An interesting question. I highly recommend a short article by Dale Wright in Psychology Today in which he looks at precisely this issue.
He states that "[Buddhist] practitioners vow to seek enlightenment not just for themselves but globally on behalf of everyone" and "we are unable to be of service to others until we have undergone enough self-transformation to begin to see larger realities beyond the importance of our own personal well-being".
I personally don't see the "either/or" of your question. It could be right/wrong and new/not-so-new at the same time.
But let me ask you this: is it morally wrong to build a house? Doesn't it matter if I'm using recycled paper or virgin forest wood; if the house blocks the sun of a neighbor or provides shelter for the homeless? In other words, doesn't the morality of any creation depend on the way it is done and what it's results will be? And, when there are competing interests, how would you decide which creates a moral or immoral outcome?
How is genetic engineering different from building a house?
The name Stephen Hall didn't ring a bell. But when I looked him up, I remember seeing these tests before. Thanks for sharing. They really should be part of every child's education.
For those who haven't seen them (or like me, had forgotten Hall's contribution) here they are:
"Seven Tests for Ethics" (Stephen Hall. IIQUEST, 1995)
1. Is it legal?
2. Does it hurt anyone?
3. Is it fair?
4. Am I being honest?
5. Can I live with myself?
6. Would I publicize my decision?
7. What if everyone did it?
Nov 11 2011: I do appreciate hearing the truth, even though it can hurt -- or be hurtful. I'm big on knowing myself.
Having said that, I know that I am often guilty of believing that I'm "right" -- and therefor sometimes don't credit criticism or perceived criticism received from others. But I do try hard to hear it so that I can question my own assumptions and biases.
Personally, I know that I was almost always right when I was in my 20s. Now in my 50s -- not so much. 8^)
Nov 10 2011: Hello Hope Sun.
Thank you for sharing a horrible pain that all of us have or will face during our lives. I wish I knew the answer, but I don't. But let me suggest a different way to look at this.
We know that everything that lives will die. It is inherent in the nature of life itself. And that is true whether you believe in an immortal soul or not. People die and we lose their company. We must accept this as a truth, or we would live in a world of delusion.
But that does not mean that we should accept that love dies. Love is a bond between people that is stronger than death itself. Because as long as even one person who shared that love is alive, so is love itself.
So, perhaps the point of life is keeping our love alive. Live so that your beloved lives in you. Share your love -- and his -- with every worthy person you meet.
Nov 10 2011: I believe that knowing the truth will set ME free. The more difficult question is whether speaking the truth to someone else will set THEM free.
If the truth in question is personal information about yourself ("my life totally sucks"), there may be no value in expressing it; if the truth in question is a response to a personal question about someone else, kindness may be more important than truth.
But if the question is non-personal, I think that whether or not we should speak the truth depends on three things: how universal is the truth; how judgmental is the truth; and how willing is the questioner is to have their own beliefs questioned.
The first focuses on whether my truth is objective, subjective, or belief-based (the moon is not made of green cheese, I don't like green cheese, or God created green cheese). The second deals with bias and opinion (only idiots believe that God created anything, much less green cheese). Lastly, the third evaluates the potential impact of the truth; i.e., does the listener really want to hear what you believe is true? (does it crush a child's fantasy about a green cheese moon). This is a judgement call hopefully informed by prior dealings with that person.
Nov 9 2011: These are the top things I told my own children as soon as they were old enough to ask me why:
There are no dumb questions; always ask why
In your entire life, there will never be anything more important than your family
Listen before you speak; think before you believe
No one is perfect, not me, not you. Always do the best you can and always see the best in others.
Everything dies -- it's part of life itself and it's what makes life precious
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A comment on Conversation: What do you think TED is? (almost in a word)
A comment on Conversation: What is your definition of an intelligent person
I define an intelligent person as one who can understand that someone else might believe they are wrong.
A comment on Conversation: Are buddhists/monks that say they have found inner peace and happiness, selfish somehow, considering the world around us (poverty,etc)?
