Ethics

Ethics are very important. They affect every facet of one's life, whether it be professional, personal, or academic. They build character. Most importantly, they can make you a happier person.

There are good and bad examples everywhere you look. In the business world, Warren Buffet and Bernie Madoff come to mind. The first, a modest, hardworking billionaire who dedicates his life to philanthropy. The other, a ruthless Wall St. con artist that swindled hardworking Americans out of billions of dollars. The man is a genius, but what good is that if you have no character to back it up. In Principle Centered Leadership, Covey says, "Purely intellectual development without commensurate internal character development makes as much sense as putting a high-powered sports car towards in the hands of a teenager who is high on drugs."(223) Guys like Madoff may think they're successful, but true success can only come from a foundation of good ethics and character.
I remember my first lesson in ethics. I was in fourth grade, and my class was taking a social studies test. Time was almost up, and I still had a couple answers left blank. the smartest kid in the class was sitting across from me. As he reached over to turn his test in, the light from the overhead projector hit his paper, making it momentarily translucent. I glanced at it in an attempt to get a couple easy answers, but I must have stared too long or squinted or something, because I got caught immediately. My test was taken up, and I got a zero. To make things worse, my discipline folder was signed, so my folks found out about it. Needless to say, I never cheated again. Covey says, "you always reap what you sow."(22) Truer words have never been spoken. If you cheat, especially all the time, you WILL get caught. Just ask Bernie Madoff.