U.S. Democracy Will Not be Destroyed Because of Forces from Outside but Because of Enemies from Within
- Three-quarters (73%) of Americans believe that we “tolerate outrageous and uncivilized behavior by elected officials” more today than in the past.
- Yet more than eight out of 10 Americans (83%) expect government leaders to find common ground across political lines. These expectations are not just generalized but extend to their own elected officials.
- Americans are divided in their expectations and outlook for the country.
- Most Americans (52%) believe our democracy is weaker today than in the past.
- Furthermore, a significant number of respondents believe that our democracy will be stronger in the next ten years. While not a majority, and split by party lines, 44% of Americans believe our democracy will be stronger in the next 10 years compared to 29% who think it will be weaker.
Trump Presidency: Disruptor on Steroids
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean with a torpedo – the Pentagon has released footage of the strike
- It’s thought around 180 people were on board the Iris Dena – 32 were rescued, and Sri Lankan authorities tell the BBC 80 bodies have been found so far
- At the same briefing, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine says the US will strike “progressively deeper into Iranian territory”
- The UK is sending a warship to the eastern Mediterranean after attacks on a British base in Cyprus – but it is not expected to set off this week
- Meanwhile, Israel says it has hit “security headquarters” across Tehran and a three-day funeral ceremony for ex-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been postponed
- “It’s getting worse and worse every day,” one man in Tehran tells the BBC. Israel is also hitting Lebanon – we speak to the owner of a Lebanese hotel that was hit
- Attacks, apparently from Iran, have been reported in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while Turkey says “Nato defences” shot down an Iranian missile
- Controlled the border,
- Lowered drug deaths and international crime.
- Stymied Iran in its nuclear tracks.
- Got NATO to pay more of its fair share.
- Gave the Middle East an opportunity to remake Gaza for both Arabs and the Jewish people living in Israel.
- Landed a Venezuelan dictator and drug cartel supporter in prison with a chance for that country (and possibly Cuba) to one day be free and even prosperous again.
U.S. Department of War Goes to War
A website calling for President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, who is 19, to be drafted into the U.S. military was created, as the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran. The website “DraftBarronTrump.com” was created on February 28, the same day that the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, according to domain records. The language on the website employs a largely satirical tone, with false quotes attributed to members of the Trump family.
Why has Trump decided to attack Iran now? Probably because the “peace” talks with Iran bore no fruit. Then there is the long-term goal, which is for Trump to win the long-coveted 2026 Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. How ironic is that! While originally focused on post-war Gaza, the Board of Peace’s charter now reflects a goal to “secure enduring peace” in other global conflict zones. Based on the information regarding the BoP, a fact sheet was developed explaining the changes highlighting the transition from a limited Gaza-focused initiative to a broader, more centralized, and “nimble” international organization led by the U.S. The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities. “Restoring the name ‘Department of War’ will sharpen the focus of this department on our national interests and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests,” the fact sheet continues. Prior to signing the executive order establishing the BoP, Trump said, “This is something [we’ve] thought long and hard about; we’ve been talking about it for months.” It doesn’t make me feel better now that all these months have gone by and Trump doesn’t share the proposal with the American people. Won’t it take funds from our budget to support BoP’s activities? Was Congress informed? The “power of the purse” is the constitutional authority granted to the legislative branch (Congress in the U.S.) to control government spending. Trump added at the signing that under the original War Department, the U.S. achieved military victories in both world wars; however, victories turned into more prolonged conflicts that often resulted in a “sort of tie” once the War Department rebranded as the Defense Department. Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, concurred with Trump’s contention. The secretary went on to say that the War Department would fight decisively to win and not get mired down in endless conflicts. “Maximum lethality, not tepid legality; violent effect, not politically correct.” The preamble to the BoP agreement declares that durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed. It recognizes that lasting peace takes root when people are empowered to take ownership and responsibility over their future. It’s clear that the document has been crafted to provide a rationale for this action and justification if challenged by those that chose not to be on the BoP–or weren’t selected for it. Membership in the BoP is limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman (guess who this is) and commences upon notification that the State has consented to be bound by this Charter, in accordance with Chapter XI. That’s all we need to know about the likelihood that the BoP will do any good. President Trump is the CEO and chairman of the BoP. The charter names him as the inaugural and lifetime chairman with extensive executive powers, including veto authority and the ability to select his successor. There is no meaningful oversight of the BoP, and Trump himself. This morning, President Donald Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper the “big wave” is yet to come in the war with Iran. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Iranians to “take advantage” of the opportunity for regime change, even as he said the war was not about ousting the government in Tehran. I guess he forgot his earlier comment on this issue as stated above. No one ever said Hegseth is the “brightest bulb in the room.” What Should Be Next? President Trump needs to include Congress and the American public so that the rest of the world knows that we are behind him–if we are. Only time will tell as it is most likely that as the war drags on, the American people will grow tired of it, especially if stock market prices continue to decline and the price of oil continues to go up. I’m not saying the military incursion into Iran is a bad thing. I’m just saying the case for it hasn’t been made and, more importantly, there is no indication of the end game. Blog posted by Steven Mintz, Ph.D., on March 2, 2026. Professor Mintz is an emeritus professor from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His “Ethics Sage” blog is included in the top 90 blogs on philosophy as ranked by Feedspot. Check out Steve’s activities on his website.Gen Z Employees May Not Be Suited to Workplace Expectations
- 75% of companies report that some or all of the recent college graduates they hired this year were unsatisfactory.
- 6 in 10 companies fired a recent college graduate they hired this year.
- 1 in 6 hiring managers say they are hesitant to hire from this cohort.
- Hiring managers say recent college grads are unprepared for the workforce, can’t handle the workload, and are unprofessional.
- 1 in 7 companies may refrain from hiring recent college graduates next year.
- 9 in 10 hiring managers say recent college graduates should undergo etiquette training.
- Poor organizational skills.
- Poor communication skills.
- Lack of professionalism.
- Poor problem-solving skills.
- Challenges with feedback.
- Lack of relevant work experience.
- They have insufficient technical skills.
- They’re a bad culture fit.
- They’re entitled.
- They’re often late to work.
- They dress unprofessionally.
- They can’t manage the workload.
- Difficult to manage
- Unprofessional
- Unorganized
- Poor communication skills
- Unprepared for the level of work
- Lack of networking skills.
- Poor time management
- Wearing inappropriate clothing to the office
- Using inappropriate language in the workplace.
- Develop a new style of leadership that incorporates the skills employees bring to the workplace.
- Adjust employers’ approach to act more as coaches rather than traditional supervisors.
- Develop a mentorship program.
- Create outreach programs to better support and guide younger workers.
The United States of Trump
- Material Self: The idea that a person’s identity is defined by the physical things they own or that are associated with them, including things named after them.
- Narcissism/Egotism: An inflated sense of self-importance and a craving for admiration, often leading to a desire to mark the world with one’s name.
- Legacy-Building/Symbolic Immortality: A desire to achieve a form of permanence or immortality by having one’s name attached to enduring physical structures.
- Implicit Egotism: A tendency to gravitate toward things that resemble oneself, which can extend to wanting the environment to reflect one’s name.
Signs that You May Be a Shopaholic
- Intrusive thoughts and urges for shopping and buying
- Loss of control over shopping/buying
- Excessive purchasing without intending to use items
- Buying things to regulate internal states
- Negative consequences caused by excessive shopping/buying
- Emotional symptoms when buying/spending is stopped
- Being unable to stop buying/spending behaviors despite negative consequences
- The “DEADS” Technique (SMART Recovery)
- Delay: Put off reacting or giving in for 5-10 minutes. The intense emotion often fades.
- Escape: Remove yourself from the situation, location, or environment that triggers the urge.
- Avoid: Steer clear of people, places, or situations that you know trigger your urges.
- Distract: Focus your attention on something else entirely—a hobby, work, or physical movement.
- Substitute: Replace the unhealthy habit with a healthy, or at least neutral, action (e.g., eating a piece of fruit instead of smoking).
- Mindful “Urge Surfing”
- Acknowledge and Accept: Recognize the urge as a temporary, physical sensation (e.g., chest tightness, craving) rather than a command to act.
- Visualize the Wave: Picture the urge as a wave that rises, peaks, and eventually subsides. Ride the wave by focusing on your breath rather than the craving.
- Grounding: Use your five senses to ground yourself in the present moment, such as describing your surroundings or playing a memory game.
- Cognitive Behavioral Techniques (CBT)
- Relabel: Label the urge for what it is—a “dysfunctional thought” or a “false message” from your brain, rather than an urgent, necessary need.
- Reattribute: Recognize that the urge is just a result of brain conditioning, not a reflection of what you actually need.
- Refocus: Actively engage in a pleasurable, healthy activity to create new, positive neural pathways.
- Behavioral & Lifestyle Changes
- Identify Triggers: Keep a journal to track when and why urges occur (e.g., stress, boredom, specific settings).
- Reduce Vulnerability: Manage your environment to minimize temptation (e.g., not buying trigger foods) and ensure you are rested, eating well, and exercising to reduce emotional fragility.
- Seek Support: Utilize accountability partners, support groups, or therapy to help maintain commitment.
- When to Seek Professional Help
“Excellence in Accounting Ethics Education Award”
- Developing a case, video, audio, or other teaching techniques that can be used to integrate ethics into the accounting curriculum.
- Developing a new course in accounting ethics including learning objectives and assessment techniques.
- Application of technology to teach ethics to accounting students including digital learning tools, or
- Application of E-Learning activities to enhance interaction with students in the classroom on ethics issues and the benefits therefrom.
- Presentation at a seminar, workshop, or other form of public appearance.
- Publication (or acceptance for publication) in a refereed journal, or
- Other form of communication.
- Identification and description of the course, seminar, or workshop in which the innovation is (was) used.
- Submission of the case, video, audio, or other innovation, along with teaching notes.
- Copies of instructional materials used in E-Learning activities.
- Detailed explanation of how digital learning tools support teaching and learning.
- Assessment results on the new pedagogy (i.e., efficacy survey, student performance, improvement in student performance), or
- Copy of the refereed journal article that was published or accepted for publication along with the official notification from the editor of the journal indicating acceptance.
- A 500-word statement describing the contribution to accounting ethics education and
- Two letters of recommendation from educators in support of the nominee for the award and elaborate on the contribution of the technique to accounting ethics education.
- Individuals who have applied before can reapply by updating the information for the award.
Is the Accounting Profession a Profession?
Why Do Good People Compromise Their Ethical Values?
- Normalizing ethical dialogue.Ethical dilemmas often arise in grey areas, where there is no clear right or wrong answer. Leaders should encourage open discussions about ambiguous situations before they escalate into problems.
- Rewarding the process, not only the result.When outcomes are all that matter, employees are more likely to cut corners or bend rules to achieve targets. By recognizing the work process, organizations reinforce the importance of integrity alongside performance.
- Modelling moral humility.Leaders set the tone for acceptable behavior. When they admit mistakes, they signal ethics is about vigilance, not moral perfection.
- Building in “ethical speed bumps.”People are more likely to rationalize decisions under pressure. Interventions like checklists, second reviews or pausing to slow down can give employees the time to consider whether their actions align with ethical standards.
- Creating psychological safety.Employees must feel confident that raising concerns or questioning decisions won’t lead to fear of reprisal or harm to their careers. Creating psychologically safe workplaces reduces the likelihood of ethical lapses.
- Aligning incentives with values.When incentives focus only on short-term results or profit, employees are more likely to justify harmful shortcuts. Performance metrics should emphasize collaboration, accountability, feedback and conflict resolution.
- Supporting well-being and work-life balance.Stress and burnout make people more prone to self-justification. Policies that support well-being indirectly foster ethical workplace behavior.
Trump Family Matters
- Apparel and Accessories. This includes sales of the “Never Surrender High-Top” sneakers, “45”guitars, and Trump watches.
- Media and Merchandise. Trump earns income from selling “God Bless The USA” Bibles, fragrances, and Trump collectible NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
- Middle East Deals. Deals have been made with the Saudi-owned real estate developer Dar Global. Projects include the announcement of a Trump hotel in Dubai, a Trump golf resort in Qatar, and a Trump Plaza in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These deals have led to billions in investment commitments in the U.S. from Saudi entities.
- Domestic Properties. The Trump Organization maintains ownership of various hotels, golf clubs, and residential properties across the U.S., which are used for political events and stays.
- Government and Trade Deals. Trump’s current business deals involve a range of domestic and international ventures, primarily in real estate licensing, technology, and consumer products, managed by the Trump Organization and his social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). He has earned significant income from these deals, although charges of conflict of interest persist.
Is Trump an Isolationist or Interventionist?
The United States of Trump
Conflicts of Interest Are Everywhere
It has taken me a long time to write this blog about President Trump’s decisions regarding conflicts of interest, primarily between a donor or governmental unit, and the Trump family. We know he likes to put his name on things as if he owns them and he makes decisions that benefit him personally. I spent a lot of time choosing a name for this blog. I think the one chosen says it all. Trump would rename America if he could albeit that would be a bridge too far with respect to Congress letting him get away with these unethical actions.
There is too much material for one blog so I will not discuss immigration issues or anything related to relationships with businesses and universities, including canceling the latter’s federal funding. That is a blog for another time.
Pay to Play: Buying Influence
It has been reported that Trump’s net worth is estimated to be $6.3 billion as of 2024. I wonder why he feels the need to have family, and himself, get involved in arrangements, some of which are with foreign governments, that benefit him personally when these actions are clearly conflicts of interest. The point he misses is a conflict of interest is not only one in realty but one that creates the perception that he may be influenced by these arrangements.
The line that separates acceptable and (ethically) unacceptable behavior is oftentimes blurry. Most of the arrangements discussed below smack of ‘pay to play’ arrangements. What is at stake, according to experts on ethics—including myself–, is that the U.S.’s long-standing norms and guidelines that elected officials and public servants are expected to follow regarding conflicts of interest are being attacked by Trump’s actions and decisions. Robert Maguire, research director at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has said that “there’s a violation of long-standing expectations that the president should avoid the appearance of acting in his own financial interest rather than the national interest.” Gifts trigger alarm bells about what the donor may want in return.
Some examples that illustrate both the risks and blurry lines were identified in a piece in the Christian Science Monitor.
- Trump meme coins. In May, Trump held a gala dinner for the biggest buyers of a Trump-branded niche-cryptocurrency: meme coins. The highest buyer was billionaire Justin Sun, who bought more than $40 million in $Trump coins.
- Boeing 747 gift from Qatar. In May, the White House said that a luxury jet was being donated to the Department of Defense and will be transferred to Trump’s library after he leaves office. Democrats have argued that the gift violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits federal office holders from accepting gifts from foreign states.
