The Futility Of Morality
I am a well-read man, and one of the curses of reading widely is the flood of questions it unleashes. One such question concerns the purpose of morality in our lives. I understand its surface function. Morality keeps us restrained. It prevents us from succumbing to our baser instincts. We have criminalised many impulses to prevent the annihilation of civilisation.
But I am more interested in its utility. One of my personal observations is that deeply religious people are often more miserable than those who are less religious or agnostic.
This is not an indictment of religion. I firmly believe in its utility. Yet the excessive attachment to morality makes me question whether we truly understand the nature of the reality we have inadvertently constructed.
Look at human history. The most recurring theme is that might prevails. The dominant end up ruling. It is a deeply unsettling thought.
Perhaps that is why religion offers phrases such as “the meek shall inherit the earth,” to prevent despair from consuming the powerless. For the hopeless, religion can function like an opiate. It provides just enough strength to endure a mundane existence.
Nature, however, is indifferent to our morality. I respect the effort to save the planet, but the planet itself is unmoved by our moral principles. When the threshold is crossed, it will erase millions of years of evolution in a single sweep.
Consider the natural food cycle. Countless species have vanished, and nature has shown no concern. We have discovered the ecological utility of many species, but nature itself remains indifferent to their existence.
The universe operates on similar terms. Nothing withstands gravity forever. Nothing escapes eventual annihilation. Who knows how many fully functioning civilisations across distant planets were extinguished by cosmic catastrophes.
So I wonder: what is the use of morality if it cannot make us happy, prosperous, or closer to those we cherish? Many remain trapped in unhappy relationships to avoid complication. Many are lonely because a fractured childhood damaged their mental health to the point where they struggle to build meaningful bonds.
It feels grotesque to preach that suffering carries some intrinsic meaning. I do not believe suffering possesses meaning on its own. Often, it is simply the consequence of forces beyond one’s control. Someone you love dies suddenly, and you are powerless. To tell a grieving person that their pain exists to teach them something feels callous.
And yet suffering acquires meaning because we must continue living despite heartbreak. As long as we breathe, we will make choices. Those choices are shaped by our experiences. We live through the consequences of one decision after another.
What truly works, however, are skills. A person dealing with grief must recognise that death is inevitable. He has the right to mourn, but his life has changed. He must now choose accordingly. Those choices will shape his future. That internal reckoning requires skill, and perhaps a measure of spiritual reasoning for strength.
A lonely person must learn to overcome inhibition and master the art of conversation. He must cultivate confidence, presence, firmness, and even a certain poetic quality to attract someone who enriches his life. Morality merely ensures that one appears civilised to the outside world.
On its own, I struggle to see its purpose. Children are often called innocent, yet any schoolyard reveals cruelty. Some children bully others into depression and chronic anxiety. Tell that child to cultivate morality and believe that life is good.
When someone you find beautiful finds you attractive in return, you feel transformed. You feel victorious, validated. This has little to do with morality. It is about being worthy of desire, and that worth is built through skill.
I am not advocating crime. If every paragraph requires a disclaimer, then the point is being missed. Nor am I urging atheism. A framework is necessary to interpret the world. Nor am I dismissing kindness.
You must be kind. Even if you were denied kindness in the past. Not because morality demands it, but because it reduces suffering. Passing down pain serves no purpose; it only multiplies it.
Instead of excessive moralising, we should adopt a more pragmatic approach to life. If we desire a particular outcome, we must make the choices that lead there. It is naive to expect wealth while doing nothing to create it.
People labour twelve hours a day and pray desperately for a ten percent raise, believing it will resolve everything. They live hand to mouth yet continue making religious donations because they have been told it is moral, that it is ethical. But why?
I cannot claim to care about the entire world. If I say I do, I would be dishonest. I lack the biological and emotional capacity for universal empathy. I can be kind, but my deepest care is reserved for a few.
Our sphere of influence is limited. Only through our choices can we create impact in the world and in our own lives. If one believes morality alone provides leverage, that belief borders on hubris.
People die in the name of religion. Others kill in its name. Where is morality then? Infidelity persists despite moral codes. It carries consequences, yet it arises from base impulses. Morality has not saved every life or every relationship.
It may be our pride that convinces us morality delivers tangible benefits. If your child struck a homeless man with a car, religious ethics might demand that you hand him over to the law without hesitation. But would you? Or would you protect him first, even while punishing him privately?
I would not hesitate to stand against the world for the people I love. Morality would not outweigh that instinct. My existence is inseparable from those I love.
Perhaps ethics and morality have been elevated above more practical skills, such as the ability to make sound decisions that lead to beneficial outcomes.
You have one life. It may ultimately be meaningless, except for the meaning your active mind assigns to it. In these limited years, instead of romanticising suffering, learn to make your life beautiful. Do not be cruel. Be kind. Love deeply. Receive love generously. Make choices that genuinely make you happy.