Values

Over the years ethics have changed because values have changed. Looking at past ads alone can give you a sense of how values have changed. Older ads have a lot of strong family values, sitting down and eating together, opposed to the rush of family life today. There was more emphasize on honesty. Shows have changed. Reality TV is new, and it affects humanity. We are now able to relish in the ideas of other peoples real lives, and their mistakes. It has changed our world. It has changed the way we think, the way we function. For the most part, a handshake doesn't carry the same promise today as it did even 30 years ago.

But what is the reason for this change? Advertisements have changed, and some blame the media for the reason that values are not as strong. But, relation doesn't always mean causation. The ads have changed because marketing makes an effort to always appeal to the audience. They have to do what the consumers want. This, to me, makes a strong argument that the advertisements simply show the change in behavior. We can use ads to gage the change.

We could look at many factors, each as a possibility of why values have evolved. Generations are different. Some are more motivated to succeed in the work place, other generations are more family oriented. These values change because of the way each generation brings up the next generation. The other day I was discussing with some friends the idea that our generation, the people we go to school with and work with, our friends, are, well, lazy. They do the least amount of work that they can to get what they want. They do little, and complain when a situation isn't ideal because they have done nothing. Our parents, they are hard workers. We believe that this is because our parents worked so hard to give us more than they had. Their parents lived in the age of the depression. Our parents having so much to give us, and wanting to give us so much, caused much of our generation to be spoon fed. I am generalizing to make the argument. You, of course, get a mix of kids who work extremely hard, just like their parents, and those who aren't. This changes our values. The generation in which we were raised changes are view on life because our lives are so different. Values will continue to change because each era of life is so different.

Other factors also come into play. War, economic situations, among others.

What do you think is the most important part in the change of values?

Take a bite, tell me what you think.

Do you ever feel like sometimes those things that are legal seem to be just a little bit immoral? This cartoon depicts that problem. Often things become legal because such a large majority of people believe that it is unethical. It has been said that the legality is the ethics of society, whereas morals are the ethics of individuals. Killing, for example, is considered socially wrong, so it is law. This comic depicts the fine line between what is ethically right for you, and what you have to do legally. What would you do? Do you turn left or right? Or do your morals always line up with law?

Readers, take a bite, and tell me what you think.

No Explanation Needed

This comic is funny. It is funny because it is so true. It is one of the most common dilemmas in ethics. Doing the "right" thing always means giving something up. Usually, this something, is the one thing you really want. In this case, the cartoon says that it interferes with his legal practice. Meaning that doing the right thing puts him behind in business. This is something a lot of big corporations are finding. Sadly, many choose to do what is best for them or rather, what is the unethical thing to do.

Choosing this option is not a new concept, it is just more public now then it use to be. More and more we are hearing what unethical practices businesses have. These are not new. Do you agree, or do you think that it is new something that has arisen just recently?

Go ahead and take a bite, I want to know what you think.

Comic Strips

Over the next few days I will be posting some comic strips. They all of course deal with ethics. The very fact that they have comic strips for ethics mans that it is a realm in which people dwell and understand the complications. For example the comic on the left depicts the common cartoon of a devil and an angel trying to persuade you of what choice to make. The man has a document in his hand and they are trying to figure out how to handle the situation. The ethical venue would be the angel, however, the devil usually has some pretty good arguments. This comic is humorous because we understand exactly how this man feels.

Read the comics, chuckle and don't forget to take a bite.

I would take a bite of a bagel

Just the other day, a friend was telling me about this experiment he was learning about. A guy decided to sell bagels to groups of people by simply putting a basket or jar with some money near the bagels. He collected data about which methods were the best way to collect money. It was not so much about money as it was about ethics. There was a difference between the jar and the basket, there was a difference where he placed the stand. Sometimes somebody would just steal the whole jar, but for the most part, he made money from the endeavor. One of the things that caught my interest the most about this story was that when the guy placed the set up in an accounting office, most everyone put something into the jar. When he set it up in a business with managers he was much less likely to receive anything for the bagel. It is a curious thing. Accountants are often the individuals getting hit hard for their ethics, or lack of, in business. We often assume that the manager, although at fault, was not the main cause. This situation brings out a bit of new light. The man conducting the study suggested that the mangers may have felt more entitled to the bagels. So was it really an ethical decision?

It is something to wonder what you would do in that situation. If you would be more likely to put money depending on the basket or the jar. With no one watching, do you think that you would exchange money for a bagel? It is hard to know what you would do and how much you would give up for that scrumptious bagel. When I was first asked that question I answered the typical answer, put down some money and grab the bagel. However, I do think that a jar would be different than a basket, and that would affect my choice.

This scenario reminded of a story my sixth grade teacher told me about. She said that when she was little there was a little store where you could get fresh fruit and vegetables. Nobody was there, you just took what you needed and left the money in a basket. Today, this would be suicide. No business would every be so trusting as to practice this principle. Oh! How times change.

I know wonder why those things have changed.
Don't forget to take a bite.

The Tracks

How you view the situation on the train says a lot about your personality toward ethics. There are different categories depending on your attitude to different situations.

It seems as those the West has gained their own reputation for ethics.

Cowboy Ethics is a book by James Owen that has been adopted by many businesses. It has even been made into a short Film, focusing on ethics in Wyoming. Below is a trailer for the video.

The Code of the West: Alive & Well in Wyoming - Trailer from Havey Productions on Vimeo.

Does this video portray Wyoming ethics?

Ethics have changed over time. Wyoming is not immune to those changes. Although Wyoming is fairly rural, when society changes, Wyoming changes too. I believe you still see a strong "Cowboy Ethic" in Wyoming, but that is not all you see. Everywhere you go there are going to be ethical and some not so ethical people.

To those who do not have first hand experience with Wyoming, this video depicts not only the stereotype of cowboys, but it also shows Wyoming in beautiful light. To outsiders, Wyoming seems to be the ethical kingdom untouched by the technological era. But Wyoming's population isn't just cowboys. It is said that some companies from the East coast find being from Wyoming a reason to higher an individual. It is as if being from Wyoming has given you a skill that puts you above your competition. Is this justified, or do videos and this idea of ethics in the West being superior give false hope?

It is important to remember that ethics have evolved, and that Wyoming may still hold more of those original core values. The West may have even had a much different view on ethics to begin, the cultural difference from the east coast to the west coast were and are vastly different. The east has always been more prone to cities than the west, and that could change the very basis for how ethics were first established. History may play a key role.

So many things to ponder. So don't forget to take a bite.