- A sovereign wealth fund from the United Arab Emirates invested $2 billion in Binance—the world’s largest crypto currency exchange—transferring the invested money in the form of a digital coin called USD1. It’s a product created and sold by the Trump family’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial.
- In November, the Serbian government passed a special law making it easier for Trump to build a roughly $500 million Trump hotel project in Belgrade—under a development company run by Jared Kjushner, the president’s son-in-law. The Serbian President voiced support for the proposed hotel saying “We are ready to build better relations with the U.S. I think this is terribly important for this country.”
- The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) has reported that Trump began buying bonds ($1 million in total) one day after his inauguration that include bonds issued by the N.Y. Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, linked to hospital facilities, airports, school districts, and regional development funds nationwide.
Here a few more examples to consider.
- “Golden gifts” in Switzerland
These gifts often refer to luxury items like Rolex watches and gold bars, famously used in a controversial 2025 diplomatic gesture where Swiss executives gifted them to U.S. President Trump, coinciding with reduced tariffs, sparking debate over “gold bar diplomacy” and potential bribery. Beyond this political event, Swiss golden gifts also include luxury chocolates with edible gold from brands like DeLafée, fine gold jewelry, and high-end watches, reflecting Switzerland’s reputation for quality and precious materials.
- Renaming the Kennedy Center
Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio filed a lawsuit challenging the renaming of the memorial to President John Kennedy to the Trump-Kennedy Center, calling the action “unlawful.” Beatty sits on the center’s board. Her lawsuit, which also names Trump appointees to the board, argues that renaming the center requires an act of Congress. One of Beatty’s counsels, Norm Eisen, says that’s because the former name, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, was established through legislation in 1964, “This case is very clear-cut. Congress has said it is to be called the Kennedy Center and only the Kennedy Center. There’s no legal basis for the president’s move.”
Trump Becomes a Battleship
On December 22, President Trump and Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan, alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, announced their intent to construct a new class of American-designed battleships that will be the most lethal surface combatant ever constructed. The future USS Defiant (BBG 1) will be the first Trump class battleship and will be an unambiguous statement of American commitment to maritime superiority with capability to distribute more firepower across the fleet than any other class of ship, for any Navy, in history. Trump’s insistence on naming the battleships after himself is yet another example of stoking his ego or aggrandizement.
Getting in Bed with Saudi Arabia
Since Trump’s election, Dar Global, a business partner of the Trump organization with close ties to Saudi Arabia, has announced at least 4 Trump-branded developments in Saudi Arabia. When asked about any conflicts of interest, Trump said he had “nothing to do with family business.”
Trump has made a concerted effort to enhance the strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia to bolster his “America First” agenda and to reinforce the U.S. as a leader on the world stage while securing our economic future. For example,
- The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a Joint Declaration on negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Corporation, building the legal foundation for a billion-dollar nuclear energy partnership.
- The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a Critical Minerals Framework, strengthening the relationship to diversify critical mineral supply chains.
- The U.S. and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark AI Memorandum of Understanding that gives the Kingdom access to world-leading American systems while protecting U.S. technology from foreign influence, ensuring that American innovators will shape the future of global AI.
In all, CREW counts 23 Trump-branded real estate projects outside the U.S. that will be underway during Trump’s second term.
It’s All About Ethics
The handwriting was on the wall when Trump declined to issue an ethics pledge for his second term. Nor was there an ethics pledge for the transition process that launched when he was elected again. Trump no doubt was motivated to enter into these arrangements in part because the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on presidential immunity shielding U.S. chief executives from prosecution for “official” acts, which can be broadly defined. We don’t yet know where the justices will delineate the boundaries, but the ruling reduces legal checks on presidential powers.
Other ethical and legal boundaries have been torn down as well, including inspector general positions,11 left of which remain vacant after mass firings by Trump in early 2025. In February, 2025, Trump fired the director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), a role meant to prevent conflicts of interest within the executive branch. A series of acting OGE directors have been filling the post.:
Summing it Up
Why has Trump chosen to become involved in all these arrangements? Most people would say that it’s narcissistic behavior. It’s all about Trump—all the time, every day. He seeks to promote his self-interests at all costs. He doesn’t see the nuances of ethical behavior. A good example is his attempt to have the new, $3.7 billion football stadium in DC for the National Football League Washington Commanders, named after him.
Utilitarian ethics looks at the costs and benefits of alternative course of action. If we were to do this for the stadium, the main benefits are for DC to have a new, modern football stadium, which could bring in additional revenues, and the team would have first class facilities. I believe that the potential costs are much greater: significant fan division; loss of major corporate naming rights revenue (worth millions annually); political controversy given his divisive nature, and jurisdictional hurdles requiring approval from the DC Council and National Park Service.
There’s a lot more to say on these and other controversies. President Trump is the ‘gift that keeps giving’ in so many ways. My next blog will appear on “Workplace Ethics Advice” next week. In the meantime, I wish you all a very healthy and Happy New Year. I hope that May 2026 will be one of ethical behavior and peace.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on December 30, 2025. Read Steve’s other blog on: https://workplaceethicsadvice.com/.
Can We Teach Students to Be Ethical?
If Ethics Can Be Learned, it Can Be Taught
Someone I interact with online and an internet buddy, Archie Carroll, who is world renowned for his work in ethics, CSR, and more, once responded to a blog I wrote years ago that addressed the question, “Can Ethics Be Taught,” with what I think is as astute an observation as I have ever found. It’s direct and to the point”: “If ethics can be learned it can be taught.” He ‘hit the nail on the head.’
Can we teach students to be ethical? This is something I’ve thought and blogged about a lot during my 40+ years teaching ethics at the university level. On the one hand, I know that I can teach it. I do it all the time. Whether students learn the lesson is another matter. Perhaps Archie’s comment should read: If Ethics Can Be Taught Effectively, it Can Be Learned. Of course, the problem here is how do we define effectively. Is getting an ‘A’ in an ethics course indicative of effective learning? Perhaps this issue is best side aside for now and addressed in a future blog.
Do the Ends Justify the Means?
Still, I find myself going back to the question of teaching students to be ethical frequently these days as I observe widespread unethical behavior in society–i.e., government, politicians, business, entertainment, sports, and on social media. In many situations, decision-makers first decide what to do when a conflict exists, or competing interests are present, and then worry about the outcome later. The problem is they have it backwards.
To “begin with the end in mind” is the second of the seven habits that New York Times bestselling author Dr. Stephen R. Covey addresses in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. By beginning with the end in mind, you can train yourself to become more goal-oriented and create a clear vision for yourself or your students/work-team.
Intentionality in Ethics
I have previously blogged about the concept of intentionality. We need to act with intentionality when teaching ethics to students. Being intentional about everything in life means focusing your attention on building an environment that enables you to reach a goal through your behavior including how you treat others—with respect, kindness, empathy and compassion.
Being intentional means to talk/act in a way where the end goal is known, and actions are taken to pursue the goal with clear-mindedness and dedication to the task. Being intentional about teaching ethics means to actively and deliberately incorporate ethical considerations in deciding what to teach and how to do it. It means to create a classroom environment that encourages critical thinking about moral dilemmas, discussing real-life scenarios, and actively modeling ethical behavior, with the goal of developing students’ ethical decision-making skills and moral awareness.
Using Decision Making Models
I like to use decision-making models to teach ethics. It provides a framework students can relate to. Like many of you, I’m always curious about what AI would say in response to a question. I went online to see what would come up by asking: What is an ethical decision-making model according to the “Ethics Sage.” I actually got two different responses from Google/AI.
—–“:According to Ethics Sage, a robust ethical decision-making model involves identifying the ethical issues, understanding the stakeholders and their interests, considering the potential benefits and harms of each course of action, evaluating the situation through different ethical frameworks like utilitarianism, rights-based ethics, and justice, and ultimately choosing the option that aligns best with ethical principles and minimizes negative consequences for all involved parties.”
——“According to the Ethics Sage, an ethical decision-making model is a structured process that involves identifying an ethical dilemma, gathering relevant information, considering different alternatives, evaluating the potential consequences of each option, and ultimately choosing the most ethical course of action, all while adhering to ethical principles and considering the impact on stakeholders.”
Each description has value and mostly represents my thoughts. Kudos to AI.
Virtue Ethics
In teaching ethics to college students, I like to start with the concept of ‘virtue.’ I use it in accounting ethics courses mostly because accounting students need to internalize certain traits of character (i.e., objectivity, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, and so on) that enable accounting professionals to act in ways that protect the public interest and provide the moral courage to ward off pressures to do otherwise. It is the ethical value of integrity that underlies ethical behavior for accounting professionals and creates a pathway for ethical behavior. Integrity means having the courage of your convictions, an essential value for accounting professionals to ward off potentially unethical behavior by superiors and/or clients.
One challenge I have encountered in the classroom is that many students have a relativistic view of right and wrong. This means what’s right for one person may not be right for another. Ethics become situational. The problem is we sacrifice consistent (ethical) behavior for one’s own feelings at a given time, and for one’s own unique reasons. The result is the teaching of ethics becomes muddled. It can be massaged to accommodate the thought process in particular circumstances rather than using a consistent process of reasoning to resolve relevant ethical dilemmas.
Choosing the “Right Method” of Ethical Reasoning
It’s not that one method of ethical reasoning is better than any other. I ask my students to support their action with solid reasoning of why the method they have chosen in an assignment is better than the methods they dismissed. I find this kind of learning enhances critical thinking skills. It’s how they reached a conclusion that is most important.
Ethics education often ends with developing moral thinking. We need to go beyond teaching students the “why” of ethical decision making and focus on how to get it done. We need to give them the tools to act ethically, especially when pressures exist to do otherwise. In other words, there is a difference between knowing what the right thing to do is and having the moral courage to do it.
Giving Voice to Values
I also use the “Giving Voice to Values” methodology of decision-making, which can provide the confidence in students to act ethically. GVV was developed by Mary Gentile and its curriculum is now housed at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. GVV is a values-driven leadership methodology built around preparing for and practicing values-based action, and answers the following questions:
- How do I learn to act on my values?
- What would I say and do?
- How can I be the most effective in acting on my values?
Mary Gentile puts it this way: “Giving Voice to Values (GVV) is not about persuading people to be more ethical. Instead, GVV starts from the premise that most of us already want to act on our values but also want to feel we have a reasonable chance of doing so successfully. It raises the odds for success, by drawing on the actual experiences of business practitioners, as well as cutting edge social science and management research, and focusing on questions such as: “What if I were going to act on my values? What would I say and do? How could I be most effective?”
One of the most important ways to teach ethics to college students, in my experience, is through the use of actual situations to make it real. There is never a shortage of bad actors and bad actions to draw from. We can find good videos that address the key issues in a meaningful way by using You Tube videos, documentaries streaming on line, and movies.
I also like to assign students to a case study in a group setting. Active learning is a great way to be exposed to different points of view that can then help to develop one’s own thoughts and conclusions. At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I used to teach, the motto is: “Learn by Doing.”
We make choices in everyday life that reflect our true character. Our choices say a lot about who we are and why we do what we do. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become.”
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on June 2, 2025. You can learn more about Steve’s activities by checking out his website at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for his newsletter.
Losses From Fraud Are Uncontrolled, but are they Uncontrollable?
What the 2024 FTC Data Shows About Fraud Scams
I am a devoted fan of the television program American Greed. Many of its segments deal with instances of financial fraud and how it has upended the lives of so many. It also provides good advice on how to set up procedures to catch fraud so you don’t get duped. Recent statistics provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report an alarming trend. Financial fraud is growing like cancer, which needs to be excised.
Fraud continues to be a growing threat, with new data from the FTC revealing consumers lost over $12.5 billion to scams—an alarming 25% increase compared to the previous year. The report also highlights troubling scam trends, including the rise of bank transfer fraud, the prevalence of social media scams, and the staggering losses among younger and older adults alike.
Scams Hit a Record $12.5 Billion in Losses
The FTC’s annual Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for 2024 shows that consumers reported losing an unprecedented $12.5 billion to fraud. This significant jump demonstrates how scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread. By understanding the trends and patterns in scams that are outlined in the report, you’ll be better equipped to be on the lookout, if someone tries to scam you.
Bank Transfers: the #1 Scam Loss
According to the FTC, people lost more money through bank transfers than any other payment method—totaling $2 billion in losses. These scams often involve fraudsters tricking victims into transferring money directly into their accounts, making it extremely difficult to recover.
Cryptocurrency scams were the second-highest category, with $1.4 billion reported in losses. If you use either payment method, always verify the recipient’s authenticity before completing a transaction, according to the FTC report.
Another type of bank fraud is that perpetrated by the bank itself.
Wells Fargo
The classic example of fraud by a bank is fraud against consumers by Wells Fargo just a few years ago. The Wells Fargo fraud, which involved employees opening millions of unauthorized accounts to meet aggressive sales goals, led to significant fines, customer harm, and reputational damage for Wells Fargo. Between 2011 and 2015, employees opened over 1.5 million checking and savings accounts and 565,000 credit cards without customer consent, a figure later revised to more than 2 million unauthorized accounts.
The fraud was driven by a “pressure-cooker” sales culture that forced employees to meet unrealistic sales targets. The bank was fined millions by regulators and eventually agreed to a $3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice in February 2020 to resolve criminal and civil liability.
Investment Scams Are Increasing
Investment scams accounted for $5.7 billion in losses in 2024 according to the report, a $1 billion increase from the previous year. Perhaps not surprisingly, 79% of victims who reported an investment-related scam said they lost money, with a median loss exceeding $9,000 per case. These frauds are often depicted on American Greed. The scams often promise unrealistically high returns on investments, particularly in cryptocurrency, real estate, and fake startups. Remain vigilant by researching thoroughly and steering clear of “too good to be true” offers.
The most well-known investment scam is a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that pays early investors with money from later investors, creating the illusion of high profits from a legitimate business. The scheme is unsustainable because it relies on a constant flow of new money, and it ultimately collapses when the operator can no longer recruit new investors to pay the existing ones. These schemes are named after Charles Ponzi, who defrauded many investors in the 1920s. Bernie Madoff is the king of Ponzi schemes. He was the admitted mastermind of the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, worth an estimated $65 billion.
Social media has become the most common form of investment scams, with 70% of people who were contacted through these platforms reporting financial losses. The total losses from scams initiated on social media hit a staggering $1.9 billion, according to the report.
Fraudsters frequently use fake profiles, phishing links, and posts promoting counterfeit goods or investment opportunities to trick naïve users. A word of advice is to be careful when you are engaging with unfamiliar accounts or messages on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and LinkedIn.
