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Comment by dostick | Hacker News Reader

Sadly that’s from the different times, when morality was worth something. Saying such things would be considered childishly naive in modern world. And we know that laws themselves are outdated, especially as demonstrated genre, about whistleblowers.

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> when morality was worth something

There has never been a time when everyone behaved morally, and it's unhelpful to view the past in this way.

MLK himself was murdered.

Your mental model of the past is idealistic, morality in the past was lynchings, cop raids against gay people, racism against everyone, segregation, sexism, and imperial power.

I would die for my principles, so it stands to reason that I would go to prison for them.

I have this quote painted on one of my favorite possessions. I live by the quote, I'd die by it. I don't consider that childishly naive.

Naive would be thinking that taking a more Malcom X approach won't lead to death and prison as well.

Most people won't even be mildly inconvenienced for their principles.

Such as using less optimal solutions that align more with their beliefs or taking a lower paying job that won't compromise their morals.

And those people will not be walking alongside me, standing up for the freedom of their fellow countrymen. That's fine. I'd rather focus on collectivizing with those who are principled.

Thing is, principles differ from wisdom. The latter implies that changing your mind while growing is possible.

Are you implying that principles stand in opposition to growth or wisdom? That a wise man cannot be principled?

In the narrow sense of principle, indeed principles can stand in the way of wisdom. A more wide definition of principle could be that you have them, but that they can change out of, for example, wisdom.

Principles are 'wrong' just like scientific models are wrong. Over time, scientific models get replaced by other models that are less wrong.

What I want to say actually : there is no Right or Meaning just like there is no Truth. There's only (wise) man's search for it.

It may be the wise man's search, but it's possibly a fool's errand as well :)

I believe you are right to some extent, but also overestimating how strong and important the specific principles you're observing are to most people. Some of us have stronger principles, yes. But more of us have _different_ principles.

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