Tag: morals

Just writing

Cockroaches And Butterflies

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“If you kill a cockroach, you are a hero; if you kill a butterfly, you are evil. Morals have aesthetic criteria.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche


Sometimes, one can’t comprehend how those classical scholars make things far more complicated.

According to the quote, our moral perception of good and bad is biased because it’s mainly based on how do we feel and perceive things. For example, the act of killing might be seen as heroic, or it might also be barbaric, depending on personal perceptions and favourism.

Don’t you agree that this point of view mainly applies to cases related to connections, power, money, and unfortunately race. But, definitlly, things are not the same with insects.

The moral aesthetic criteria when coming face to face with insects are mainly based on your ability to either flee, let them flee, or sadly end their lives.

Can you consider this blog an analytical study and examine my point of view regarding the issue of moral aesthetic critiria? Please do, because it’s based on a real case study –  my own experience.

Many years ago, when I was newlywed, I was tidying up my cosy, small flat in Cairo after my husband had left to finish some official papers before our travel to the UK. It was one of August’s smouldering days, and in Egypt we used to keep all windows shut in the morning. They used to be wooden windows that allowed good ventilation and worked so well with indoor fans. We could have installed air-conditioning, but since we were planning to travel in a few months, we didn’t want to waste extra money.

Back then, I was one of those people who could get frightened by their own shadow (I am not now). So, when I heard a strange sound and felt suspicious movement around, my heart started pounding hard and fast. As I fearfully gazed around the hall trying to spot the intruder, a cockroach with two big wings flew next to me and hid somewhere.

How I wished I could run to my room, lock the door, and hide there until my husband came back. But, I didn’t because I wouldn’t rest until I got rid of this intruder.

How would the well – known scholar expect me to react in this case? Welcome its company and offer it food and shelter? I can’t believe anyone would. That’s simply because a cockroach is a creepy, harmful insect that can not only bite but also cause diseases that might be poisonous.

So, after chasing each other, jumping from one sofa to another, screaming, and almost fainting, I grabbed one of my slippers and held it tightly with my trembling hand. The moment came when the intruder stood still on the floor. Though it took too long, but it finally came. I ran and slapped it on the head, not once but ten times, and I left my small slippers on its corpse.

The thought of what the moral aesthetic criteria of my deed had never crossed my mind. The only moral aesthetic thing I did was lie down on the sofa and breathe in relief.

With butterflies, the case is different because they are harmless, delicate insects. If you just touch them hard, they would be broken, and fade away. And, unless you have a garden or they get into your house by mistake, they never intrude, never scare, or cause any harm. That’s why I always let them out when I spot any in my house. But would you blame the spider when you find a butterfly caught in its web? I wouldn’t because that wouldn’t ‘t be evil, but a survival criterion.

What do you think?

Do you agree with my analytical study?


With all the best wishes,

Nahla

P.S. It’s still rainy and windy here.

Just writing

All Is Forgiven

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How simple and relieving is this sentence!

But, of course, you wouldn’t grant it to others every now and then. Or would you?

Suppose, for example, you had a bully at school, or at your workplace, or even in your neighbourhood. After every disaster caused by this person, they put on a repentant mask, shed a few tears, apologised, and swore on the name of God to never repeat the awful deed, never cause any harm, never cheat or steal from you. Would you grant them your forgiveness?

Before you reply, please be honest and realistic, because unless you’re, God Forbid, another bully you’d have only three options:

In the first scenario, you might voice the words, but from the bottom of your heart, you’d pray that the ground would open and swallow them whole, delivering them straightaway to hell.

In the second scenario, you’d scream, “Never!” out loud, and be either a martyr of bravery or live with all its consequences.

As for the third, you’d play the diplomat and remind the forgiveness seeker, that genuine good deeds erase bad ones. That’s God’s law. The Most Merciful knows what lies deep in the heart, but of course there’d be no need to voice the final addition.

If you had the three options, which one would you choose?

And, finally, don’t forget that all can be forgiven but not forgotten.


