Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Speech and Oral Communication
(Mr. Wilfred Galindon Taja)
My Reflection to the following statements:
Should people care more about doing the right thing, or doing things right?
As for me, sometimes doing the things right may not be the right thing to do. The things I
think is right may be the wrong things to other and vice versa. I give you a classic example for
that, based on a Korean Drama which I’ve watched recently. There was a girl living with her
family in a common community meaning, they were poor. As she grew older, she was
complaining why they lived as a poor family while others are not. But she was happy because
she grew up with her parents full of love and care. But one day, her mother spoke to her and said
that they are not her real parents, that she should go to her real family because they are looking
for her for a long time. The girl went to her real family even it’s against her will, and found out
that they are rich, but she couldn’t do the things which make her happy when she was with her
foster parents.
This situation describes the foster parent of the girl did the right thing, they send the girl with
her real family even it hurts their feeling because they loved the girl and make her as their own
daughter.
Another situation was when an employee found out that his/her employer doesn’t paying
exact amount of taxes, does he/she report it to the BIR or not? If he/she does the right things it
will affect his/her work, she/he might be fired. But when that employee makes other ways to
make it right she/he stays at work and continues to earn for his/her living.
Another thing, if you found your friend cheating on his/her spouse, do you intend to tell to
the spouse? That would be the right thing to do, but in doing so, would cause the marriage to
break up, severe financial hardship to the family, and possible emotional problems of the
children. In doing things right, you could personally talked to your friend and find out why and
what reason did he/she do that.
Often in a crisis, people will make a choice and they will have to live with the consequences.
In many cases that choice was the right thing but in some it is not. Example is the drug dealer or
pusher, they are selling drugs for their living, for them to achieve a luxury life, and for them this
is the right thing to do, even if there are lives that are in danger because of their doings.
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Before I end up I would like to share an old hypothesis, a group of children were playing
near two railway tracks, one still in use and other one is abandoned. Only one child is playing on
the unused track and the rest of the children are playing on the functioning one. A train is
approaching and none of the kids noticed it. A person is standing near to the track interchange.
He could make the change the train’s course to the abandoned track and save most of the
children at the cost of losing only one child.
Now put yourself in the shoes of the person and take a moment to think what decision
would you have made? So the most common answer would be changing the course to unused
track so as to save most of the children (Doing Things Right).
But the child which was playing on the abandoned track did no mistake; it was playing there
because it knew there won’t be any train coming up on that track. On the other hand rest of the
children did a mistake by playing on a functioning railway track. If you didn’t do anything train
would have killed rest of the children and that would have been an inevitable accident. But, if
you did change the course, that would become an unplanned murder (Doing Right Thing). Both
acts can be rationalized. Both acts can be blamed.
You can’t always decide in life between what is correct and what is wrong, so in those
situations follow your instincts. Let the decision be your own, but not others even it become
regretful.
What is the difference between living and being alive?
If you’re breathing and have a pulse, congratulations! You’re being alive! But are you truly
living? According to Henry David Thoreau, “The millions are awake enough for physical labor;
but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a
hundred millions to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive.”
It takes to breathe in order to be alive; to inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide and your heart
to pump blood. You see, it doesn’t require much. It simply means you are physically there. It’s
so easy that a lot of us become pretty complacent in just doing that for the rest of our lives, just
breathing in and out. Staring at computer screens, breathing in and out, getting that degree your
parents want, breathing in and out, getting a job, breathing in and out, walking home from work,
breathing in and out.
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
It’s no accomplishment to be alive. It’s no big thing to breathe, walk, run, feed yourself and
sustain the necessary life support it takes to keep your body healthy and working. It’s really
nothing that great to keep yourself alive, I mean, we all do it.
The really accomplished, the ones people talk about, are those who have actually learned
how to truly live, those who did more than just breathe in and out.
Because there’s a huge line between living and being alive, to be alive is to be stagnant. It’s
to let the current drag you through the rhythms and motions as you hold your breath. It’s
standing still on the escalator that perpetually moves upwards or downward. It’s letting people
pull you towards the finish line, your body flopping unconsciously against the ground.
