CROSS THE LINE

Our day to day actions are based on the guidelines we set for ourselves. These guidelines, which we might call principles, have started forming since we were born. It has not stopped since. We generate a new one every so often. That is how we adapt to change. Does that mean that since we generate new "principles" every day that we also change some of our existing ones?

In Billionaire Boy's Club,Judd Nelson mentions that people will cross lines depending on the situation. Our principles are governed by the present situation. It is not set in stone or unwavering. In Flubber it was noted by the bad guy's son that Robin Williams' character in the movie has principles, to which the villain commented that principled just meant expensive.

If this is the case, then how can we maintain a decent and structured society? For example, today we know human cloning is wrong but tomorrow, the situation dictates it the right thing to do. What will stop us from destroying each other the very next week? Are our principles then based not on right or wrong, but on self-preservation?

To keep this short and to the point(less?), I don't know the answer to any of this. My opinion here is that we are a decent and structured society because we know right and wrong but we have the free will to chose it or not despite what the situation dictates. Crossing the line just makes us more human.