Right Vs Wrong

It can be easy for others to judge. Judging someone's action for many people is based on their own ideals, beliefs, and values. However, what is right to one person, might be wrong to another. The perception of Right vs wrong is based on adherence to standards of conduct appropriate to a culture, organization, or society.

A ideal is someone's conception of what is perfect or suitable. Such as the ideal swimming condition might be a clear sunny day where the water temperature is cool, but doesn't take your breath away when you enter the water. Another person might find that too cold, and they prefer it to be warmer. This water might feel like bath water to the first person. "Ideal" is therefore the best possible description of what they personally favor. It may not be right to someone else.

A belief is an idea that a person accepts as truth. It could be something that is certain such as mathematical, or probable often describing matters of faith.

Values are something a person holds to be important and useful. It does not have to have a monetary value, but rather an intrinsic value. Someone may value doing what's right (integrity), or they might also value helping others such as service or volunteer work. Remember their integrity is based on their perception of what is right to them. Just like some people may not feel valued when they serve others, so they don't. Not everyone values the same things. That does not mean they don't appreciate what someone else values. It's just not where they personally find value. This is an important distinction.

What one person may believe is important or true to them can set ideal standards of conduct. These beliefs, values, and ideals shape and govern how a person acts. It begins to define their behaviors and what is therefore normal and "right" or "acceptable" behavior, and what is wrong in their eyes.

Each culture, organization, and society will have different ideals, beliefs, and values. When we understand this it helps us to not judge someone's behavior as right or wrong, because we first must understand the context of where they're coming from.

For a student in high school holding their hand up is the right way to wait and ask a question. But at home at the dinner table that might be strange behavior. The same as asking to go to the bathroom at home is not required, but at school it might be. These right vs wrong behaviors are set to govern the actions of individuals in an organization (school).

Think of the places you attend: church, school, clubs, sports teams, etc. Each has a standard set of rules that govern's right vs wrong behavior while you're there. Those right vs wrong behaviors are their rules of conduct that are based on that organization's ideals, beliefs, and values.

Each community and society also has standards of conduct. Some of which are enforced by city ordinances and local law enforcement.

Why is this important in Marital arts?

A kung fu kwoon (school) is also an organization. We teach our students the right way to enter and exit the school. The right way to talk to other students and their senior students and teacher, and how to care for themselves with dignity and respect. These ideals of the school are there to instill in our students how to be respectful, honest, and ethical to all members of the school and outside the school.

The longer someone spends in an organization that instills values and morals of positive ethical behavior, the more likely that person will have "right" and good behavior in multiple places around the world. Additionally the more we teach right vs wrong is not as simple as "this way" or "that way." The more likely our members will not judge someone based on their own standards of conduct, but understand that what they saw in other's actions was governed by that person's ideals, beliefs, and values. The hope for the martial arts student is not just to elevate how they behave, but to be a light for others to want to change for the positive.

To be a leader in an organization or society is not about judging the acts of others, but to demonstrate by their own example a higher standard of conduct that others aspire to be like. Not judged by. It starts by governing our own actions.