I have found it to be the case that people like me, while completely free from the guilt that so entangles everyone around us, still like to make decisions based on some kind of morality. The reasons for this for the average traveller are unclear to me, but I can certainly explain the purpose of my own.
The first reason is, as it usually is, convenience. There aren't many situations in which you are presented with both a moral dilemma and the time to think it through. In such cases, it can be of great value to have a decision already made, and the ability to override the default if necessary.
The second, more insidious, reason is that there are only so many doors that we can open before we lose grip on ourselves completely. Giving up control of myself is something that I do with great trepidation. As soon as a rule is broken once, it no longer exists for me, and losing all of my rules would create a person who would be terrible to behold. At the moment, I wish to retain the option to blend into society.
I had a thought today. It really is only a matter of time before I become a violent shadow of a man. As Bateman said, I can feel the mask slipping.
