Is the Just or Unjust Life Better?

My friend Patrick arrived at my house at seven o'clock sharp, just as he always does. It was a night just like any other, and it appeared this Thursday would be no exception. Both of us are very intelligent individuals with completely different approaches to life. We also are renowned, in our circle of friends, for being strong-willed and stubborn. We drove downtown to our favorite bar, and the waitress served us our usual pitcher of Miller Genuine Draft. We played several games of 301, as usual, and engaged in our typical banter with one another.
You can't throw darts worth a shit! Patrick taunted.
I beat you down the last three games! I didn't hear you talking then! I replied.
Ya, well I'm kicking your ass at the moment, and that's all that counts!
We kept throwing darts, and eventually I stormed back from behind to tie the game. Patrick threw his last three darts, but just missed the mark on his final toss. In a tantrum, he ran up to the board and hit the player change button twice, which skipped my turn. Then, he quickly stuck his dart in the bull's-eye, resulting in his victory. I won! I won! You got the next round! Patrick screamed. I voiced my displeasure to him, but knowing his personality and how he would refuse to budge, and not wanting to jump into a huge argument over a silly game, I reluctantly decided to give in to his demands.
You know, you can really be a prick sometimes. Do you really feel great for getting what you wanted at your friend's expense? I asked.
Yes. It gets me what I want, and that makes me feel good, he replied.
Knowing our backgrounds and feeling like I wanted to prove a point, I decided to start an argument. You know, it may get you what you want right now, but God is still watching, and he'll be sure to punish you for what you did because it was wrong.
You know that I don't believe in God, and that many people, while religious, don't necessarily accept that God is an angry individual with his finger just inches from the smite button. I won the game, which means that you have to buy the drinks, and that's just the way things are going to work tonight.
Okay, so let us say, hypothetically, that no form of higher power exists. Let us say that mankind is the highest power in the universe. Is it right for someone to do something unjust because they have the power to get away with it?
I think that if any given person had the power to do whatever he wanted, right or wrong, he should do so. The only reason people do just things is because they do not have the power to do unjust things and get away with it. Fortunately for me, tonight I have the ability to win this game of darts and get away with it. Unfortunately for me, I do not always have the power to be unjust, so therefore, sometimes I must be just. I know that sometimes you are more strong willed than I, and that sometimes I have to give in to your demands.
That seems to me to be a rather shallow, self-centered way of thinking and approaching life. Does it really feel good to be able to step on someone who has less power than you and get you what you want?
Yes, I have all my physical needs provided for, and then some. Last week, I told my boss some lies about one of my co-workers, which he believed, and I ended up getting the promotion. I'm making about $3,000 more this year than I did the last, and while I don't actually need the money, it sure will be nice. I'm going to be able to buy that swimming pool I've always wanted.
Man, that seems to be some pretty compelling evidence that stepping on others does seem to get you what you want, and in this case, you certainly didn't have to pay any of the negative consequences. Didn't you feel a little guilty lying about someone who didn't do you any harm?
Oh, sure. He really is a great guy, but man, it was just so easy to tell that lie to put myself just a little bit ahead. I felt guilty for a couple days, but that feeling wore off, and I'm sure I'll feel even better when I have that swimming pool this summer.
I see. That is an interesting point of view. It certainly seems in your case that you have separated yourself from the pack using unjust means, while not having to deal with any of the negative consequences for doing so. Let us put your example aside for a moment, and take a look at another far more extreme example. It would seem to follow that if living an unjust life riddled with dishonesty would work in an extreme case, it would also work in one less so?
That sounds right on to me.
Good, well then let us take a look at such a case. Think about Adolf Hitler and Abraham Lincoln-two polar opposites no doubt. Hitler harmed many millions of people for unjust reasons, agreed?
I would agree with that.
Hitler also had what he wanted-all the money, power, sex, and luxuries that anyone could afford. So, in your case, he would appear to be the ideal for which everyone should strive-to be able to get all that it is you want and not have to worry about the consequences, just or unjust.
That sounds right.
Yet, his appetite could not be satisfied. In the beginning of his regime, he started out by forcing the Jews to wear a Star of David, indicating their heritage to everyone. Then, it grew into hurting and killing the Jews on a smaller scale, and finally to the scale of hundreds and thousands of persons per year. Hitler was able to get away with it, even though it was clearly unjust. Was it really what he wanted, or did his wants perhaps grow out of control?
They seemed to grow out of control.
Did he have any friends in whom he could confide?
I would say not. He would very often have to bribe, threaten, intimidate, and perhaps even kill those considered to be friends.
That is correct. He had no friends, and he himself, though he had access to all the things he wanted, still wanted more things which weren't satisfying. Would it seem that such an individual would be happy, or that he would be on edge, constantly living in fear because he didn't know who his friends were, and never really being able to enjoy those things he had because he was afraid of them being taken?
