When is Something Un-Ethical?

This... but also this cannot always be the right way since if someone's parents who are unethical raise their kids with their way, it means that the unethical for the rest will be normal for him... but most of the times, this is the right way to go ^_^

When I taught Hunter Ed back in Nebraska, we always told the kids that law was something you did when people were watching and ethics was what you did when no one else would ever know.

There are things most sane people agree are right/ethical and things which are wrong/unethical. There is also some gray area where the lines meet. Consider this example:

You're an ardent hunter and an ardent conservationist who respects the quarry. You tell yourself that you don't kill anything you don't intend to use; killing for fun or sport is wrong.

You are out hunting pheasants. Shooting roosters is legal. Shooting hens is not, and getting caught with one carries a stiff penalty. Just as you pull the trigger on a nice rooster, a hen ducks into the field of fire and goes down. What do you do?

> Do you follow the letter of the law, and leave that dead hen in the grass to feed the scavengers? This violates your principle of using what you kill.

> Do you stick the hen in your bag, thus violating the law and risking a fine or worse?

Consider this angle...

Instead of being the hunter, you're the warden. The hunter explains the situation, and you can see that he has counted the accidental hen in his bag limit. You believe he is sincere.

> Do you let him off with a warning, and maybe confiscating the illegal game?

> Do you write him a ticket, which he's indicated he will accept as the price of his personal ethos?

> Do you throw the book at him, impounding his gun and vehicle, and locking him up until he can appear before the local judge?

Ethics is a personal issue which each person must decide for themselves.

The best advice? If it feels wrong, or you think you need to hide it, don't do it.

You should have finished the course then.

And what does Philosophy accomplish? Nothing.

The way I look at is ethics and morality is the simplest way I possibly can. I remove the subjective from it all. See good and bad, evil and righteous are still very subjective to the world in general....but there are two words that are not subjective.

Create vs destroy.

If a behavior is destructive to myself, the world or others around me then I try really hard to not do it and not encourage that same behavior in others. I strive to create something meaningful, at every turn. I still fail often, but I'm happier and my life and relationships improved when I realized this concept.

Sure.

Why is a newbies first post always crap?

"When is Something Un-Ethical?"

I'll be more than happy to give a few examples. Allow me to elaborate on Un-Ethical tactics.

Pushing crappy products such as pyramid schemes. For example: Making false promises you will be successful in making hundreds of thousands of dollars with no experience etc. "Don't Be A Wuss", go all in. Or accused of being a "Wuss" for not going all in or telling them no thanks, it's not for me.


Other examples: Using blackhat techniques to outrank other sites instead of playing the game fair without the cheap shots. Flagging "Legitimate" ads on Craigslist or reporting "Legitimate" answers that are NOT spammy on Yahoo Answers.

Here's another good example: When you ask a targeted question on a specific problem you're struggling with to another marketer, they give you a smart ass response such as, I charge 150.00 for coaching etc. Even worse, is when you have paid for coaching or a monthly membership to that person's site, they give you that same answer. "I want your money".

Those are good examples of unethical marketing or unethical tactics.

It is immoral when I can't justify my actions to myself.

It is unethical when I can't justify my actions to the community or communities I live in.

It is illegal when my actions break a law.

It is unfair when I make use of advantages, that other people do not have, and use these advantages against them.

Most of the time I try to be moral, ethical, legal and fair. It keeps me out of trouble and I don't need to defend myself (yes it is the lazy way out).

On rare occasions I find I am unable to be all four of these. These are times where I have to think deeply about how I define myself.

I have found that people help people, who help other people.

In a dilemma, I ask myself, am I helping the person or people to the best of my ability.

If the answer is yes, I can sleep soundly at night. (What every lazy man wants to do.)

Now THERE'S a quote worth repeating. Do you mind if I use it?

That reminds me of what a Supreme Court judge said when asked how he knew something was pornography. He said, "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it."

A comic later quipped that defining porn was easy - if it turned him on it was porn.

Some say ethics is rooted in community standards. I say personal ethics is more important. In some cultures, cheating on your spouse is considered normal and expected. I couldn't imagine doing it. For me it would be both immoral and unethical.