Ethics

It’s a nice rainy Saturday morning. The two girls ( Lily and Amelia) are lying on the sofa, taking up half the space as favored pets are prone to do. They almost look contemplative- staring out the front window as they watch cars go by. I just completed an ethical lens inventory to help me better understand the values that are most important to me and why I make the choices that I do, when my back is against the wall. What is the bottom line, when it comes to making a decision that I can live with and feel good about?

There are four lens in this model. The relationship and reputation lens= community sets standards for ethical behavior. The rights/ responsibilities and results lens= individuals set the standards for their own ethical behavior. See that little dot? That’s me- or the sum of my choices on this exercise.

Results Lens : You listen to your intuition (sensibility) to determine the greatest good for each individual (autonomy).You define an ethical person as one who makes responsible choices that benefit many different individuals at the same time. You seek “win-win” results for everyone, even in complex situations.

Ok- I think they have pretty well hit the nail on the head.

Today, I bought a card to send to someone that I admire. In that card, I congratulated them on “doing what was right” and the results being “right for everyone”. That was before, I took this little self inventory. Boy, was I surprised!! Your sense of right and wrong really does color your life, your thoughts and your words.  We interpret everything in life, based on this core value system. We may not even be fully aware of how much it influences us. Well, today, I am a little more aware. If you would like to explore this further, check out the Ethics website. We all fall somewhere on this grid- some are more influenced by community mores and some by self-determination. I consider everyone a “free bird”.