good & bad...how these labels interact and can easily be clouded over by other variables like lust, greed, and gluttony...
Going to in'n'out is a scenario that can illustrate how this phenomena affects my life:
When I go to In'n'out I walk up to the cashier and order a "Double double, no cheese, whole grilled onions, chopped chilies, no sauce, ketchup & mustard instead, protein style." Done! Easy. I wanted a burger, I got a great quality burger that falls in line with my optimal fueling guidelines, at a good price point, the way I wanted it. This scenario is simple, it is a good situation.
Life is good. Then the damn teenager goes and asks me if I would like to add an order of fries. My eyes see the fries, my soul wants the fries, (cue slo mo of salt being rained down on a mountain of crisp goldens), BUT my rational side that protects me from danger says I shouldn't order fries every time someone offers me fries (those polite and evil geniuses!)
Now my simple scenario is complicated because I'm faced with a more difficult choice to make, immediate pleasure (YES PLEASE) or long term health (eh...ok). With the introduction of fries, a new variable has confounded my good situation. Now what do I choose to label as good or bad? How much value do I put into immediate pleasure and how much value do I place on my long term health? Being healthy is good. Fries are good, wait no, fries are bad, good, bad, good bad...ahhhh!!! Mind is blown. Now good and bad become irrelevant and it comes down to what I want? Do I want the fries or don't I want the fries? "Slap them on young grasshopper, Meesus Miyage is going home with fries, animal style."
Everyone has a set of foundational values which allows them to filter the world accordingly. I have my own set of principles, motivations, and desires that let me navigate my life according to how I see fit. Now what becomes of great interest to me is when people in power positions make HUGE & IMPORTANT decisions when their good, bad labels become blurred and skewed by other variables.
For example, the military needed to improve screening of traumatic brain injury due to the multitude of exposure to IED blasts experienced in the ongoing war efforts in the Middle East. They had a good idea, to get a baseline for every soldier. GOOD! But once the process of implementing this good idea began to unfold, other confounding variables started to affect the straightforwardness of the process. The goal was to improve care provided for soldiers that are risking their lives to carry out missions of national importance. (real goal: cover up the asinine treatment of traumatic brain injury in the military in the first place). But then one ineffectual decision was made one after another based on political ties/power structures and profit incentives. Read/listen to how this story unfolded at the following links:
