Is this an idiot story? This morning after breakfast I started feeling the bloat of a Crohn’s attack coming on. Then it got better. Then ate way too many sweets. Now my tummy feels bloated again. Yes, that counts as an idiot story. I hope I feel up to eating dinner later.
I ate breakfast earlier than usual because I wanted to make cold brew iced coffee that would be ready for tomorrow and it takes 24 hours to brew. This is my first cold brew of the year. It will probably go back to being cold, but I miss my cold brew. The hardest part was rearranging the freezer so there would be room for the ice trays. Good thing packing is one of my skills.
I looked out my window and saw a large group, adults, and children, walking by without masks. I felt guilty for judging them. While it’s wrong for people to not wear masks, I don’t know the story of those particular people. What’s their story? Do they just not care about others? Could it just be a matter of ignorance? Sure, we have all heard it’s important to wear masks, but I have no illusions that we are all equally informed. I’m a science educated news junkie; I am not typical. The perceived cost-benefit ratio guides many of our actions. I was not an early adopted of mask wearing as I did not see the benefit as being large. I wasn’t being selfish, I viewed masks of as something of marginal value to protect myself. Then more study was done, and we discovered there was a significant societal benefit derived from everybody wearing masks. It might not protect the wearer much, but they work quite well in preventing the wearer from spreading the virus. I started wearing a mask not because I started caring more about other people but because I didn’t understand how much I was helping others, the benefit, earlier. When we see someone not wearing a mask we don’t know that they are selfish, what we know is that they think the costs outweigh the benefits. Some are more uncomfortable wearing masks than I am. Others might have a greater cost because they don’t have a mask readily available. I was gifted five of them. I am in a privileged position. I was going to make one if I hadn’t been gifted the first one, but it was still easier for me than for others. Some through ignorance or prejudice don’t understand how important wearing a mask is. They might care about the welfare of others just as much as the most ardent mask-wearer, but they don’t perceive the benefits as much. I’m not a Pollyanna. I don’t think this describes everyone. I’m sure there are plenty of selfish people. I just don’t want to assume that the person in the street is one of them. The world is not made safer by me being indignant. It does make me feel good. Righteous indignation is far more enjoyable than people like to admit.
I’m discussing morals. What gives me the qualifications to do so? I have the same qualification as Plato, Confucius, and Jesus, none. How do you get certified to tell others what’s right and what’s wrong? You can’t. All anyone can do is tell others how they see it and hope that something we say connects to someone else. Nothing is right or wrong because Moses, Aristotle, Buddha, or even I say so. Society decides what’s right and wrong as an informal consensus of what all its members think. Even though each individual only has a small say we all have some part in it. That consensus changes with time.
I have many problems with religion, and one is related to this. Let’s take the story of Moses going on Mount Sinai and receiving the Law from God for 40 days and 40 nights. This omniscient benevolent being reveals his wisdom mankind but instead of teaching the germ theory of disease or the basic laws of physics, things that would make people’s lives immeasurably better, he lay down some rule that were already known and accepted, “Thou shalt not kill,” or bureaucratic, “thou shalt not mix linen and wool.” Let’s forget teaching practical science, how about teaching, “Slavery is wrong!” “Women are just as good as men!” “Other peoples are just as good and as important as you are!” “Who people want to have sex with is their own business!” These changes that we’ve accepted over time but were not to be found at that time and place. For years I’ve been thinking about various stories of “gods” and people. In one the “God” tells the prophet, “You guys do a pretty good job of working out right and wrong for yourself. I’m not going to butt in. Here’s how gravity works Isaac; work on that while you’re home from school because of the plague.” Newton said, “Ouch” when the apple hits his head.
How did I end up there? It’s where my mind took me. If I’m not going to judge the maskless group I’m not going to judge myself. I’ll just do the best I can. I’ll just hope that this connects with a few of you and helps you see things clearer. Not because I’m wiser than you but because I’m different than you so see things from a different angle. Civilization is putting together the points of view of many people and trying to make a 3-D model that we can walk around and observe from all sides.
Wise Madness 