The Email

 

I regularly receive free emails from The Atlas Society, and the one from 2/6/25 had two short quote which I will write out below and then comment on.

 

First Quote from Naval Ravikant, a successful entrepreneur: “Don’t do things you know are morally wrong, not because someone is watching you, but because you are. Self-esteem is just that reputation that you have with yourself. You always know.”

 

My response: I have independently arrived at the same conclusion, that you should not do things that you know are morally wrong, not because someone is watching you—and they always are—God, the law, neighbors, peers, family, and other associates—but you are watching you.

 

Naval’s point, which is my point, is that under egoist ethics, if your esteem yourself highly, and it is factually grounded in veridical, meritorious self-regard, and you are realistic, then you know the truth and love the truth, and you cannot do wrong and live with yourself because a good and strong conscience is best associated with people of enlightened self-interest, and they will no longer esteem  themselves of they are malevolent, lazy, lying and mediocre.

 

 

 

Second Quote is from Frank Herbert, from his book, Dune: “Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.”

 

Jordan Peterson talks about the excellent moral person seeking after truth, and perhaps living it.

 

I would add that God is love and truth, and God loves those that love and speak and act truthfully, and that person, as a follower of God, is usually a very ethical person.

 

If conscience inside each human is the wee, small voice of God calling out to us, and the person allows truth into his conscious state of mind routinely, then he cannot abide himself unless he acts morally. This results in his transformation into an ethical adult.