Shades of Grey

Some days I wish I could live in a black-and-white world where it was easy to distinguish right from wrong. Our society has given us a world obscured by shades of grey. They preach a doctrine of empowerment, freedom and selfishness — if it feels good, then do it. Don’t worry about who it hurts. If you are happy, then it’s okay. No one else has the right to tell you what’s right or wrong. Morality, integrity, honesty — it’s all just shades of grey defined only by the subjective experience of each individual. Basically, the rules don’t exist. You can make it up as you go along because there are no absolute rights or wrongs.

This allows people to live guilt-free in a fantasy world where they assume no responsibility for their actions. It’s not wrong; it’s just grey. We shouldn’t judge the “octo-mom” for selfishly choosing to have 8 fatherless children when she can’t take care of her other 6 kids. We are supposed to understand when a husband abandons his family for a relationship with a co-worker. We’re supposed to applaud sexual exploits that were once taboo. After all, who’s to say what’s right or wrong?

I’m not entirely against “grey areas,” and I’m not so naive to believe that everything is “black and white” although I wish it was. Grey areas serve a purpose, but what happens when everything becomes blurred out by the grey? Where does it end? Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough?