The Rogue Moral Agent

In today’s post, the summary is as follows: Watch the words you tell yourself, as it greatly shapes what you think. Especially in terms of what you feel is right and wrong. Stay tuned below to see what this Rogue Moral Agent is all about

The Agencies

In the mind, there are several voices that play out serious conversations in our heads. There is the optimist, the pessimist, the agreeable one, and the disagreeable one.

While there are many other voices that play things out, in the end, it’s the summary of the dialogues that ultimately shapes our beliefs.

A little creative license being employed here for simplicity sake

Moral Centers

In the many ways of thinking, the outside influence is weighed against the internal influence. The dance of thoughts is where a lot of money is being spent. How to influence one person to feel and think one way or another.

There are absolute truths. There are relative truths. There are alternative facts. There are lies. There are flat out lies.

How one solves this all is the topic of another conversation for another time.

When An Agent Goes Rogue

The problem really comes into play when certain things are labeled one way or the other without due diligence of fact checking.

Example. Eating a piece of cake. Is that a sin? Is that a bad thing? Is it a good thing? Is it an offense? Is it a positive thing?

The answer to those questions vary greatly by circumstances and by the person who is facing these questions. The problem is when one decides to label cake eating as morally bad.

The Consequences: Rogue Agent Moral Mess

When a person decides that eating cake has moral implications, it’s not usually an intellectual decision. It’s usually an emotional one. And the fallout is very real and at times costly.

How Does One Pay… for sinning

The person focused on eating healthy and being healthy will make many choices to support that decision to be healthy. However, when the Rogue Agency applies, the cost will get in the way of success. Let’s look at this in simple terms.

Office party for a coworker who just turned 21 again for the tenth time. Everyone is having cake. The health conscious, in the midst of all the fun, humor, and laughter took two pieces of cake.

The logical understanding is simple. Two pieces of cake will not derail any efforts to be healthy. Especially in light of the fact the person rarely ever takes any cake or junk food in during the whole of the year.

However, the Rogue Moral Agent will chastise and crucify the mind of the cake eater and make them feel like a failure.

The Cascade

Cake was eaten. Feelings of guilt takes over.

Punishment has to be applied for atonement’s sake. Extra workout scheduled…

The already crammed real life schedule couldn’t accommodate the extra workout. Now feelings of dejection and failure collude to exacerbate feelings of unworthiness.

The horrible feelings weigh so much, the person calls a friend to commiserate, and while on the phone, mindlessly eats a tub of ice-cream. Now, mortified, the person gives up on being healthy.

After all, only a good person would have stayed on track. But a bad person falls off the bandwagon. Fails. Is not worthy. And well, why bother, after all, fat is the destiny, why resist?

STOP: Rogue Agents Not Welcome

In all seriousness, let’s be kind to ourselves. Humans aren’t pristine agents of morality. They are sloppy, messing, and imprecise agents of morality.

When something as neutral as eating is made moral, things can go south really bad. Instead, remember the celebration of the friend’s birthday. Make a mental note to cut back a little on the next mean. Balance. Harmony. Then resume living.

Too many folks will catastrophize the mundane in hopes of moralizing themselves into doing what they want to achieve.

IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY

Instead, set the plan you want to reach and build in some give for moments of humanity. Moments of setbacks. Moments of joy that throws a plan off for a day or two. Then, forgive yourself and get back on track.

FORGIVE THYSELF

It’s OK to eat cake. It’s OK to like cake. It’s OK to chose not to have cake all the time. There is no morality to cake. It’s just cake. And if you have cake, you’re not horrible. You’re not weak. You’re not bad. You’re not sad. You’re not the worst.

You’re just human who happens to like what humans like… food that tastes good.

Once you’ve forgiven yourself, replace any negative self talk with a positive affirmation. Like “I will continue to love myself, fuel myself with great food, and keep on moving towards a healthier lifestyle”.

The post over simplifies things a lot. The point being, be kind to yourself. No one else is obligated to be nice to you… so at least you be kind to yourself and set the example for others to follow with regards to how you want to be treated.

The Good News: For Motivational Monday

Rogue Moral Agents can be fired. They can be subdued. They can be silenced out of your mind. They can be retired. You do not have to listen or give in to false self judgments and self hatred. Banish these agents.

Fuel yourself with focused positive missions for your week. Go out and make progress happen. Do no handicap your success by lots of negative self talk noise. After all, the only real moral agent is you… and you control your thoughts. Give yourself a fighting chance to do good by thinking good things.

Have an awesome fantastic week.