i'm astounded that anyone can hold up a claim to morality and still keep a straight face. The desirable traits of charity, peace, compassion, cooperation, sharing and tolerance are the core survival skills for our species. Long before organized religion came on the scene, human beings developed these cultural attitudes to thrive in our earliest tribal societies.

They'd be extended to others when when there was a clear benefit to both sides and it was clear both sides would severely lose if they didn't cooperate.

Individuals out of their group might give or receive tolerance and compassion, but groups have usually been a heartbeat away from a mob.

This was about a year before she passed, 5 years after I moved in to take care of her. She grew up in TX and OK, married a preacher, missionary work, church 3 times a week until she couldn't any more. She was also very caustic and judgmental until her last few years.

I was helping her to bed one night, and that question popped out. "I try to be good because it's just the right thing to do. Do unto others and all that. Being mean makes me feel terrible, so i just don't do it."

She said "I still don't understand, but I still thank him for bringing you to help me"

"I love you Gram"

Some are just nicer or meaner than others. Genes. We have one kitten that picks fights with other cats when they're sleeping; we have another from the same litter that looks at a hissing, spitting cat and just blinks without responding negatively. Raised in tandem, utterly different.

Others are trained to be a certain way and don't break their training, even if they're without the philosophical foundation that underlies that training. Memes. In karate class we were taught the proper role karate played--defensive, not for display or show or aggression. We didn't know why, just that this was How It Was--and the one kid who showed off and picked a fight outside of class was promptly shamed in front of the group and told to pack up and go. 'Nuff said.


A lot of people in both camps, though, without the genetic underpinnings or the philosophical foundation, find that they are easily swayed. Or they define things in a way that doesn't show up in a survey. So I've had people say they follow the golden rule, which starts off as "do to others as you want them to do to you" but quickly devolves into "do unto others as they do unto you." The only reason to be nice is transactional, and they understand the golden rule to be a prediction of how people are going to respond. And if enough people aren't nice to you, it's a losing meme and the reaction is to be nasty because that's what people deserve. In other words, there's a lack of a tough moral touchstone there.