In doing anything, a person performs
action which effects the world; yet how is one to know or judge whether such actions are "
good" or "
evil" and what
responsibility, if any, does a person have for the
consequences of any given action they perform? Every living form extant upon this planet is involved in action of some sort at this moment. Whether building, thinking, breathing - even molecular movement. From these actions results the majority of the world we interact with and learn from. Each action creates a reaction (which causes a reaction). A consequence, be it
positive or negative, large or small. Humans are differentiated from most creatures because they have the ability to comprehend this concept via the perception of self.
Ego and
intelligence, giving us enhanced ability to perceive and
choose.
In a society which seems consumed with focusing on
reactions instead of actions or the thoughts behind them, much possible objectivity and understanding is lost. Often people become inundated with the somewhat idealistic concept of
absolute right and wrong or
good and evil. Since such concepts are widely varied and
relative not only to each event and the circumstances surrounding it, but each individual, group, culture, and race, there can be no finite definition of what is good or right. It depends upon
personal judgments, which are inherently limited by the individuals experiences and nature -
heredity and environment. The purpose and value behind the actual action itself is all too often lost in
judgments lacking both knowledge and objectivity, then further confused by the maze of trying to decide whether the results of the action were good or evil. Ironic, really, when you consider the fact that a person can directly control only their actions and not the consequences that come from them. While we might have a good idea of what we personally consider right or wrong, there is no higher source apparently avaliable for questioning on such minor issues. To regain personal objectivity it becomes necessary to become detached.
"...a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong..." -Socrates
Detachment to the relative ideas of good and evil and the results of action rids oneself of many paradoxes and restores much objectivity. Further detaching oneself from the idea of self and ego ("I" and "mine") furthers this. The importance of actions starts to rest on
why they are performed, not upon the reactions they cause. This detachment encourages
individual thought and responsibility. The forging of a
personal code, if you will. Wherein if a person acts following their code or nature, they perform "good" actions, regardless of the outcome of such choices. Amusingly enough, were you to turn the tables and forget the lack of anything truly definable as good or evil, it would be those lacking knowledge of themselves and a personal code which would be those people performing "evil" actions - regardless of the good which might come from such action.
If action is placed above consequence, and the futility of trying to perceive and define good and evil in a finite way accepted, it might become that knowledge, or more accurately
wisdom, is more valuable than gold.
Inner knowledge being of more value than any other. The ability to act in accordance with this knowledge would be more valuable than any skill. Large amounts of both things would surely lead to
happiness, though the same could not be said of either gold or skill.