My Revaluation of Morale

Henry David Thoreau's opinions have been following me for years, and just now I confront the call to action I've always avoided thinking about.

"It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right. It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience." -On The Duty of Civil Disobedience

It is your responsibility to take action and oppose what goes against your conscience.

At age 12, I first read On The Duty of Civil Disobedience and was perplexed by Thoreau's ideals. I admittedly didn't fully comprehend what was unfolding in the text, but I did understand his call to action. Honestly, at that point in life, I was beginning to reevaluate my religion and if I should continue with what I grew up with. I didn't know what my conscience told me, and I didn't even know where to begin to look for this insight. Fear consumed me, preventing me from really contemplating what consisted of my conscience.

While 14, I read On The Duty of Civil Disobedience yet again for an English class Freshman year, this time with more wisdom and clarity on what my perspective actually is. I now identified as an Atheist kinda Agnostic hybrid, but I was still just as confused as before. Having a basic idea of what I thought was right didn't cut it though, because I didn't understand how to back up my opinions and turn admiration of an ideal into reality.

Now as I write a new chapter in my life, I often think of how my moral code influences me, and the situations I am in. I grew up being taught that authority always knows what is best, but now I know that this simply isn't true. Relying on what I think is right was never encouraged in my conservative Christian household, because what I thought was right was always determined by outside thinking.

Before applying Thoreau's call to action, before you can stand up to authority when it is absolutely necessary, deciding what is right not only based on your personal convictions but also seeing how those convictions apply to the world around you is of utmost importance. Periodic self evaluation and examination is key.