How Ethical and Honest Are You?

When people are asked in surveys whether they are ethical or not, most believe they are.

When people are asked in surveys whether they are honest or not, most believe they are.

This is the problem with our ethical standards: we rationalize and justify our conduct constantly based on the degree of guilt we feel. We also measure our behavior during and after the act; specifically posing the question of whether a victim was involved, who it is, and whether they were harmed.

There are plenty of studies that have been done in recent years that turn up surprising results about unethical conduct and how we feel about it.

While participants predicted they would feel bad after cheating on a test, we see the opposite being true. They experienced a high- the thrill of getting away with it.

What is the rationalization and justification of the thrill? No one was hurt.

The daily temptations we face are many and they collide with our ethical beliefs like atoms in a nuclear reactor.

Most people want to believe that they are innately moral, but are susceptible at any time to temptations that test our moral compasses to the maximum.

For example, I like to play golf with friends when spring finally arrives in Minnesota. In a sanctioned event my ball lies in a cluster of trees off the fairway. With no one watching, I move my ball a bit so I have a better shot without obstruction. 

I helped myself and my team. Where is the harm and who is the victim?

At a networking event, you run into someone you used to work with. One thing leads to another, your moral compass stops navigating, and you cheat on a person you have a relationship with.

You might be thinking….”I’m not a person who would cheat because I’m ethical and moral.”

Yet, the temptation presented itself and you take cookies from the jar in your kitchen cabinet.

What is the rationalization and justification? I was trying to help my career and networking. He/she won’t know and it won’t happen again. That’s not me.

In an office setting, you take paper from the supply cabinet because you forgot to buy some yesterday. You do not notify your supervisor or have the courtesy to ask in advance.

What is the rationalization and justification? I needed paper for my home printer, am an employee of the company, have access to the supply cabinet, and it’s no big deal. No one was hurt.

How ethical and honest we are is subject to our own narrow lenses and interpretations.

In our personal and business lives we are evaluated constantly by others: is our conduct ethical, are we honest, and can we be trusted?

From personal and painful experiences, I can emphatically say how dangerous shortcuts are. When we rationalize and justify them as “no big deal” there is a high likelihood we will repeat the behavior again.

The only remedy I know of to combat temptations is the formation of a strong moral compass. 

It is the ultimate vaccine and app available to us to honestly confront temptations, ethical dilemmas, and shortcuts.

When situations present themselves that are not ethical, moral, or are simply murky at best, the following question should be used and put to the test: What is to be gained, what is the impact, and does it put others at risk or potentially harm them?

The journeys we experience are never easy to navigate and are full of potholes.

Always consult your moral compasses and monitor them each day.

Do your best. No one can demand more or less of us. 

Lastly, faith in God is a huge deal with me and I find that prayer opens up my soul and lenses so the truth is in full sight.

Be well, do good work, and make our planet a better place.

All the best/blessings, Mark