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Immorality

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Cello

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You steal. You know it's wrong, but then you steal again.

Are you now "immoral" forever? How can you have any self-esteem, then?

And if you're not "immoral", why not?

You think. You know it's right, and so you reason some more.

You refuse to allow 'your reputation with yourself' to be compromised by your past irrationality.

And you can then be moral forever.

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Who is the guest with post #3! I actually was slightly high when I posted this, haha, but yes, I've never understood the nature of immorality.

So, if you're not forever stained or whatnot after deliberately doing something you know is wrong, then should you still regret it? I'm just wondering what the affect on one's self-esteem is.

I kind of look at it this way: I have definitely stolen before, but I would never do it again. The self esteem I lost by stealing is almost made up for by knowing that I will never steal again.

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Sure, you should regret it, but that's not to say, spend your life in constant self-abasement as some sort of martyrdom for your own immorality. To the extent it is possible, that energy could be much better spent making it right with the person who was stolen from.

Mistakes and the pain which they, in general, cause, are usually great at helping us to remember what not to do. Dwelling on it, though, if it is not something which can reasonably be corrected, is probably counter productive since that would serve to increase ones self-concept as "one who steals."

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