What is it to be human?

@kellyjay said
Don’t you think we all have our own individual moral compass?

I think the moral compass that each of us has is a unique synthesis of [1] our hard wiring and our developing intellectual and interpersonal skills, [2] influences from our surroundings like culture and religion and education and family, and [3] modifications resulting from our personal experiences and narratives.

And, as a human dimension or capacity that cannot be duplicated, I believe that our moral compasses are a key element in the unique personalities and identities each of us have.

I think it is the centrepiece of what you - as a theist - would perhaps refer to as the "soul" or - the way I would put the same thing - the individual "human spirit".

@kellyjay said
Coming back to these personal narratives and moral compasses, you are implying we each have our own compasses to direct ourselves as we see fit?

See my answer above.

Our moral compasses develop in the context of our families, our neighbourhoods, our schools, our wider community and culture ~ those things are where most of our norms and standards and limits originate from. Of course, there are sociopaths, and psychopaths, and criminals, and people act with moral soundness to varying degrees. Everyone is different, after all.

@fmf said
See my answer above.

Our moral compasses develop in the context of our families, our neighbourhoods, our schools, our wider community and culture ~ those things are where most of our norms and standards and limits originate from. Of course, there are sociopaths, and psychopaths, and criminals, and people act with moral soundness to varying degrees. Everyone is different, after all.

Just to be clear a compass is only good if it points to true north, no matter where anyone is, having a compass allows them to know true north. So billions of people whose moral compasses all point in different directions means no one knows where they are in relationship to true morals. Not a strong position to be in, not knowing, without an absolute there are no true morals, everyone is lost. Which is more than likely why we all need to be found!

@kellyjay said
So billions of people whose moral compasses all point in different directions means no one knows where they are in relationship to true morals.

Billions of people whose moral compasses all point in not identical directions - but with most of them pointing in more or less the same direction - is just a fact of life and the reality of the human condition, KellyJay.

You can promote what you personally think are "true morals" by all means, but whether they adopt your purportedly "true morals" or similar morals or different morals, those moral compasses are subjective - including yours and mine - and they simply amount to a guide to governing our interactions with others.

@kellyjay said
Just to be clear a compass is only good if it points to true north, no matter where anyone is, having a compass allows them to know true north.

No. There is no "true north" with this. You're taking the metaphor too far. It's a compass in so far as it assists us to navigate across the landscape of life and relationships.

Talking of "true north" or insisting your subjective morals are "true north" because you insist your morals are "true", is simply overegging the metaphor. Sure, we can judge or evaluate each other.

Call it a Personal Handbook rather than a compass if that will save you the waste-of-time effort of trying to impose your compass on to me.

If your Handbook comes into conflict with my Handbook, and the damage is serious enough, we can take the case to law enforcement and judicial authorities as needs be.

@kellyjay said
Not a strong position to be in, not knowing, without an absolute there are no true morals, everyone is lost.

There is no "absolute", and yet not "everyone is lost". So, cheer up. I wish you well on your journey of life. Use your Personal Handbook. Be good to others. And hope that they are good to you.

@kellyjay said
Just to be clear a compass is only good if it points to true north, no matter where anyone is, having a compass allows them to know true north. So billions of people whose moral compasses all point in different directions means no one knows where they are in relationship to true morals. Not a strong position to be in, not knowing, without an absolute there are no true morals, everyone is lost. Which is more than likely why we all need to be found!

Does this post of yours contain your “opinion” or is it “truth”?

@fmf said
People who feel purposelessness in your life often find purpose in convincing themselves that they are going to have everlasting life if they do what their god figures want them to do, and so they use that to give their lives meaning and structure. Then they often start telling people that don't need all this that their lives have no purpose. It's very weak stuff.

Aw, so if I find purpose in my life it's because I am deluding myself. Would you say that is irrational of me?

... But if an atheist finds purpose in I am made of duh stardust; I am duh universe reflecting back on itself; muh purpose is to fight inequality with slam poetry & performance art, it's this bold gesture, I'm sure.

😆

@fmf said
No. There is no "true north" with this. You're taking the metaphor too far. It's a compass in so far as it assists us to navigate across the landscape of life and relationships.

Talking of "true north" or insisting your subjective morals are "true north" because you insist your morals are "true", is simply overegging the metaphor. Sure, we can judge or evaluate each other.
...[text shortened]... age is serious enough, we can take the case to law enforcement and judicial authorities as needs be.

... There we kind of have it: the Left supports managerial ethics. There's no real vision of right or wrong, it's us and our "Personal Handbooks."

This is why they ultimately will never go to the mat for liberty.

Everything is just a social construct.

Life's too short to worry about your wife's boyfriend, am I right?

@philokalia said
Aw, so if I find purpose in my life it's because I am deluding myself. Would you say that is irrational of me?

... But if an atheist finds purpose in I am made of duh stardust; I am duh universe reflecting back on itself; muh purpose is to fight inequality with slam poetry & performance art, it's this bold gesture, I'm sure.

😆

I say, if religion gives you a sense of purpose, you go for it. But the idea that all else is mere purposelessness is silly.

@philokalia said
... There we kind of have it: the Left supports managerial ethics. There's no real vision of right or wrong, it's us and our "Personal Handbooks."

This is why they ultimately will never go to the mat for liberty.

Everything is just a social construct.

Life's too short to worry about your wife's boyfriend, am I right?

I think I am simply describing the human condition and human nature based on my observations while you seem to be trying to project a kind of utopia onto it involving supernatural stuff that you just so happen to believe in.

@philokalia said
... There we kind of have it: the Left supports managerial ethics. There's no real vision of right or wrong, it's us and our "Personal Handbooks."

This is why they ultimately will never go to the mat for liberty.

Everything is just a social construct.

Life's too short to worry about your wife's boyfriend, am I right?

Are you drunk?

@divegeester said
Are you drunk?

Why would you say that?

@fmf said
Billions of people whose moral compasses all point in not identical directions - but with most of them pointing in more or less the same direction - is just a fact of life and the reality of the human condition, KellyJay.

You can promote what you personally think are "true morals" by all means, but whether they adopt your purportedly "true morals" or similar morals or differe ...[text shortened]... luding yours and mine - and they simply amount to a guide to governing our interactions with others.

I said they don't really know what is moral, because pointing in more or less the same directions, is still different directions, there is no getting away from that. True north will also be found and will remain with a real compass it is fixed. While those moral compasses you are talking about don't have a fixed direction for morality, they could change from one topic to another, even the same topic could find it swaying to point any ole direction at any time. In other words, lost!

@fmf said
No. There is no "true north" with this. You're taking the metaphor too far. It's a compass in so far as it assists us to navigate across the landscape of life and relationships.

Talking of "true north" or insisting your subjective morals are "true north" because you insist your morals are "true", is simply overegging the metaphor. Sure, we can judge or evaluate each other.
...[text shortened]... age is serious enough, we can take the case to law enforcement and judicial authorities as needs be.

Really what is a compass represent except a finder for true north, you combined it with the word morals, which represent morals, so one finds the others, except your example displayed to total lack of knowing. No fixed direction means no knowledge for a compass, it seems like the metaphor is spot on, but it didn't reveal what you wanted it too, everyone is lost in the landscape of life.