Connection Blog #6

We were talking about Freud earlier this week and the whole “Freudian slips of the tongue” concept. It’s funny because I’ve never heard it called that before, but I completely understand the concept; saying how you really feel, but not meaning to say it out loud. But after what we talked about today, Utilitarianism, I feel like these go hand in hand..maybe. Utilitarianism is about picking the choice that does the greatest good for the greatest number of people. So in a sense, would me telling the truth be the better thing to do at all times? What I mean is, if I had a Freudian slip of the tongue and tell my friend that her dress isn't cute and she doesn't look good (maybe not that bluntly) then I’m doing good to her and possibly further on in her life. Let’s say later that night she had a date, and she was looking a mess, thus the guy doesn't give her a second date. Then she gets upset and finds out that he's dating someone else. In turn, she gets up and goes on a killing spree out of spite. Now, all of this would have never happened if I would have told her from the get-go that her outfit wasn't that cute. That example is a bit extreme, but I feel Utilitarianism is a bit too black and white; either you're doing the right thing or you aren't. What confuses me is who decides what you do is morally good or not? An action that you commit could feel like it's the correct thing to do in your mind, but on the flip side may seem like the wrong choice for society to others. I feel like you can never win with Utilitarianism.