“Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.”

That’s the title of a Medium article I’ve been procrastinating on for a while now. I know what I want to write, but the pieces haven’t come together yet. I came across a quote today in a series I watched, and it perfectly mirrors the point I want to make about consideration.

It highlights how the hardest moral decisions are rarely about choosing between good and evil, but between personal gain and personal integrity. Some things are within our rights to do, but we know, either at a given time or under certain circumstances, that they aren’t the right things to do.

For example, a husband asking his wife for sex on a day she is visibly exhausted. Or a wife making certain demands when she knows her husband's financial situation. Both have the right to ask, but asking in moments like these lacks consideration and, frankly, kindness.

We face situations like this daily, yet we often gravitate toward enforcing our rights and forget to ask what is right. We should pause, think things through, and imagine ourselves on the other side of the line. Asking, “If I were on the receiving end of this, would I still think this is fair?” That question alone can nudge us toward doing the right thing, rather than clinging to what we’re entitled to.

I woke up this morning feeling like the president of a third-world country battling famine and economic collapse. I was genuinely tired and uninspired. I knew I had work to do, but my morning routine became the sacrificial lamb to my exhaustion.

I did some chores and decided it would be a work-from-home day since there wasn’t much to do at the office anyway. I spent the day like a broke man searching for a job, sweeping the roads with his feet in search of greener pastures… wait, I am broke and looking for a job, just not sweeping the roads with my feet. I was sweeping the internet with my digital footprints.

I focused mainly on improving my database knowledge and also attended to some UI/UX work. I need to build my portfolio properly and populate my GitHub with projects I’ve worked on to increase my chances of landing a good job. I also managed to watch an episode of a series today, and I genuinely enjoyed it.

Do you ever reread old messages and reminisce about the moments they were written in? I did that tonight, and it made me laugh and feel happy. Moments remain, even when the people we shared them with are no longer around. That’s life.

Things I’m grateful for today:

Memories. I sometimes wonder how people living with dementia survive without them. Even painful memories are still worth keeping because of the experiences and lessons they carry.

Family. Families aren’t perfect, but on a good day, they are the closest thing to perfection you can get.

Qur’an. The constant.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow, In shā’ Allāh.