scares me the most... The idea of leaving this world and having life go on for millions of years while my body slowly decays and I soon become just a fraction of history scares the crap out of me and I have thought about this concept since I was a kid when I used to lay in bed for hours thinking about the inevitability of death..I know , dark right? I would love to believe that there is a heaven and that there is another, more peaceful place that my soul will end up, but I don't really know if I can believe that. I feel like we'd have more evidence if this was true. Or who knows, maybe I'd end up in a darker place being tortured by my own demons...I think people use the idea of an after life to comfort them from the harsh reality of nothingness.

   I think that I DO believe that there has to be something because have you ever literally felt energy when you walk into a new room? Like a "heavy" or "light" feeling? Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night to someone softly whispering your name, but nobody is there? Have you ever felt a sudden shift in temperature and you're the only one who notices? Have you ever seen the dark outline of a person, and then double take it and its gone? I have. I believe that these "signals" are spirits among us and if our souls can live on, there must be something right? Sometimes I think that people end up after death where they believe they'll end up when they're alive. If you believe there is a heaven, maybe you go to heaven. Or if you believe that you are a bad person and deserve to go to hell, made thats where you end up. Or if you believe there is nothing, maybe thats what you'll get.

Where will I go?

When I was younger I used to go to church school. In church school we used to talk about heaven and hell. I have always looked at death from a more religious perspective. I guess I believe in heaven. If you are not religious then it makes sense that you would not believe in heaven and hell. After some one your love passes away they can be buried, cremated or even planted as a tree. When someone is cremated, many times people like to spread their loved ones ashes in a place that has significant meaning. For those who are buried they are typically buried where the rest of their family is buried or in a cemetery in a town that has some meaning to them. And if you are planted as a tree, I'm not sure what happens because I only recently heard of it.

When I die, I like to think that I will go to heaven and join the rest of my animals and loved ones. I will watch over those I care about. Even though I have had a hard time connecting with god, I still believe in him. I think that he guides us when we are lost and gives us strength when we are weak. I have always known about the concept of hell, but I can honestly say I can’t think of anyone in my life who would end up there. I might joke around now and again saying I am going to hell, but I hope when my time comes, I can be reunited with my loved ones in heaven.

Last Friday, was my dog Lucy’s two year anniversary of being gone. I grew up with her, laid in her bed with her and spent countless hours loving on her. Today is the three year anniversary of my horse Justie being gone. It is hard to lose those you care about, but the memories and the bond I shared with both Lucy and Justie will never go away. When I die I know that I will be back with them.

What Happens Next?

The whole idea of dying honestly scares the crap out of me. I think about it and when I do I think about all the possibilities of what could possibly happen next. Is there really a heaven or hell? Is there a life in between that? Is it just like going to sleep and never waking up? Is there actually another realm to go to? There are so many unanswered questions and I feel like the worst part of it all is we have no way of what happens next.

Personally what I would LIKE to believe is that once we die, we all go to our idea world. We are alone in whatever we personally consider is perfect and peaceful. There we will find whatever answers to questions we had that were unanswered before we passed. There we will recognize mistakes that we made throughout life. Then with time we will meet up with the ones we love in another environment. We will be able to see our loved ones who are still alive on Earth, and we could visit them. But in reality, I feel like it I will just fall asleep and not wake up. Soon I will be forgotten, and that's okay. The after life is very complicated, as there are no concrete answers.

Where Do I Go From Here?

I came to experience death for the first time at a young age, back-to-back, First with my younger brother, the my uncle Jack, then a slew of older relatives I didn't know well. As a result of this, part of me desperately wants to believe in a Heaven/Afterlife. The idea of being reunited with loved ones that left before me after my time comes is comforting, and it makes the reality that everyone dies eventually easier to accept. With this being said, I'm also terrified of dying, especially now that I have Ryan. My fear of death is rooted in a few different things.
      First of all, it freaks me out that there's no set answer to what will happen to me when my life comes to an end. I mean, I know my physical being is pretty much done for, but I want my soul to live on somehow. I want my memories to live on, and I want other's memories of me to live on as well. I don't just want to disappear into oblivion. I want my belief in an afterlife to be verified, and I want to be reunited with loved ones.
      I'm also afraid of death because there's no guarantee that I can maintain the connections I make to those that I leave behind. As long as everything goes as planned in life, it's pretty much guaranteed that I'm going to die before my daughter, and as morbid as that sounds, the idea of an afterlife is the only thing that helps me cope with that reality. Knowing that even though she'll still have some life to live when I go, that we'll eventually be together again, makes it easier for me to accept. When I die, I think that I'll be able to watch over her, make sure she's safe, and happy, and make sure she knows that I'll always be there with her. I definitely believe that your soul doesn't fully pass over until its completely ready, so if I still have some parenting to do you can bet that it'll be a while before I leave this earth. When I die, I picture someone waiting for me. In most cases, its Christopher and the numerous dogs that I grew up with. They take my hand, let me know that everything's okay, and they help my soul transition into the next realm.
      While my body will die someday, my soul will go on.

Meaning of Ethics

    Ethics to me, is a person's morals to decide right from wrong, with thought of consequences and happiness to self and others. I don't think ethics should be based on one natures, because some natures are bad. It's important to think of consequences of actions and how they affect others and help support the happiness of others. The happiness of others and society will help create self happiness and people will more likely to be gratitude. All though it's important to be moderate with caring for others and self. Happiness should come from peace of mind and others instead more of pleasures and desires that could negatively impact. Without value and appreciation of what one haves, they will never be happy. 

