do i want this action to echo throughout eternity ??

this (and nothing less) is the question i should ask before doing something

deciding what to do isnt really about deciding whats right and whats wrong

whats good and bad

whats proper or improper

or any of the other ways we have of thinking about what to do

the question is do i want this action to echo throughout eternity ??

sometimes things that make us say yes to that question are good—sometimes they’re bad

but that is always the question

because our actions do echo across the eternity of this place

that is always the metric

because this murder sometimes this betrayal is something we consider bad—yet the action is decided upon because we do want it to echo throughout eternity

an artistic decision is made this way—not in terms of good and bad—but in terms of whether you want it to echo across eternity

actions are not undoable

they are permanently stored in the time and space of this place

they exist in matter

they never go away

so (now) think about helping the man cross the street or not helping him

dont think in terms of good and bad

think in terms of whether you would like this action to echo across eternity

think of your artistic decisions this way

this plot this chapter this line of dialogue—theyre neither good or bad—theyre things you might or might not be putting into reality (where they will stay forever)

are you going to put them there or not?

that is the question

is this action (youre thinking about taking) an action that you choose to place in this world knowing that it will echo across eternity ??

the next time you consider doing something

think about that