Wrong? Right? Who decides? Does this right… or wrong… ever change with time or circumstances? Are there dependencies that determine what is deemed right or wrong?

“Choices are the hinges of destiny.”

~ Edwin Markham

In today’s world of online arguments I’ve come to realize the banter isn’t only a battle of wit… but rather… a battle of right. Fighting for what is right has become mainstay in today’s ever-changing global society. The pursuit of right has led to many marches… fueled inspiring speeches… yet has also allowed hate to burn a fierce blaze of destruction. And. Unfortunately pain, suffering, and murder have followed in its wake.  

“The world is changed by your example; not by your opinion.”

~ Paulo Coelho

Who determines the meaning of right? A governing body (aka: law), personal beliefs (values), God (morals), or a society as a whole (societal norms)?! 

We wave around “right” like a moral compass. Valiant in our pursuit to prove our point we often forget or forego the old adage “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” At what point does our pursuit of right turn into a wrong? It actually happens quicker than you might think. 

“Do you prefer that you be right or happy?”

~ A Course in Miracles

I’m beginning to think many people believe being right makes them happy. Maybe?! Maybe it does. But if so… at what expense? Is the reward worth the price? In my humble opinion, it has a very high risk to reward ratio. 

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

~ Mark 3:25

Everyone makes decisions based on their own journey. Their personal experiences create a bias (or belief) that shapes and molds their decisions. Next, couple these biases with their morals and values to create an individually personal concoction, or recipe, of right. And each time the world changes… and societal norms are updated… these recipes are challenged. But, how often do we allow our morals and values to bend, change, and/or adapt? 

If we open ourselves up to the idea that there could be more than one right… this concept would open up more than just our minds.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”

~ Dr. Seuss

Perhaps consider… just because you’re offended… doesn’t automatically mean you’re right. In life, I’ve learned we are learning the most when we are the most uncomfortable. In the discomfort comes growth. Life is growth both literally and figuratively. 

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”

~ Will Rogers

We hold onto our beliefs so strongly because we do not know any better. We live in a world dominated by the thought, “I have to see it to believe it” so then it stands to reason if you’ve never seen it or experienced it, then it doesn’t exist. Right? < – – –  see what I did there? Ha! 

How does this “see it to believe it” belief system run in parallel with our trust there is a God? We cannot see Him, yet we have faith He exists. 

“Faith can move mountains.”

~ Matthew 17:20

But what if we led our everyday lives in the same way we lead our spiritual lives: both in faith, then the need to be “right” perhaps wouldn’t be as strong. Today, I urge you to start embracing each shade of gray… for often the world is not as clearly definitive as black and white. 

“Right and wrong were shades of meaning, not sides of a coin.”

~ Louise Erdrich

 © Renae Rossman and Candy Coated Reality™