An interesting question. I highly recommend a short article by Dale Wright in Psychology Today in which he looks at precisely this issue.
He states that "[Buddhist] practitioners vow to seek enlightenment not just for themselves but globally on behalf of everyone" and "we are unable to be of service to others until we have undergone enough self-transformation to begin to see larger realities beyond the importance of our own personal well-being".
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/six-perfections/200911/is-self-cultivation-inherently-selfish-buddhist-perspective
A comment on Conversation: Genetically altering - Is it morally wrong or a new way to control evolution?
I personally don't see the "either/or" of your question. It could be right/wrong and new/not-so-new at the same time.
But let me ask you this: is it morally wrong to build a house? Doesn't it matter if I'm using recycled paper or virgin forest wood; if the house blocks the sun of a neighbor or provides shelter for the homeless? In other words, doesn't the morality of any creation depend on the way it is done and what it's results will be? And, when there are competing interests, how would you decide which creates a moral or immoral outcome?
How is genetic engineering different from building a house?
A reply on Conversation: What are the Top 5 things you can teach/share with a 6 year old?
The name Stephen Hall didn't ring a bell. But when I looked him up, I remember seeing these tests before. Thanks for sharing. They really should be part of every child's education.
For those who haven't seen them (or like me, had forgotten Hall's contribution) here they are:
"Seven Tests for Ethics" (Stephen Hall. IIQUEST, 1995)
1. Is it legal?
2. Does it hurt anyone?
3. Is it fair?
4. Am I being honest?
5. Can I live with myself?
6. Would I publicize my decision?
7. What if everyone did it?
A reply on Conversation: Do you believe that the truth will set you free? (Even if telling the truth may hurt another person(s)?
Having said that, I know that I am often guilty of believing that I'm "right" -- and therefor sometimes don't credit criticism or perceived criticism received from others. But I do try hard to hear it so that I can question my own assumptions and biases.
Personally, I know that I was almost always right when I was in my 20s. Now in my 50s -- not so much. 8^)
A comment on Conversation: I can't accept the fact that the love of my life died,what shall I do?
Thank you for sharing a horrible pain that all of us have or will face during our lives. I wish I knew the answer, but I don't. But let me suggest a different way to look at this.
We know that everything that lives will die. It is inherent in the nature of life itself. And that is true whether you believe in an immortal soul or not. People die and we lose their company. We must accept this as a truth, or we would live in a world of delusion.
But that does not mean that we should accept that love dies. Love is a bond between people that is stronger than death itself. Because as long as even one person who shared that love is alive, so is love itself.
So, perhaps the point of life is keeping our love alive. Live so that your beloved lives in you. Share your love -- and his -- with every worthy person you meet.
A comment on Conversation: Do you believe that the truth will set you free? (Even if telling the truth may hurt another person(s)?
If the truth in question is personal information about yourself ("my life totally sucks"), there may be no value in expressing it; if the truth in question is a response to a personal question about someone else, kindness may be more important than truth.
But if the question is non-personal, I think that whether or not we should speak the truth depends on three things: how universal is the truth; how judgmental is the truth; and how willing is the questioner is to have their own beliefs questioned.
The first focuses on whether my truth is objective, subjective, or belief-based (the moon is not made of green cheese, I don't like green cheese, or God created green cheese). The second deals with bias and opinion (only idiots believe that God created anything, much less green cheese). Lastly, the third evaluates the potential impact of the truth; i.e., does the listener really want to hear what you believe is true? (does it crush a child's fantasy about a green cheese moon). This is a judgement call hopefully informed by prior dealings with that person.
A comment on Conversation: What are the Top 5 things you can teach/share with a 6 year old?
There are no dumb questions; always ask why
In your entire life, there will never be anything more important than your family
Listen before you speak; think before you believe
No one is perfect, not me, not you. Always do the best you can and always see the best in others.
Everything dies -- it's part of life itself and it's what makes life precious