     Universal law is important because it helps create order and happiness throughout society, but not all may agree completely.  Happiness throughout a society is important to self happiness because every one's actions impact. This idea is similar to Utilitarianism that wants to maximize the number of people who are happy. I think people should not follow the Egoism life of selfishness that causes unhappiness to others. Moderation with self and others is important. Knowledge is also very important towards one's ethics, similar to Socrates, one with knowledge will know right from wrong and think of end result. 

     My own personal ethics would lean towards a combination of Utilitarianism, Epicureanism, Asceticism, and Consequentialism. That good ethics leads to a happy life, and good ethics are being an unselfish person, who thinks of consequences and the happiness of others, with a peace of mind. One's ethics should always have more power than one's duties, because ones duties may not always be right.

After Death

I don't know what happens when we die. I never have, really, and it's never felt too important for me to know. I can see a lot of different perspectives, but I don't know if I can comprehend or believe any of them. I see the belief that our consciousnesses are just within our brains and will die when we die, to rot with our bodies. That one is hard for me, because it's difficult to imagine an end to consciousness. I can see our life forces being recycled through reincarnation, into plants and animals and the earth. That one is difficult too, though, because it's hard to imagine being aware of the universe in a different way from the way it seems now. I really can't believe in any kind of afterlife; I understand why and how it works for other people, but it just isn't an idea that fits into my head.

I'm not scared to die. I've always felt like being alive as a human is kind of a burden, because of all of the societal and economic pressures that we've created for ourselves. On the other hand, it's a  huge gift because we have love and art and literature and nature and the ability to appreciate all of these things. But I try to make my life speak for itself, and I try to stay present in my life at all times. For me, the idea of spending my life focusing on what will come after isn't productive and it scares me, since I don't know what will happen after I die. I prefer to be here, alive, and make the most of it while it lasts. I try to take things as they come, so that when I die I can take that too and not have regret or pain. I also think that this helps me in dealing with the death of people around me. I've never had a close loved one pass away, but from the deaths that I've experienced and from the idea of the future deaths of loved ones, I imagine and hope that I'll be able to accept their death, the missing, and the sadness as a part of my own life. I have no control over anyone else's life or death, but I can control how it affects my life. It may seem selfish, but since we don't have undeniable proof of the reality of anything around us or a concrete vision of after death, I see the only option to be an accepting and gentle way of processing the moment.

ideal art if I've every seen any

It's not surprising that the piece of art I chose to be ideal is a self portrait that my absolute favorite artist, Frida Kahlo, painted in 1943. I'm not sure why this painting speaks to me so much but there are so many things about it that I love. You could start with the colors, I really enjoy the large green leaves in the background, they really give me a good feeling of beauty and warmth, even though there is a skull and crossbones depicted on her forehead. The painting is titled "Thinking About Death" it's somewhat bleak but it's something we all do and are all aware of. Being aware of our own mortality is one of the things that separates us from animals. I love how the picture of the skull and crossbones, symbolizing death, sits on the outside of her head, making it look as though we could stare straight into her mind. To me it's a very personally and intimate piece of art because in a way we actually are taking a look into her head. We get to see what she thought and in a way to me it feels like Frida is sharing her thoughts directly with the viewer. I also love the contrast between life and death, the life being represented by the green leaves. Frida painted herself, surrounded by life in nature, but still thinking about death. If you take a closer look at the stems of the leaves behind her you can see they have thorns that make them serrated like a knife. I think this painting speaks volumes about what Frida Kahlo thought about nature and the connection between life and nature, and death and nature.

Ethics and stuff

The basics of morals and ethics are very similar to people around the world. I think most of our ethics comes from a universal understanding of what is right and what is wrong. The very basics of our ethical beliefs have to do with killing, stealing, lying, or hate speech. This can be seen through history as well, people have been punished in various ways for stealing or killing. Today most of our moral code is translated into laws. Laws serve as legal guidelines to what we can and can’t do, they are not only for the rights we think we are entitled to like freedom of speech, but they also serve as a reminder that our culture shares similar values. We all agree to not kill so murder is illegal, we all agree to not steal so theft is illegal, we all agree not to set shit on fire that doesn’t belong to us so arson is illegal. We form our laws based on the ethical code we all share as a people and we believe there should be punishment if these laws are broken. So we all have this idea that some things are just wrong but what about the more personal morals we live by. Most people aren’t faced with having to kill someone on a day to day basis, but what are some of the moral issues we face that force us to resort to our own ethical codes?

Ethics to me doesn't really mean anything specific, it's not always easy to tell what is right from wrong. There are many examples of tricky moral issues, such as stealing to feed your family, this is why I believe that there can be no solid code of ethics that we live by. You cannot get so specific with ethics to just say do not lie, steal, or even kill. Every situation has to be evaluated to find out whether the actions carried out were moral or immoral. Most people do not want to kill, but would you kill someone if they were a direct threat to you or your family? It's easy to make a list of good and bad things to do and tell yourself your going to live a good life but sometimes we are faced with problems in this world that are not solved that easily. Not everything is black and white, so how do we get through the gray parts?

My definition of living an ethical life can be narrowed down to two things. First you must always strive for happiness while looking out for the happiness of others. This means you can be happy and that should be your main goal in live, but you cannot achieve happiness by taking others away. You should get what is it that you want in life, you should get what makes you happy but you can't step on others to get it. The second thing is to live a life where you can say that you have given more than you've taken, this is very important and I believe if you have balance between those two rules you will live an ethical life. If everybody focused only on happiness but at the same time were fully aware of other peoples happiness, I have a hard time thinking anything could go wrong. But that's not our human nature.

