What is Moral Courage? Courage. What is it? Is it bravery? Is it the strength of one’s convictions? Is it the same as integrity? Is it an ethical value that we all should aspire to achieve? Ayn Rand said in her classic book The Fountainhead that “Integrity is the ability... Read more →

Has President Trump gone too far? Has President Donald Trump gone too far with his “America first” program? Is he ignoring the needs of other countries including our historic allies? Has Trump’s actions violated the very values we seek to aspire including fair treatment, empathy and caring and concern for... Read more →

Analyzing the Proposed Rules for Sexual Harassment/Assault Allegations on College Campuses Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made news last week when she released a rewrite of rules under Title IX governing campus sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations, narrowing the cases schools must investigate and giving the accused more rights. The... Read more →

Freedom of Speech I imagine if you ask 100 people on the streets of just about Anytown, USA what is the Bill of Rights about 1/2 wouldn’t know. I’m quite sure they wouldn’t know how many amendments exist (27 to be clear). Most probably don’t know the exact wording of... Read more →

On Being an Ethical Person “Actions speak louder than words.” – It has been reported that this phrase dates back as far as the 1550s, when the French writer Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) said, “Saying is one thing and doing is another.” There are a variety of definitions of actions... Read more →

Lessons Learned or Mistakes Not Corrected? I receive lots of emails from readers of my ethics blogs who look for advice on personal issues. They tell me that someone said something insulting or offended them in some way. They’re looking for guidance on how best to respond. Sometimes, I get... Read more →

“The Only Thing You Can Do to Make Catfish Edible is Fry Them” You’re probably wondering why I used this quote by Blake Shelton, an American country-western singer and song writer. Shelton obviously was thinking about eating catfish not engaging in it as online behavior. Still, the saying seems to... Read more →

“If there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who you gonna call…?” Ghosting on the internet occurs when someone with whom you have established a relationship disappears from contact without any explanation at all. Perhaps it’s someone you just met on social media, communicated with several times, and then,... Read more →

Building a More Civil Society Through Civil Discourse The Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary defines civility as polite, reasonable, and respectful behavior. Linda Fisher Thornton, a leading voice in ethical leadership, suggests that “these behaviors are the ones we use when we treat others with care,” thereby linking civility with ethical behavior... Read more →

Do You Value, Values? Values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine what is important to us. Values describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be; the manner... Read more →