The foundation of an individual’s life that is not associated with their physical body, but the make up of their personality and confidence that is to search, by logical reasoning, for the understanding of basic truths (principals of the universe, life, morals, and human perception). This is the definition of ethics broken down to its foundation, to the core, to the root of the word. When discussing ethics it’s a matter of absolutes, maybe not absolute right but definitely absolute wrong. Leader-follower, follower-follower, and follower-group relationships are established in a leadership situation, and each relationship must be based on ethics or the cesspool of corruption starts to collect its bacteria that feed on the unethical ideology. There are four ways that something can be absolutely wrong and here is how: “nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself”, “hurting others with the intent of bettering myself”, and “I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”
“Nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself.”
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Be for sure of what you make greater than yourself. What you follow. What you make your God, your moral guidance, your leader. It is no lie to say that everyone will worship something; there is no doubt about that. What makes-up the person is their thoughts and their dreams. That is what makes-up their character and credibility. What you choose to follow is what you are becoming. When one views one self as the greatest and proclaims that he follows no moral guidance he is saying, he decides what is right and what is wrong. We must as a society care about the needs of others, stand strong in what we choose to worship, and remember there is something greater than me. I only got to where I am through the help or allowance of others.
“Hurting others with the intent of bettering myself.”
What is worse damaging someone physically, mentally, or spiritually? I say damaging others to better myself is worse, because when I do I damage all three. Do not take advantage of people. Give your word and stick by it. We ought always to deal justly, not only with those who are just to us, but likewise to those who endeavor to injure us; and this, for fear lest by rendering them evil for evil, we should fall into the same vice. Good people do not need laws to keep them from hurting others, and bad people can always find a way around laws.
“I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The moral sense reappears today with the same morning newness that has been from of old the fountain of beauty and strength. You say there is no religion now. 'Tis like saying in rainy weather, There is no sun, when at that moment we are witnessing one of its superlative effects.
You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership. If you have ever sat in a class, and then cheated off your friend’s homework, and then got caught. Your teacher punishes your friend but not you. It was you who in-fact cheated, and you let your fried get punished for doing nothing wrong; you are unethical and do not deserve to be a leader. Although, all leaders must make mistakes but truly be able to admit them.
In conclusion a selfish person with selfish reasons for selfish gains is unethical. All “ethics” means is that there is something greater than me. In our society people tell me all the time that I can achieve anything I want to in our culture, but what they don’t tell me is that it takes others to get there. I can not lead myself because something bigger than me will always guide my decisions. That guidance is my ethics and those who lead with ethics which have the least amount of selfishness will gain the most in the end.
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