Ethics within my Life

         To me ethics means what is right or wrong. No two people are ever going to have the same ethics. everybody has different ethics but we could have similar ideas. For me I agree mostly with the ten commandments. I think that I agree with majority of them such as do not murder or do not steal but for me the religious aspect has been more challenging. Since I can remember I've been going to church but as I've gotten older the belief in god has been hard. I know that god doesn't exist solely in the church, but that's where I want to start. In my church I find it very hard to have a connection to God. Personally I have found it hard to find God, even though I want god to be a part of my life. 

         If we step aside from the aspect of God I also believe in the other commandments that don't necessarily have to do with God. I think that people should not murder. I know with the military there is a lot of controversy when it comes to killing. Personally I do think that it's OK to kill in the military. People in the military are there to protect us and I think that sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. The soldiers do feel guilty as many of them experience PTSD and they aren't happy about killing people, but they do it because that's what our country needs them to do. 

       Realistically we all come from different backgrounds and no one person is going to necessarily change the way someone acts. I think that people act the way they want to act and a lot of it comes from how you were raised. I was raised very differently from from other people my dad was in the military and both my parents were pretty strict. I would say I feel extremely fortunate because I feel like I've gained a sense of respect that I that some do not have. I honestly believe that majority of our ethics and how we act comes from how we chose to act.

the rules I live by

Going through a lot of hard things in my childhood shaped me into a cold person. I used to have such an addictive personality, I pushed every slight bit of happiness away, and just went down a rough path filled with some toxic people. As I became a senior, I'm grateful I came out of that. I sat myself down and thought about college and my relationship, and just the future all together. I knew what I was doing was not what I wanted to be doing, so I decided to make plan for myself in order to better myself.
For starters, I learned being kind to everyone, as much as I can, took away a lot of negative vibes I held within myself. Taking the hate out of your heart, and allowing it to be filled with positive things is so beneficial. Letting toxic people go, and not letting toxic people in has also impacted me. I used to surround myself with people that fueled my fire and kept me on that horrible path. They were enablers and it wasn't healthy to be around them. I experienced more fun and excitement in my life without them. I guess the ethic here would be surrounding yourself with people who actually love you and want you to succeed in life. Anyone who brings you down should be cut out of your life as soon as possible.
Letting things go was probably the most important thing I learned how to do. I held onto every wrong thing someone did to me and it broke me down. I got infuriated at the smallest things, and was constantly irritable. I stayed angry at my parents for 16 years, but finally realized they did the things they did and it could not be changed. I either had to forgive them and move on, or continue living a life of anger and hatred. I chose what made me the happiest, and that was letting go. I also let go of an abusive person and relationship. Once I did that it felt like the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders.
Overall, the best way is the happy way. You can't sit around in your room and wonder why so-and-so is treating you poorly, or why you're unhappy. You know the reasons why, you just don't like admitting or talking about them. The only way these things will get better is if you do something to make them better. Let that crappy boyfriend or girlfriend go, forgive people who did you wrong, treat others the way you want to be treated, and lastly put your happiness first before someone else's happiness.

Spirituality, Love, Learning, Growth and Balance

To me, there is no meaning of life. Rather, I exist to learn as I grow older why I am here. No other being or figure gives my individual life meaning; it is my responsibility to find the purpose of my own life. Each person has a unique life they lead. I am here to find my own personal sense of happiness and satisfaction. Happiness and satisfaction are reached through love, learning, spirituality, growth, and balance.

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Spirituality/religion:

“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We should not try to assert that we are all mere pawns in a higher power's chess game, living to please someone else. If one chooses to live their life practicing a religion and worshipping a higher power, this should be celebrated. However, we must also celebrate our uniqueness, individuality, and independence and make the decision that is right for us in terms of religion. If I choose to join together a preexisting religion, that's cool, however, no religion should imply superiority, shame, restriction, pressure or control. There should be no pressure from others to be religious or not, as this defeats the purpose. We should encourage each other to interpret and work with religion in a way that works for us as individual people. We should be free and safe to believe what is right for our own selves. Religion has the power to bring us together, and also encourage our uniqueness if we also worship on an individual level.

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Love:

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”

- Robert A. Heinlein

Love is important because it is what brings us together. It is obvious that you cannot live a happy life without connections to others. We must work together and combine our strengths to be the best community possible. Though love is often regarded as an emotion between multiple people, inner love is equally, if not more, important. We must learn to love ourselves to achieve ultimate happiness in life. Love provides both excitement and peace to our lives. Knowing that we have others who love us gives us the motivation to live good lives, and the support to push through hard things we are faced with. Though we all struggle, love is the thing that keeps us going. Because love is the most complex and powerful emotion, if we learn to love, we can do anything.

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Learning/education:

"There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning."

- Jiddu Krishnamurti

Learning is important because it is what gives us the tools to do what we want with our lives. We must establish a passion for learning early on in children to create successful and productive adults. Curiosity and the desire to learn more about the world causes us to fulfill our potentials. Learning makes us feel like we have a reason to "keep going". For 18 years of our lives (as privileged third world citizens) we wake up every morning to go to school. The education we receive sets us up for the life we will live; if we are in an enjoyable learning environment, our desire to be an educated person will be much greater. Learning gives our lives purpose because if we did the same things every day of our lives, we would not feel that life was worth living. Education and learning fulfill our need for intellectual stimulation. Through teaching and learning, we share our greatest passions and interests with each other and enrich the lives of one another.

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Growth/change:

“We are not trapped or locked up in these bones. No, no. We are free to change. And love changes us. And if we can love one another, we can break open the sky.”

