If so, What Should be the Goals of Teaching Ethics? 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. In that […]
Can Ethics be Taught? Read More »
The Lost Art of Civility and Decency The other day, I had a discussion with a colleague of mine about “The Lost Art of Civility,” something I have blogged about before. He seemed to believe that we are just now losing civility in American society. He pointed to the war in Iran, the takeover of
Understanding the Causes of and Treatments for Compulsive Buying Disorder Do you find yourself battling uncontrollable urges? We tend to think of things like excessive drinking, smoking, eating, gambling, using drugs, and the like. Well, I do not suffer from urges in these habits. Instead, I’m what you would call a Shopaholic, which is usually applied
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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
Why Good People Sometimes Do Bad Things Read More »
Understanding the Characteristic Traits of Behavior Years ago, I watched a fantastic show that is streaming online called Homeland. I decided to watch it again, seeking to bett6er understand the bipolar disorder that afflicts the main character—Carrie Mathison. The cast is terrific including the star, Claire Danes, a CIA officer from 2011 to 2020. Danes stars as
Analyzing the Portrayal of Bipolar Disorder in the show, Homeland Read More »
What Will It Take to Be More Considerate of Others? While many people think compassion and empathy are the same, the fact is there are important differences. By discussing each as a separate ethical value, we can begin to see how each might influence ethical behavior and the response of one individual to another’s actions
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Americans Do Not Trust Established Institutions According to Gallup and Pew Gallup published its 2023 results of a survey of honesty/ethics in the professions last year. The results speak volumes about which professions are trusted by most Americans. The most ethical profession is nurses with a 78% positive rating—high or very high in ethics. While this
Honesty and Ethics Ratings of Professions Are in Decline Read More »
Examining Microaggressions as a Form of DEI A psychological concept that has become a part of the discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is microaggressions. The term gained widespread appeal only twelve years ago, but by 2015 it had been crowned the word of the year by the Global Language Monitor. It is now rife on
What Role Should Microaggressions Play in Discussions About Discrimination? Read More »
The Value of Soft Skills I recently read an interesting article on Forbes Advisor online that addresses the importance of soft skills in the workplace. According to the article, “Soft skills—also known as “people skills” or “interpersonal skills”—are a set of personal attributes and abilities that allow individuals to effectively interact with others in a professional setting.
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence Read More »
Fight or Flight Response There have been events in my life when I have experienced moral distress. It typically leads me to consider whether to fight it or flee the scene. Life’s decisions are not always black or white. Typically, there are shades of gray. This creates uncertainty about what our response should be. I
Coping with Moral Distress Read More »