You have probably heard the motto, “If it feels good, do it.” That is some of the worst advice possible. It is the source of much that goes wrong in the world. We have ability to reason for a purpose, and that is to use it. Think before you act.
I suggest turning the motto on its head: if it feels good, don’t do it. It likely means you want to do it, not that it is right to do it. Wanting something does not make it right, and it does not make it wise.
All our decisions should be filtered through reason. We should consider the consequences of our actions. We should weigh the effects of what we do and say, both for ourselves and for others. If we are going to be good, we have to place the interests of others alongside our own.
We also have to be honest about our feelings. If our feelings are in the driver’s seat, our lives will be in shambles. Feelings are good indicators of what is going on beneath the surface, but they are poor drivers. We should make decisions based on reason and evidence, not emotion and impulse.
