Post by bensch0314 on Oct 23, 2014 2:03:44 GMT
1. When are we not responsible for our own beliefs or behaviors?
The level of responsibility people have over their beliefs and behaviors is an extremely complicated question that is not simply black and white.
Many parents will drill their own beliefs into their children, and the children don't really get a say in whether they accept the beliefs or not, and they do not get exposed to the other side of this belief. In the book, Herb Clutter is the type of man who believes that you shouldn't waste time and you should always be accomplishing some task and behaves in a manner to support this belief. Consequently, he teaches his children to believe and act this way, shown through Nancy having a full schedule everyday whether helping others or bettering herself. Nancy however, is not responsible for this belief. She has been "brainwashed" into behaving this way because, in her early years, it was all she knew. She wasn't exposed to people who believe in relaxing an being lazy. Her beliefs are the responsibility of her father because he imposed them on her without exposing her to the idea of relaxing and laziness.
On the other hand, sometimes people are exposed to multiple beliefs in a short period of time, and will choose which one to emulate. In this circumstance, a person is responsible for their beliefs, because they made the decision to follow them, and weren't raised into them. In the book, Herb Clutter does not drink and does not smoke, and firmly believes in those decisions. He imposes these beliefs on his son, Kenyon Clutter. But, Kenyon also is exposed to people smoking and drinking in public, therefore he is aware of the two different stances. He then makes the decision to behave in the manner of the side pro drinking and smoking, by smoking on occasion. Kenyon is then responsible for his beliefs, because he was exposed to both sides, and picked, himself, which side to support and emulate.
The level of responsibility people have over their beliefs and behaviors is an extremely complicated question that is not simply black and white.
Many parents will drill their own beliefs into their children, and the children don't really get a say in whether they accept the beliefs or not, and they do not get exposed to the other side of this belief. In the book, Herb Clutter is the type of man who believes that you shouldn't waste time and you should always be accomplishing some task and behaves in a manner to support this belief. Consequently, he teaches his children to believe and act this way, shown through Nancy having a full schedule everyday whether helping others or bettering herself. Nancy however, is not responsible for this belief. She has been "brainwashed" into behaving this way because, in her early years, it was all she knew. She wasn't exposed to people who believe in relaxing an being lazy. Her beliefs are the responsibility of her father because he imposed them on her without exposing her to the idea of relaxing and laziness.
On the other hand, sometimes people are exposed to multiple beliefs in a short period of time, and will choose which one to emulate. In this circumstance, a person is responsible for their beliefs, because they made the decision to follow them, and weren't raised into them. In the book, Herb Clutter does not drink and does not smoke, and firmly believes in those decisions. He imposes these beliefs on his son, Kenyon Clutter. But, Kenyon also is exposed to people smoking and drinking in public, therefore he is aware of the two different stances. He then makes the decision to behave in the manner of the side pro drinking and smoking, by smoking on occasion. Kenyon is then responsible for his beliefs, because he was exposed to both sides, and picked, himself, which side to support and emulate.