Why Bother Being Good?

Being an opportunist is rational. But it’s far less meaningful than the alternative.

I have a crush on this guy

I’ve been learning about existentialism lately, and I think it’s given me a remedy for the unbearable outrage I feel towards evil opportunists. People like oil barons, Elon Musk, or those who make candy-flavored cigarette alternatives so they profit off of addicting kids to nicotine.

From what I understand, existentialism says that there is no objective meaning to our lives and therefore we are free to define our own. When you apply this perspective to morality, you realize there is no objective definition of “right” and “wrong” either.

I’ve defined my moral code in favor of helping people in need, honoring common resources, and generally just making everyone happier. Many of you will read these principles and go “no duh.” But when you think about it, there is no universal mandate saying that I should define my morals this way. Sure, they are more or less the default morals that will cause most of society to accept me. But if someone else were to profit off of deforestation, hate black people, or pee on public toilet seats, no cosmic police force will come to teach them a lesson. We the people can only try our best by arguing, pummeling them, or some other method of coercion.

But the unfortunate reality is that most of the time, there is no way to influence these people. Maybe you can’t get in touch with them. Maybe you can, but they refuse to hear you. And so they will keep doing what they are doing, unrestricted, and we will be left watching with our moral little arms crossed.

This is the thing that’s long bothered me, as well as tempted me to give in to opportunism. How do I live with the fact that people can profit greatly from causing harm to others? What’s the point of standing by my restrictive set of values if shirking them would make my life significantly easier? What’s the point of being “good?”

…

Here’s an answer I find satisfying — Choosing to be good, even when it’s advantageous not to be, is deeply meaningful. Precisely because there is no reason you need to do so. It’s an affirmation of your agency and individuality. Yes, it can be painful to know that other people will exploit the vulnerable and society will invariably reward them for it. But I can bear it because, one, I accept that others are existentially in their right to act that way, and two, my decision to abstain from that kind of behavior is an act of rebellion that amplifies the meaning of my life.

This realization is not an excuse to let bad actors act badly. Reach these people if you can. But it is an antidote to the cynicism you’d otherwise feel seeing it happen — cynicism that, over time, can turn you into the very kind of opportunist you despise. It’s a reason to be generous over greedy, principled among the lawless, and kind amidst cruelty. You are giving your life meaning instead of losing yourself to the gilded abyss.