Quote:
Originally Posted by robert2
Is it moral to wear rings in the ears/have tattoos/unconventional haircuts/sexy clothes (like very short skirts) if the majority of people on the street don't like those things and they are bothered because of them? We will suppose the majority of your friends like those things or aren't bothered at all by them but the majority of unknown people are. I'm not talking about wearing them at job or at an official dinner, I'm talking about wearing them on the street. Wearing those things in the street may mean you don't respect other people but on the other hand being bothered that someone wears rings in the ears or wears something unconventional may mean you don't respect his preferences. From a moral standpoint which side is right? Does it matter what that unconventional thing is? (perhaps you consider tattoos acceptable but you don't feel the same way about sexy clothes) Again , his friends agree with she/him but the majority of people don't.
According to the minimalist moral codes popular in liberal democracies, no it isn't morally wrong to do so - people are generally supposed to be tolerant of differences that don't harm other people. That being said, cultural norms almost always includes rules about how to dress and otherwise present yourself in public. Thus, how you dress will communicate some message about how you view yourself in relation to the prevailing cultural norms, and if you deviate too far away in how you dress, some people will suspect you also deviate in other more important matters.