Dignity vs Civility: Is there a Difference? The Dignity Index® is a tool designed to score how political and public language promotes dignity or expresses contempt. It was created to address the growing problem of divisive speech in politics and public discourse, aiming to make “dignity” a measurable standard in communication. Purpose and Philosophy The following […]
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Why Now? What’s Next? I should have known something was up when U.S. President Donald Trump changed the name of the Department of Defense to the “Department of War.” President Trump erroneously thinks that a name change will make the country’s war-like attacks on other countries acceptable. The only way to accomplish that is with
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Do Whistleblower Awards Lead to More Whistleblowing? The ethics of whistleblowing is a tricky matter. Whistle-blowing brings two moral values, fairness and loyalty, into conflict. Doing what is fair or just (e.g., promoting an employee based on talent alone) often conflicts with showing loyalty (e.g., promoting a longstanding but unskilled employee). Taken to its extreme
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Things to Think About Before Deciding Whether to Blow the Whistle Have you ever wondered when, how, and why whistleblowing first began? I did during the time that I researched whistleblowing cases for a paper that I wrote. I believe you will find the following interesting and instructive. Background The first reported case of whistleblowing
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Causes, Effects, and Solutions Anyone who has read my blog over the years knows I believe that the moral values of Americans are in decline. This is an important issue to discuss, especially in light of the debate between former President Trump and President Joe Biden tomorrow night. Should we care about the perceived moral
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