Given the ripple effect of our actions across time and space, how can we ever be sure that we’re doing the ‘right’ thing?

Question

To clarify, the ripple effect is a situation that causes another event or a series of events.

Mahesh · Accepted Answer

We can't. We can only do what we feel and think is right in the moment, with the information and knowledge we have, forecasting what all consequences could arise. Whatever we do now, we cannot really say if it's good or bad for us either. Things we thought were bad for us might turn out great for us years down the line, and vice versa. Just ignore the ripple effect, you can only take so many ripples into consideration with the processing power and working memory a human brain has.

Craig · Answer

"Right" according to what/whose criteria?

The short answer to your question is, we can't ever be 100% sure. All we can do is make the best decisions we can based on the information we have and the most reasonable predictions we can try to make from it, and let the proverbial chips (or ripples) fall where they may.

There's always a possibility we're overlooking a detail that changes the outcome to something we didn't predict and don't like, but we're human; we almost never have perfect information and we can't control for all possibilities. So we just do the best we can.

David · Answer

Every action/decision effects everything around you, so choose wisely...

MaT · Answer

Depends on what you mean by "doing the right thing".
If you mean morality, the answer is easy.

Jason · Answer

Just how it works. Would be an issue if one domino didn't budge

Given the ripple effect of our actions across time and space, how can we ever be sure that we’re doing the ‘right’ thing?

Philosophy Community

Every action/decision effects everything around you, so choose wisely...

Depends on what you mean by "doing the right thing". If you mean morality, the answer is easy.

Just how it works. Would be an issue if one domino didn't budge

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