Job Fraud Increases Three-Fold in Frequency and Losses
Between 2020 and 2024, reports of job scams and fake employment agencies surged, with reported losses jumping from $90 million to $501 million. These scams disproportionately target individuals seeking remote jobs or flexible work arrangements, promising dream opportunities that come with a hefty price tag for training fees, background checks, or initial deposits.
5 Tips to Protect Yourself from Scams
The FTC provides useful advice on how to avoid fraud scams.
1. Verify before you transfer
Always confirm the identity of a recipient before sending money, especially through a bank transfer or cryptocurrency.
2. Be cautious on social media
Avoid clicking on unsolicited links or engaging with unfamiliar accounts that promote investment opportunities or offer prizes because it allows scammers to steal your information or money.
3. Research job offers
Verify the legitimacy of job postings and employment agencies. Avoid any opportunities that require upfront fees, and check if the company is registered and has a solid reputation.
4. Stay informed
Regularly review trustworthy resources like the FTC website or Webster First’s security & fraud prevention blogs to stay updated on the latest scam trends.
5. Report suspicious activity
If you encounter or fall victim to a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report can help authorities track scammers and prevent others from being targeted.
Why is Fraud Against Individuals on the Rise
I believe the increase in the amount and types of scams is occurring because of a general breakdown in ethics in society. All too often we hear about fraud committed by politicians, government officials. businesspeople, those in the entertainment and sports industries, and others.
As a society, Americans have lost their moral compass. The scammers fail to see the consequences of their actions until it’s too late and the damage has been done. They don’t consider how their actions affect others. So many of them engage in narcissistic behavior.
You can ward off these scams through knowledge about their existence, the signs of scamming to look out for, and education about online scams which may be the hardest to counteract because it utilizes technology. Also, always check out the FTC website for help in these matters and in identifying known scammers.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz. PhD, on November 24, 2025. Steve is a Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. You can learn more about his activities on his website: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
Has America Become a More Racist Country?
Has Social Engineering Gone Too Far?
Let me answer my own question at the start. America is not an inherently racist country, but it has followed racist policies in the past. America is not a racist country, in part because it would be wrong to label all of society in that way. Most Americans are good people, not racist. It is the few who are not, and the racist policies that still exist in some ways (i.e., social injustice; police overreach in the treatment of Black Americans; unequal rates of incarceration…), that taint the notion of whether the U.S. is a racist country. However, there is a sense of intolerance towards others who are different from oneself from time to time.
A variety of policies have been pursued by those who seek to re-engineer American society. Some would say it is part and parcel of moving the U.S. to be a more socialist society. All we need to do is examine the reasons for the victory of Zora Mandani in the NY mayoral race. He is an avowed democratic socialist, a term that is not well defined. His influence comes on the heels of Senator Bernie Sanders who spread the gospel of socialism many years ago. In between, we have the so-called “Squad.”
The Squad is an informal progressive and left-wing faction of the Democratic Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of the Squad are all members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. They speak out about discriminatory practices that harm one group or another–Groups that have been historically discriminated against in American society. The Squad was initially composed of four members elected in the 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Ilhan Omar (MN), Ayanna Pressley (MA), and Rashida Tlaib (MI).
Dissecting Critical Race Theory (CRT)
Critical Race Theory (CRT) essentially holds that America’s legal and social institutions are inherently racist because they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites. What does this mean? Here are just a few examples of those historically racist tendencies.
· Unequal treatment under the law (e.g., penalties for crimes) of Blacks and Whites.
· Discrimination in housing policies (e.g., blocking Blacks from certain communities).
· Unequal access to education (e.g., schools in Black and other minority neighborhoods are inferior and underfunded).
· Paucity of opportunities to move into top positions in companies (i.e., women shut out of C-suite, representation on boards of directors).
· Police overreach in dealing with Black Americans versus Whites (i.e., higher percentage of Blacks incarcerated.).
· Underrepresentation of Blacks in state legislatures and Congress.
Civil Rights
I could go on, but I believe the case has been made that America has followed racist policies in the past. Are things changing? Yes, but not quickly enough.
It’s been more than 60 years since Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. In 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation has been prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 since 2020, as interpreted by the Supreme Court. In a landmark 2020 ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed that Title VII of the act, which bans employment discrimination based on “sex,” extends to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gallup conducted a poll about racism against black people in the U.S. between June 2-26, 2025. One highlight of the study is that 83% of Black adults and 61% of White adults say racism is widespread.
Most of the people who believe racism is increasing blame it on the lack of fair treatment of Blacks. Biased treatment can show up by excessive stops of Black Americans in their vehicles. Another example is when Blacks are blamed first for something that goes wrong in society such as a theft or other wrongdoing. Otherwise, discrimination shows up in subtle ways, such as walking on the opposite side of a street when a group of Blacks are headed in the same direction.
Even though a majority of Americans believe racism against Black people is widespread in the U.S., most still think that civil rights have improved. The first poll back in 1995, shows that 83% of Americans believed the civil rights of Black people have improved. This rose to a high of 89% in 2011, during President Obama’s tenure, before declining to its lowest point, 59% in 2020, after George Floyd’s death focused national attention on race and policing practices. However, by 2021 U.S. adults were more positive about the civil rights of Blacks, although it hasn’t recovered to the 1995 level.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Significant numbers of Americans also think DEI initiatives are backfiring against the groups they’re intended to help, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, including many people who belong to those groups.
The findings suggest Americans’ views on racial discrimination have shifted substantially during the past four years, when many companies launched efforts to promote diversity within their workforces and the products they sold. Since then, many of those companies have reversed themselves and retreated from their diversity practices, a trend that’s accelerated this year under pressure from President Trump, who has sought to withhold federal money from schools and companies that promote DEI.
White Supremacy—White Privilege
We hear a lot about “white privilege” today. But what is it? White Privilege is the notion that there are inherent advantages possessed by a white person based on their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. This is a concept easier for me to accept than CRT. I believe white Americans have, historically, been the beneficiaries of favorable treatment in many areas of society. I have witnessed it first-hand in the hiring of coworkers by organizations that I have worked for.
Some go further and criticize America for structural racism: the historical and contemporary policies, practices, and norms that create and maintain white supremacy. They claim structural racism continues to disproportionately segregate communities of color from access to opportunity and upward mobility by making it more difficult for people of color to secure quality education, jobs, housing, healthcare, and equal treatment in the criminal justice system.
The concept of White Supremacy is anathema to me. It is the belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society, typically to the exclusion or detriment of other racial and ethnic groups, in particular Blacks and Hispanics. This is the kind of thinking that led to the insurrection on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. It is wrong and should be denounced by all people of conscience.
Summing it Up
President Trump and his administration seek to ban DEI teaching in schools primarily because they argue these programs are a form of illegal discrimination and promote what they consider to be “divisive” ideologies that undermine core American values of meritocracy and national unity.
At least 20 states have passed legislation restricting or banning DEI in various government settings, including higher education institutions. While a definitive number is hard to pinpoint due to the varying scope of laws (some target only higher education, others include K-12 or state agencies) and ongoing legislative changes, recent sources cite figures ranging from 15 to 22 states with enacted restrictions since 2023. At least 18 states have passed legislation restricting DEI in public colleges and universities.
Critics of the policies that I have addressed in this blog claim they create reverse discrimination whereby there is an emphasis on race in hiring and promotion decisions. There is a focus on group identity rather than individual qualifications and merit-based systems.
It seems the tide may be turning because of the influence of the Trump administration on national policies. Trump has pursued a broad campaign to end DEI programs, which includes terminating specific grants and threatening to withhold all federal funding from non-compliant colleges and K-12 schools. These actions are currently the subject of ongoing litigation and have faced mixed results in court.
We need to have Congressional hearings on the benefits (and harms) of these programs before we deem them to be unwanted in their entirety. Let’s invite college presidents and government officials for hearings—those who have had experiences implementing the programs into their core objectives. I worry, however, that if these programs are ended without serious discussions about their benefits, and there are many, we may be “throwing out the baby with the bathwater.”
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on November 18, 2025. Learn more about Steve’s activities by visiting his website: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
The psychology of ghosting
Ghosting and Civility
The psychology of ghosting involves a fear of confrontation, poor communication skills, and avoidance of emotional discomfort. It is a self-preservation tactic used to escape awkward or difficult situations without having to directly communicate feelings.
I have previously blogged about the ethics of ghosting with respect to the dating scene. Research from the online dating site Plenty of Fish found that of 800 millennial daters between the ages of 18-33, almost 80% of singles have been ghosted. Why does it happen so often? One reason is communicating on social media sites is impersonal and a form of communication that makes it easier to ignore the other person and be oblivious to their feelings. Discussing why you dumped someone in person is fraught with stress and possibly embarrassment. Social media serves as a protector of the dumper’s feelings but potentially harms the dumpee’s feelings of self-esteem.
I wanted to broaden my perspective on the harm of ghosting, so I read different viewpoints online. One was provided by Nick Kossovanabout, a frequent author of online ‘thought’ pieces. He points out that “At its root, ghosting is about control. By vanishing, people remove the other person’s chance to influence their decision.”
Ghosting in the Workplace
If ghosting occurs in the workplace, it could be because you have decided to accept employment from one employer so, you decide, there is no need to have additional communication with those employers with whom you interviewed. Perhaps you say: “These employers will figure out after a while that I am not interested in working for them.” Kossovanabout suggests that “ghosting stands out as the most upsetting form of social regression, especially in the workplace.
I’ve argued before that ghosting is endemic to today’s society that is driven by incivility. On a basic level, it’s unusual when someone says “please” or thank you.” That requires acknowledgement. However, the party doing the ghosting wants to cut off all communication whereas these niceties could lead to further discussion.
Ghosting can leave emotional scars and do damage to the recipient’s self-esteem, especially if they have a fragile ego. Should you care about how your avoidance affects others? Yes, if you want to be a good person; someone who is caring, considerate, and empathetic. After all, as The Golden Rule commands: Treat others the way you wish to be treated. There are other versions of the Rule. The one most appropriate for ghosting is: “Don’t do something to someone else that you would not want done to you.” I like this version because it denotes a positive obligation to treat others ethically.
Ghost Jobs
A survey of workers from a leader in hiring software found “Ghost Jobs” – positions advertised with no intent to hire – and “Ghosting” – when employers abruptly stop communicating with candidates without any explanation – are two common concerns for current job seekers.
The survey of 2,500 workers across the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany found that nearly two-thirds (60%) of U.S. job seekers have applied to suspected “Ghost Jobs” – positions advertised with no intent to hire – which along with “Ghosting” are two common concerns for current job seekers, according to the Greenhouse 2024 State of Job Hunting Report.
The report found that posting “Ghost Jobs” is becoming more prevalent in the job market and harder for candidates to avoid. Greenhouse data shows this phenomenon of ghost jobs is not just in the heads of job candidates. In any given quarter, 18–22% of the jobs posted on the Greenhouse platform are classified as ghost jobs, according to a blog about the report.
The Greenhouse report revealed most “Gen Z” candidates in the U.S. (71%) suspect they have encountered a “Ghost Job.” Out of the candidates who suspect they have applied to a ghost job, 29% applied anyway and 31% decided not to apply. One-quarter (25%) of U.S. candidates want to see fewer instances of ghost job postings or postings never meant to be filled. The report found 61% of U.S. job seekers were ghosted after a job interview, a nine percentage point increase since April 2024.
Employers use ghost jobs to build a talent pipeline for future needs, create the illusion of company growth to investors or employees, and gather data on potential applicants, says Triad Goodwill, Staffing by Starboard, and Harvard Resource Solutions. They may also use them to gauge market demand, comply with legal requirements to post positions publicly, or for staffing agencies to show they can recruit talent.
It’s very discouraging to me that a potential employee or employer can’t simply send an email informing the other party that they no longer seek a job with the organization or have filled the position with someone else. It takes one minute or two.
We live in a society where the pursuit of self-interest drives behavior. From the employee’s perspective, it can create feelings of guilt if direct communication is needed, or desired, to inform the employer of their lack of interest in pursuing a job offer. Moreover, it’s easy to rationalize that the employer wouldn’t contact them if the shoes were on the other foot. However, we should not act based on what others may do. We should act the way we would want them to act. Certainly, if an employer has found the candidate for a job position, most of us would wish they would inform us so we can move on and possibly accept a job offer with another employer.
Blog posted on November 11, 2025, by Steven Mintz, PhD. Steve is a Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. You can learn more about his activities at: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
Blame the Decline of Civility on the Dems and Republicans
Characteristics of Civility
I have blogged before about the decline of civility in society. I always begin those blogs with the following statement:
By age sixteen, George Washington had copied out by hand 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595. Rules of Civility was a list of 110 rules for people to follow. These rules dealt with different situations, such as how to be respectful to people, how to be polite when dining with others, and how to behave. Here is the first rule: Every Action done in Company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present. Respect is an integral part of civility.
What is Civility?
Civility represents the quality of our behavior and how we interact with others whether in personal or professional relationships. This is important because how we treat other people signals who we are and what we value. Moreover, since the essence of ethics lies in how we are with others, civility and ethics are intricately linked. Incivility in society and in the workplace is on the rise. Virtually all people believe this is so. Every day we witness inconsiderate behavior, ‘in your face’ interaction in communications with others, and other forms of rudeness. There are many causes of incivility, not the least of which is the explosion of social media as a way to communicate, including rants on Twitter X, and other platforms. The anonymous nature of postings on the Internet feeds into such disrespectful behavior.
Civility in society has been in decline for a long time. I will discuss the reasons why in this blog. Civility in the workplace is also in decline, and I will discuss it in my “Workplace Ethics Advice” blog on Wednesday.
Incivility in Society
Let us clear up some misconceptions. Civility is not peripheral to ethics, dealing merely with manners. True civility does manifest itself in good manners, proper etiquette and politeness. But it also runs deeper and is more profound. Simply put, civility requires restraint, respect and responsibility in everyday life. Without these, we can never act ethically.
Civility cultivates a civic code of decency. It requires us to discipline our impulses for the sake of others. It demands we free ourselves from self-absorption. By putting ethics into practice in our day-to-day encounters, civility is that moral glue without which our society would come apart.”
The bottom line is ethics and civility are inextricably linked; you can’t have one without the other. This means ethics training must include discussions of civil behavior and ethical values.
Civility is more than just politeness. It is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and teaching others to do the same.
Indeed, civility represents a long tradition of moral virtues essential to democracy. Virtues like empathy, humility, integrity, honesty, and respect for others are ideals of democratic engagement. Without civility a society can morph into verbal, accusatory, offensive verbal attacks on one another which is the way things have been headed in the U.S. for many years.