-Walter Mosley

Growth and learning go hand in hand, but I see growth as more social and moral than intellectual. We grow and change through our interactions and relationships with others. When we listen to and work with other people, we learn to fix the things we don’t like about ourselves and improve our lives. Happiness is a result of change and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. We must learn to let go of our fear of change because it is inevitable. If we open our minds to change, we have the opportunity to add things that make us happier into our lives and leave behind things that detract from our happiness. If we disconnect ourselves from toxic people, we make room for new friendships and relationships that will help make us better and happier people. If we change jobs when we are not happy working somewhere, we will start spending our days doing things we enjoy. The key to being comfortable with change is holding onto the people and things that give us comfort and support, and being patient allowing ourselves to adjust to new aspects of our lives.

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Balance:

“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.”

- Euripides

Another key to happiness is balance. We are always trying to find the midway point between extremes. Too much or too little of anything makes us uncomfortable. We find comfort in knowing we are not trying to strive for more or do away with excess. If we work to find a balance between things, we will be satisfied and at peace with our circumstances.

Ethics by Experience

Ethics- probably the most broad topic to ever discuss. There are "ethics" in every perspective of life- business ethics, patient - nurse/ doctor ethics, hunting ethics, teaching ethics; ethics are everywhere. A set of ethics i am most familiar with would be hunting ethics because I have grown up listening to my father tell me "you can't do that, it's wrong" while sitting in the woods with him. However, what I have never understood is that hunting down and killing the harmless deer in our wildlife isn't considered "wrong" but the way we do it can be considered wrong...

Let me break this down for you. There are hunting seasons within the hunting seasons, for example; the seasons starts off in September with Bow season, and then in October starts shotgun season, so on and so on. There are also limits as to how many deer you can get per season, pertaining to the kind of gun/ archery you use as well. We can not bait the deer during hunting season what so ever, and we also cannot shoot a deer standing on the side of a road. These rules to follow are consider moral rules according to my father because these rules help the season run smoother; it isn't just a "game" for personal game. It is considered to us hunters to be a resourceful season and we follow the set of moral principles so it isn't just a massacre of wild animals. However, is it even ethical to kill an animal that is defenseless and unable to escape half the time? How do we, normal people, decide what IS ethical and what is NOT ethical? 

The answer to that question is one I have gathered from the philosopher Aristotle. We learn by experience; my personal ethics can differ drastically compared to the person sitting beside me and this is essentially because we have experienced different situations as our lives are probably completely different. What I decide is moral, or ethical, comes from the experience I have had with the topic at hand. Society might have a role in steering our beliefs of right and wrong, but ulitmately it is how we have learned by our own experience that allows for us to have our very own ethical code. Business ethics might be totally different, however. These ethics are already set i nstode to assure a successful business. The 10 commandments, however, are mostly just a set of "morals" used to have some kind of social control over the people. For example, "thou shall not murder" is obviously something we all know not to do. But what about when it comes to a life or death situation where it is either you or the other person? Or what about when you're in the line of duty in war? There are many factors that play into each commandment; in every single perspective possible there might be exceptions to this "command"...what it still be unethical, or wrong? 

Basically what I am getting at is that ethics, to me, are nearly impossible to set in stone for each and every person. Societal ethics do not exist, well they might, but they are nearly impossible to follow for EVERY single person. What we consider right and what we consider wrong should come from out very own experience; not what somebody else says is right or wrong. 

Ethics: selfish, good, confusing, and personal

Ethics are not as amazing and honorable as people seem to believe.  No ethical action is completely selfless.  Something is always gained by the person committing those acts.  Even if that person doesn't receive praise, or acknowledgement of their moral actions, they still have something to gain.  Ethical choices, even in the event that there is no one right thing to do, the person making the decision will feel good, on some level, about what they've done.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing.  Our own feelings are the underlying drive for everything us humans do.  Great things can be accomplished, things that could benefit many in need.  But humans are ultimately selfish creatures.  We do things because they make us feel good, help us accomplish something, make us look good, etc. in some form or another.  The people often seen as good and virtuous simply gain less, or their gain is less noticeable.

Ethics are more than that.  Ethics aren't just "non-selfless", but they aren't just what you feel in your heart to be what's right and wrong either.  Take Hitler for example.  He believed he was doing the right thing.  He was trying to create a pure world.  His actions though, were very clearly unethical, immoral, and just plain wrong.

What ethics are goes beyond what I can explain.  I'm not religious or spiritual and therefore don't believe they're determined by a higher power.  There's no set rules of what's right and wrong, and different people have different ideas on what's moral/immoral.  What's ethical is sometimes situational, sometimes not.  So I can offer no good explanation to where ethics come from, why they differ and change, or even what they are.

What I generally believe to be ethical (or at least not unethical) often provides the greatest good for the greatest number, while avoiding being inhumane/cruel.  In an individual's life, I believe what's ethical is determined by how it affects everyone, and everything, besides the individual.  For both grand and personal ethics, the question must be asked, "do the costs outweigh the benefits?"

Controversial topics I personally believe aren't immoral/unethical:
-gay marriage
-abortion
-death penalty
-euthanasia

striving for a life of happiness

Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in religion. My parents aren't religious so we never went to church but I would watch the services they had on TV on Sunday mornings. I had my own children's bible and frequently went on EWTNkids.com (eternal world television network). Just recently, I started going to church with my cousin. I believe in God. I believe in Heaven and an afterlife. I believe that God has a plan for everyone and that everything will happen the way it is supposed to. When my Grandfather passed last summer, I found religion as a comfort. Losing my grandfather was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I found comfort in knowing he was with God in Heaven and that one day I would see him again. I know he is watching over me everyday and that is my motivation to act the way I do. I want him to be proud of everything I do and the person I am turning into.

