Your Moral Compass,

What Does It Look Like?

By Grim Willard

​

What does your Moral Compass look like?

 

I wonder if you even know.

 

Relax,

I’m not judging,

I’m just asking,

as I’m curious to know.

 

Does it have just two points,

one being RIGHT.

the other being WRONG?

 

Or does it have two more points,

one to the LEFT,

another to the RIGHT,

one marked - IF,

the other marked - BUT?

 

In between these, I wonder,

are there an additional four points?

 

These marked in shades of grey,

they denoting degrees of RIGHT or WRONG.

Or instead, do they include varying degrees, of –

IT DEPENDS?

 

I also wonder, between these, is there yet another scale, one which measures personal gains versus losses?  Or, does it instead measure pain inflicted on your adversaries, versus the pain which you can raise others out of?

 

I also wonder,

How many compass hands does your compass dial require?

 

In other words,

Does it have a second hand,

a third, a fourth,  or more?

 

Or, are things so straight forward for you that only one is required?

 

I have to say, if you said one hand, and one hand only,

you need to know that this isn’t typical,

as we all know that life is more complicated than that.

 

Almost done, I must ask of you, does your compass have an ON and OFF switch?  Or, is it instead secured with a lock? One opened with a key which you keep on a chain next to your heart.   Or, afraid of losing this key, do you keep it locked in a safety deposit box?  Or, do you have so few worries that you keep it in a drawer with your old dirty socks?

 

Next to last, I ask, what does it take for you to choose to use that key?   Is it only if and when you care?  Or, is it only if, and when, your personal wellbeing is being threatened?

 

Finally, about your moral compass, whatever its shape and size might be, I ask, do you use it often?  Or, only when others are watching?  Heck, do you even bother to keep it with you at all?