Civility represents the quality of our behavior with others in our communities. This is important because how we treat others’ signals who we are and what we value. Moreover, since the essence of ethics lies in how we are with others, civility and ethics are intricately linked.
Moral civility demands two things: (1) that we respect other people’s fundamental rights, liberties, and equal civic standing, for example by avoiding racist and discriminatory speech and behavior and (2) Justificatory civility that requires that we refrain from justifying political rules based on self-interested or sectarian reasons.
Cancel Culture
One result of a lack of civility in society is that one person or group of people is disrespectful to another group that does not agree with their point of view. As a result, that person/group may fall victim to the “cancel culture,” whereby they are shunned or made to feel guilty for their position. If a person in the offended group does not support the cancel culture view, then they, too, may be cancelled.
Increasingly, we see speakers canceled because some group on a college campus disagrees with their message. This is anathema to a free and open society and violates freedom of speech–a Constitutional right.
Civility Survey Results
Most Americans believe society is less civil now than it was a decade ago, and they blame social media and public officials for that decline, according to a new poll by the American Bar Association.
Fully 85% of the 1,000 respondents of the ABA’s annual Survey of Civic Literacy said civility in today’s society is worse than 10 years ago, while 8% said it was better. When asked to cite the primary factor in declining civility, 29% said social media, 24% said media, 19% said public officials, and 8% said the educational system. Just 2% of respondents chose courts. “Our country is experiencing a period of divisiveness,” said ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross.
More than a third of those polled, 34%, said family and friends should hold the primary responsibility for improving civility in society, while 27% said that responsibility should fall to public officials. And 90% of respondents said parents and families are most responsible for instilling civility in children, followed by schools at 6%. Here are additional results.
- 79% want compromise from political leaders.
- 29% point to social media as cause of diminishing civility.
A 2023 survey from the nonprofit Heterodox Academy found nearly 59% of college students were reluctant to discuss controversial topics in the classroom, where debate and disagreement should flourish as part of the educational process. Their leading concern was criticism and backlash from peers.
Woke Culture
Some in society fear upsetting one group or another with divergent views on social and political issues. In addition to the cancel culture, we now have a “woke culture” that has divided the country in ways from which we may never recover.
Woke nowadays refers to being aware or well informed in a political or cultural sense, especially regarding issues surrounding marginalized communities – it describes someone who has “woken up” to issues of social injustice. The right often criticizes the left for “wokeness.” This is counterproductive. It only stokes the flame of fire. Let us debate differences and not label others with such a broad stroke.
What Does the Future Hold?
I wish I could say the future is positive and we can reverse the trend of declining civility. However, I’d have to be a “cockeyed optimist,” to do so. Call me a cynic if you like but I expect things to get worse before they get better.
Most people in Congress do not have the stomach to deal with these issues. They would rather insult each other and blame them for whatever comes to mind, especially those in one party calling out those in the other for a point of view different from their own.
I don’t disagree with expressing another point of view in public or on social media but like so many things in life, it is the way you do or say things, rather than the actions themselves, that shows your true character. We need to learn to say and take actions that do not provoke another person or group of people with an opposing point of view but, instead, seeks to engage them in constructive dialogue.
One reason civility is in decline is the lack of education in our schools. Students get their manners from parents who are all too often disengaged and not setting an ethical example. They get it from listening to disrespectful dialogue on television, in the movies, and elsewhere, or on social media. The schools need to counter those effects. If we don’t educate students to be civil to one another, how will we ever proclaim the moral high ground?
Absent the existence of a messiah who can redirect the country to its roots of kindness, empathy, and civility, and following The Golden Rule, I doubt that things will get better before they get worse.
Blog posted on November 3, 2025, by Dr. Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. You can find out more about Steve’s activities by visiting his website at: (www.stevenmintzethics.com/).
The Philosophy of Ethics
Words of Wisdom from the Ethics Sage
Do you care about others, or are you a selfish individual? Do you accept responsibility for your actions or blame others for bad things that happen to you? Do you love others unconditionally or expect something in return? These are some of the questions to ask yourself to gauge whether you are an ethical person.
Ethical people follow basic principles of right and wrong.
The Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This time-honored principle applies today even more than in the past because, as a society, we have lost our moral compass. It is up to each one of us to treat others fairly, with compassion and empathy, and respectfully.
The Rights of Others. Ethical people consider whether their actions may affect the rights of others. In today’s society, especially on college campuses, we increasingly see students trying to stifle free speech when a speaker puts forth a point of view that offends them, which happens frequently today in part because of our entitlement society.
The Consequences of Our Actions. Our actions have consequences. People who use social media to vent against others rarely first consider how their actions and words may affect others before posting a comment on Facebook or Tweeting. Those who do consider the consequences do so to upset others rather than state one’s objective point of view or start a productive dialogue.
Be Accountable for Your Actions. When we make a mistake in life, we should accept responsibility for our actions, promise to never do it again, make amends to the people we have harmed, and carry through our ethical intent to do better by being a better person. We learn from our mistakes and move forward in a productive manner.
Truthfulness is a virtue and, along with integrity (i.e., being a principled person; having the courage of your convictions), makes up the most fundamental standard of ethical behavior. I’m always amazed by how little people understand what truthfulness is and what it requires to be an ethical person.
Many people do not realize that dishonesty is not only telling an untruth – a lie by commission – but it also entails a positive obligation to disclose all the information another party has a right to know, not committing a lie by omission. Consider, for example, that the FBI comes to your house one day and asks about Nikolas Cruz, the shooter at Parkland High School in Florida. You know a lot of bad stuff about the kid, but don’t share it with the FBI because the questions they asked were unrelated to what you know about him and his propensity for violence. This is a good example of why being truthful is an affirmative behavioral trait.
I use three guiding principles in teaching ethics to help my students quickly focus on what is most important in being an ethical person.
- Not harm. Do and say nothing that may bring harm to another person, shame them for any reason, and avoid bullying behavior.
- Contribute to the betterment of others. Do something every day to show kindness to others. It can be something as simple as saying “thank you” or complimenting someone. Paying it forward is sound advice in today’s impersonal world, where people communicate, often anonymously, on the Internet rather than on the phone or in person. We seem to have lost the ability to interact with others on a deep personal, ethical level.
- Consider how you want to be remembered at the end of your life. Think of what you want written on your tombstone. Is it that you became rich, famous, or powerful during your life, or that you were a good person, cared about others, and left this world a better place than you found it?
- Think about the newspaper headline. Before acting, when faced with an ethical dilemma, think about how you might feel if your intended action made the front pages of the local newspaper. Would you be proud to defend it? Proud if your child reads about it?
I leave you with a quote from W. Clement Stone: Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on March 20, 2018. Dr. Mintz is a Professor Emeritus from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Visit his website and sign up for the newsletter.
Is There a ‘Best’ Way to Teach Ethics?
Ethical Relativism: A Cautionary Tale
I have blogged before about the importance of teaching ethics to youngsters and college students. There are so many activities that occur in our lives that challenge us to distinguish between ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ We need a framework to deal with such situations.
Someone I interact with online and an internet buddy, Archie Carroll, who is world renowned for his work in ethics, CSR, and more, once responded to a blog I wrote years ago that addressed the question, “Can Ethics Be Taught,” with what I think is as astute an observation as I have ever found. It’s direct and to the point”: “If ethics can be learned it can be taught.” He ‘hit the nail on the head.’
In other words, while we can teach ethics, and I have done so for the 40 years, that doesn’t mean students will learn the lesson. First of all, they have to be open to new ideas—and ideas that deal with ‘right’ versus ‘wrong.’ I have found over the years that many students believe that their ethics are their ethics and no one can tell them what’s right or wrong.’ This is an approach to teaching ethics based on relativism. It means that we define right and wrong for ourselves in each particular situation.
Ethical Relativism
The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University has put together a good description of ethical relativism. Here is what they say:
“Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the norms of one’s culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical relativist, there are no universal moral standards — standards that can be universally applied to all people at all times. The only moral standards against which a society’s practices can be judged are their own. If ethical relativism is correct, there can be no common framework for resolving moral disputes or for reaching agreement on ethical matters among members of different societies.”
I don’t disagree with this description although I wonder whether bribery would be ethical in a culture that not only accepts it but promotes it–at least in some situations. I’m thinking about a country like India where bribery is illegal, no doubt, but may be an accepted practice, nonetheless. For example, this can occur in international business. There may be a situation where bribing an official gets you favored treatment. For example, you may have to bribe a customs official to offload products that have been purchased from another country. This gets back to the culture dimension of bribery. In other words, bribery is wrong, but it is tolerated in part because it’s seen as a cost of doing business.
Returning to the excellent piece written by Santa Clara University, “perhaps the strongest argument against ethical relativism comes from those who assert that universal moral standards can exist even if some moral practices and beliefs vary among cultures. In other words, we can acknowledge cultural differences in moral practices and beliefs and still hold that some of these practices and beliefs are morally wrong. The practice of slavery in pre-Civil war U.S. society or the practice of apartheid in South Africa is wrong despite the beliefs of those societies. The treatment of the Jews in Nazi society is morally reprehensible regardless of the moral beliefs of Nazi society.”
Teaching Values to Students
We should begin teaching ethics by inculcating values in students. This is extremely important because our society has morphed into one that is based on self-interest, not the interests of the broader community. Just think about how divided the U.S, citizenry is today. Members of political parties do what they think, or what they are told to do in the best interests of the party, and not the country. In accounting, this is antithetical to the public interest dimension of the work of an accountant and auditor.
We need to teach values to students at the earliest age possible. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen in most schools and, if it does, ethical relativism is the teaching device.
Values are things that have an inherent worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor. Moral values are the standards of behavior determined through principles of right and wrong with regards to proper conduct. It is related to a virtuous, ethically upright, principled way of doing things.
It’s not just any values we should teach. To do so just adds strength to the notion that it is alright to promote any values—the moral relativists’ view. Just imagine if the pursuit of self-interest is an acceptable standard of behavior. Can there be any doubt that wrongful behavior will occur—at least sometimes–and be sanctioned as acceptable? It is moral values that are important including honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility and so on.
Here are some tips for teaching ethics. They are drawn from a writing by the group, Capsim, that addresses a variety of teaching methods.
- Focus on relevant situations: place your students in specific ethical dilemmas they may encounter in their personal lives and in the workplace.
- Identify the stakeholders in each dilemma; those potentially affected by the decision or action being contemplated.
- Highlight reasons and impacts to expand ethical conversations beyond right or wrong and delve deeper into how specific ethical decisions or actions impact all the stakeholders involved.
- Expose students to a variety of ethical reasoning methods, not just one. This provides them with the tools to handle a variety of situations.
- Challenge your students by adding complexity by introducing them to situational pressure such as unethical coworkers and managers.
- Give students the confidence that they can resolve ethical dilemmas they might face.
- Teach students critical thinking skills so they can analyze ethical dilemmas and decide on a course of action.
- Create an environment to teach ethics in more than one single class. Ethics should be integrated throughout the curriculum to make it clear ethical dilemmas are in many areas of life and many academic disciplines.
- Ethics is about more than teaching students ethical reasoning skills. It is to develop future leaders in society. We need it more now than ever before.
- Model ethical behavior!
There is a lot more to say about teaching ethics that I will address going forward. Feel free to contact me if you want to ask a question or get guidance on teaching ethics.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, on October 27, 2025. To learn more about Steve’s activities visit his website at: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
The Role of Conscious Capitalism in Ethical Capitalism
Core Principles of Ethical Capitalism
To understand the concept of Ethical Capitalism, we have to first consider concepts such as Conscious or Responsible Capitalism. Conscious or Responsible Capitalism is a philosophy that integrates social and environmental well-being with traditional profit-driven business models. It proposes that companies can and should function as forces for good by being accountable to all stakeholders—including employees, customers, suppliers, and the environment—not just shareholders. Key components include creating a positive company culture, using conscious leadership, and making choices that benefit all involved, such as paying fair wages and sourcing sustainably. AI points out that a stakeholder orientation promotes the idea that businesses focus on creating value for all stakeholders, not just maximizing profit for shareholders.
What is Conscious Capitalism
I spend a lot of time reading research by colleagues on matters related to corporate social responsibility (CSR). I recently read a piece on the website of Grand Canyon University (CGU) that captures the essence of what ethical capitalism is. Here is a brief summary.
As a starting point, it’s important to understand the role of ethics in conscious capitalism. According to CGU, Conscious Capitalism is a collection of principles intended to guide corporate decision-making at all levels — from establishing the company’s official mission, to hiring members of the board, to establishing labor practices for workers.” They define the principles as follows.
- A higher purpose: “Conscious capitalism states that all businesses should have a higher purpose beyond the generation of profits.” For example, an assisted living facility would have a higher purpose of providing those services that create a facility to enhance the well-being of its clients.
- Stakeholder orientation: “Conscious capitalism requires companies to orient their mission and business practices toward meeting the best interests of all of their stakeholders. A company’s stakeholders can include its employees, shareholders, suppliers, vendors, customers, clients and labor unions. The community near the company is also a stakeholder in the company’s success, as businesses have direct impacts on their surrounding communities.”
- Conscious leadership: The person at the head of an organization must be accountable for fostering ethical behavior and exude ethical leadership, which means to “take ownership in their work, drive innovation, work toward positive change and inspire others. In conscious capitalism, conscious leadership also applies to every team member — not just the CEO.”
- Conscious culture: “A company’s culture can be described as either toxic or uplifting. It’s the responsibility of every leader in the organization to nurture a positive company culture that benefits all stakeholders and drives the company forward.”
Ethical Considerations
Some critics argue that the inherent drive for profit in capitalism is fundamentally incompatible with true ethical behavior, and that concepts like “ethical capitalism” can be a misleading form of “greenwashing” or “social washing”.
Greenwashing is when a company or product makes false or exaggerated claims about being environmentally friendly to mislead consumers. It’s a misleading marketing tool where organizations spend more on advertising their “green” initiatives than on actually implementing sustainable practices. This practice allows companies to capitalize on the growing demand for sustainable products while avoiding the costs and efforts of being truly eco-friendly. Some maintain that it is possible to build a more ethical system by incorporating principles of social responsibility into the capitalist framework, with others tracing these ideas back to the philosophy of Adam Smith.
Virtually all businesses have ethical codes of conduct. For these purposes, we can use one definition that “ethics” refers to a collection of moral principles that guide the behaviors, conduct and decision-making of individuals and groups. Through ethical codes, humans grapple with some of the most complicated questions in life, such as:
- What is right and wrong? Here, morality comes into play.