During middle school/freshman year, I'm not going to lie, I was a bitch. I was very arrogant, selfish, and judgmental. Once I realized that there are bigger things in this world, I took a step back and realized that wasn't the person I wanted to be. I started trying to see the best in everyone. Of course it was hard at first because it had become so automatic but with time it has gotten easier. Through this process, I have realized that I love making people happy. I love complimenting people and I love cheering people up or just brightening up their day by telling them they are important. There are so many beautiful people in the world that need to be told just how beautiful they are. My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and by doing that, I hope I make my grandpa proud.

somewhere or other: love poem

Somewhere or other there must surely be 

The face not seen, the voice not heard, 

The heart that not yet—never yet—ah me! 

Made answer to my word. 

Somewhere or other, may be near or far; 

Past land and sea, clean out of sight; 

Beyond the wandering moon, beyond the star 

That tracks her night by night. 

Somewhere or other, may be far or near; 

With just a wall, a hedge, between; 

With just the last leaves of the dying year 

Fallen on a turf grown green. 

This poem is by Christina Rossetti, I looked over a bunch of the poems and for some reason this one really stuck out to me. I like how the author repeats "Somewhere or other, may be far or near" I like the sad sense it has to it. "With just a wall, a hedge, between; with just the last leaves of the dying year." I just really enjoy how the poem flows, its really interesting to me. Im not a big fan of poems and Im not entirely sure how I am supposed to interpret it... But there is something about it that makes me curious. for example what kind of love is this?

ethical views

Over the past couple months of my life I have come to realize what is really important to me. My ethical views have changed, which have pushed me to try to see the importance life has. Before this class I never labeled my views as "ethics". I will never feel comfortable telling one whether they are good or bad. I believe everyone has their own way of living, but based upon experiences. I do not believe that there is one set of rules that we should all live by, everyone is different. It is difficult for me to say how I really want my life to be or what will happen to me when I die. Everything I do, I do it for a purpose. I do the things I do for my brother because I want him to be proud of his little sister. I hope that when I die that I will be able to see him again because of all my love for him, I feel a if anything is possible. I hope that when I pass people will be able to say such kind words about me, that they do about Justin.

Based upon my recent experiences, it is important for me to always find happiness in everything around me. Most days are bad days for me but when I'm down I think about the importance my brother had on others lives. How he could light up a room, and how determined he was to make everything perfect. I tell myself to always look on the bright side of things, because no matter how short life is you need to make it worth something. I continually work on my own happiness and making others happy as well.

My Personal Ethics

Ethics is the meaning of boundaries or moral principles that govern an individuals behavior. Everyone has a different set of ethics that they follow, and I believe that the ethics an individual follows defines their character and maturity. As for me, I never really found importance to having a set of ethics until last year, when learning about ethics in a class. For my ethical philosopher, I most relate to Friedrich Nietzsche. He believed that each person should live a life without the artificial limits of moral obligation. I, also, agree with this statement. Every individual should be able to live without subjecting to social and moral opinions around them, and live to what the believe, yet at a reasonable manner. If ones belief is to get rid of the entire human race, that is obviously not a reasonable moral or ethical standard to hold. Ethics should be used to define what a person feels is right or wrong of them to do. This could, although, mean that one person will have a different opinion as to what is right and what is wrong, however this should not influence your own ethics.

What I believe is right and wrong in life could take an entire week to get through, but summarizing my ethical code is a better way of explaining it. One important part of my ethical code is to not express or share every detail of my life, what I go through, and the hard times I encounter to the public. Way to often on social media, people post updates every day on their life, the small cold they have, an event they went to at their friend of a friend house, etc. In my opinion, it is too much. If the people that are liking those statuses were actually interested in your life, they would be in your life, not on your social media life. The only people you could to tell your life story to is the people that are actually there with you in your everyday life. Therefore, never will I ever, post my life story on social media, or give constant updates on the small, unimportant things to the public. Another important ethical code I hold to myself is to never try and take someones respect. I try not to engage myself with people who do not seem interested in becoming apart of my life, it seems to only cause problems and unstable friendships. Therefore, if someone does not seem to care for me, I will never try to make them like me or be friends with me, meaning trying to get their respect. If it happens, it happens. I believe everything happens for a reason, and respect can not be taken from someone.

Although, that is just a small portion of what I believe and the ethics I hold to myself, it is a good amount to show who I am as a person and my character. Everyone has a set of ethics they hold by, because we all have things we believe is right and wrong, whether we have defined them or not. I think defining those into a code of ethics is important in developing as a person, especially in how one matures and grows. Ethics can help define who you are as person, and as for myself, having a set of ethics has helped me prepare for the adult life I will soon have.

Ethical Questions and Beliefs

Since I was little I've always known about the good, and the bad; what is right, and what is wrong. I was raised to be kind, respectful, and understanding, which I try to be today. My family and I went to church almost every week and I went to church school from elementary school to my 7th grade year. I was very aware about the presence of God and what he meant to me up until my dad's passing my 3rd grade year. This had completely changed my view of religion, causing me to blame God for taking away such a significant person in my life. My religious belief slowly began to weaken, which influenced my beliefs.

Middle school came and went and I hadn't thought much about ethics or what I believed in. It wasn't until my sophomore year when I took AP European History that I began to really take an interest in ethics, especially when looking at the differences in ethical beliefs between philosophers who were religious verses non-religious. I found myself drawn to finding answers to some of the more difficult questions. I'm the type of person who likes to have labels, facts, and structure. Though I believe every question has an answer in the end, I also believe these answers can be different for everyone. Is there a God? What does it mean to live a good life? Not everyone will have the same answers to these questions, and I most certainly didn't have any answers my sophomore year. It really took taking this class and being exposed to ethical matters to get me to come to terms with what I believe.

