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Factors inhibiting living the REUEP?

Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2016 8:38 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
I am wondering: What are important factors keeping persons from living the REUEP? I mean living consistently with the REUEP statement, not necessarily having read the REUEP statement.

I start this topic to identify and discuss such inhibiting factors. Listed factors can overlap, and need not be mutually exclusive.

Weak motivation to follow ethical beliefs

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:05 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is limited motivation to follow ethical beliefs, often primarily in certain situations. One of these situations is often when dealing with someone different than oneself, such as another race or religion. A person may have less motivation to follow some ethical beliefs than others. A person may have little motivation to follow some ethical beliefs, when that person thinks they will not be caught.

Different ethical beliefs

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:06 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is holding ethical beliefs that are not (fully) consistent with the REUEP. Some persons have not heard of the REUEP, while some have read the REUEP but have not understood it, or not chosen to follow it. Common beliefs not consistent with the REUEP include:

1. I should do only that which benefits myself or my family.

2. I should do whatever some external authority wants me to do.

Conflicting ethical beliefs

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:09 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is holding conflicting ethical beliefs, sometimes not recognizing the conflict. When two ethical beliefs (seem to) conflict, a person is probably less likely to follow either of them. Some of the conflicting ethical beliefs may be unconscious.

Fear of changes

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:11 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is fear of changes, in my environment or my self-concepts. We often fear that external (or internal) changes will reduce our standard of living or quality of life. We also fear that changes will undermine or destroy concepts that support our perceived identity (or sense of self).

Lack of (clear) thinking

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:12 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is reacting to a situation without (clear or rational) thinking, to select how to react. We sometimes respond directly to fear, to either fight or flight (or to exhibit anger and hostility.) And we sometimes respond from habit, without thinking to consider different responses.

How we were raised as children

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:13 pm
by ArlissWhiteside
One factor inhibiting living consistent with the REUEP is the result(s) of how we were raised as children. The results of how a person was raised include initial versions of all other factors listed. In some cases, these initial versions are so thoroughly absorbed that only small changes are made after childhood or young-adulthood.

For example, the results of how a person was raised normally includes:

1. An initial set of ethical beliefs, about what a person should do or not do. This initial set of ethical beliefs may not be consistent with the REUEP, or inconsistent with other beliefs. Some of these ethical beliefs may be unconscious.

2. An initial degree of motivation to follow each of these ethical beliefs. These initial motivations for ethical beliefs may be weak. Probably most persons have stronger motivations to follow some ethical beliefs and weaker motivations for others.

The results of how a person was raised sometimes includes common beliefs not consistent with the REUEP, such as:
1. I should do that which benefits myself or my family.
2. I should do what my current external authority wants me to do, without thinking.

Re: Factors inhibiting living the REUEP?

Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 1:29 pm
by wvanfleet
That is an excellent presentation.

There is another "meta-explanation" also. The REUEP, or Humanian Ultimate Ethical Principle, has not yet even been adopted in any overt, agreed-upon way. Humanianity is only a toddler, as is our species, compared to a time in the future (if we get there). We have only begun to drift away from the authoritarian-ethical ultimate ethical principle, despite its being at the source of almost all of our horrible behavior (by which I mean behavior causing PSDED). So we can't expect the REUEP to be having substantial effect prior to its becoming known about objectively, meaning being a clear entity within our minds and crystalized into linguistic models, or language. I don't mean our just being able to recite the version of it as it is verbalized at Humanianity.com. I mean its being a part of our normal, automatic way of thinking. This is something that is only in our future (if we are successful in getting there).

For those of us that think this way, the important question is how to get the word out, how to get the concept even thought about.

Of course, maybe we're wrong. Maybe it is silly to think that our species can change drastically from the way it has always done things to a way of living that involves the elimination of most of our unnecessary, human-induced pain, suffering, disability, and early death. Maybe this is indeed as good as it gets. Maybe I will die as a silly old man with some silly new ideas.