I recently found a company I really, really wanted to write for, and I was asked to write a one-pager that described what ethics is and why it’s important to reflect on in our work. Because I feel so strongly about the value of integrity, I’m sharing my essay here. Enjoy!
While I’d love to hard-charge this essay with emphatic certainty for what ethics is, the truth is that the gray area around ethical understanding currently feels foggy. Of course, the unambiguous origin of moral rightness and the basic distinction between “right” and “wrong” can still be attached to ethics, but from a pragmatic standpoint, ethics in action seems to be in short supply. Certainly, there are countless leaders and everyday heroes that hold integrity at the center of their values and exemplify it in their actions, but the most recent spotlight in social, political, and educational climates shines on the absence of ethics, rather than the abundance of speaking power to truth.
During 2016, it has felt like the morale of the United States has dipped to an all-time low. The uncovering of systemic unethical behavior has left a large majority of people feeling anxious about what the future holds, as well as worried about the quality of their lives. To preserve my own spirit and sanity, I’ve paused from enrolling in the anxiety and instead, tried to observe and understand it. I conclude that the major breakdown is in our collective understanding of ethics, as we seem to be missing the mark in agreeing that ethics not only applies to what is best for an individual, but also, what is best for a society. Our judgment is clouted with implicit personal biases, and the division we have created amongst ourselves allows subgroups of populations to elevate their own beliefs and values in a hierarchy of importance above those who differ in look, word, or belief. And we see this manifest not only in blatant acts of hatred, as in mass shootings and police violence, but also in widespread, systemic problems, like corporate greed, political corruption, #Brexit, and sweeping anger and vitriol. At the risk of sounding dismal, and because I believe you have to let suffering speak in order to hear the truth, I dare to assert that we are a bit broken and need to view healing opportunities through the lens of ethics.
This in itself answers why ethics in work is important. People are suffering. The environment is suffering. Parents can’t afford an EpiPen for their allergy-ridden children, while the manufacturer’s CEO enjoys a $16M pay raise, demonstrating the widespread economic inequality that perpetuates unethical behavior and suffering alike. Dr. Cornel West summarizes my thoughts on the importance of reflecting in our personal ethics in this quote (emphasis mine): “The country is in deep trouble. We’ve forgotten that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it. We need the courage to question the powers that be, the courage to be impatient with evil and patient with people, the courage to fight for social justice. In many instances we will be stepping out on nothing, and just hoping to land on something. But that’s the struggle. To live is to wrestle with despair, yet never allow despair to have the last word.”
Because ethics does simultaneously serve as the cornerstone of hope and disaster, we have to dig deep to find the courage to not only define our values and moral principles, but to position them at the forefront of our words and actions. We must tap in to the universal truth of our inter-connectedness and choose to disrupt the status quo with an idea that is not so revolutionary, but definitely unpopular: ethics matters more than anything else.
I loved this article. I believe and trust in ethics as my gauge for many things..people.business.services.
It’s important to teach our kids this with kindness,clarity and example.
Thank you for this article.