Is there a God? This is perhaps the most complicated question for me. One part of me feels as though I am obligated to believing in a God because my mother raised us Catholic. However, I know now that I don't believe in God, that one being created everything and holds all power. When I told her this recently she understood where I was coming from, but she asked, "then what will you believe in?" It is not stated anywhere that we must believe in a religion or live for anyone but ourselves. Being human does not mean that you must dedicate yourself to living by a set form of spiritual rules. I also don't believe people need to believe in a higher being in order to be good people and do the right thing. My response was just that, in addition to stating that I know my duty in this world is to help others and to always aim to better myself. I don't need praise or encouragement from a being that I cannot see nor hear for me to keep doing good.

What does it mean to live a good life? I spoke a bit about this in class, saying that I believe living a good life is when you are happy and when those around you are happy as well. There is no purpose of living if you are not enjoying yourself. There are many people who have jobs that they do not love but offer a good income, and I don't want to live like that. I understand that I could never be happy if I had to give up certain privileges that I am use to. In order to keep these privileges I will need to have a well paying job, but there are plenty areas that I am interested in that offer these opportunities. There is no doubt in my mind that if I am not happy I will not be staying as such for long. We all deserve to feel comfortable and pleased with where we are and how we are in life, and in some instances we need to look out for that and be selfish from time to time. Though it is important for us to be happy individually, we need to make wise decisions to make sure others are happy as well. There is a problem with this at times when making others happy puts our own happiness in danger. In which case we should compromise and allow both sides the option of feeling content.

There are so many other things that I could talk about. Ethical matters are endless as we all have our own opinions and there is no socially accepted answer for them. We have the ability to make ourselves happy and if rejecting faith or putting aside the happiness of others is what makes us happy, then we must do what is best. There is only one person in this world you will be with forever, and that is yourself. Make time to focus on what is truly important to you and to establish what you believe in so that you can make better contributions to society and help others find their own happiness as well. That is what I believe is our end goal in life, to be happy and to make others happy.

Utilitarianism

Ethics is blankly defined as what is right or wrong. However, I think ethics are often very circumstantial, as there are a lot of "what ifs" that can be asked about every moral situation. With that being said, I happen to believe that we are now in a time where we live in society; therefore, our ethics that exist have to exist to satisfy the society. We are at a time where universal truths such as do not murder can't really be applied to many people who are completely disconnected to society. If you are out in the wilderness alone, then your ethics don't really concern majority of the population; therefore, you can have whatever rules you want as long as it doesn't impede on the rest of society. This is where I come to think that I stand with utilitarianism.

I mostly agree with utilitarianism principles because I see a lot of gray area when it comes to ethics. I don't see a black and white, right and wrong to every situation. Circumstances impact every situation that we are put in, and I believe that your actions should limit the amount of pain, and maximize the amount of happiness. There is no pleasing everyone, and that is why there is no list of ethics that everyone agrees on. Therefore, all we as society can ask of anyone is to do their best. If everyone tried to maximize happiness, the world would be a much better place. However, because I see society this way, it is important to always look at every side of each story, and try to put yourself in the shoes of others to truly understand the choices they were forced to make, and to see that always trying to maximize happiness isn't as easy as it sounds.

Trying to please everyone is an impossible task. Therefore, with utilitarianism, I think we should strive to also maximize happiness within ourselves. Although selfishness can be perceived as "bad", if we are forced to make moral decisions we don't believe in just because we think the majority believes it, it will hinder our ability to maximize happiness. In utilitarianism, we strive to make the largest amount of people happy as possible, but that can easily be turned into social control. If we become more concerned with a group of people being happy over ourselves being happy, we will eventually turn into an unbreakable machine. Society will start to follow the majority, and thats what we become, followers; pawns, that are just a piece used in a bigger game of society used to control society. Believing in utilitarianism makes it important to remember that there is a balance that needs to happen between morals to satisfy ourselves, and morals to satisfy society.

Balance is the most important word when it comes to ethics. It is never good to be on an extreme side of a spectrum in any ethical situation. It is part of utilitarianism to compromise, to find that balance. In order to maximize happiness, compromise needs to take place. In order to compromise, we need to be a little selfish, but not to selfish, it is again all balance.

