Who controls the decisions in a society? Institutions run by humans full of frailty, weaknesses and vulnerabiity. But outside those institutions, decisions are made by the people en masse.
They cannot be contradicted because in each person is a soul engulfed by goodness and the will to do good. Should anyone deviate from the path laid down from birth, then he/she is censured by the people formally and/or informally. The people then use those institutions to enforce discipline.
However, should institutions break down in their path to goodness, as they are now infused with anti-people evil acts (corruption, nepotism, violence, oppression of critics, etc.) then the people en masse may now rise up to correct those iniquities to install goodness and good order.
Which then makes us ask: is there such a thing as politically noble people in our society?
We expect to elect and get appointed politically noble people in government.
Nobleness is defined as
In other words, the individual is an excellent moral being, having noble thoughts, unrelenting passion for doing good, thinking good, acting, speaking and behaving good. Self-reflection is very much evident in him/her as other people assume great importance.
This becomes more or less like a Christian mission -- this quality of being noble as it is connoted with goodness.
What is being good?
1. The family The family does not encourage much nobleness or goodness. Pragmatism, being practical seems the norm. I have just come across a mother whose child is named after a vampire, and a son having a bloody word in his name. Her husband likes reading vampire stories. I cautioned her to rethink the names because the children could turn violent in the future. Decisions about naming should be done together not only one party ramming down his or her idea on the spouse. She said she would talk to him.
I asked if the Church, as the children have not yet been christened, had agreed to accept the names. Not yet, she said.
So how could nobleness of character, of being good be inculcated under such a situation.
When the spouse is quiet, submissive, and refuses to contradict whatsoever are the ideas of the other, then it would be a great conclusion that the children could turn wayward in the future.
Eventually children could follow the wayward ways of whichever partner is dominant.
2. The schools. Are there books on being noble? In fact, in our elementary school books, the picture of Marcos appears as a benign ruler. A dictator, benign? The subjects that teach goodness are the civic studies which educate the students on being a good citizen. However, this is too formal and I do not think the students imbibe the deep and simple imports of the word. I did not learn how to help others conscientiously until I attended a course on paraprofessional community development at UP way back in 1976 under the CSWCD. I learned there also how to use institutions, how to be brave to confront issues in order to help the poor.
3. The society John Lewis, the icon of anti-segregation in the US in the 60s is an individual who has not mellowed down despite the onset of age. (born in 1940). His society must have impressed in his mind the hardships of the black people who had to suffer from using toilets and going to bars, among others, which had labels for whites" and "for blacks" for many, many years that he had vowed to remove them as barriers to human development of everyone.
And so the society could teach a person how to be noble and good. Of course the standard for John Lewis could have been the UN Declaration of Human Rights that everybody is created equal, and that those segregational signs did not show at all its essence .
Martin Luther King could have been the hero of many of the black peoples, but look at his son now - hobnobbing with a questionable fellow.
In the Philippines, we look up to the biographies of our heroes and heroines of the Philippine-Spanish Revolution. However the martyrs of the Philippine-American wars are not as much appreciated because the Americans introduced many things in the country, like education, the movies, and technologies, among others which then overshadow the oppressive conditions done to our forebears compared to the Spanish era.
At present, the heroes and heroines of the young people are shocking -- Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and all other entertainment figures whose thoughts and speeches hardly are applicable to our situation to be attuned to the needs of the poor, or the disadvantaged groups in general.
At the Philippine Heart Center, there is a painting of a seemingly Mariang Makiling helping the people. But whose face is it? Imelda's. The wife of the dictator with an insatiable lust for wealth and power when that painting was made. Yet, until now, the painting still stands there. What for, to make the people appreciate her lifestyle?
Yes, even paintings could be a source of education on being good and evil, if we care to analyze.
4. Christian view of goodness
Christ says I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. The statement can be interpreted as encouraging the people to accept Christian life, to propagate the Biblical teachings in one's life and of others. But supposing an individual is an atheist, or worships other gods, like wealth and power?
What happens then?
How do we educate them?
I think that before persons get to be a candidate for any position for election or appointment, then they should undergo a test as to their preferences.
Once I heard a quote of a boxer to a subject of investigation ' nag-absent ako sa training ko para maka-attend sa hearing na ito." Which means that he valued his boxing profession over his senatorial duties. So is he anywhere being noble? And what is being noble about boxing another fellow, making him look bloody, groggy and about to pass out? What is being noble as a government official when every slap on his face, every hit on his face is a slap on our flag, on our dignity as a people as he is an official of the land? Why do we allow an official to go into that kind of profession that makes us look so ready to die for millions of dollars, at the expense of our dignity and honor as a people.
I think that talking, writing and behaving about being good and noble should be a priority project in our society and everywhere else. In this manner we could enhance people's relationships and make everyone understand that there are finer things in life worthwhile pursuing than the day-to-day grind.
One thing I can say is this: when institutions fail to deliver to the people what are necessary and valuable principles in life, then people power is the answer, street parliament, anytime, anywhere.
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