Moral Behavior Necessary for Happiness

¶ … moral behavior necessary for happiness why or why not? For centuries, morals have guided the way we act and the way we live. It is religious books that steer that way we conduct ourselves. According to an individual's religious affiliation, a person may or may not believe in a particular behavior, and it is this that guides their everyday life. It is these rules that people tend to follow in order to feel fulfilled with themselves and with their lives.

Just as government laws direct our day-to-day physical behavior and if broken are punishable by law, religious laws steer our moral behavior and are punishable by moral torment. Religious text is meant to give individuals a guide by which to live life morally. But does morality necessarily mean happiness? That is a topic of much debate. What may seem like a way to cleanly and ethically live their daily life to one person, may seem like a burden or a hassle to others.

But living morally helps people to do the right thing. With as much crime and as much evil as there has been in the world, moral regulations have drastically limited this number. Imagine a world with no guide on how to behave. No consequences for actions and impulses would greatly damage human kind. According to the Christian Bible, the Ten Commandments are a moral guide for every Christian, "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

The Commandments in the Bible are pretty much straight forward and some should be common sense for anyone who wants to live a happy life, regardless of their belief or lack of belief in Christianity. Things such as "Thou shall not murder," "Thou shall honor thy father and mother," and "Thou shall not steal" (Exodus 20:2-17) are all notions that will bring happiness to anyone seeking peace in their lives.

Living morally means that the soul will be balanced and there are no extraneous factors interfering with what one thinks is right and wrong. This equilibrium is what some define as happiness. Some individuals might look at this and think that it is not necessary to live by any moral code in order to be happy, and that might be true for that specific person, but what one has to always think about is that no matter what an individuals' beliefs are, every action affects those around you.

One person's happiness could interfere with another's, and so it is important to always keep that in mind. Happiness is something felt internally, and although extraneous factors such as having money and luxury might momentarily bring a happy thought or two across someone mind, true happiness is brought when one lives by a moral code. In all, moral behavior does bring happiness. It brings not only contentment to individuals, but a society as a whole as well. When one person acts immorally, many people around that one person is affected.

When a person acts out of their morals and.