Worth

            After Monday's discussion in class on ethics, I've been thinking about my own ethics more than I ever have before, trying to get a grip on what drives me to live my life the way I do. As much as I'd like to say that I have one concrete reason meticulously written out, I don't. I don't even know how to begin to word it, so this might be a mess.
             I'd say that I live my life in a very Utilitarian sense. I have a tendency to make decisions solely on the fact that they'll do the most good/benefit the most people. I think my reasoning for this is mainly because I want my moms to think I'm a good person. we've been through a lot throughout my life and they've made a lot of sacrifices for me, so I do my best to make them proud/happy with everything I do. It's definitely a driving force in my life. the other reason I try to do the most good is because I'm a relatively empathetic person. I don't like to see others suffering because I relate it to times that I've suffered and I don't wish that experience on anyone.
             A year ago, if I were to die, I would've been completely content with the life I had lived. By my standards, it would've been ethical and I would've felt as if i did all I could. However, the stakes are a lot higher now, and I think my mindset is in a completely different place. I now feel that in order to live a moral life, I need to make sure that I do everything that I can for my daughter. Her presence has changed my outlook on life entirely in the sense that I now look at things that I wouldn't have even questioned before. For example, if Ryan were in a significant amount of danger or there was a situation where I had reached utter desperation, there are things that are considered universal wrongs, that I'd do without hesitation if it meant keeping her safe/protecting her character. I feel like my moral purpose is to now do what i can to make the world one where Ryan can life to it's fullest potential, without needing to worry about moral depravity. My life will not be lived until I know I've given her enough tools to live her own moral life. My biggest fear is that I'll die before I can do this for her or that by the time my life has ended, I will have not done enough for her. She's the sole purpose behind my moral compass.
             I feel like I should also note that if anything, having a child has just exaggerated my need to do things to make my parent's happy/proud. my whole life, I've wanted to be successful so that I could look back and know that everything my parents have done for me hasn't been for nothing. When I became pregnant, despite my parents' unconditional support, part of me felt like a complete failure because of the stigma attached to teen pregnancy. To me, it had meant that I had taken everything I had worked towards and made it insignificant. I felt like I had to try even harder to make sure that I wouldn't let all of my past accomplishments be for nothing. This is why I focused so hard on school this past year. A few people have talked to me about my focus on coming back to school so soon and maintaining my grades as if it was this impressive thing, but I don't see it that way. I came back to school early and kept on top of things because to me that was the right thing to do. If i were to have handled the situation any differently, in my eyes it wouldn't have held up and it wouldn't have been ethical. I had to do what I felt would be best in terms of keeping everyone close to me proud, even though I know they would never lose that pride regardless.
         

Kindness and Learning

I have honestly never thought about what my ethics were before taking this class, and so it's hard for me to right this blog post. But, when i think about it, one virtue I always try to have is kindness for other people. I think that empathy and understanding truly help to make somebody a good person. I have always tried to treat other people with compassion, because I know just how impactful that can be. I have a deep respect for people who have shown me kindness in the past, and helped me through difficult times. Because of this, I know just how important it is to treat others the same way. Human beings are a very social species, and deep down I believe that everybody wants to be accepted by the ones around them. Kindness and compassion help to make the world a better place, and that is why I try to incorporate those characteristics into my life.

But, I know for a fact that I have not always been the nicest person in past years. There have been times when I have treated others harshly, and not thought about their feelings. But, I have learned from my mistakes and tried to be a better person because of the things i've done. This is another ethic that I try to live by. I don't believe that people are either inherently "good" or "bad" because we all make mistakes and wrong choices sometimes. It's hard to always know the right thing to do, but I think that being able to grow and learn for your past mistakes is another way to live a virtuous life. It is important to never stop working on yourself, because the more accepting, tolerant, and kind you become, the more you will influence the people around you. In class, we discussed the reasons that we wanted to live a virtuous life, and I said it's because I want to be the reason people are pushed to be better versions of themselves after I die. I want to treat everybody in such a way that when I'm gone, they will live their lives in a better way. So, as long as I never stop learning from mistakes, I think that I will live a life that makes me happy.

The Rights, the Wrongs, the Motivations and Everything in Between

During class on Monday, everyone became very vulnerable. Each one of you who spoke your thoughts said something that was so important, so meaningful and most definitely got me thinking about my life and what my ethics are. I'm a little hesitant to share them honestly. Everyone's morals are similar in a sense, but mine could be completely differ from one of you, and I don't want anyone to view me in a negative way. But because you were all so courageous by speaking about sensitive subjects and sharing your views, I'll do the same!

What really motivates me to live a "good" life is due to the others around me. As I have spoken of before, my biological mother and I do not have a healthy relationship. Most of this was due to the lifestyle that she chose to live. In my eyes, she did not make the right decisions for herself, for her children and the rest of my family. This influences me to be a better person. What I went through with her reminds me of what I should do and what I shouldn't, as some of the things she did made me happy and other things hurt me. It's hard to describe what exactly a "good" life is, but to me is making sure I'm happy and content, and doing things I want to do while being conscious of others and their feelings.

As a part of my own ethics, I believe very strongly in not letting anyone or anything hold a person back from what they want to do. But of course, I get wrapped up in this belief sometimes! My brain sparks questions such as "Well, what would the people at school think?" or "What would my family think?" and I'm still trying to figure out if I ask myself those questions because I care about others or because I subconsciously know that it's not the right thing to do. Anyways, I believe that everyone should do whatever they would like to as long as it is feasible and is in that persons best interest. It's hard to live by that though, we are constantly thinking of other people, what they would think, how they would feel, etc. But I kind of always see it as tomorrow is not always promised. I could go to sleep tonight and pass away because of some freak accident (highly unlikely, but still possible!). Doing whatever you want also comes with responsibility, though. That is just how life works. I was paired with Nietzsche for the online philosophers quiz, and he believed that with happiness comes with suffering, and if you apply it to what I just said, it makes sense. I completely agree with him.

It really is difficult to explain what I think is right, what is wrong, my motivations for living life the way I do and everything else in between. I figured I would go off of the conversation we had in class on Monday. To sum up what I'm trying to say is I believe in living life the way you want to, but keep others in mind. I believe in being a "yes man" unless you know what you're being asked is not in your best interest. I believe in doing what you want/need to to make sure you're happiness is at it's full potential. I'm unsure as to how to explain it other than that.

Ethics; Where to start?

While listening and soaking in everything we have been talking about in class about Ethics, some our own and ones that not everyone abides by, I began to start thinking about my own Ethics and its importance to me and how I live my life. When we first started talking about Ethics I started to thinking about morals and the connection from that to ethics, and what each one means. I believe that not everyone can actually have the same exact set of morals, but they can be extremely similar, I think this because there is really no way (I believe) that two people can have the same exact way of life and the same opinions of everything that happens in life to lead to those morals. Ethics on the other hand if a bit more complex than morals are, in my opinion.