- What are humanity’s rights and responsibilities? Here, the rights theory guides ethical decisions by acting in the best interests of humanity and making decisions that are motivated by right, not wrong; good, not bad.
- How can one live a good life? Here, a virtue approach to decision-making guide decisions and actions by seeking out happiness through ethical decision-making.
- How can decision-makers balance the good and bad? Here, utilitarian ethics guides decision-making is useful. The decision-maker would have to evaluate the harms and benefits of alternative actions a select the one that maximizes net benefits.
Ethical Companies
Patagonia is a good example of a socially responsible company that acts in accordance with ethical principles. This outdoor clothing company is committed to maintaining an environmentally friendly supply chain, having switched from pesticide-heavy crops to organic cotton. Furthermore, the company pays its workers fair wages.
Whole Foods is another ethical company. The co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey, is also the co-founder of the conscious capitalism movement. As such, it makes sense that the company would adhere to ethical principles that nurture all of its stakeholders and promote healthy living. For example, the company builds stores that use alternative energy, recycles rainwater and uses food scraps for energy. It also pays its workers fairly while capping salaries for executives.
Another ethically conscious company is Bombas. To date, Bombas has donated more than 75 million clothing items to homeless shelters and has partnered with more than 3,500 community organizations across the nation. This company is a force for good.
As you can see, there are a number of ways that companies can adhere to the ethical principles of conscious capitalism. Ideally, a company will adopt comprehensive policies and practices designed to nurture ethical decision-making in all of its spheres of influence — from environmental impacts to social well-being.
Core Principles of Ethical Capitalism
Ethical Capitalism, in its simplest form, is about doing good while doing business. At its heart, Ethical Capitalism operates on a fundamental principle → that businesses can be both profitable and ethical. This isn’t a utopian dream, but a practical approach to commerce that acknowledges the interconnectedness of economic, social, and ecological systems.
The key ideas behind Ethical Capitalism is to incorporate it into straightforward concepts that resonate with everyday life. The Sustainability Directory outlines the principles of ethical capitalism as follows.
- Stakeholder Consideration → Moving beyond just shareholders, businesses consider all stakeholders – employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment – in their decisions. It’s like planning a family gathering, ensuring everyone’s needs are considered, not just your own.
- Transparency and Accountability → Openness about business practices and taking responsibility for actions. Imagine a clothing brand openly sharing where their materials come from and how their garments are made, good or bad, and working to improve any shortcomings.
- Fairness and Equity → Striving for just and equitable treatment in all business dealings. This means paying fair wages, providing safe working conditions, and ensuring equal opportunities. It’s like ensuring everyone at the playground gets a fair turn on the swings.
- Sustainability → Operating in a way that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This involves minimizing environmental impact and conserving resources. Think of it as leaving the campsite cleaner than you found it, ensuring others can enjoy it too.
These principles aren’t just abstract ideals; they are practical guidelines that shape how businesses operate daily. From sourcing materials to managing employees and engaging with communities, Ethical Capitalism offers a framework for building a more just and sustainable economic system. It recognizes that long-term success isn’t solely measured in financial terms but also in the positive impact a business has on the world around it. It is a move toward businesses becoming forces for good, actively contributing to a better future for all.
There is a lot more to Ethical Capitalism. One issue I will look at in a future blog is the role of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) in carrying out ethical investing decisions that benefit the stakeholders.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Visit Steve’s website (www.stevenmintzethics.com) to find out more about his activities.
The Growing Costs of Incivility Are Negatively Affecting Business Performance
The Security Executive Council’s Analysis
Recently, I read a study by The Security Executive Council that identifies increasing incidence of incivility and related negative behaviors, including rule breaking, disorder, and violence, that is costing U.S. businesses billions of dollars in lost productivity and absenteeism attributable to incivility. The report identifies environments such as retail floors, call centers, offices, and public spaces. While some companies have enhanced their security measures and operational changes, others remain unprepared for the scope and pace of these developments.
Addressing Uncivil Behavior
According to the study, managers are often unsuccessful at addressing rude behavior, which may contribute to employee disengagement and cynicism. The public is deeply concerned about rising local crime, with retailers reporting an increase in violence risk during theft incidents.
We are all-too familiar with smash and grab incidents where youthful offenders break through the outer glass of a storefront and grab whatever they can. These offenders have gotten so bold that they now do so during daylight, work hours. In California, new laws strengthen felony sentences for large-scale theft crimes and allow prosecutors to combine the value of stolen goods from multiple incidents to meet the felony threshold of $950 or more for reporting. In other words, if an offender steals $950 on one break-in, they will be prosecuted. If they do not, they won’t be prosecuted. However, if they are multiple offenders, the value of each theft is combined to see if the $950 threshold for reporting has been met.
Making the Right Choice
Civility requires that we make the right choices when dealing with others–how we treat them, respect, responsibility and ethical behavior. By doing so, we reduce or eliminate the desire to act selfishly and ignore the needs of others. The following are descriptions of bad behavior that need to be addressed by society to ensure we make right choices, not wrong ones.
Incivility and Disrespect as Emerging Workplace Norms
Incidents of customer aggression have also grown; the National Customer Rage Study reports more yelling and hostility toward frontline staff, with nearly one in five Americans admitting to uncivil behavior toward businesses. Online harassment and cyberbullying have escalated as well. The impact on businesses includes reduced engagement and collaboration, increased absenteeism, reputational harm in customer-facing roles, and higher turnover rates among employees exposed to uncivil environments.
Defiance of Rules and Law
According to the Security Executive Council report, since 2019, increases have been reported in shoplifting, organized retail crime, non-residential burglary, cargo theft, porch piracy, and fraud, including those enabled by deepfake technology. Internal policy violations linked to substance use affect productivity and safety; there has been a rise in workplace overdose deaths and lost workdays due to untreated substance use disorders. Businesses have responded by investing in loss prevention, insurance, audits, internal controls, and employee support, with sectors such as retail and hospitality experiencing pronounced effects due to tighter profit margin.
Rising Threats and Violence
Revised federal data indicates violent crime rates remain high compared to pre-pandemic levels and hate crime incidents have increased. Workplace violence persists as a concern, particularly for public-facing positions, and there has been a growth in threats against executives, including cases involving weapons, leading to increased spending on executive protection and facility hardening. Even without specific incidents, perceived threats can affect psychological safety, recruitment, retention, and insurance or liability costs.
Conclusions
The report concludes: (1) costs associated with incivility are extensive and the public is becoming more aware of them and the costs of performance. Needless to say, there is a downward effect on profitability. Also, (2) leadership gaps may cause additional workplace stress and dysfunction.
I asked AI about what businesses do about these problems and here is what it said:
” Businesses protect against theft by implementing a combination of physical and procedural security measures, including installing surveillance systems and alarms, securing physical access with strong locks and access controls, and training employees on security protocols and theft prevention. They also reduce risk through regular audits, inventory checks, and good customer service, and by maintaining well-lit and visible premises.”
Many of us have gone into stores like Target in the SF Bay Area, only to find a lot of the products we want are locked up and we have to find someone to unlock where they are to buy the product. This says it all about how we have morphed into a selfish, uncaring society. Obviously, not all people engage in these acts. In fact, it’s a large minority. However, as in many things these days that affect our lives and enjoyment, it’s the acts of the few that mess things up to the many who play by the rules, rather than make up our own rules.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, Professor Emeritus Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. To learn more about Steve’s activities, visit his website at: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
Evaluating Trump’s Actions and Its Effect on the World
A Narcissistic Personality Disorder
I’m back online now and reflecting on the events of the past two weeks during which time I didn’t blog because of the migration of “Ethics Sage” and “Workplace Ethics Advice.” So much is happening, in part because President Trump seems to need to be in the news every day. It’s almost like he doesn’t care what the issue is or his opinion, he’ll go on “Truth Social” and blog away.
Here is a recent post that deals with the Israel-Hamas matter. It’s hard to believe even Trump believes it:
President @realDonaldTrump: “Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change… Like the USA right now, it will be the GOLDEN AGE of Israel and the Golden Age of the Middle East.”
Does he realize that the current clash follows those of 2008–2009, 2012, 2014, and the 2021? In my opinion, the end result of the War, whenever it officially ends, is that Trump’s actions have created a whole new generation of Palestinian’s who hate Jews and will continue the skirmishes. It may take time because of the total devastation of Gaza, but it will come eventually. It’s a matter of history repeating itself.
He seems to be saying the USA is headed into some kind of Golden Age. Has he been reading the newspapers? Does he stay current with events such as the shutdown of the government, firing of government workers deemed unneeded, ill-thought-out tariffs placed on foreign goods, nationalization of the National Guard, and more.
What bothers me the most is the War between Ukraine and Russia. There is no explanation for why Trump has essentially ignored Russian aggression. There is some movement in his position but nothing like his involvement in the Israel-Hamas clash where he has been able to seemingly bring an end to the conflict. Moreover, he seems to say things that are wholly unlikely, such as his statement at the UN that follows.
President Trump shifted his position on whether Ukraine should hold out for all the territory seized by Russia, saying on social media that he thinks Ukraine is in a position to win it all back. It’s a reversal from his long-held position that Kyiv would need to give up some of its territory to Moscow to end the war – such as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
But now, “after getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation,” Trump said he believes Ukraine – backed by the European Union and NATO – can win back all its territory.
“Why not?” he said in a post after he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, even suggesting that Ukraine could “maybe even go further than that!”
Why doesn’t Trump threaten Putin like he has Zelenskyy, Hamas, India and Pakistan and more? I believe the explanation is Putin has some damaging information, as yet unearthed, about Trump and it could include Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election. In other words, Putin threatens Trump about what might happen if he goes all out to support Ukraine. I could be wrong. It’s just my opinion and I have no facts to back it up. It’s the only explanation I have for his weakness in relations with Russia and not calling out its horrible actions in Ukraine.
Blog posted by Steven Mintz, Professor Emeritus, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, on October 13, 2025. To learn more about Steve’s activities, please visit his website at: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
ETHICS SAGE BACK ONLINE
I have been away from blogging for a couple of weeks because my host–Typepad–shut down. I have been busy migrating to WordPress. I am developing new blogs that will be posted shortly. In the meantime, there is much to discuss including Trump not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, the first stages of releasing hostages and ending the Israel-Hamas war, the seemingly never-ending war between Ukraine and Russia, the shutdown of the U.S. government, violence in our streets, the use of the National Guard to keep the peace, and the way our country is divided on political and social issues. An interesting question that I will discuss in my blogs is: Are there any common denominators that cause this strife and make life so much harder for the average citizen? I believe there are a few common factors. First, we have morphed into an egotistical society. We no longer act in the best interests of others. It’s a “What’s in it for me society.” We have also become a rude society, and civility is the exception, rather than the rule. So many of our younger adults have little or no impulse control, which is why we see things like mass killings. Rather than civilly discussing differences, we shout at each other and even turn to violent behavior. In short, we have lost our moral compass. We no longer have a core set of moral values that guides our behavior. Perhaps that’s why some people say: “I am telling you my truth.” This implies there is more than one truth in a situation. In other words, what’s true for you may not be true for me, and we wind up with dozens of truths and no way to resolve differences.
My final words for today are we must learn how to disagree with each other without being disagreeable towards each other.
Please continue to read my blogs on the ethics sage website or workplace ethics advice. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Blog posted on October 10, 2025. Learn more about Steve’s activities on his website: www.stevenmintzethics.com.
Do People Quit Bosses or Jobs?
Leadership is the Key
I’ve often wondered whether employees leave a job because of the way they are treated. After all, it is a matter of ethics in the way superiors interact with their employees. While factors such as good pay, generous vacation time, and other perks are important, it seems as though employees quit jobs not because of them but because of the way they are treated by their bosses.
Thomas Griffin writes about leadership skills in an interesting and informative way. Griffin points to a study published in DDI’s Frontline Leader Project that addresses the emotions and relationships of frontline managers. The survey collected data from more than 1,000 managers, senior leaders, and individual contributors. The published findings reveal the anxieties, frustrations, and rewarding moments experienced by frontline managers, as well as the reflections of their senior leaders and direct reports.
Leadership Skills
Key findings in the research include:
- 57 percent of employees have left a job because of their manager. Furthermore, 14 percent have left multiple jobs because of their managers. An additional 32 percent have seriously considered leaving because of their manager.
- Bad leaders create unhealthy work environments rife with ineffective communication, lack of recognition, micromanagement and poor productivity.
- A significant change in leadership strategy and execution is necessary to retain key employees.
Why People Leave Bad Leaders
Griffin identifies five dangerous practices and habits of bad leaders that create toxic workplace cultures.
- Refusing to Lead by Example
- Not Offering Support and Recognition
- Communicating Ineffectively
- Micromanaging and Withholding Control
- Fostering an Unhealthy Work Environment
Each of these activities creates workplace cultures that can lead the best of employees to quit, leaving only those who don’t care about getting results for the organization.
8 Principles to Become a Better Leader
Griffin discusses “8 Principles to Help You Become a Better Leader.”
- Lead by Example
- Listen to Understand, Not Respond
- Creating a Clear Strategy Centered Around Vision, Mission and Values
- Be Proactive, Not Reactive
- Communicating More Effectively
- Audit Existing Systems, Processes and Practices
- Invest in Your Employees
- Commitment to the Plan
These are right on point but could be strengthened by adding something about reporting wrongdoing. For example, if an employee believes the organization has committed fraud or other wrongdoing, it should provide an outlet to report it without fear of retribution. This has become increasingly important in an environment where organizations do not ‘walk the talk’ of ethics. A positive step is having a C-Suite position for the VP Ethics or Ethics Compliance Officer.
Recently, I blogged about “Quiet Quitting.” If employees become resentful of the way a manager treats them or their work conditions, they may ‘check out,’ that is, underperform on the job. The reason is they no longer are getting the return of their investment in the job, perhaps because of the way they are treated.
Quiet Quitting
Employers need to be sensitive to the activities and relationships within the organization that might motivate quiet quitting. According to a study by Gallup, quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. Many quiet quitters fit the definition of being “not engaged” at work — people who do the minimum required and are psychologically detached from their job. Gallup found a decline in engagement and employee satisfaction among remote Gen Z and younger millennials – those below age 35. This is important because they will be the primary workplace group going forward and need to align themselves with organizational values to promote ethical behavior within the organization.
According to research by LLC, when quiet quitters decide to do the bare minimum in their roles, they’re often pushing some of their responsibilities off on others, whether they realize it or not. Naturally, that isn’t going to go over well with some of the quiet quitter’s colleagues. In the LLC report, 62% of employees surveyed said they are annoyed by the trend of quiet quitting, with 57% stating that they had to take on extra work because a colleague had quietly quit.
