I agree one hundred percent with the distinction you draw. I should have added in my statement about how to live a good life, that our good lives depend not only on reaching a decision about the nature of good, but a willingness to act upon that decision, to put it into action, which is what I was speaking about earlier in the decision between philosophy and art. Artists know that what counts in the end is what you put into the work, the sum total of your decisions. That's why they stand as the best advocates for the good life. They are very much about putting ideas into action.
I do think it's important to recognize that because we can all learn from our mistakes, because we all grow, it pays not to be too attached to one's decisions. When I was a child, I thought as a child. Now that I am a man, I think as a man. Change, and openness to new experience is vital.
I don't know if I need to restate this, or to state it plainly, but relativism is death as far as I'm concerned. The goal, I think, is an upward spiral towards the good, refining our approaches as we learn. Holding on to the truth we have discovered, being open to discovery. A difficult balance.
Jeffery
