Mr. Achievement – Stanley F. Bronstein – Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

Law #32

Position Yourself To Be Ethical

Ethics cannot be based upon our obligations toward people, but they are complete and natural only when we feel this Reverence for Life and the desire to have compassion for and to help all creatures insofar as it is in our power. I think that this ethic will become more and more recognized because of its great naturalness and because it is the foundation of a true humanism toward which we must strive if our culture is to become truly ethical. (Albert Schweitzer)

Some Definitions

Ethics – A system of moral principles. The rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.. That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

Base – A fundamental principle or groundwork; foundation; basis.

Obligations – The act of binding oneself by a social, legal, or moral tie. A social, legal, or moral requirement, such as a duty, contract, or promise that compels one to follow or avoid a particular course of action. A course of action imposed by society, law, or conscience by which one is bound or restricted.

People – The entire body of persons who constitute a community, tribe, nation, or other group by virtue of a common culture, history, religion, or the like. Persons indefinitely or collectively; persons in general.

Complete – Having all parts or elements; lacking nothing; whole; entire; full. Having all the required or customary characteristics, skills, or the like; consummate; perfect in kind or quality.

Natural – Existing in or formed by nature (as opposed to artrifical). Based on the state of things in nature; constituted by nature.

Feel – To be or become conscious of. To experience the effects of.

Reverence – A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. A gesture indicative of deep respect.

Life – A corresponding state, existence, or principle of existence conceived of as belonging to the soul. The general or universal condition of human existence.

Desire – To wish or long for; crave; want. A longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment.

Compassion – A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Insofar As It Is In Our Power – To such extent as it is in our power.

Foundation – The basis or groundwork of anything.

True / Truly – Real; genuine; authentic. Being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to reality or fact.

Humanism – Any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity predominate.

Strive – To make strenuous efforts toward any goal.

Culture – A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period.

Source: Dictionary.com

What Does The Quote Suggest (In Plain English)

I don’t know about you, but that was a pretty detailed quote and I had to think about it for a few minutes to pull it all together. Here’s what it means to me, in a nutshell:

Our morality cannot be based on duty or promises. That is an insufficient basis upon which to build our morality. Instead, the only way we can ever be completely and truly moral in all that we do is if we learn to respect life and all others around us. We have to develop a true caring about the misfortunes and situations of others and a genuine desire to help them as to the maximum extent we are able. If our society can learn to do that, we will have formed a true basis for our morality and our entire civilization would benefit from such action.

In other words, do what’s right because you care about others and it’s the right thing to do, not because you feel like you’re obligated to do it.

Caring versus Obligation

That’s the difference here in a nutshell.  As an example, it is my opinion that the general consensus is that some higher Enron executives did not act in an ethical manner.  They could potentially make some argument as to whom they were obligated, their shareholders or society.  Because their ethical standards appear to have been based upon obligation, they apparently acted in a manner that hurt many people (shareholders,investors, employees,families) dearly.

Had their ethical standards been based upon caring for others, they might have paused somewhere along the way and asked the following question.  Who might be hurt by our actions?  Had they asked that simple question (it is my opinion they probably did not), they might never have embarked upon the long road they followed that eventually led to their downfall and the hurting of many people.

It’s not just Enron, there are countless other corporate stories over the past 10 years that could just have easily been used as an example for my point.

What someone is obligated to do is open to interpretation.  Developing a sense of caring is not.  Either you care of you don’t.  It’s just that simple.

So Why Do We Need To Adopt A Caring Attitude?

Because if we care about others; if we care about their misfortunes and seek to help them out, we will be forming a strong, ethical foundation that will carry us through the remainder of our life and our business career.

If everyone in the world would adopt this same caring attitude, can you imagine how the world might be different?  I think the world would be vastly different.

What Are Some Of Your Stories?

Can you think of times where (or someone else you know) did the right thing, even though they may not have been obligated to do so?  Did that experience produce good results or bad ones?

I’d love to hear your stories, so please feel free to post them below in the Comments section.

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