Society has created an institution based on the Generally Accepted Moral Principles (GAMP) commonly known as the LAW and people are expected to follow it or be prosecuted / punished. An entire industry called the lawyers & Judiciary thrives on this as there is no dearth of people who keep breaking this code. The GAMP is a code built by the society and is based on the codes that exist in the nucleus of the society – The Family, which comprises people like you and me.

There are of-course a long list of moral principals that do not find place in the Law and therefore the violator cannot be prosecuted under the statute for these. There is an increasing breed of suave and not so suave scumbags who have a 360 degree view on the entire gamut of these exclusions that specialize in breaking these codes knowing fully well that they will get away from the law as these have not been codified. The deal is this, if you don’t get caught, or even if you are caught, you do not admit, you do not get punished and therefore you are not guilty! Or are you?

There are of course two kinds of Moral Codes, one which we are expected follow by virtue of our birth and us being a part of the society and the other which we are expected to follow when we make a commitment – being understood fully well that our word and commitment is a Gold Standard of moral values which we are not going to violate since we are the ones who consciously made this commitment so it is our responsibility to live upto it.

Regardless of whether you murdered someone and are not found out, and if found out don’t admit to the wrong doing (As is happening in the Arushi Murder Case where right from the father to the servants far and near are suspects (some of those interned are nothing but collateral damage) and rotting in Jail) Someone is guilty whether he / she admits or not is ever found out or not and this guilt will see to it that he / she does not go unpunished) or you broke the un-codified moral standards (As in the case of scumbags who cheated on their wives whether they admit or not as they are always found out), there is no difference in the guilt factor. It still gnaws, gives sleepless nights, ulcers and cancer of the soul – It delivers the punch that sucks the breath away. There is always this fear of getting caught and there is always the fear of the victims finding out - Once the chain reaction starts as it always does, the victims WILL find out and the punishment will be worse than that under any codified law– It will be blood curdling and the suffering will not just be for the perpetrator but near and dear ones.

On a philosophical plane, God created Guilt as an inbuilt punishment mechanism for violators of the Moral Code – A Gold Standard that everyone is expected to live by but most don’t. Humans codified some of them and built punishment as deterrent and left the rest to us to follow – that is what differentiates us from Animals.

Looking inwards, it is my belief that being guiltless allows one to live a fulfilling life and attain success howsoever they may define it. Why most don’t is because the road seems long and tiring. If they go on this road though, they will find that it is the smoothest of all.

(An ode to Ayn Rand)