Friedrich Nietzsche called them humanity’s “herd instinct.” John Stuart Mill stated that they are the proportion to which an action leads to human happiness. Socrates believed that a “moral” individual would not harm an “immoral” individual. Philosophers (and scientists) have long debated the essence of morality, and different cultures have all at various times and even today possess differing ideas of what is morally acceptable. But one question above all else rings clear: do morals actually exist apart from our subjective human world, in the objective realm? To be clear, morals and ethics are something urgently required by society to function properly and to ensure human happiness and trust. For truly, a wold without morals would be a world of chaos and misfortune, presumably. With that established, however, do morals actually exist objectively? If so, who or what sets the rules and what are they? If not, why not? I invite the artists and philosophers of Prose. to take up the challenge, and am eager to read your takes on this. All philosophical and religious views are welcome.

For those who love love to bend the rules in writing. Feel free to go wherever you want with this. Let's be honest: it's good to mix things up every now and then. Whether you write the bad guy as good, or see the crime as an act of justice, it is up to you.

The only way that a new word can be added to the dictionary is if that word is already being used by a considerable group of people. This means that many useful, silly, or time-saving words are rejected from formal print. I invite my fellow writers to present a word that they believe should be considered for the dictionary (and how it is used), so that we may begin using these words in our own writing, spreading its use. I look forward to seeing what new vocabulary I may obtain through this challenge.

For those of you who are familiar with my challenges, you know that I tend to make them pretty complicated. This one, however, tops them all. Write a story that incorporates the reader into it as much as possible. For example, write a police report as if the reader were the detective, or a medical journal as if the reader were the doctor, and so forth. And if you really want to impress, and if you have the mind for it, perhaps try writing a “choose your own adventure” story (I am not sure how this would work, but hey, why not?). I am curious to see how this goes, so, have fun with it!

I once read a satire that criticized dreaming. The author, who wrote it in the late 1800s, humorously elaborated upon the "boring" habit that people tend to partake in just after wakig up: telling others about their dreams. The satire is my personal favorite, even considering all other satires I have ever read. Yet, I disagree with the author. I actually find enjoyment in hearing the bizarre tales of others, the things that they experience in the dreamscape. So, please, share your dreams. It can be any dream you have ever had, vivid or bland. Sigmund Freud claimed that the driving factors of the human mind lay primarily in the subconscious, and though he was later proven mostly wrong, the things that present themselves when we are unconscious, such as in our dreams, are still interesting. I think you get the idea, so enjoy this challenge!

Where are my military fiction writers out there? Where are my bend-the-rules writers, as well? Whoever you are, this challege may be for you. Write a short story that includes the following line in it somewhere: "company, stand down." It must be done in at least fifteen words. That is all. So, have fun with it, and I cannot wait to see what you come up with.

There are roughly one hundred thirty million books that have ever been written. Of all authors, only a small handful are well-known, yet so many others have great things to say and are unheard of. Fina a quote by a lesser-known author that is impactful, in any way. The post with the most likes wins. Please tag me in the comments.