You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

Are There Morals We All Agree Upon?

Yes. There is a short list of universal moral principles that appears to be accepted by all religions, cultures, and societies:

• Empathy
• The ability to distinguish right from wrong
• Responsibility
• Reciprocity
• Commitment to something greater than oneself
• Self-respect, but with humility, self-discipline, and acceptance of personal responsibility
• Respect and caring for others (the Golden Rule)
• Caring for other living things and the environment

While each culture may label and express these universal moral principles in slightly different ways, you can look for them anywhere and you’ll find that common moral sense is always the same.

Ethics, then, is a system of moral values. We all start with universal moral principles and, as we mature, choose our most important values based on our upbringing and social networks. If our morals and values are in alignment, we can relate to others in an ethical way. We can also look at ourselves directly in the mirror while shaving or tackling bed hair in the morning. Even Mickey Mouse used to say, “You have to be yourself!”

While it’s difficult—nearly impossible—to change another person’s morals, their values may be negotiable, and this is where hope for the Ethical Office lies. If we can align our coworkers to a commonly accepted code of ethical behavior—that is, our professional ethics—our ethical dilemmas will disappear, and productivity will go through the roof!