Is there evidence that stealing makes one less happy?

[2046]

determinist:

Watching this video might help to get a better grasp of egoism as requiring long-range principles:

http://arc-tv.com/virtue-of-selfishness-why-happiness-is-highest-moral-purpose/

And there is a great section of Andrew Bernstein's Objectivism in One Lession, Chapter 3 "Egoism vs Cynical Exploitativenes":

http://books.google.com/books?ei=1_-zTOe0L4L7lwedw4GsCg&ct=result&id=b-MkAQAAIAAJ&dq=bernstein+objectivism+in+one+lesson&q=cynical

[Hotu Matua]

One of the difficulties in adressing the morality of a single, isolated act, is that it is difficult to grasp its long term consequences on character and happiness.

If I steal today, but then repent and refrain from stealing again, how did that first and lonely act of theft affect the rest of my lifespan?

If I steal today,knowing that I will be dead within a month from a brain tumor, how does this act of theft affect my long-term interest?

Acting on principle help us to make the best choices, if we are to live as rational beings.

But principles, as concepts, are only the tools used by our mind to deal with reality as the men we are.

They are quite effective in doing that. They are damn good... But not perfect. Using principles or concepts do not guarantee success 100% of the time.

Normally, if I deal with a metallic box that has all the appearance of a fridge using the concept of "fridge" I have in mind, I will make the best of my interactions with that object. I will plug its cord to an electric outlet, place a bottle of beer inside and reasonably expect to find my beer cold one hour later. My concept of what a fridge does will help me in getting my beer cold... But not 100% of the times. Sometimes the fridge will break and stop working as a fridge. In those instances,it would be stupid to keep placing bottles inside and keep expecting to find them cold. It would be stupid as well to blame my concept of fridge and stop using that concept in all future ocassions where I meet a metallic box with all the appearance of a fridge, telling myself "You can't trust your mind when determing the nature of an object in this world, specially if it looks as a fridge"

Conciousness does not create reality.

Concepts do not create entities, nor principles create morality.

Stealing is wrong 99.99% of the times. And this makes acting on principle ( A principle like "Stealing is not in my self interest") a very effective way to proceed. thisprinciple predicts success 99.99% of the time. In chaotic, lawless Somalia, it may predict success only 80% of the times, which is still big time.

In summary, my ultimate reason for refraining from stealing is not because stealing is bad, nor because stealing will inexorably result in long-term damage to mycharacter or self-interest. My ultimate reason for not stealing NOW, THAT specific object from THAT specific person, is because this has a very high likelihood of affecting my long-term interests.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Hotu Matua