What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.
-Hemingway
As trivial as it may seem, it is often difficult to tell the difference between right and wrong. Most judgments are complicated, and as reasoning beings, we have the ability to build a case in support of anything we want. No collection of facts or logical arguments will ever really prove if something is right or wrong.
So what do we do? Don’t try and push your mind for an answer it doesn’t have. Rely on your intuition. How does something make you feel? Our subconscious mind processes much more than our conscious mind, but instead of producing logical thoughts, it creates emotions. Learn to trust these emotions and they’ll prove you to be wiser than you believe.
I think Hemingway was a brilliant writer, but he also took his own life. That leads me to believe that he didn’t have everything figured out…
Some of the worst decisions I’ve ever made were made for emotional reasons…only later did I come to regret them. I think the idea that we should be guided by our feelings is a very romantic notion, and makes for great sci-fi mysticism. But in reality, I’d think twice about using the force…
I have found that if I think or feel: “is this right?”, something about the current situation often is not right. This may sound obvious, but why else would you have this thought? This applies to many situations I’m I doing the right thing? If it was, why would you ask this question
Don,
I think the key word is after. Hemmingway didn’t say it is moral to do what feels good before you do it or while you do it. I can attest that it feels good before and while you beat the crap out of someone that has wronged you, but it feels bad after. So if I apply Hemmingway’s wisdom to this problem, I’d guess using violence to resolve a conflict is immoral. I also suppose that Hemmingway killed himself not because he wasn’t wise, but because he was wise. He knew that doing things that made him feel bad after he did them was immoral, but like so many of us he was unable to stop, and his lack of self-control led to depression. He’d probably would have been much happier in a state of denial. But for some reason his mind did not let him deny himself and the truths he knew to be self-evident. There is a big difference between possessing wisdom and your ability to apply it to your own life.
“There is a big difference between possessing wisdom and your ability to apply it to your own life.”
I couldn’t agree with that more, and I don’t know if there is anything that can be done about it.
In my opinion, the very definition of wisdom refers to applicable knowledge. Knowledge itself is nothing but the stuff of Jeopardy unless it can be applied to your life for some positive purpose…and this application is what comes to my mind when I think of wisdom.
I do agree that I missed the word “after”…but I still don’t really agree with the quote. I suppose I just don’t believe that our conscience is a completely accurate moral compass (even if it does pretty well much of the time).
Don,
I understand everything you are saying, and you may well be right, but knowing a thing is true and right, and acting conguently with your understanding can be difficult. Confucius said – and I am paraphrasing – “There is no point to written law, clever men will distort and corrupt it for thier own gain.” Very wise… and true… but try to apply it. You’d change the world if you could.
I think Hemingway’s quote works only within the confines of a predetermined morality. There are many things that a person can do that may make him or her feel good afterward but that also hurts someone else in the doing.
Terrorism, murder, and physical abuse are just some of the activities that may or may not make someone feel bad after he or she engages in it. Yet, there may be many hurt victims left in the act’s wake.
So, regardless of whether you feel good after it, is it still moral if it hurts someone else?
Mike, I disagree about the quote working in only a “predetermined morality.” If the morality is predetermined, then there’s obviously already a guideline for what’s moral and what’s immoral.
I’m starting to wonder if Hemingway shot himself because he tried to define morality…
“There is a big difference between possessing wisdom and your ability to apply it to your own life.”
I want to believe that but I feel that is misguided in some way. What is wisdom if it isn’t self-directing? If you are wise but can’t apply it to your life then how wise are you really?
But then I think back to someone like Alan Watts who was (to me) very wise and yet almost drank himself to death toward the end of his life.
Hemingway had deep gender identity problems because he spent his childhood summers with a crazy aunt who dressed and treated him as a girl.
Wisdom only goes so far–deep psychological trauma and confusion are
very hard to fix—even with modern tools of therapy.
If you like Alan Watts ( I find him too shallow and derivative) you will like Suzuki more!!
Try Suzuki’s classic “Zen Flesh, Zen Bones”. It is a life changing book.
Hemingway took his life as the result of ECT treatments that caused severe depression and memory loss. In fact, he was buried in a Roman Catholic service because they didn’t believe he was mentally accountable for it.
I haven’t read all the comments thoroughly, so forgive me if this has been mentioned already.
What does it help me to know what I did was wrong or right *after* I have done it? Usually thinking beforehand can safe me and my surroundings from a lot of bullshit I would do. At least from a moral point of view.
Knowing what is right or wrong afterwards might not help your current situation, but it will help you make better decisions in the future.
Problem is, that any look into the past, especially concerning feelings about a certain situation, is always a transfigured one. Between a situation and its recurrence will usually be enough time for yourself to justify your behavior, thus making you feel good about what you have done. Current brain research supports this theory.
What I am trying to say is: you never make a decision in the future. You always make it now. And you can only tell how you feel about it in the aftermath. Otherwise always making the right choices would be a trivial task. Looking at life I tend to say: it isn’t.