I was having a discussion with one of my college friends. She just mentioned that I am an ethical person. I have received this compliment from others as well but did not think much about it. I am wondering what they mean when they say I am ethical. I think what they mean is I am a man of principles and values. (It’s a nice compliment and I enjoy writing this blog). I can’t say if I am a man of principles but I can assume that I am perceived to be one. Also the fact I got this compliment from many people spread over a period of a year will help me in assuming that I am indeed one.
Ethics and morality come into picture when you have to take a decision or to make a choice. Your decisions and the choices determine what sort of person you are. I can safely assume that I have been consistently making those choices that people expect a principled man to make. More interesting question is how I do it. Do I follow a rule consciously to help me make a decision or is it just natural? If its natural, am I doing it subconsciously and the process is so innate that I fail to perceive it? To find answers, I thought of situation where in I was faced with a difficult decision. After replaying many incidents, I think I have discovered the twin rules that help me decide on the choices.
Rule 1
Whenever you have a choice to exercise, evaluate each of the option carefully. Think over the options in great detail understanding what each of them means for you. All these years, you must have a developed a system of values for yourself, certain ideals that you cherish. Just ensure that the choice you make does not contradict those. Because, when you look back at these decisions, you should be proud about it irrespective of their monetary or social benefits. At the end of the day, when you see your image in the mirror, it’s always better to see a guiltless face and proud shoulders than a guilty face and drooped down shoulders.
This rule works for 80% of cases. You generally have two or at most 3 options and this rule helps. For the remaining minor cases you can use rule two.
Rule 2
Identify a set of people you admire and whose views you respect. It would generally be your family members and some friends you respect a lot. The set should consist of people who understand you well, should be your well wishers and you reciprocate their feelings as well. Now evaluate each of the options and see if they approve of it. Does your action increase or reduce your reputation and respect in their frame of reference. Will they be happy and proud of the choice you exercised? These questions go a long way in helping you make the choice.
Yet another first
15 years ago
3 comments:
when ethics appear as a baggage, what do you do?
Ethics is a system of values that u love and have set for yourself. It is by nature relative and dynamic. You may change certain principles on the basis of newly acquired knowledge and experience.
But the moot point is, it is YOU who has to decide. the actions are to be evaluated by you. U can go with the flow or fight back. Again, its ur beliefs that would help you in making the decision.
As usual, let me throw a bit of a spanner in the works(2 spanners actually) :)
Spanner#1
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Rule 1 and rule 2 are very very often at odds with each other
Spanner#2
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IMHO, rule 2 is redundant.
"Identify a set of people you admire and whose views you respect."
How does any individual chose this set of people? two ways as I see it :
a) Their views agree with yours and they carry them much further than you yourself do. This set of people can not help you CHOOSE a set of values as the set itself is determined by an existing set of values. So these respected people must be ignored in our search for ethics.
b) People who may/may not agree with your views but whose stand you respect for some or the other reason. Well there will always be too many such people and to fit yourself to everyone's model and still be able to follow Rule#1 is asking too much of an already confused human being. Your post does not seem to include this group of people anyway.
People's best wishes are no guarantee of the correctness of the course they suggest. The problem, as Morpheus succintly puts it, is choice. Every individual has to make this choice alone The only real rule here is Rule#1. Everything else is merely an effort to evade the responsibility of thinking for yourself.
Regards,
Kislay
p.s.Shankar sir, moot point is a point which has no importance/relevance. I am sure that you intended quite the opposite when you used the phrase in replying to rukna's comment :)
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