Ethics to me are complex, detailed and sometimes stressful but it also if a very helpful subject that I truly do believe we need. Without Ethics, people would be running around crazy because they would not have a barrier, lets say, to keep them in and on the right track. Ethics to me is a set of rules, that are not there to annoy or for no reason but they are there to help people do the right things and to really help yourself and other people stay safe and keep them progressing on the right path. I do not have many Ethics that i noticed when I first started to think about them actually, but when I started to think more into detailed I saw that I actually have some in common with other people. Even though I might have Ethics in common with other people they still will not be exactly the same, due to the way different people read and interpret them.

When I began to think about my very own ethics I began by first starting to think about what would happen and how would I feel if we never had these ethics around us. This helped me realize that my first ethic was more on an emotional and mental form rather a physical things like, stealing, etc. One of my Ethics is "I will not change who I am for anyone, and stand up for what I believe in". This is an extremely important Ethic to me because if you changed for everyone and you did not have a set person on who you are and you constantly changed for others you would not be yourself and technically nobody, not even you, would know the truth as to who you are. You also should always stand by your beliefs because even if they are not the most common, they are your own and they are as important and as realistic as everyone else and everything else. The rest of my Ethics branch off of mostly being yourself and keepings yourself happy while staying in the rule of not injuring yourself, or other people, and making sure that you stay on the right track by using these Ethics.

Unfirm Ethical Conclusions

   While we have been studying ethics and morals in class and they have been a repeating topic in our class subjects, I have been trying to define what my own ethics are. I never had though about this prior to this class and I have not really come to any firm conclusions. While going over the 10 commandments, I came to realize that I have committed many sins in my life. I was not brought up with religion or a strong teaching of what god says is right and wrong, so maybe that makes me a bad person. However, I do know what I consider right and wrong and those are the things that FEEL right to me. I base a lot of my judgement on what feels right in my mind and body.

   Although I did not have a religious upbringing, my parents did the best they could to start me off in life knowing respect, honesty and kindness. Those have been the foundations for everything that I do in my life. Through middle and high school I have taken what I learned as a kid and created my own path and decisions of what I believe to be right and wrong and although I have not always  been true to my own ethics or gods commandments, I have learned and sprouted from the mistakes in my life so I believe that doesn't make me a bad person. We learn lessons all the time in life and we can only get there by making bad decisions and then taking that information and using it to move forward in life.

My own ethics

During our discussion in class on Monday I really got a sense of what Ethics mean, not only to everyone else, but also to me. When we talked about death and the afterlife, everyone seemed to have similar opinions. I personally am not sure if there is an afterlife but I think I would like to believe there is, that after we die we don't just you. Death is something I believe to be something that happens when it is believed that it is your time. When my grandmother passed away, she had told my family and I that she was happy with what she had done with her life, and was ready to go.

When something traumatic happens to you, you begin to see life differently. You want to live your life in that persons legacy, you want to make sure disappear make them proud. Sometimes that means changing the person you are for the better, not taking anything for granted and sharing your heart with others. But, when something happens to others, they can become very cold and shut down. They can start to blame their problems on the world and others. When something heartbreaking happens to someone, it is your choice on which path you take. You can be the good or the bad person.

These ethics are something very important to me because being the person you want to be you always the best person. Sometimes you have to have something terrible happen to you to realize how precious and short life is. Everyone has different beliefs on a million different topics but it is how YOU choose to be that defines your life. People will always find something wrong with the way you think about something, and that person will try and challenge you on that topic. As long as you know in your heart and mind what is right for you, thats all that matters.

Action, Not Intention

After class on Monday, I feel like I've been struggling with what my own ethics are. Questions were raised about why a person seeks to lead a moral life and how one goes about doing this, and I realized that I have never explicitly hoped to be a good person. That has never been a goal of my life; it actually never crossed my mind. I have always been so fixated on career and on the things that make me happy and that make me smarter or a better friend, but I have never thought about being a truly good person. So when that thought crossed my mind, I immediately decided that I must not be a good person, since that is not what I have been striving for.

But the more I've thought about it, the more I realized that, for me at least, I don't need to try to be a good person. Not in those terms, anyways. My parents are fond of saying that Aristotle thought that virtue was a habit. This means that it is something practiced constantly -- an end goal rather than a quality that one possesses. In my mind, this equates virtue with action, not intention. I believe that what a person does is what qualifies them as good or moral, and what makes them able to say that virtue is a habit of theirs. I don't think that true virtue or morality is found through constantly striving for it; of course, people who do seek morality above all things or through certain methods are not immoral for that, but neither are they always more moral than another person. There's a book I like where a character says that his God doesn't require that people think of Him, only that they think at all. I feel like morality is this way too. Someone doesn't need to think, "Is this action moral?" or "Am I moral?" in such explicit terms. They only have to carry out an action or live their lives in accordance with what they feel to be right.

I don't agree with applying words like "good" or "moral" or "virtuous" to people or to their actions. I think that people and actions must speak for themselves, moving forward with the intention of fulfilling goals and creating connections and making choices. Virtue and goodness comes when, in the process of seeking these things, a person thinks of others too and is willing to adjust behavior so that no harm comes to anyone else. This is how I try to live my life. I have to put my needs and dreams first, and then I can apply this happiness to my relationships and my community, always pushing myself to avoid harming others. I live according to the values that I agree with, but I really try not to hold myself to any standard of morality, because I don't think that that's realistic for me. Even if it doesn't make me a good person by other people's standards, it is what makes my life the happiest and most fulfilling.