Ask both questions. Both are valuable but they give very different answers. Asking what is the good thing to do instead of what is the right thing to do brings about an emotional as well as a logical answer. Asking only about right leads to legalistic thinking about rules and laws. I spent most of my professional life researching morality and soon realized that most research focused on moral thinking almost to the exclusion of moral feelings.
You usually call people who ask “What is the right thing to do?” letter- of- the- law persons for by asking what is right they are lead to rules and laws. They often find a clear definite answer and if they consider nothing else are called rigid. In contrast by asking: “What is the good thing for me to do?”, your attention turns to personal and emotional consequences. Usually these don’t have clear answers and require more than can be known through rules and laws. People who are able to include feelings develop a wisdom so valuable for understanding what to do in human relationships.
By asking what is the good thing to do you will open the door to moral feelings and you will find the feelings and emotions associated with being good to be the most rewarding personal experiences you can have.
Your Question: When you think about moral and interpersonal problems in your life do you find that different answers emerge when you ask what is good instead of what is right thing to do?
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