I think to understand what you're asking, you have to be a little more specific about the type of thing to which a person may or may not be attracted to doing.

That is to say, I think my answer would vary if the thing were to be a career choice to which a person would have to dedicate themselves to for the rest of their lives vs. if the thing were being civil to someone for whom you had great distaste.

That is to say, I think that in general, there may be more value in the latter: doing what you don't care to do, but doing it because you know it's what you personally consider to be the moral thing to do. Why wouldn't a person do what what she or he considers to be both moral and easy to accomplish.

In particular, of course, it varies with degree, which is why I'm trying to delinate between something that might require so much of a person -- a career track, for example -- that might not bring to the world, or this person's ethical system, sufficient moral goods to justify the discomfort. Or put another way, using the same example, the difference in moral rewards between the "supremely ethical career" and a moderately ethical career should also be taken into account.

Somehow this is all generally related to my acknowledgement, but not 100% acceptance, of the deontological reasoning of the right being prior to the good.

As a completely impartial answer, i will say: sometimes we don't appreciate things that are right/good unless we habituate ourselves to them.

In my philosophy class, our professor told us of a couple he knew who raised their children not to say "thank you" unless they felt grateful. Those children never said thank you. We don't feel grateful unless we are habituated to know when we SHOULD feel thankful. Sense?

i think that probably applies to "doing good things even if we don't feel drawn to them" -- maybe eventually we become drawn to them.

i see no difference in either position; both are trying to attain goodness.

ya used too many o' 'em darn fangled hard to figure out super long extry syllabub words there missy. talk like a normal person! i jist caint seem t' understand yous. presuppose and curtail and veritable. can i haves a suma your drugs? i spose they taste pretty durn right good.

pardon me, if you will. i'm was in a terribly hick mood for a moment. it was fantastic. i do amuse myself so. hope life is going well. just chillin' and illin' and studying for medical licensing exams down here in R-town. you'd think they'd just let you perform surgery, right? but noooooo... we have to be all special and licensed and junk. whoever came up with *that* idea? sheesh. i knows me a leg from a stomach from an ear... i think. hrm... now where'd i leave that scalpel... oh crap, guess this isn't my pen behind my ear... ow... there goes my ear. oh i jest i jest.

anyways, much love, many hugs... and i leave you with one thought. if you decide to buy converse and they are black -- don't take a black sharpie, try a gold or silver pen. that way you could read it. ;)

see, i'm good for something, no? i give great advice... :)

-Fashiongrrl

i've been thinking about this for the last... well, three days, i guess, and the best i can come up with is that it's more rewarding for me to do something that i don't want to do, but know that i should because it's right, than doing something that i'm predisposed to do. so if the point is to do more things that are good, as far as making decisions and acting "right," then i would say that it is better to do good things that you are not drawn towards.

I have a friend in high school who had her shoes signed by They Might be Giants.

speaking of high school - wow, it's been a long time.
how in the heck are you, vicki?

I'm good. How have you been? I'm living back in Northern Virginia now pretty much with my boyfriend. Just got back from a great weekend camp. I was living in England for a while.

it's weird trying to sum up life since high school in a few sentences.

but here it is:

all things considered, i'm well. ridiculously busy and overcommitted, with a fair share of ups and downs. these days i'm up in connecticut, trying to finish off my long overdue and much belaboured master's degree while interning a few days a week at the un in nyc. i'm still based out of the nova area though - worked for the epa for a while down there while i was taking time off of school, and continue to keep in touch with a fair number of people from out alma mater.

england, at least, sounds exciting. :)

Hey. i know this is really random. but i typed "elf" into the search thing cause that was the name i wanted but couldn't have.

thats some deep philosophy
~Beth
P.S. Would you add me?