If someone double parks his/her car in a crowded street and you happen to be driving in that lane, how would you feel towards them? You may park right behind them and sound your horn until they move; you may drive by and give them a look. Or maybe you will do nothing at all... but you certainly wouldn't be very happy about it.
Now imagine that you need to go into a store for just one minute to pick up something. The store so happens to be in a crowded street and you can't find parking space. Would you double park your car? Most probably... you'll just tell yourself that "it will be a minute."
Sometimes actions are classified as right and wrong depending on who took the action. Sometimes actions are right simply because I or the group to which I belong took those actions.
We're all guilty of this. Let me give some common examples of how subjective right and wrong can be:
Pre-marital sex in eastern socities like hours:
- When a guy does it: he was a player before marriage but now he's straightened out
- When a girl does it: she's a whore
Smoking in public:
- When a guy does it: he's a smoker (perhaps an addict)
- When a girl does it: she's a whore
Walking down a street at 3:00 AM in the morning alone
- When a guy does it: he's just having a walk
- When a girl does it: she's trying to get picked-up because she's a whore
When someone laughs out loud in a public place
- When it's not you or your group: They're vulgar people!
- When it's you or your group: We're having a good time
When someone dies and a street is blocked to set-up Soradeq for funeral and Quran-reading
- When it's someone dear to you: People should understand our grief
- When it's someine else: Does grief justify inconveniencing others?
When Ahly wins a championship and fans block the streets in celebration
- If you're an Ahly fan: We have every right to celebrate
- If you're a Zamalek fan: Come on, don't block the streets. What if an ambulance needs to pass through?
When a waiter is being discourteous at a restaurant
- If you give them a hard time: You're demanding service excellence as a customer
- If someone else gives them a hard time: They're just being difficult
Examples are endless.
Whether you believe in an absolute or not, right and wrong should remain objective. Why? At the risk of oversimplifying life, I dare say that we, as humans, seek the same things and, more importantly, are hurt by the same things. We spend too much time judging others and their actions and very little time judging ourselves and own actions. If we all spend a little more time putting ourselves in other people's shoes, our disputes as humans would be subdued. And if we fail to develop a perspective, we should then resort to some tolerance.
So the next time you hear the neighbour's stereo playing so loud, play your's at a lower volume when you turn it on!