While living is something completely different, living is taking someone’s breath away,
losing your breath at moments and forgetting to breathe. It’s almost the opposite of being alive,
because living will always be closer to death. Living is refusing to let the rhythms of life drown
you into submission. Living is never missing a moment. It’s screaming in agony, gasping for
breath. It’s laughing until you can’t catch your breath. It’s crying until you’d rather just never
breathe again. It’s the feeling that everything could end in a moment and you’d be ready for it.
Living isn’t about preserving your breaths, counting them, watching them go in and out. It’s
about forgetting to breathe, delving into passions and opportunities, swimming against the
current and almost drowning. It’s what you do with those breaths, those moments. It’s how you
make your own path, dance because there’s no other way to express yourself and experience
heartbreak. It’s how you fight with your lovers, shouting because words are failing you and
chasing your dreams until you’re nothing but a wrinkled, exhausted reflection of who you used
to be.
Living is doing what you love, what makes you happy, not what others tell you to. It’s facing
your worst fears. It’s standing up for yourself and your beliefs.
Personally I live almost half of life working and earning money for my family, I didn’t think
about my future, I just think for my family’s needs, because my father was sick for very long
time. Back then it made me realize the difference between livings and being alive, I live my half
of life for my family, but now I’ve decided to have a degree for my own future, for my own life,
for my future family even if others think that it’s too late because of my age. I will continue to
pursue my dreams, for me to have a worth living life.
Life is like a chess game. To win, you have to make a move. It’s your choice; you can play it
safe, and be good or you can take a chance, risk it all, and be great. Everything can go smoothly
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
at start, but as the game goes on, you will lose both pawn and bishop, change places and if you
follow your heart, win. Life is full of obstacles, you will jump and fall crashing down while
experiencing everything, but it will all be all worth it in the end.
My point is, take what you have and make the best of it. If you want to make changes to your
life begin to truly live, start by appreciating all the small things and being aware of every
moment. Like what they always says enjoy life while it last.
Is morality invented or discovered by man?
For Christians or anybody who believe in Christ, morality (principles concerning the
distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour) was discovered and caused man
to commit sin. It happened in the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 5:5-7).
From then on, morality was improved and developed by societies, nations, studies, and
different groups. As time moved on, morality continued to evolve and develop for the betterment
of mankind and all living things.
These days morality is continuously taught as people grow, like when babies are born, they
can`t distinguish right from wrong so parents mold them to know what to do and not to do, that`s
how people develop morality.
We cannot create our own ethic or moral, because "none of us lives for ourselves alone, and
none of us dies for ourselves alone" (Rom.14:7), as Paul of Tarsus observed around 50 AD. We
imbibe our ethics or morals with our mother's milk, and when we attain responsibility we
criticise and adjust our ethics, in conjunction with our friends. Ethics or morals are negotiated.
They are always negotiated.
Must a person be coerced/influenced at some level by societal power in order to live
morally/virtuously?
It is not necessary for a person to be coerced/influenced by societal powers if the person is
brought up with the proper idea and application of morality.
Inside the family or parents has the greater responsibility in moulding up the morality of an
individual. For example there was two boys with different families, boy one was raised in a well-
mannered way, God fearing, know how to care for others. While boy two was living with his
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
parents, quarrelling at all times, his parents doesn’t have time for him, they are always outside
playing majong or drinking alcohol. So this boy two needs to find way or someone to give him
attention or pleasure. He is so easy to influence by society or his environment either in good or
bad doings because his foundation is weak.
While the boy one who lived in loving family, can’t be easily influenced by societal power in
order to live morally because he was living morally with the help of his parents or family ever
since he was born.
The influence of our environments on us is enormous. Think advertising/ marketing. This
industry has created a society of people who think they need the newest version of everything.
We flock like sheep to whatever is the latest fad. Fashion, life style, political views, anything you
can think of is influenced by what comes at us as media.
Society doesn't have to coerce a person to find morality, but the interest/rights of others in
society must be convey to a person in order for that person to determine right from wrong.
However most or many people need societal power in order to live morally, like most people
who do wrong or evil things. The societal power in that case is the government, they govern
people to obey the law and do what is right, if not, then punishment like imprisonment, fines, or
even death is given to people who do evil things in the eyes of God and man.
Will using morality properly necessarily result in maximization of our own
happiness?
