The Ethics of Madness

[tithonium]

Dunno what my thing is with pulling titles from song lyrics and short stories, but there we go.

So, here's a question.
If the majority of people - the vast majority, mind you - break a rule, is it unethical for you to break it too?

I'd say yes under most conditions.

Approaching W Lake Samm Pkwy on SR-520, two entry ramps merge into the carpool lane and become the exit ramp. There's always traffic during rush hour, backed up a quarter mile or so. Single-occupant drivers will, without hesitation, move over to the carpool lane if they're planning to take the exit. I won't go into how this sort of selfish behaviour actually hurts them more than it helps by creating these sorts of problems to begin with. But I have always stayed in the regular lane until the carpool lane /stops/ being carpool. Then I have to fight my way over into a lane of people who either a) don't want to let anybody in or b) are trying to get into my lane themselves. I've always yelled at the people who just pull into the carpool lane, flipped them off if I was in a particularly bad mood, etc. Today, I said fuck it and did it myself. Abandoned the moral high ground, since it was gaining me nothing but irritation and stress.

Still not sure about the ethical implications of this decision.

Comments

[jenk]

Actually I don't do that.

I get into the 40th-50th exit lane, don't actually take either exit, and re-enter the highway in the exit-only lane for WLSP.

[tithonium.livejournal.com]

Ah, see, now that I can respect. That's sneaky and not - as far as I'm aware - a violation of any traffic laws. I do the same thing with the 8th NE exit in bellevue when heading to 520.

[tithonium.livejournal.com]

It occurs to me that another way to say it (and more to the point, a way I /have/ said it in the past) is "Screw honor, I want you dead!" (during a discussion of duelling)