Reminder: anyone can read this forum

[Rick Marchand]

Excellent.

 

[Dave Behrens]

For the sake of clarity, Rick is very close the to meaning I asserted. I'll add a subtle nuance.

Because I know people are always watching, I try to always do 'the right thing". Simple things... I don't litter. In fact, I'm prone to picking up things that other people throw out. When my dog craps I pick it up and throw it away in MY trash can, not someone else's. I respect people's rights, even if they don't respect mine.

Because I know I am always being watched I also tend to treat people with more respect and deference than I might otherwise, simply because I have noticed that I am fallible. We all are. Long ago I learned that the world is *not* so black and white as I once imagined. Everyone has reasons for believing what they believe, and even if their beliefs are in direct opposition to my own, I generally accept that they are not "wrong", just different. This helps me avoid most of those pointless exchanges that devolve into insults, which are all the more embarassing when observed by uninvolved parties. This means I do a lot of "self editing"... avoiding telling every joke that pops into mind, or saying everything I think about... and generally find I look a bit less foolish as as result. in fact, most of the jokes I tell are self-depricating (if you hadn't noticed).

The net of it is that because we are always under surveilance, living to your highest standard is the path of least difficulty, and fewest regrets.

-Greg

I do all of those same things. I just do it because that is what I expect of myself, not because others are watching. I am not at all saying I am better, because I don't think that matters as the results are virtually the same, the only difference might be motivation. But that is just me and how I view the world.

Also Greg, I believe you would still do "the right thing/s" if no one was "watching" because you believe it to be right.

This has turned into an awesome thread about how differently we each view life, and the ways of the world. I love these of conversations.