The following signs of quiet quitting illustrate why this trend could be dangerous for employers. Taken to an extreme, it could bring into question one’s work/life balance and wellness, with a negative effect on workplace culture.
- Disengagement on a chronic basis.
- Performance only to the minimum set of performance standards.
- Isolation from other members of the team.
- Withdrawal from any non-necessary conversations, activities or tasks.
To fend off quiet quitting, employers should create a culture that encourages employees to stay with the organization—such as loyalty, responsibility by top management, respect by management for employees, valuing others’ contributions in the workplace, and creating a workplace culture that promotes alignment with organizational values, strategies, and objectives.
When I teach ethics to college students, I like to end each session with famous quotes. I have found it helps them to recall the material discussed in class. Here are a few of my favorites.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things” (Peter Drucker, Management and leadership guru).
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” (John Maxwell, author, who wrote: The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”(Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights activist and political philosopher).
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on August 26, 2025. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
Why Good People Sometimes Do Bad Things
Cultivating Moral Values to Enhance Ethical Behavior
If you are like me, there are times when you can only shake your head in disbelief when learning about someone you always felt was a good person who had done bad things in their past. Names such as Bill Cosby come to mind who, allegedly, sexually abused or harassed more than 60 women.
Then, there are those who were pillars of the community but also got caught with past indiscretions. Bernie Madoff engaged in a Ponzi scheme defrauding investors of approximately $65 billion, according to court records.
Doing Good by Being Good
In my last blog I explored, “What Does “Doing good by being good” mean? Simply stated, it highlights the idea that when one acts with kindness and compassion (being good) it will lead to positive actions and outcomes (doing good). It suggests that a person’s inherent goodness, their moral character, is the foundation for their helpful and ethical behavior. This concept can be explored in various contexts, from personal relationships, such as Cosby, community involvement, and/or business practices, such as Madoff.
As moral individuals, we should commit to following ethical values to be a good person. Ethical values such as honesty, trustworthiness, responsibility, and integrity come to mind. Good people strive to do the right thing. They recognize that their actions have consequences. They are aware of the rights of others and act in a way they hope others would act if faced with similar situations.
Good people think with their head and act in concert with their heart, and they apply the knowledge and wisdom gained through a lifetime of experiences. Good people are honest, trustworthy, fair-minded, and empathetic towards others. Good people accept responsibility for the consequences of their actions and strive to learn from their mistakes; improve their behavior throughout their lifetime.
Motivation for Unethical Actions
As I have written before, while good people sometimes do bad things it doesn’t mean they are bad people. Instead, circumstances may arise where they feel pressured by peers to deviate from ethical behavior. This happens in business all the time.
Take the case of Betty Vinson. Asked by her bosses at WorldCom ($11 billion fraud) to make false accounting entries, Vinson questioned the entries and knew they were wrong. Still, she recorded the improper amounts out of fear of losing her job and not being able to support her family. She knew the manipulation of accounting records was wrong but did so because of being pressured by the CFO.
In other situations, good people may do bad things because they want to be seen as a “team player.” So, they decide to go with the flow regardless of the ethicality of behavior of their peers. Oftentimes, a cover-up ensues if the offending party is questioned why they acted in a particular way.
Sometimes, good people take actions they believe are for the ‘greater good’, not understanding the harmful consequences. “The end justifies the means” is a saying derived from the literary works of Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. It implies that a positive result merits any negative action necessary to achieve it. This sense of control is another reason why good people do bad things. An example would be going to extreme lengths of civil disobedience, like damaging property, to draw attention to urgent societal issues.
Although people may feel uncomfortable with what is happening as they move down the “ethical slippery slope,” they convince themselves that “so long as it is legal, it is ethical” or that they are doing what is expected of them. Rationalization — the ability to justify our behavior — is one of our greatest moral failings. Behavior that would clearly be considered unethical by an outsider becomes acceptable to those involved because “this is the way things get done by others in my peer group or work team”, or “it doesn’t really hurt anyone”.
Clarifying Your Moral Values
Good people can largely avoid doing bad things by clarifying their own values and acting on them whenever possible. We become ethical people by making ethical decisions regardless of the pressure to do otherwise. We become kind people by practicing kindness. We become compassionate by having compassion for others. This is an important tenet of virtue ethics.
Being a good person also involves being fair-minded by seeing all sides of a conflict and then acting in accordance with our values. We think first and then act rather than acting without exploring what might happen if we take one action or another. This is the message of utilitarianism, which holds that the consequences of our actions should precede action and, indeed, influence it.
If a good person does bad things, even if it is an isolated incident, all trust may be lost if the community no longer trusts the offender. The saga of Lance Armstrong is a case in point. He cheated to win multiple Tour de France races, which are multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France.
I have found that those who lie or deceive others do so by omitting truthful information that another party has a (Kantian) right to know to carry out their obligations and duties. Trustworthy people always strive to tell the truth by keeping their word; and honest people do so by not exaggerating the truth for their own benefit.
You Are a Human Being; Forgive Yourself for Past Discretions
Displaying behaviors viewed as uncharacteristically “bad” may stem from many reasons, including a lack of self-awareness. But this doesn’t always define who we are. Being unaware of our emotions and values at the moment can lead to unintentional actions that go against our guiding principles, especially under stress.
Think about this: “The human condition is one of imperfections.” Everyone faces their own challenges, makes mistakes, has an error in judgment, or says something they regret after the fact. These moments don’t make you a “bad” person, they simply make you human. What can you do to counteract wrongful behavior? First, omit your mistake. Then, promise not to do it again and third restore trust by making amends.
Being labeled as “good” or “bad” often comes from how others view your long-standing patterns of behavior and personality. If you typically act with kindness, compassion, and fair judgment, you may be perceived as “good.”
Being “good,” however, doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t do bad things. By understanding why good people sometimes do bad things, you’re cultivating your own traits of goodness, like empathy and compassion.
Finally, good people do not need laws to tell them to act truthfully and responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. These are the challenges to ethical behavior in our personal lives and in the workplace.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on August 20, 2025. Steve is the author of Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior, which is available on Amazon. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
What Does the Expression “Doing good by being good” Mean?
Striving to Be a Better Person
What Does “Doing good by being good” mean? Simply stated, it highlights the idea that when one acts with kindness and compassion (being good) it will lead to positive actions and outcomes (doing good). It suggests that a person’s inherent goodness, their moral character, is the foundation for their helpful and ethical behavior. This concept can be explored in various contexts, from personal relationships and community involvement to business practices and even the motivations behind charitable acts.
Motivation for Action
While both “doing good” and “being good” are important, the phrase “doing good by being good” highlights the significance of motivation. True goodness, according to this perspective, stems from an internal commitment to ethical principles. It means that a person wants to do the right thing, not because it will keep them out of trouble but because they treat all rational beings, including oneself, as ends in themselves, possessing inherent dignity and intrinsic value, rather than treating them merely as means to achieve their goals. This is known as the “Categorical Imperative” as expressed by the philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Kant believed that humanity should always be treated as an end in itself and never merely as a means to an end, a principle called the Humanity Formulation of the Categorical Imperative. This means that people should respect the inherent rational nature and autonomous choice of every individual, recognizing their intrinsic worth beyond any utility they might offer. Actions like lying, cheating, or violence are unethical because they fail to respect a person’s rational autonomy, either by deceiving them or by failing to consider their own goals and needs.
Interconnectedness of Moral Character and Ethical Actions
“Being good” suggests a consistent pattern of ethical behavior, while “doing good” can sometimes be a one-time action or a series of isolated acts. In essence, the idea of “doing good by being good” emphasizes the interconnectedness of moral character and ethical actions, suggesting that a genuine commitment to goodness is the most sustainable and impactful way to create positive change in the world.
“Doing good by being good” means acting ethically and morally not just through specific actions, but also through one’s inherent character and disposition. It’s about cultivating a virtuous character that naturally leads to beneficial actions, rather than simply performing good deeds for external reasons. In other words,
- “Doing good”: refers to specific actions that are considered beneficial or helpful to others or society.
- “Being good”: refers to one’s character, values, and moral disposition.
- “Doing good by being good”: implies that one’s actions reflect their inner moral compass and that they are motivated by genuine virtue rather than external factors or self-interest.
Developing a Moral Character
The ancient Greeks, Aristotle and Socrates, believed that ethical actions stem from a foundation of strong moral character and core values. It means that individuals who cultivate virtues like honesty, kindness, empathy, and responsibility are more likely to make ethical choices and contribute positively to society, regardless of specific rules or external pressures.
The Greek word arete translates to excellence, virtue, or the state of fulfilling one’s potential. It encompasses not just moral virtue, but also the idea of excelling in any field, whether it be one’s profession or activities such as athletics. Essentially, arete signifies the highest form of a person or thing’s inherent capabilities.
Here’s a breakdown of the meaning of moral character as the ancient Greeks conceived of it:
- Focus on Inner Character: Ethical behavior isn’t just about following rules or avoiding bad actions, but about developing a virtuous character from within.
- The Golden Rule as a Foundation: The concept highlights the importance of the Golden Rule – “treating others as you would wish to be treated” – as a guiding principle for cultivating ethical traits.
- Virtues as Building Blocks: Practicing virtues like honesty, kindness, empathy, and personal responsibility cultivates an “honorable and moral character.”
- Beyond Rules: Individuals with strong moral characters do not need external laws to guide them, as their ingrained values drive them to act responsibly.
- Developing Habits: Ethical character is developed through conscious effort and practice, making ethical responses habitual over time.
- Action Guiding (Indirectly): While it doesn’t provide specific rules for every situation, virtue ethics suggests that by cultivating a virtuous character, individuals can develop what the ancient Greeks thought of as phronesis or wisdom to navigate moral dilemmas effectively.
By doing good and being good one can gain eudaimonia, which means happiness to the Greeks, a concept often translated as human flourishing or a life well-lived. The pursuit of happiness is a goal in itself and can be achieved by acting with virtue. This suggests that living a virtuous life contributes to a sense of fulfillment and well-being.
The link between doing good and being good can be viewed through the lens of ethics. Ethics concerns an individual’s moral judgments about right and wrong. These judgments reflect our character and thought process – the way we reason through difficult decisions in life and choose between alternative courses of action. It is sometimes said that ethics is all about what we do when no one is looking. Ethical decisions are driven by a desire to do the right thing, not because it brings notoriety, monetary rewards, power, or prestige. Instead, being an ethical person is a goal in itself: I want to be a better person, so I choose to act in accordance with moral values, meaning ethically.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on August 18, 2025. Steve is the author of Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior, which is available on Amazon. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
DO MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z CARE ABOUT THE ETHICS OF POTENTIAL ACCOUNTING EMPLOYERS?
ACCOUNTING FIRMS’ ETHICS SHOULD BE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED
Having taught both millennials and Gen Z, I’ve always wondered the extent to which values and ethics are considered in the job search decision. Even if they want to consider it in their decision-making process, the question is how to do so. Candidates for positions can’t ask straight out about these things. They could do an Internet search to see if there are any bad marks against the firm. Today, it’s quite common for candidates to ask Artificial Intelligence (AI) a question about the ethics of firms.
I decided to ask AI the question: Is “X” an ethical firm. I only asked about the Big 4, believing the responses would give me a clear view of ethical decision-making that could be applied to all firms. The responses appear at the end of this blog.
One of the reasons for this post is to provide a prelude to my next post about millennials and Gen Z, and the extent to which they consider values and ethics in the job search decision.
OVERVIEW: ETHICS OF ACCOUNTING/AUDITING FIRMS
Looking at some of the most important data, we can see some interesting results as follows:
Deloitte: The China division was charged with operational and ethical malpractice. This could be worrisome if a candidate wants to work overseas. Are the ethical controls lighter than in the U.S.?
EY: Recent ethical lapses: cheating on internal exams and very low PCAOB inspection scores may indicate a troublesome trend for the ethics of EY.
KPMG: Recent ethical lapses: cheating on internal training exams and hiring former PCAOB staffers to provide confidential information on PCAOB audit inspection targets.
PwC: PwC Australia engaged in a scandal involving the misuse of confidential government tax information to help clients avoid taxes. This is a gross violation of confidentiality and integrity and could be indicative of a lower ethics standard for work overseas.
The discussion below tends to focus on violations of ethics in independence, objectivity and integrity.
FIRM ETHICAL LAPSES
Deloitte
Deloitte generally portrays itself as an ethical firm, emphasizing integrity, values-based decision-making, and a strong Code of Ethics. However, it has also faced accusations of ethical lapses and malpractice, particularly in its auditing division in China. Deloitte’s own documentation highlights its commitment to ethics and information security through various certifications and policies.
Deloitte’s Stance on Ethics:
- Core Values:
Deloitte explicitly lists integrity as one of its four core values, emphasizing its role as a guiding principle for decisions and actions.
The firm has a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct that outlines the standards expected of its professionals worldwide.
- Ethics Training:
Deloitte requires ethics training for all employees, including independent contractors, and provides additional training to leadership.
- Reporting Channels:
Deloitte offers various channels for reporting ethical concerns, emphasizing confidentiality and non-retaliation.
Allegations and Concerns:
China Auditing Division:
.In 2021, Deloitte was accused of operational and ethical malpractice in its China auditing division.
Deloitte’s Response:
- Investigation:
Deloitte launched an investigation into the allegations regarding its China auditing division.
- Commitment to Ethics:
Deloitte maintains that its ethics program is robust and that it takes these issues seriously.
- Transparency:
Deloitte states it has taken steps to address concerns and reinforce its commitment to ethical conduct.
Conclusion:
While Deloitte actively promotes itself as an ethical firm and has systems in place to uphold ethical standards, it has faced criticism and allegations of unethical practices in certain areas. The company’s response to these challenges will be crucial in shaping its future reputation.
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young (EY) has faced significant ethical challenges and scrutiny in recent years, despite having a Global Code of Conduct. While EY maintains a commitment to ethical conduct and has taken steps to address past issues, instances of cheating on professional exams and withholding information from regulators have led to substantial fines and reputational damage.
Arguments suggesting EY is not consistently ethical:
- Cheating on exams
In 2022, the SEC fined EY $100 million for employees cheating on ethics exams required for CPA licenses and for withholding evidence of this misconduct. This suggests a culture where ethical standards were not universally upheld.
- Audit deficiencies
One of LinkedIn posts reviews the PCAOB audit inspection report showed EY had a 37% audit deficiency rate in 2023, which, while an improvement from 46% in 2022, still indicates a significant rate of audits with flaws.
