If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
-- Henry David Thoreau
If you try to make something just to fit your uninformed view of some hypothetical market, you will fail. If you make something special and powerful and honest and true, you will succeed.
-- Hugh Macleod, How To Be Creative: 6, 08-22-04
Anything you could ever want or be you already have and are.
-- David Russell, I Heart Huckabee's
Many people weigh the guilt they will feel against the pleasure of the forbidden action they want to take.
-- Peter McWilliams, Life 101
I am sure that is true, and very often. The question is (and I wonder if McWilliams meant this), is it wrong?
If something is taboo, or illegal, does that make it wrong? Or merely risky?
3 comments:
"If something is taboo, or illegal, does that make it wrong? Or merely risky?"
It doesn't make it wrong, but may make it risky and *unwise*.
Now, if it's merely taboo but not illegal, you're just risking some bad PR.
But if it's illegal... it's rarely a good idea to be on the wrong side of the law. I'm not talking about small stuff like speeding or illegal parking. Serious crimes adds the risk of very unpleasant surprises in your future and feeling safe and IMHO in peace is extremely important for a happy life.
Oh, I agree.
It's just interesting, I've heard people arguing against something, saying with total finality "it's illegal!", as a moslem would do with "the koran says so", meaning there's no more discussion, it's wrong because it's illegal.
Robbing a bank is clearly not worth it, don't get me wrong. But "forgetting" to report an extra ten dollars to the tax authority should not give anybody nightmares.
The law is a formidable enemy, treat it with caution. But beyond that, what is *right* is more important than the rule book. Sam McCloud says so, and Dr. House.
Jan,
I tend to agree with you: the feeling of NOT being mercilessly hunted and relentlessly hounded by the whole country like the Blues Brothers at the end of their movie, well, it makes me feel all kind of relax-ey. Go figure!
You scratch my IMHO, I'll scratch yours. ;-)
Dr House? Should I worry about that constant itch in my IMHO?
Post a Comment