It would certainly seem that such an individual would be quite miserable indeed.
Eventually, there came a time when the Allied forces were ready to capture Berlin, and rather than facing the consequences for his unjust actions, he committed suicide. This man was one of few people who came very close to having no constraints to all that he wanted, yet he was never really happy, and eventually paid the ultimate price for living such a lifestyle.
It seems that way.
Now let us take a look at a vastly different individual-Abraham Lincoln. This person conducted his life with impeccable honesty, resulting in the name "Honest Abe." His most prominent historical contributions were supporting the freedom of slaves and keeping the United States together. While he undoubtedly did not conduct his life with perfect justice, we can agree that he probably conducted the majority of his time with honesty and integrity.
Sure.
We can also assume that he had everything he wanted, as he did not try to acquire more. Limits are imposed on the President, but it could definitely be argued that he could probably get away with a substantial amount of injustice, yet chose not to.
Sounds logical.
Despite the fact that he took up the just cause of freedom from slavery, most southerners hated him. And then, after the war, when he opposed punishing the South, many of the northerners hated him, and ultimately, he too ended up paying a high price for his actions.
Death. I don't see your point, Dan. In one case, a nearly totally unjust person has all he wants and dies, and in another, a just person has all he wants, and he dies as well. Thus far you have shown that perhaps an unjust life and a just life exist on an equal plane, but you have not shown me that a just life would be better than an unjust one. To me, an unjust life seems to be the easier path to getting what I want. A just life seems like it will get me what I want, but only with a lot more work. If I had to choose between the two, I would still choose the unjust life.
I see your point, however, I would still like to continue. While Lincoln did suffer his share of personal problems, he did have his moments of tranquility, love, and happiness. Compare this to that of Hitler-how often do you think he felt this way?
I would say those moments would occur rarely, if ever.
Now, think about all the joy and happiness minorities experienced then, but now experience to a much greater degree today due in part to Lincoln's work. Compare that with all the pain, suffering, and death not only in Germany, but in the entire world due to one man's unjust actions. Consider also the history of Germany since World War II's end. Germany itself is doing quite well politically, socially, and economically, but only because it has taken a path much different than the one created by Hitler. Remember, also, how reluctant it is to speak of Hitler in any way. Consider also, that nobody celebrates Hitler's birthday on April 20th, while President's day, designed in part to honor Lincoln, is proudly celebrated by Americans today. Is an unjust life really worth living if it only results in one's temporary delight in superficial things, or would it be more worthwhile to live a just life, have some good and some bad, and perhaps create a legacy celebrated by people for generations to come?
I can see your point on a larger scale. I can see that an unjust life results in very little enjoyable good for one's self and others, and how a just life results in some good and some bad for one's self and others, but I'm not the next incarnation of Hitler. I don't plan to be as unjust as Hitler; I'll keep my unjust actions at a manageable level. It seems pretty obvious that one person living a completely unjust life is not going to work, but what about many persons living unjustly on a much smaller scale. So what if I cheated on the game of darts and made you spend a few dollars on some beer? So what if I told a few small lies to get a raise at work? Sure, I'm harming others but I'm not really harming myself, so I don't really think that it's a big deal.
That's where you are mistaken, my friend. I am going to show that you are in fact harming not only others as you admit, but yourself also. Let us look at an example where you can be unjust, and you are sure you can get away with it unharmed. Let us simply look at what happened minutes ago where you cheated to win the game of darts, forcing me to buy the next round. You current view is that while you know you cheated on the game of darts, you are still receiving two things you want: one is that I have to pay for the beer while you do not, and the other is that you also get the beer itself. Meanwhile, I have decided to honor your decision, even though it was not just towards me. It seems as though you have been able to be unjust without any negative consequences to yourself.
Yeah, that sounds right.
You admitted before that you did feel somewhat guilty for stealing a coworker's promotion did you not?
That I did.
And you probably feel a lesser amount of guilt, but guilt nonetheless, for the events occurring between us this night?
A small bit, perhaps, but I feel as though getting you to pay for the next beer and the beer itself gave me a good feeling which canceled out the guilt.
Yes, but doesn't it still perhaps bother you just a slight bit even though you did get what you want?
Yeah, but just a slight bit.
There it is then. You have harmed yourself. Even just this miniscule amount of guilt is bothering you and is influencing your thoughts and attitudes about yourself and others in a negative fashion. You feel slightly lower opinion of yourself, and we all know that lower self-esteem results in less positive interactions with others, even if only on a very small scale. These inhibited interactions with others reduce the opportunities for self-growth, and even financial success.
I guess I would have to agree with that, but I still think I can keep my unjust actions to a certain manageable level, and I don't see how this could hurt my financial success.
