The Right Answer…

…is a moving target.

As soon as you think you have it figured out, things change. The earth orbits the sun, people change their minds, or forget. Every day brings with it the unknown. You lay your cards on the table and see how they play.

We think we know what to do today because of what happened yesterday. It usually works out, but eventually tectonic shifts add up and yesterday’s answer ‘suddenly’ no longer applies. We feel so blindsided when that happens, but it is we who are blind; often not seeing the subtle clues, or not reacting fast enough to them.

There is no ‘right’ answer. There is only what you do, what others do, how you respond, and what (eventually) happens. Try as you might to assess where your fellow humans will go, there will always be surprises. Morals try to simplify this through providing what we treat as ‘right’ answers that are immutable. It is somewhat helpful, but we still decide for ourselves which ones of those we really live by and pay attention to on a case by case basis. It’s still a decision for us and the outcomes aren’t insured, even though some may be promised. “Never tell a lie?” Yeah, right…except for all the exceptions. Oh! It’s the spirit of it we must pay attention to? That introduces a degree of subjectivity and context into it and soon we’re right back where we started.

You may find a home in what you think is ‘right,’ or you may find comfort in trying to do what works. Maybe it’s a mix of both. It’s all subjective.

The only safe way is not to play, which isn’t really an option. Good luck. That’s probably as helpful as anything.