With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Five pound

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Though our dinner time always start peacefully, it has become my son’s habit to start teasing his little sister just before he finishes eating. There is 8 years gap between them but he always finds it funny to annoy her though he is not doing the same with his brother who is just 2 years older. How is this related to the 5 pound note? This is what I am going to explain now:

Yesterday, when having our dinner, I was not in that good mood and I did not expect to be that patient when watching one laughing and the other screaming. So I thought about discussing something and I started telling them something that though had happened last week but had just came to mind at that moment. I said:

“Last week when I was waiting for the bus to pick up Mariam (my daughter) from school, I saw a young man quickened his pace as if he was going to catch the bus though no bus at the bus stop. But he suddenly bend over and snatched a £5 note from the ground. He really picked it up so quickly as if he was snatching it and hid it in his pocket. He then walked more quickly and disappeared.”

My sons said: “What did you expect mama?”

I said: “Well, since it was not a clear scene, I expected that he would ask me or ask the old man that was just a few steps ahead if it was ours but he didn’t! I thought that the old man probably had dropped it as I was there for about a few minutes and I was totally sure there was nothing on the ground.  Also, it was not mine as I had not got any on that day.” I then asked: “What about you? What would you do?”

My older son kept quiet which was really the best thing to do at that time. It was my middle son who started arguing explaining everybody would do the same and nobody is going to ask; “Is this yours?” “It was just a £5 not £1000 mama”, he said.  Then he started questioning me:  if it was you or the other man seeing it first, wouldn’t you take it? Why did anyone leave it? It did not belong to any one.”

I replied:”Yes it did not belong to anyone and I just guessed that it was the other man’s. And yes it was not a classroom or a school so you know where to ask. But I just wondered why he did not even look round and pretend that he wouldn’t take it.”

Before my son say anything, my daughter decided to join in giving her own opinion which would definitely oppose her brother’s and make him wrong: “No we do not take it. It’s not ours”, she said. And this was the straw that broke the camel’s back as they remembered they had not practiced their everyday habit and they started all over again.

Was it better if we did not discuss any topic at dinner time?

All the best,

Nahla

 

Just writing

Do you know what is right?

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Why choosing the wrong?

We are humans.
Humans are not perfect.
Humans do mistakes.
Therefore humans are supposed to do mistakes,
to learn from them and do their best to be better.

This is a logical thinking!

Sometimes we do the wrong because we do not know what is right or we do not bother asking  about the right thing? This can be the case of a mother who starts giving her kid unsuitable food, at an early age, thinking that she is helping him/her grow up quicker and healthier than others. It is not until the symptoms of her baby’s illness become obvious that she realises her mistake  and then runs to see the doctor. Then, she would admit that she was  wrong and if she was wise and sane enough she would not follow the same course of thinking.

This is a mistake!

However, what about you know that this is wrong and you choose it?
There is always a student who cheats at his/her exams instead of studying hard, a witness who gives a false testimony instead of telling the truth, a shopkeeper who sells an out of date food instead of keeping  them away, etc…..
Can these also be mistakes though with full intention and understanding of doing a wrong deed?

What I am totally sure of is that if even we choose doing what is wrong, we will receive indirect reminders or warning messages about how far we are going downward or towards the wrong direction. This can be a direct punishment; e.g the student’s exam papers are marked down and he got a fail. Or an indirect one, for his cheating might not be discovered but he might have an accident on his way back which he would soon links to his wrong deed!
The reminder or the message might come late, but it would surely come.
Some people may call this karma and i believe it is a message from God to awaken our conscience and see our response. We are totally responsible for our own deeds and if you believe in the day of resurrection, you would also believe that we will be as asked about them.

One day my friend told me that she and her son went to have lunch in, though a very nice fish and ships restaurant, but not that expensive. She intended to be smart and parked her car in a free parking space for a leisure park customers. The restaurant was not inside the leisure park and she knew she was doing wrong but “how would they know?” She thought. When coming back, she was fined for illegal parking! She admitted that their lunch on that day was the most expensive one in her life. Then she told her son that this was a lesson for both of them if you what is right why choosing the wrong?

What if she was not fined, I think she would follow her smart thinking till another disaster happened!

Is it not better that she got this message early and learned the lesson?

I have lots of other real stories happened to me as well as others I know that would fill a book. These stories would help us understand and listen to those early warnings before we get used to what is wrong till we believe it is right. But then we will be lost.

I think the message of one is sufficient.

Will we do what is wrong again? Will we keep our conscience fast asleep and ignore the divine message?

I wish we all would listen to our conscience and understand God’s reminding messages!

Wishing you all the best,

Nahla