Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Moral Aloneness

 I came across the phrase "Moral Aloneness" in the book "Escape from Freedom" by Erich Fromm (I have to admit I didn't finish the book since it started hurting my head. A little too deep to read during a holiday break).

The idea is that you can feel lonely even when surrounded by people who don't share your views. This helps explain many experiences in my life. I tend to "look into things" for a deeper understanding, which results in me "seeing things differently" from others. It is frustrating trying to summarize countless hours of study during a casual conversation. It would be easy to assume my moral views are superior, but that's a dangerous assumption.

Sometimes, a moral position is less important than the relationship. I'm reminded of a couple of quotes:

"People are more important than the truth."

"It's hard when people sin differently than we do."

"Is that the hill you want to die on?"

Can "moral aloneness" explain the polarization in our world today? To avoid being morally alone, do people look for like-minded communities? If so, we need to adhere to our morals, even when resulting in "moral aloneness."  History is replete with examples of heroes standing on their principles. 

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."


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