Our Smallest Ethical Choices are Normally the Biggest Decisions

The following is a short ethical tale from July 1 involving yours truly that occurred on the spot and without warning.

Having depleted my stock of manila clasped envelopes size 10″ X 13″, I was on a mission to modestly reload. Two important business letters with supporting documents needed to be mailed out.

The closest retailer to my house carrying such an item was my local Walgreens store.

Guys like me are on a mission and we shop to hunt for a specific target. I don’t like to browse and dislike milling around wasting time.

I quickly located my clasped envelopes and walked up to the counter.

The cost for six envelopes was $2.46 tax included. I gave the cashier a $20 bill.

The young man gave me back two quarters and then his phone rang.

Customers were patiently waiting in line while he asked for more help.

Then, he gave me an additional $.54 in change. In a hurry to mail my packages at the post office, I headed straight out to my car.

With the $1.04 still in my hand, my ethical and moral compass started spinning.

Putting the change in my pocket, I started to drive out of the parking lot thinking selfishly. For a brief moment, the rationalization and justification began as this was no big deal and my time grew short.

I then slammed on my brakes and was fortunate no one was behind me.

A familiar voice that I have known and felt most of my life entered the picture. It was Cate, my guardian angel for all time.

She said, “What are you doing and think about what just happened?”

Everything had occurred so quickly at the cashier’s stand and I had placed my own interests first.

I replayed the events and started visualizing a picture beyond my own sphere.

The first ethical and practical consideration I thought of was how does the cashier balance the register at the end of his shift? After all, he would out fifty cents.

The second consideration was this: In rebuilding my life based on faith, morals, principles, values, ethical decision making, how could I look myself in the mirror much less defy an angel?

The third and last consideration was the following: If we take shortcuts, rationalizing and justifying them, we will repeat our behavior and fail to trigger our moral compass.

I marched right back into Walgreens and explained the situation giving the cashier back his fifty cents.

I looked him the eye and apologized profusely for the time that had transpired since my purchase.

He thanked me for being honest and ethical.

I truly believe that most humans know what the right thing to do is from a moral and legal perspective. We don’t wake up thinking this is a grand day to screw somebody over.

Our smallest ethical choices are normally the biggest decisions. Don’t fool yourself into ever thinking otherwise.

Use your faith, spin the needle on your moral compass, and do your best every day.

Some of you know something about me and my own story of corporate wrongdoing. If you want more details about my transformative journey, please search Mark Faris- The Wishing Well.

Stay well my friends and always strive to do the right thing!!