"Everything you do must bring more good than harm."

... is one of the life principles you can take. In ethics theory, you may find this principle called "Teleology". Whenever you face a situation that urges you to decide, just simply hold to this principle. If the consequences brings more good, just do it. If the consequences brings more harm, leave it. Of course, the consequences we're talking about here must be comprehensive. Don't only see yourself, but see also the impacts to another people.

The great thing about this principle is, it can be applied to every situation. It helps you to solve your life problem. It leaves less headache for you to think of a decision, especially when you face many problems at a time. You can make a better priority list. You can become a wiser person.

Things that you have to keep in mind is, make sure you evaluate every consequence as comprehensively as you can. Because, mistakes in finding the good and the harm can bring you to a wrong decision.


However, you know, the way each person thinks is different from one to another. Thus, their perspective of "good" and "harm" is different. To different people in a same situation, the decision they take can be different.
Take an example, if Ms. X gathers with friends and they offer her to drink alcohol and smoke, she won't do it. Because

1. alcohol and cigarette can poison your brain, liver, lungs, and other parts of the body.
2. For her, none of the alcohol or cigarette can make her happy. Even if yes, it's just for a short time. Compare to the damage they can create, the "happiness" is too little.
3. In her religion, drink alcohol is sinful. It can bring you to hell. And that's bad.
4. It can drive you to a bigger harm. Like, first, you want to taste cigarette. Then, after you satisfy your curiosity and feels that nothing bad happens, you try alcohol. After a sip or two, you think you're still fine. Then you try a glass, then maybe someday a bottle. Then you're drunk. Alcohol has the ability to make people not aware. It means, you couldn't think clearly when you're drunk. You could possibly do more inappropriate things like free sex. Which, it has the high risk of transferring sexual disease and having unwanted pregnancy.
So, because it brings more harm than good, Ms. X doesn't want to try alcohol nor cigarette.

... To other people in the same situation, there is possibility that they decide otherwise. Let's say to Ms. Y, alcohol and cigarette are the way to pursue her happiness and to calm her mind, the risk of health problem is small, religion doesn't matter because you still can't make sure if God/hell/heaven do exist or not, or you still can pray to God to forgive you later, the risk of bigger harm is manageable because you know you won't be too stupid to lose your consciousness. (But, really? If you think like that, please reconsider, dude. For your own's sake.)


Yep, so the same principle doesn't guarantee people to walk in the same path and make the same decision. So how to solve this?

Look, some people tend to ignore some aspects to justify their actions. Why? Because "the ego" and "subjectivity" play big part here. So just make sure to be objective in analyzing the impacts. Be honest to yourself.

In addition, if you see any different decision between you and another person, you have to understand that TRUTH is not only available in one version. Especially, when it comes to a personal value. Every person has their own perspectives. Just try to respect that other person's decision [as long as it doesn't significantly (or possibly to significantly) hurt other people].
Enjoy the differences, and it'll leave you less headache.

So, are you going to take this principle? It's highly recommended ;)

image from here

99 Cahaya di Langit Eropa

Alhamdulillah. Tamat sudah saya membaca buku ini. Buku karangan Hanum Rais (putri mantan Ketua MPR RI, Amien Rais) dan Rangga Almahendra ini menceritakan kisah perjalanan mereka menapak jejak Islam di Eropa. Gaya bahasanya sangat rapi dan mudah diresapi. Dan banyak hal mengejutkan--yang saya baru tahu--tentang sejarah Islam, particularly, di Eropa. Ketika membaca buku ini, saya merasa seperti sedang benar-benar ada di Eropa dan ikut mengalami kejadian yang dialami penulis. 

Ada cerita tentang seorang muslim Turki yang sangat menginspirasi. Dia mencoba menjadi "agen muslim yang baik", bukan dengan ceramah agama yang berbusa-busa, tapi dengan senyum dan keramah-tamahannya. Bahkan, ketika agamanya dijelek-jelekkan oleh pemuda Eropa, bukannya marah-marah, ia malah mentraktir mereka dan menawarkan pertemanan yang hangat. Hal ini mengingatkan kita, bahwa Islam mengajarkan kelembutan, bukan kekerasan seperti yang ditunjukkan orang-orang Arab jaman sekarang.

(Personally, menurut saya, semua agama juga mengajarkan hal yang sama. Yang membuatnya melenceng adalah manusia itu sendiri, yang memiliki hasrat tinggi untuk menang sediri dan ingin terlihat kuat.)

Dari segi budaya, novel ini turut membuka pandangan saya tentang peradaban Islam di benua di mana Islam menjadi minoritas. Highly recommended :)

(image from here)