It depends on what makes one happy. If you get a lot of joy and pleasure from knowing you
are living a moral life, then, yes, it makes you happy. For people who are morally good, yes it
maximizes their happiness. Like the golden rule, “Do unto others as you want them to do unto
you”, people who understand and live with this principle are filled with happiness and joy.
People who help others without asking for anything in return, people who do Philanthropy,
(private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life) doing public good maximizes
their happiness.
On the other hand, there are some instances that contradict this statements, I give you some
illustration; if a man is driving and he was rushing to arrive at his destination because he was
already late on his important client and suddenly an old lady was crossing the street and he hit
that old lady. Will that man just pass that hit old lady just to arrive in his destination to meet his
new client or he will step out into his car and run that old lady to the nearest hospital? Well, in
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
this situation, the man was so happy to meet his new client, but in using his morality properly it
didn’t maximized his happiness.
Ok, another situation, let’s say you are an employee, and you have a co-worker which you
hate very much because of his/her bad attitude. In doing moral things here properly, you have to
endure the attitude of your co-worker even if it’s against your will, or your own happiness just to
survive in that situation.
One last example, there was a girl and a boy who was badly in love with each other, then one
night the boy was invited to attend a party with his friends and didn’t bring his girlfriend in there.
So they sing, dance and drink alcohol in that party, and because the boy was inside the effect of
alcohol he didn’t realize he was doing something that is not supposed to do. He make love with
one of his friend in that event, he was then realized the sin he made when he woke up. And after
a few months later, the girl he slept with in that party was now bearing a child, and she was
forcing that boy to marry her because of that, even if that girl knew that his friend had a
girlfriend.
So, how will the boy of this situation use his morality properly? Will he marry the girl who
was bearing his child, or he will run with his girlfriend whom he loved most? In doing moral
things here, the boy should sacrifice his happiness just to use properly his morality. He should
endure the consequences of what he did in that party even if it’s against his own happiness.
My point is, using morality properly is not necessarily resulting in maximizing someone’s
happiness. This will depends upon the happiness of the person’s involved.
"It is not our obligation to do good to others, but it is our obligation to be good
to them." explain this thought.
Basing on the golden rule, we must do to others what we want others do to us. It is our
obligation to be good to our fellowmen so that they will be good to us also.
It is like planting something, to receive something in return. When you plant a fruit tree, you
will harvest more than 1 fruit when harvest season comes, though you are not asking for
something in return, in time it will naturally come back to you, though sometimes there are bad
fruits, there are still more good than bad ones.
Consequentialism says that we must minimize suffering and provide the most help to the
greatest number of people. To be morally human is the obligation to be good to others. Like for
example here in the Philippines, when some part of our country has facing calamity, we must
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
Republic of the Philippines
Maila Rosario College, Inc.
Diversion Road, San Gabriel, Tuguegarao City Cagayan
learn to help or give what are excess in us, like clothing, foods, money or anything we aren’t
using just to lessen the pain and suffering our country hood had.
Empathy also is the ultimate virtue. Only when acting out of empathy do we understand other
people, meaning that the only way we can understand others and our obligation to them is
through empathy. When we do empathize with those in need, we understand their pain and need,
and so we are obligated to help them.
But at some point there are situation that we are not oblige in doing such thing, I understand
that we may minimize suffering in doing good or helping who are in need, but we should not be
morally oblige to do so if we don’t have anything.
And other thing, everybody's in need but that is no excuse to bother a homeless person
sleeping in a garbage can or pooping in the park. It is horrible enough that this person has to
sleep there or poop there, the indignity of his/her circumstances is only worsened with your pity
or your food throwing or what you call help. Every human being has the right to be left alone and
not be judged or interfered with. Something called privacy. Only help those who ask for your
help for you to avoid trouble. On the other side, people today are so blind with money, so don’t
trust so much, especially to strangers, they act as if they are in need but in behind of that they just
want the things you have.
Although helping people in need is an honourable thing to do, when we tell people that they
are obligated to help, those on the receiving end will develop a laziness or dependence upon
others. Now said person is always in need help and always want more. This makes them a
serious drain on society and a serious drain on someone.
To be morally human is the obligation to be good to others.
Mona Liza B. Cadago
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
