Poor personal ethics and entitlement seem to go hand in hand like dirt and germs. More often than not, even warm water and soap can’t scrub them away.
It has been my observation and experience that poor personal ethics breeds entitlement. When individuals have a sense of entitlement, they will rationalize and justify the smallest things in life.
Take the case of Erwin Lingitz a now 68 year old retiree from White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
In April 2010 Lingitz was arrested when he left a Cub store carrying produce bags full of 1.4 pounds of deli meats he did not pay for – but that he’d scooped up from an unattended sampling table.
According to the story, Lingitz was detained by a security guard and police while attempting to leave the store; it took three people to place him in custody, where he was charged with disorderly conducting and misdemeanor shoplifting.
Eventually those charges were dropped, but Lingitz says he was injured in the fracas and is now suing the store.
The seeks a minimum of $375,000 in damages stemming from civil rights violations, use of excessive force, negligence and denial of medical care
A Supervalu spokesman says that Lingitz “violated societal norms” in taking so many samples. Lingitz’s wife tells the paper that the amount is “irrelevant because it was free anyway.”
Most people know the difference between right and wrong. Yet, in defining those parameters where do our personal ethics and our compasses take us so we don’t take advantage of others or a specific situation?
What can we analyze here that might help us work through this situation from Lingitz’s ethical foundation or Supervalu’s position against him?
Lingitz helped himself to a quantity of samples well beyond the norm. His ethical reasoning was “something is either free or it isn’t,” adding, “You can’t arrest somebody for thievery if it is free.”
Supervalu’s position was “A reasonable person would not fill two produce bags with 1.4 pounds of deli meat samples to take out of the store.”
Are we seeing in life situational ethics where people morally justify their ignorance?
Are we creating generations of people who believe the world owes them anything they want?
Can Erwin Lingitz and Supervalu actually with the county court system handling this case work through this complaint with a goal of teaching others the lessons learned and what to do or not to do?
Stay tuned to the next chapter in this sad tale.
I endeavor each day to remind myself in prayer that I know nothing, deserve nothing, and am entitled to nothing.
May we all develop our moral compasses and define our personal ethics in ways that promote fairness, equality, and respect for all parties.
This will go a long way to stopping arrogance, greed, entitlement.
As always, do your very best every day and Happy Easter!
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