Our Moral Obligation to Possessions and Property

By Silverado James


What one person values, another may not, but it is still necessary to respect the possessions of others, just as you would want your belongings respected. Behaving morally in regards to the possessions and property of others means to recognize that everyone owns things and values what they own. Did you know that you have rights concerning what belongs to you? This is called the right of ownership. This means that you have the authority to make decisions about what you own. You also have the right to enjoy what you own without the fear that it could be stolen. Recognizing this moral concept means accepting that everyone else has authority and rights of ownership over his or her possessions as well. Respecting others rights benefits you, as well as them.

Accept decisions others make concerning their belongings. This is the answer to a growing problem, even between friends. Can you recall a time when you made a decision about something you owned and your decision was not accepted? Did your friends or family members try to pressure you into changing your mind? How did it make you feel? Have you ever done this to someone else?

You can behave morally in regards to ownership by asking permission before touching or using someone's belongings. But asking alone is not enough. You must also accept the response, even if it is "no", and see the need for yourself to have the same right to say "no" at any time you choose. Authority over one's possessions means you have the right to decide who uses your possessions, when they are used and how they are used. Not being able to accept someone's decision about their belongings usually creates conflicts and hurt feelings.

Did you know you also have to be moral about how you get the things you want? Here's the bottom line, unless something is legally and honestly obtained, it does not belong to you. There are many legal and honest ways to obtain the things you want. For example, you can work for it and save your earnings.

There are many ways to acquire things legally and honestly such as having them awarded to you, as in the case of having excelled in school, through inheritance or as a gift. If you are a minor and you are unable to work at a job, you can earn money by doing chores, such as raking leaves, mowing lawns, shoveling snow or baby-sitting.

Think about it for a minute. If your belongings were lost, wouldn't you want someone to return them to you? A great attitude is to always treat the other person as you would like the other person to treat you. A moral person recognizes that the rights of ownership are extended towards items that are lost. Lost items still belong to the owner and the owner is therefore entitled to have his property returned.

An immoral attitude towards the belongings of others results in misunderstandings and hostilities. For example, you saved all summer to buy a bike. On the first day you got it your brother took it for a spin around the block without first asking you. Since you were unaware that he had taken your bike, you assumed it was stolen. Franticly, you called the police and reported the bike stolen.

Crimes such as theft, burglary and grand larceny are rampant in our society because this simple moral principle is ignored. Not only can ignoring this moral principle lead to theft, it can also lead to murder. There are many news stories that show that during the process of a robbery or "hold up," people are often killed.

A moral attitude, in regards to the belongings of others, means not damaging, destroying, or vandalizing another's property. Vandalism means to purposely or willfully destroy anything that belongs to another. Stop and imagine something that you really love. Now imagine waking up one morning and seeing it destroyed, knowing someone did it purposely. How would that make you feel? Would you feel angry, disappointed, shocked, or resentful? Thousands of people experience these feelings every year when others destroy their mailboxes, write graffiti on the walls of their homes and businesses or run over their flowerbeds and decorations.

What it all boils down to is you have a moral obligation to respect the possessions of others, not destroy them. Aside from being cruel, vandalism is against the law. Many who choose this kind of behavior end up in jail or spend countless hours doing community service. Hey, destroying something that doesn't belong to you is not fun, is not right and is definitely not cool. It only leads to retaliation, retaliation and more retaliation.

Having morals is an important way to define your character. Moral values set boundaries that help you to demonstrate appropriate behavior towards others. In other words, when a person has moral values, he tries to distinguish between right and wrong and make choices that are respectful and thoughtful of others, according to his ability.

Your interactions with others and their influences help to mold and shape your character, making you into the person you are today. Additionally, your character is a combination of the moral values that you are being taught, as well as values that include work ethics, hobbies, education, etc.




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