We have agreed that you have hurt yourself probably on a very small scale. Now, let's say you have had a typical week at work. What percentage of the time would you say you conduct yourself with honesty?
I would say that most of the time, 95%, I conduct myself with honesty.
Well, let's say you and another coworker are up for another promotion. Let's also say that a life of perfect justice is impossible, but that this particular coworker conducts himself in a just manner 99% of the time.
Okay.
We could conclude, based on premises we agreed upon earlier, that he feels slightly better about himself and other people because he has conducted his life with more justice than you.
Sure.
Now, let's say both of you are up for that promotion and are interviewed on the same day at the end of the week. Assuming all other variables to be equal, it would be the case that he would receive the job because his interactions in the interview will be more reasonable, positive, and above all, confident. With his increased confidence, others will perceive him as being more qualified and able to handle the job. So, even though the coworker, whose promotion you stole, has no idea he has been harmed, and even though no other human knows your situation and will never punish you for it, you are still harming yourself in that you are reducing the amount of good that could be flowing into you life be it abstract in an improved self-concept, or concrete in an improved financial state. I believe that consequences for just or unjust actions always exist, buy that often they are indirect and difficult to detect, as seems to be the case in your situation.
Wow, that really seems to make sound, logical sense.
Now, let's extend this example to more people than just yourself.
Suppose that currently, everyone at your job is honest 95% of the time, but only acts unjustly 5% of the time. Now, let's say, for whatever reason, everyone decides that perhaps being more unjust is a better way of life and drops that number to 75%.
Okay.
Now, we have a considerably larger amount of time spent on lying, cheating, and backstabbing. As a result, worker productivity decreases, which reduces the company profits. Further, management and executives have to put in overtime trying to straighten out the messes created by employee misbehavior. Now, we have two significant dents in your company's profit margin. Can you estimate your company's profit margin for one year?
I have no idea what that would be, but hypothetically let's say $100,000.
And how much would you estimate the profit margin would fall as a result of unjust employee actions?
I would say maybe 10%, so like $10,000.
Okay. You indicated the promotion you took was worth approximately $3,000?
Yes.
Well, it looks like either you lose your extra cash entirely, or you lose a significant percentage, depending on how your company handles the situation. This is how an accumulation of unjust actions by others and yourself end up hurting you. If you did your best to be completely honest, wouldn't you be much better off?
Somewhat. But you forgot that the coworker I lied about has not received any pay increase at all, while I, even though I won't receive as much as I would like, still have more than this just person does.
Granted. But let us say you continue lying to get ahead of this co-worker, who, even after many years of dedicated service, keeps his same job with only a few minimal pay increases for the cost of living. Do you think it is possible that at some point in time you would tell a lie and be caught, being forced to pay for your unjust actions?
I would probably slip up at some time, as all people make mistakes at one time or another.
Let's say you are fired, your wife leaves you because you can no longer provide for her and takes half of everything you own, and your children refuse to talk to you because they have learned their own ways of being unjust from you. This just coworker, while he has received very minimal recognition, has, after all this time, retained these things and ended up with much more of his wants than you have. In this way, it seems that the just individual, while having an equal ability to be unjust to a certain extent like yourself, yet remaining just, has ended up much better off than you have.
It seems that way. I'm not so convinced, however, that bad is always punished and good is rewarded. Sometimes, I think, bad people perform bad actions, with no bad ever coming to repay their actions.
I have shown earlier why I find that view incorrect. In my perspective, I look at it as though the sum of your unjust reactions reduces the amount of good that comes into your life by an amount equal to the number of unjust actions you have taken, and possibly much worse. The reverse would be true for just actions; the more just actions you take, the more good that will come into your life, and possibly much better. It's like the First Law of Thermodynamics, which shows that energy cannot be created or destroyed-just transferred from one form into another. All the good energy, just actions, and bad energy, unjust actions, merely is transferred from one place to another. I have never seen anyone who has performed a lifetime of bad actions end up with the good things all people want-love, happiness, power, and wealth. Every person that has attained these things seems to have lived a blissfully happy life, according to the media, but they always really reach a very miserable end. To me, some are merely granted more than others, and just need to learn to be happy with that which they are granted.
Okay, so you have done a solid job of providing good evidence as to why being just is perhaps a better life. But, what if we could construct such a world where being unjust had absolutely no consequences-a world where it is possible for a person to be wholly unjust without repercussion? Would it be better then, to be just or not?
If something can only exist in the abstract, and cannot be implemented into the real world in a useful fashion, what is the point of having it at all?
Good point. That is probably a better topic for another night. You haven't been able to convince that a just life is somehow superior to an unjust one, but you have provided good evidence which shows the benefits of living a just life. It seems as though it's really a person's choice, and he has to accept the advantages and disadvantages of his choice.