Questioning My Choices

I think as children we were taught a lot about what is "right" and what is "wrong." The world seemed much more black and white than it actually is. These values are (presumably) instilled in us from a very young age, and as we grow older we either rebel against what we were always taught was "right" or be those good little angels we were brought up to be.

I (and most people I know) consider myself a "goody-goody" for obvious reasons. I don't drink underage nor do I party nor smoke nor anything that we were taught as "bad." But I also know people who've tried it once or twice on occasion. Now why did they do it when all our lives we were taught that this was wrong? Did the adults I look up to overhype the dangers of "bad" things? Is it better to try things out and judge for yourself what is right and wrong?

If you think about it, the health risks of all this is no better than eating lots of fast food junk. Not that I actually do eat tons of unhealthy food, but the purpose of this argument the hypothetical situation stands. The brain damaging effects of alcohol could also be through sucking helium balloons for that high chipmunk voice instead.

I'm not saying that I'm going to change my lifestyle. Rather, I'd like to identify the reasons for my choices and justify them--- because no longer is the world black and white. "Because I know it is wrong" no longer is an excuse. Because nothing is entirely wrong nor is anything entirely right.