- Ethics training
Despite repeated warnings, cheating continued, indicating a failure in ethics and integrity training.
- Withholding evidence
EY was found to have withheld evidence of misconduct from regulators during an investigation, which is a serious breach of trust and ethical standards.
- Tax scheme
EY devised a tax scheme for Perrigo that was later questioned by the IRS, highlighting potential conflicts of interest and unethical tax avoidance strategies.
Arguments suggesting EY is committed to ethical conduct:
- Global Code of Conduct:
EY has a Global Code of Conduct that outlines ethical standards and principles for its employees.
- Total Rewards program:
EY offers a comprehensive Total Rewards program, which includes benefits and support for employee well-being.
- Constructive collaborations:
EY partners with organizations like Teach For All to develop future leaders, demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility.
Conclusion:
While EY has a Global Code of Conduct and has taken steps to address ethical lapses, the repeated instances of cheating, audit deficiencies, and other issues demonstrate that the firm has not consistently maintained the highest ethical standards. The firm’s actions, including the $100 million fine from the SEC, underscore the seriousness of these ethical breaches.
KPMG
KPMG has faced significant ethical concerns and penalties in recent years, including accusations of cheating on internal exams, sharing confidential information with regulators, and misleading investigators. While KPMG emphasizes its commitment to ethics and integrity through its Global Code of Conduct and various compliance programs, these incidents raise questions about the firm’s ethical culture and the effectiveness of its internal controls.
Evidence of Ethical Lapses:
- PCAOB Scandal:
KPMG was fined by the PCAOB for cheating on internal training exams and submitting inaccurate information to regulators during investigations.
- Misleading Regulators:
KPMG personnel were found to have shared confidential information about upcoming PCAOB inspections and used this information to improve audit results.
- Cheating on Exams:
KPMG admitted that some of its employees cheated on mandatory continuing education exams.
- SEC Fine:
The SEC fined KPMG $50 million to settle charges related to the scandals.
- California Board of Accountancy:
KPMG was also fined by the California Board of Accountancy for violations of the Accountancy Act.
KPMG’s Response and Commitments:
- Global Code of Conduct:
KPMG has a Global Code of Conduct that outlines expected standards of behavior and emphasizes integrity.
- Ethics and Compliance Program:
.KPMG has an ethics and compliance program designed to support a culture of ethical behavior and provide resources for employees.
- Increased accountability
KPMG has stated that it is increasing partner accountability and taking steps to transform its governance.
- Culture of Reporting:
KPMG encourages employees to raise concerns and has policies in place to protect those who report misconduct.
Overall Assessment:
While KPMG has made efforts to address ethical concerns and improve its culture, the repeated incidents of misconduct raise questions about the effectiveness of its measures and the depth of its commitment to ethical practices. The firm’s actions have resulted in significant fines and reputational damage, highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong ethical culture and robust compliance program.
PwC
While PwC, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms, has a stated commitment to ethical business practices and a code of conduct, it has also faced significant ethical scandals, particularly involving tax avoidance and conflicts of interest. These incidents raise questions about the firm’s actual ethical culture and whether its actions align with its stated values.
PwC’s Stated Commitment to Ethics:
- Code of conduct
PwC has a code of conduct that outlines the firm’s values and principles, emphasizing ethical behavior.
- Ethics and Compliance Program:
They have a program dedicated to ethics and compliance, with leaders committed to upholding these principles.
- Human Rights Policy:
PwC has a global human rights policy that sets a baseline for ethical conduct and respect for human rights according to PwC.
- Sustainability Focus:
PwC also highlights its commitment to sustainability, with a Platinum rating from EcoVadis recognizing its work in environmental, labor, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
Ethical Concerns and Scandals:
- Tax Avoidance Scandal:
PwC Australia was embroiled in a major scandal involving the misuse of confidential government tax information to help clients avoid taxes.
- Conflicts of Interest:
The firm has been criticized for advising governments on tax laws while simultaneously helping multinational corporations establish tax avoidance schemes according to the NY Times.
- Lack of Accountability:
Investigations into PwC Australia revealed a culture where senior leaders were not held accountable for unethical behavior.
- Lack of Diversity and Inclusion:
There have been allegations of discriminatory practices within the firm, particularly affecting Black, female, and non-native born employees according to Reddit.
Conclusion:
While PwC publicly emphasizes its commitment to ethics and has implemented measures to promote ethical behavior, the firm has also been involved in significant ethical breaches. This raises questions about whether its stated values are consistently reflected in its actions. The extent to which PwC is truly an “ethical firm” is a matter of ongoing debate and scrutiny, particularly in light of the recent scandals and the need for cultural change.
SUMMING IT ALL UP
It can’t be denied that the firms have been embroiled in serious ethical lapses, especially in the past few years. Cheating on internal training and CPE exams is shocking, especially when the tests were administered for ethics courses. Each of the Big 4 firms, except Deloitte, seem to have gotten caught up in the cheating scandals. KPMG’s hiring of former PCAOB inspectors to gain inside information brings into question the overall ethics of the firm, especially integrity, and the firm has received high scores on deficiencies in audits by the PCAOB. PwC’s tax problems in its Australia firm which shows the misuse of confidential government tax information raises a red flag whether the firms are paying sufficient attention to ethics in their overseas operations. The same could be said about Deloitte’s China auditing division. Finally, EY has experienced a variety of violations including cheating on training exams, tax schemes, and a high level of audit deficiencies. Moreover, an ethical problem in soliciting new audit business for a potential client of EY, Sealed Air, raises questions about the firm’s independence. I have addressed these issues before in a LinkedIn post.
Revisiting AI
AI provides reasons why a candidate should find out about the ethics of firms with which they intend to interview.
- Professional Integrity: Accountants are bound by strict professional codes of ethics, emphasizing integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality. Working for an unethical employer can create serious conflicts with these professional obligations and potentially damage their reputation or career.
- Avoiding Legal and Reputational Risk: Unethical practices within a company, like fraudulent reporting, can lead to legal penalties, financial losses, and reputational damage for everyone involved, including the accountants.
- Work Environment and Job Satisfaction: A strong ethical culture contributes to a more positive and secure work environment, which can lead to higher job satisfaction.
The bottom line is whether candidates for positions should investigate these matters and use the information gathered in job selection situations. My next blog will address this issue.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 29, 2025. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
Honesty and Ethics of Professions
Who Do You Trust…Or Mistrust?
According to a Gallup poll during December 2-18, 2024, three in four Americans consider nurses highly honest and ethical, making them the most trusted of 23 professions rated in Gallup’s annual measurement. Grade-school teachers rank second, with 61% viewing them highly, while military officers, pharmacists and medical doctors also earn high trust from majorities of Americans.
The least trusted professions, with more than half of U.S. adults saying their ethics are low or very low, are lobbyists, members of Congress and TV reporters.
Of the remaining occupations measured in the Dec. 2-18, 2024, poll, six (including police officers, clergy and judges) are viewed more positively than negatively by Americans, although with positive ratings not reaching the majority level. The other nine, notably including bankers, lawyers and business executives, are seen more negatively than positively, with no more than 50% rating their ethics low.
The 76% of U.S. adults who now say nurses have “very high” or “high” honesty and ethical standards is far more than any of the other professions rated. Still, the current rating is 10 percentage points lower than the highest rating for nurses, recorded in 2020, when they were on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and their ethics ratings soared.
Grade schoolteachers have a 61% high/very high rating while military officers have a 59% rating. The following are pharmacists with 57% and medical doctors with 53%. All of the remaining professions have a lower score for very high ethics than average plus low/very low. One conclusion is those in the “helping professions” rate highest in honesty and ethics.
Perhaps not surprising to most Americans, members of Congress have a rating of only 8% very high and lobbyists even worse. This doesn’t surprise me as our government has been dysfunctional for a long time. We tend to “kick the can down the road” on many issues (i.e., immigration). Moreover, most of us do not trust our representatives in Congress. They tend to look out for what is in their best interests, not the public interest.
Bankers, lawyers and business executives are near the bottom, right by car salespeople. What should we make of their low rating on honesty and ethics? One conclusion is the professions involved in our capitalistic economic system are not working. Capitalism is being attacked by many sides, including those who prefer a more socialistic system. Just consider the 33-year-old democratic socialist Assembly member named Zohran Mamdani now running for mayor of NYC. Bernie Sanders is a long-standing socialist and then we have the so-called “squad.”
Honesty and ethics are two values that provide the ethical foundation for an economic system and system of government that builds trust in the minds of the public. The Gallup results make it clear that trust has taken a hit over the past few years.
Do We Trust the Federal Government?
A Pew Research Center survey in spring 2024, shows that only 22% of U.S. adults said they trust the federal government to do the right thing just about always or most of the time. Perhaps surprisingly, this was up 6 percentage points from the year before, but it’s too early to tell if that’s a one-off or a trend. The 2023 measure of 16% was among the lowest in more than six decades of polling.
Congress has faced a growing decline in confidence. Around 7 in 10 Americans have an unfavorable view of Congress, an institution that has run in the red on this front for well over a decade. And a whopping 85% of Americans say they don’t think elected officials care what people like them think.
Political parties hardly fare better. Aside from the obvious point that each side has dim views of the other, a record 28% of Americans have unfavorable views of both the Democratic and Republican parties, up from 7% about two decades ago.
Overall, the title of a comprehensive Pew Center report on this topic last year—“Americans’ Dismal View of the Nation’s Politics”—captures the sentiment best.
I’d like to say I am hopeful that things will turn around and the public will start to trust our leaders and institutions again, but there is no reason to believe it especially with the current administration in power.
What can we do as Americans to make things better? We need to learn compassion and empathy for others. If we lived in a society that valued these characteristic traits of behavior, our economic and political systems would become functional again. In my view, the last time a majority of us believed in those economic and government systems and respected them is probably in the 1960s-1970s when JFK was the President.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 23, 2025. Steve is the author of Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior, which is available on Amazon. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
Do Teens Think It’s Acceptable to Use ChatGPT?
The Ethics of Using ChatGPT
A recent survey by Pew Research shows a rapid increase in the number of teens who use ChatGPT to complete assignments. While two times the number of students use it now compared with 2023, it’s likely that the usage rate is higher. It’s logical to assume that a student-user of ChatGPT may be reluctant to admit it regardless of it being an anonymous survey. Moreover, the new models that have come out since the original study using ChatGPT 3.0–ChatGPT 3.5, 4.0 and 4o–, have made it appealing for students to use it because it’s accuracy has been increasing with more sophisticated AI.
What to Do About Cheating?
ChatGPT is trained on a large data set, which may include biased or outdated information. This can result in the generation of biased data or incorrect text, particularly in sensitive or controversial topics. Educators should carefully evaluate whether this is the case in analyzing responses from ChatGPT.
ChatGPT’s usefulness is based on its ability to provide information that accurately explains key concepts, reliably analyzes data, and clearly reports the results of processing information that it is fed. Several studies have shown that ChatGPT lacks a deep understanding of the meaning of the text it generates. This can lead to errors and inconsistencies in the output, particularly when generating text for more complex or nuanced topics such as provided in case studies.
Educators are cautioned that ChatGPT is dependent on the data it is fed to make inferences and return accurate information. According to Pavlik, given its ability to produce massive amounts of data instantly, students may use it for cheating on examinations, homework, and assignments. Cotton suggests that this can lead to discrepancies in learning results that harm the quality of teaching and learning.
Educators should also weigh the potential harmful effects of allowing students to use ChatGPT with benefits such as it can facilitate using advanced teaching methodologies, promote interactive learning, and develop students’ critical thinking skills. ChatGPT can be used to solve complex problems, generate summaries and reports, make recommendations, and conduct data analysis.
I have blogged about the problem previously and said there is a need to develop a counteracting response program to ChatGPT cheating. A good place to start is to discuss the ethics of using ChatGPT with students. Ethical values such as honesty, integrity and responsibility should be discussed. For example, who is responsible for a students’ work? Obviously, it’s the student. Why? In addition to these values, the ethical issue of fairness should be discussed. If students are allowed to cheat unabated, then those students who don’t cheat are at a distinct disadvantage. Beyond that, a harsh penalty should be meted out to students who have used ChatGPT in their assignments, assuming this can be proven and that the instructor made it clear this wasn’t acceptable behavior.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
The Pew survey results show that students are more likely to use ChatGPT to help with research papers and less likely to use it to solve math problems and write essays. A common criticism of ChatGPT is that it may prevent students from developing their critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is an issue given that ChatGPT is used to analyze, evaluate, and form judgments, processes that may not be fully evolved.
Burney and co-authors believe it has the potential to revolutionize the learning for educators and students including to foster students’ critical thinking skills. Bai and his co-authors, contend that, ChatGPT can be used to develop various skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and communication by generating scenarios, providing feedback, and offering suggestions through assignments requiring students to critically evaluate responses generated by ChatGPT. They also point out that the model can serve as an initial reference point for research projects, encouraging students to verify, elaborate upon, or even challenge the information provided. They suggest that educators should incorporate activities that promote the cultivation of critical thinking.
Abramson, however, contends that rather than weaken student effort, AI can help prepare students for the real world by encouraging critical thinking about class concepts. Critical thinking skills enable students to analyze a set of facts and decide what is relevant to the solution of a problem and what is not. These skills can be used to resolve ethical conflicts that are presented in case studies, such as the ones used as the basis for this paper. One problem is if the answers provided by ChatGPT are not reliable then students would be using erroneous results as the basis for judgments that apply critical thinking skills to a dataset.
Conclusion
The purpose of using ChatGPT in the classroom is to enhance student learning. ChatGPT can be used as a tool to provide an initial reference point that is built on through the analysis of information to a problem at hand. ChatGPT and artificial intelligence are here to stay. We need to inform our students about the potentially powerful technical capabilities that artificial intelligence offers so they can contribute effectively to tomorrow’s workforce and society at large. Educators should learn how to use it as one tool in their toolbox and not dismiss it out of hand because of plagiarism concerns.
It is easy enough to obtain software to check student answers against ChatGPT, such as Turnitin, and assess whether students are using ChatGPT the way it was meant to be used and not as a replacement for essays, research papers, or answers to discussion questions. Turnitin can analyze text and provide a probability score indicating the likelihood of AI-generated content. However, instructors need to be aware that products like Turnitin are not considered to be 100 percent accurate in identifying the use of AI.
In conclusion, while there are potential benefits to the use of ChatGPT, it is important for educators to address the ethical concerns raised by its use before deciding to allow it for their students. This includes developing ethical guidelines and standards, involving all stakeholders in the conversation, and being proactive in addressing the potential impact of AI on the educational process. By doing so, educators can take the steps necessary to ensure that the use of ChatGPT does not have any negative effects such as biased results that could be harmful to the user.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 15, 2025. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
Perceptions About the Benefits of Using ChatGPT
Does ChatGPT Provide Helpful Advice?
