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Shrink Rap – Doing the Right Thing
I always bristle a bit at this kind of phrase: Do the right thing. It is totally subjective and inevitably laced with judgment. Who is the one to say if this or that is the “right thing” to do? The “right thing” for whom, and under what condition? Is what’s right for me also right for you and vice-versa? Where are such teachings learned and, if learned in childhood, do the same things qualify as “right” in adulthood?
Many find their moral blueprint in the Bible or Torah, or in teachings from the Buddha or Allah serving as guides for the right thing to do. Some use guidance from their Higher Power through other sources; AA and similar recovery programs come to mind. Others rely simply on what their parents or guardians, teachers, preachers, and other elders taught them during the wonder years, amended as needed by personal life lessons and experience, from significant others, friends, and sought-out mentors.
Some of the more literal rights and wrongs are clearly delineated by society. It’s wrong to run a red light. It’s right to avoid knocking more »
