Is ethical thinking inherent or learned?
People are born with the ability for ethical thinking and most families try to cultivate it. But just as Aristotle said that excellence is not a single act but a habit, I believe we have the opportunity to become excellent at pursuing performance in a principled and consistent way. Think about great athletes. They practice thousands of hours to ensure that in the crucial moment, when the heat is on, they make the right play, catch or basket. I believe we, along with our leaders and institutions, need to apply this same discipline. We need to go to the ethical gym. We need to test and flex our ethical muscles and develop into ethical athletes so that under pressure, we do the right thing, even if it’s inconvenient or unpopular. Q: What about the people who succeed by being unethical? A: People who seem to be getting ahead that way are not on a sustainable path. They may appear to be making strides, but their unethical actions will likely catch up with them and they will likely falter. Q
