The Moral Line We Choose to Cross

Two weeks ago, I observed something that got me thinking aloud about how people define what is right and wrong differently.

So I went to the market for some household needs, and then I was buying fresh tomatoes from a woman while her neighbor was selling smoked fish to another buyer. I watched the woman selling smoked fish do a transaction with the buyer, and she mistakenly gave her extra change of #500. I guess she miscalculated; however, I was too close to them to have observed the error.

Surprisingly, the buyer collected the change, paused for a while, and pocketed the money, then moved to where I am to buy tomatoes as well. The smoked fish seller was busy attending to other customers, but after a few minutes, she started counting and recounting her money. It was then she realized that her money wasn't complete; she was confused and even accused her teenage girl of stealing the money. The poor girl kept insisting that she didn't take her mom's money and was even crying.

This customer who collected the extra change was overhearing everything, yet she didn't bother to say a word but walked away. I didn't know how to come in, honestly, but when I got home, one question kept ringing in my head, and that was, was that action a crime?

No one will arrest her for pocketing that money, but was it the right thing she should have done morally?

It was an experience that made me realize that our moral threshold is not always determined by the law governing a society. Some things can be legal, yet they are wrong. So the question is, what really shapes our morals as humans?

Personally, I think it's a combination of both our upbringing, our culture, religion, personal experience, etc. Our upbringing is a solid foundation that can help shape our morals. I remembered common teachings from my mom like "don't take what does not belong to you," "always say the truth even when you will get punished," "be nice to others," and many more. These little things guided my behavior a lot.

Then in our culture, we were made to always show respect to elders and be a person of integrity. Some bad practices are well punished and frowned upon as well, and you see people being scared of violating the cultural values.

Talk about our religion; that's where a lot of morals are being built with the fear of God and with the fear of going into hell. Growing up, I was so scared of doing anything bad so I wouldn't go to hellfire as we were taught in my church, and I grew up to find those bad behaviors so hard to do except by mistake, but I am always conscious of my actions.

If we also talk of experiences, I will say that life pushes some people into bad actions; they want to cheat or steal to survive, and maybe due to the pain they are going through, it could reshape their morals, but should that be an excuse? I grew up in a poor home, but yet, it didn't make me deviate from the morals I was shaped into, and I know there are also people born into a good home but who grow to turn into something terrible. I think it's about choosing to be responsible with the values you have gotten because, you know what? Freedom should come with responsibility.

Some actions aren't illegal, yet they can destroy us. My freedom shouldn't cause someone harm, I think. If it does, then it crossed a moral line.

We could reveal our moral threshold with a little decision we make while associating with others in our daily activities. Even when we know we can get away from doing the wrong thing, choosing to stay with good morals makes us unique humans.

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