If you haven’t heard about ChatGPT, where have you been this past few years? It seems that virtually everyone is talking about it.
ChatGPT, is an example of an artificial intelligence system in the form of a language model that can produce humanlike text. It allows users to ask questions and receive immediate responses. It is perfect for higher education, although educators should become aware of its limitations discussed below and, in particular, the trustworthiness of its responses, before deciding to use it. ChatGPT is now used in many arenas as discussed below.
I have previously blogged about ChatGPT as an artificial language model that is dependent on the data it is fed to make inferences and return accurate information. Using a wide range of internet data, ChatGPT can help users answer questions, write articles, program code, and engage in in-depth conversations on a substantial range of topics. One area of concern is in the ethics of usage as discussed below.
GPT 3.0 was launched in 2020. In November 2022, Open AI introduced a chat interface to the model, GPT 3.5, and according to research the public response was staggering: 90 days later the chatbot had registered over 100 million users. In early March 2023, OpenAI replaced GPT 3.5 with GPT 3.5 Turbo and two weeks later, it launched an advanced version.
ChatGPT 4.0 is now available. The main distinction between GPT-3.5 and 4.0 resides in their scale and capabilities. While GPT-3.5 was trained on 175 billion parameters, GPT-4.0 likely surpasses 100 trillion parameters, indicating a substantial increase in size and sophistication. This improvement enables GPT-4 to provide more nuanced and contextually relevant responses, pushing the limits of natural language processing and establishing new benchmarks for conversational AI systems.
Perceptions About the Benefits of Using ChatGPT
To better understand how people perceive the benefits, it is worth examining its broad-based use. Express Legal Funding conducted a nationwide survey of 100 U.S.-based adults in March 2025. The results offer valuable insight into how Americans are using ChatGPT, what types of advice they trust it to give, and whether they believe it’s a force for good or something more concerning.
Top Insights: How People Use and Trust ChatGPT in 2025
- 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve used ChatGPT for advice or information
- 70% of users found the advice helpful
- Most trusted topics: Career, Education, Product Recommendations
- Least trusted: Legal and Medical Advice
- 34% report they would trust ChatGPT more than an actual human expert
- Only 11.1% believe ChatGPT will improve their finances
- Younger users and iPhone users trust ChatGPT more
- High-income earners and older adults are more skeptical of ChatGPT
- Only 14.1% strongly agree ChatGPT will benefit humanity
It’s not surprising that there is a gap in age disparity with respect to usage. The survey reports that:
- 84% of adults aged 18–29 said they’ve used ChatGPT for advice or information.
- In contrast, only 22.7% of those aged 60 and above have used it.
The survey concludes that these numbers suggest that younger adults — who are often more tech-savvy and open to digital experimentation — are driving the adoption of AI chatbots. Older adults may still be skeptical, unfamiliar with the technology, or concerned about its accuracy and safety.
Most Common ChatGPT Advice Categories
This dataset from the study highlights the types of advice U.S. adults sought from ChatGPT, including educational, financial, and medical topics, based on 2025 survey results.
| Most Common ChatGPT Advice Categories | |
| Type of ChatGPT Advice Used | % of ChatGPT Users |
| 📘 Educational | 50.0% |
| 💰 Financial | 33.3% |
| 🛍️ Product Recommendation | 30.0% |
| 🗞️ News / Current Events | 26.7% |
| 🏥 Medical | 23.3% |
| 💼 Career | 20.0% |
| 🧠 Mental Health | 18.3% |
| 💞 Relationship Advice | 15.0% |
| ⚖️ Legal | 13.3% |
As the table shows:
- Educational help (50%) was the top use case — highlighting how AI is being used as a learning tool.
- Financial advice (33.3%) and product recommendations (30%) were also popular, reflecting the growing role of AI in daily decision-making.
- More sensitive topics — like medical (23.3%) and legal advice (13.3%) — were used less often, likely due to lower levels of trust.
It is noteworthy that 70 percent of users felt that ChatGPT was useful–it led to a good result–while 10% found it to be harmful, leading to a bad result.
One takeaway is that this data reveals a clear trend: Americans are willing to consult AI for important life choices, but they’re still cautious in areas where incorrect advice could have serious consequences. The results also show that ChatGPT is not just being used for trivia or writing help — users are turning to it for real advice on real-life matters.
Ethical Risks
Ethical risks include a lack of transparency, erosion of privacy, poor accountability and workforce displacement and transitions. The existence of such risks affects whether AI systems should be trusted. To build trust through transparency, organizations should clearly explain what data they collect, how it is used and how the results affect customers.
Data security and privacy are important issues to consider in deciding whether to use ChatGPT, especially in the workplace. As an AI system, ChatGPT has access to vast amounts of data, including sensitive financial information. There is a risk that this data could be compromised. It is important that essential security measures are in place to protect this data from unauthorized access.
Pittelkow points out that:
“While ChatGPT can provide helpful suggestions, it is not as good at decision-making or personalizing scripts based on personality or organizational culture. An effective way to use ChatGPT and similar AI programs is to ensure a human or group of humans is reviewing the data, testing it, and implementing the results in a way that makes sense for the organization using it. For example, with job descriptions written by an AI program, at least one human should ensure the details make sense with what the organization does and does not do.”
One way that ChatGPT is working on preventing the release of inappropriate content is by asking humans to flag content for it to ban. Of course, this method brings up a number of ethical considerations. Utilitarians would argue that this method is ethical because the ends justify the means—the masses are not subject to bad content because only a few people are. The value of processing large amounts of data and responding with answers can simplify workplace processes, but the possible displacement of workers needs to be considered.
In terms of preventing unethical behaviors, such as users asking the program to write their papers to pass off as their own, some technology developers are creating AI to specifically combat nefarious usage with AI. One such technology is ZeroGPT, which can help people determine if content is generated from a human or from AI.
Conclusions
The ethical use of AI should be addressed by all organizations to build trust in the system and satisfy the needs of stakeholders for accurate and reliable information. A better understanding of machine learning would go a long way to achieve this result.
Professional judgment is still necessary in AI to decide on the value of the information produced by the system. Unless the data is reliably provided and processed, AI will produce results that are inaccurate, incomplete or incoherent, and machine learning would be compromised with respect.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on July 7, 2025. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.
Building a More Civil Society
Can We Find Ways to Come Together as a Society?
I have previously blogged about civility. It’s obviously a problem today in government and politics. Some blame it on the style of communication of President Donald Trump. I understand why these critics believe this to be the case. I think it’s fair to say it’s not so much what Trump says, although it could be said that some of his positions (i.e. executive orders) lack civility. I’ve observed that the lack of civility (e.g. treatment of undocumented immigrants) can be harsh. However, the problem, from my point of view, is how he says it: his delivery and choice of words to describe his position on such matters. Trump can be insulting and derisive, and that creates incivility in society.
Dealing with Opposing Points of View with Civility
Today, we experience rudeness more than ever before. My pet peeve is when speakers are shouted down and/or forced to end their presentation before it is complete. After all, those of us who have made formal presentations know how disruptive it can be when those in the audience engage in behaviors that interrupt our thought processes or make it impossible to go on.
Why does this happen? People whom we deal with may have opposite views. They fail to be open-minded. They even disrespect our right to freedom of speech. If we don’t agree with their position, we may become victims of the cancel culture.
In today’s world, there may not be a ‘safe place’ to go to feel secure and where we can discuss controversial issues with civility. The frequent protests on college campuses over the Israeli-Gaza war is a good example. At least early on, Jewish students felt insecure on campus because of protesters who attacked them verbally and even physically. Some didn’t attend classes because of these concerns on campuses like Harvard and Columbia.
What’s missing, and causing incivility, is empathy. Detractors fail to understand, or don’t even care, to listen attentively to opposing points of view. They believe that it’s only their position that merits consideration. They lack the capacity and desire to understand alternative points of view. It’s ‘their way or the highway.’ In extreme cases, the lack of civility turns into violence. For example, there have been two occasions when President Trump was the target of a sniper.
The past few days have been eye-opening on how some of our citizens have gone to the dark side. The suspect in the killing of conservative speaker, Charlie Kirk, was identified as Tyler Robinson. He is being held without bail in a Utah jail on several charges. The police found anti-fascist messages engraved on bullet casings in a rifle found near the scene as potential evidence of a political motive. This is an example where someone with hatred in their heart lashes out as someone with whom they disagree rather than engage in a productive dialogue about their differences. It’s incivility at its very core and indicative of what might be labeled a sick society. It seems that some people can’t disagree with other opinions without resorting to violence. We could dismiss this incident as an outlier. However, it’s not an isolated opinion and seems to be broadening in its societal impact to our schools, workplace, and in crowds where many people are found.
Seeking Common Ground
By age sixteen, George Washington had copied out by hand 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation. They are based on a set of rules composed by French Jesuits in 1595. The first rule is: “Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.” Increasingly, writers and bloggers such as me lament the lost art of civility as evidenced by rude behavior, disrespectful comments about others, and personal attacks. The key to coming together as a civil society is, to quote Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
It used to be that we respected police, teachers, legislators and our parents. We respected people in authority positions because they had just that – authority to keep our streets safe, show us the way to a better life – a moral life; pass laws that improve our lot in society and give us the chance to better ourselves; and teach us right from wrong.
Looking at other cultures, in Japan, respect is earned. Honor is owed. Respect is based on how a person performs. Honor is based on a person’s position. I go along with that because it emphasizes the moral dimension of honor. After all, if we honor another person, we can say that we respect that person as well.
I don’t typically quote the Bible in my blogs but in this case it is instructive. The Bible tells us to honor our father and mother – not because we think they deserve respect or honor – but because of their position. The Bible tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated and treating them with respect should be a given.
We should give respect to others and honor them because it is the right thing to do. We want to be respected and honored so we should treat others this way. Unfortunately, all too often in society respect and honor fall by the waist side.
One important element to create common ground is to develop a code of conduct in specific areas of life, such as the workplace and classroom. Most businesses have them, which create the basis for moral behavior in the organization. A code of conduct, or at least a set of ethical values, is needed for society as well.
The Role of Moral Behavior
The ever-increasing violence in society is a by-product of the breakdown of respect, civility, and moral behavior. We can blame social media, but we also need to look at the way we, as a society, are serving as that proverbial village to raise our children. We need to look deep inside ourselves and ask whether we are doing all that we can to better our society – make it more civil and promote respect for others.
The quote “Whether or not I respect a person says something about their life, values and character. Whether or not I honor a person says something about my life, values and character,” is not attributed to a single, widely known figure. It reflects a common ethical principle that our treatment of others reflects our own values and character. This idea is closely related to the concept of treating others with respect and dignity, which is a central theme in various ethical and philosophical systems.
While no specific individual is credited with this exact wording, the sentiment aligns with the ethical philosophy of Immanuel Kant, particularly his concept of treating humanity, whether in one’s own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end, and never merely as a means. This idea emphasizes the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, suggesting that our actions towards others reflect our own moral framework.
Kant was right. The ends do matter, and it is the means chosen to accomplish the goal that warrants ethical analysis.
Civility Surveys
Civility surveys clearly indicate that incivility is a growing problem. In a survey by KRC Research for Weber Shandwick, two in three Americans believe civility is a major problem. Three in four believe the problem has gotten worse over the past few years. Baby boomers are most likely to think civility is a problem (74%) and has gotten worse (80%). This survey was taken in 2010, so just imagine what it would look like today.
An American Bar Association Survey released on April 27, 2023, finds that Americans aren’t very nice to each other anymore and they blame social media and the media generally. The 2023 ABA Survey of Civic Literacy asked who is to blame for the nation’s growing incivility, what issues they’d be willing to compromise on and how much they know about how American government works.
The results: A majority agreed that civility is worse, that political compromise is good, but many are not willing to compromise on specific issues. Also, most U.S. residents think Americans don’t know much about how government works.
Here are the results of some individual questions regarding civility:
- A big majority, 85%, said civility in today’s society is worse than it was 10 years ago.
- 29% said social media is primarily responsible for eroding civility. Another 24% blamed the media generally and 19% blamed public officials.
- 34% said family and friends are primarily responsible for improving civility in our society. Another 27% said it’s primarily the responsibility of public officials and 11% said community leaders. Only 7% said it’s primarily the responsibility of teachers.
- An overwhelming majority (90%) said parents and family are most responsible for instilling civility in children.
A more recent survey released on March 5, 2025 by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s (RRPFI) Center on Civility and Democracy, reveals the majority of Americans believe civility is struggling, but are interested in finding common ground. More than seven in 10 Americans want to play a part in restoring civility in America. That’s great news, but the key is to determine how best to do it considering there is incivility in society wherever we look. In other words, ‘the devil is in the details.’
Major survey findings include:
- Three-quarters (73%) of Americans believe that we “tolerate outrageous and uncivilized behavior by elected officials” more today than in the past.
- Yet more than eight out of 10 Americans (83%) expect government leaders to find common ground across political lines. These expectations are not just generalized but extend to their own elected officials.
- Americans are divided in their expectations and outlook for the country.
– When asked about the country’s ability to focus on what unites us, about half of respondents (47%) said they were optimistic and a similar amount (45%) expressed pessimism.
– Republicans (72%) are most likely to be optimistic about the country’s ability to focus on what unites us. Only 30% of Democrats and 36% of Independents are optimistic.
– Older Americans express less optimism: those ages 65 and over (32%) are significantly more likely to be very pessimistic about our country’s ability to focus on what unites compared with those who are ages 18-29 (24%) or 30-41 (20%).
- 72% of Americans are interested in being a part of the solution to restore civility and find common ground and wish their elected officials will be too.
– Despite today’s divide, 71% of respondents believe it’s possible to find common ground on most issues. The survey revealed that most people (69%) affirm the values set forth in the U.S. Constitution.
– Additionally, most people agree that we can settle differences without personal attack and 80% of respondents want and expect government leaders to find common ground.
My Viewpoint
My personal view is that the results of the Reagan Foundation are too optimistic. I may be too cynical, but I see society getting less civil, not more. We are a divided country and politics today make it even more so. It’s based on an “I gotcha’ mentality.
My advice is we must begin to learn how to disagree with each other without being disagreeable. I hope you agree.
Posted by Dr. Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on June 24, 2025. Steve is the author of Beyond Happiness and Meaning: Transforming Your Life Through Ethical Behavior, which is available on Amazon. Learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/ and signing up for the newsletter.