Melanie has graced us with another edition of Share Your World. She has posed some interesting questions this week. Let’s see if I can do them Justice with my answers.

What’s the most useful thing you know?

When to change batteries in the smoke detectors before the alarms go off, usually at 3 in the morning. The second most useful thing is to always have on hand a supply of fresh batteries for the smoke detectors.

What impact do you think it would have on the world if bananas were illegal?

I don’t know what impact it would have on the world, but my breakfast cereal wouldn’t be as tasty. Plus, what would you call a banana split? Just a “split”? And no doubt, the price of black market bananas would go through the roof.

What social stigma does society need to just get over?

According to Wikipedia, a social stigma is “The disapproval of, or discrimination against, an individual or group based on perceivable social characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society.” So, I believe that society need so get over all social stigmas and everyone should embrace my philosophy of whatever floats your boat.

Do you prefer the moral viewpoint of consequentialism, which focuses on the consequences of actions, or deontology, which focuses on the innate rightness or wrongness of the actions themselves?

Well, let’s see. First, there is the theory of unintended consequences, where the outcome of an action is not intended or foreseen. And then there’s that old saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions, which means that it is not enough to simply mean to do well, one must take action to do well. And then there is the old argument about whether or not the end justifies the means.

Have I used enough words yet to respond to the question without having answered it? No? Okay, let me continue. I think there’s a little of both involved in my philosophy, but the more important question, in my opinion, is, in today’s post-fact, post-truth society, who determines the innate rightness and wrongness of any action? And who decides whether the result of an action is good or bad?

For example, are mask mandates and vaccinations innately right or wrong? That depends upon whether one is a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat. And are the consequences of wearing or not wearing a mask or getting or not getting vaccinated good or bad? I know how I feel about that, but many would argue that I’m wrong.

So the answer to the question is yes…or no, depending on who’s asking and why.