Personal take on ethics in and outside the workplace

1. Ethics Personal Statement
Marco S. Bennett
Introduction: The following paper contains my personal viewpoints on the subject of ethics. I
expect to convey the definition and origination of my personal views on the subject before then
continuing to describe the thoughts I possess as to the role ethics play in varying career fields.
Concluding this paper will be the ideas I value pertaining to society’s application of ethics
around the globe.
Personal: In my eyes, ethics is the idea of abiding by social and economic norms that, overtime,
are created or implied to promote fairness and trustworthiness within society. The ethical views I
hold can be directly attributed to core values my family has become to adopt through their
experiences. A magistrate, a fireman, a police officer, an emergency medical technician and an
Army veteran are all positions my family currently hold. The great amount of ethical standards
these occupations require individuals’ to possess, come to no surprise. For this reason, I was
always, and still remain, reminded of the vast importance my family, including myself, put on
the values of trust and fairness.
Career: I believe the amount of ethical standards an individual processes within his/her career
varies strongly on the occupation. The known saying, ‘with great strength, comes great
responsibility’, is a perfect example of how the need for proper ethical practices differ among
occupations. For example, as a magistrate, my grandfather has a responsibility to uphold a high
level of ethical standards. Having job shadowed him in the past, I am aware of the tough
decisions he is faced with on a daily basis. The strength comes in his ability to significantly alter
the course of an individual’s future. As a result of this big strength, my grandfather has a bigger
responsibility to make fair and just decisions that reflect both the laws of our nation and the
opinions of whom voted him into office. Now compare this occupation to a career in waste
management. Although equally important to society, the need of garbage men to practice strong
ethical values proves miniscule compared to a career with more power and responsibility.
Having chosen to study finance, strong values backed by the adoption of a solid ethical
framework is not only imperative, but necessary. An important skill needed for success in the
financial industry is the ability to establish trust with prospects and partners. When dealing with
another’s money, you are responsible for the livelihood of not only your client, but the well-
being of their family as well. Some say ‘money is the root of all evil’. For this reason, it is
absolutely imperative that those who study ‘money’, have a high level of ethical standards.
Society: The importance of ethical values extends far beyond the career field. Since we were
young, teachers and parents have been lecturing us to not steal, cheat, bully, lie or partake in any
other form of unethical behavior. The reason for this is simple. An advanced society cannot
operate efficiently when a majority of their citizens are partaking in unethical, detrimental
behavior. For this reason, many unethical acts in our society are considered illegal or punishable.
Even at a collegiate level, professors often attempt to deter us from making unethical decisions in
our careers by informing us of many blue collar criminal stories. The application of ethics across
society is an important attribute of any developed country. Developing countries; however, fail

2. to compete globally as they often fall short of acquiring this monumental characteristic. I have
learned throughout my courses that the success of a society can be positively correlated to the
effectiveness of the judicial system set in place. Without necessary resources, developing
countries lack an ability to establish an ethical standard among its people, resulting in a lack of
trust and sense of responsibility. High ethical standards in society, in my opinion, is one of the
biggest attributing factors of a thriving country.
Conclusion: Ethical standards, although important to possess, vary dramatically among different
types of individuals, occupations, and societies. Two people whom are faced with the same
ethical dilemma might have completely opposing solutions, both in which they believe to be
ethically sound. Throughout my early years, I have adopted a rule that has proved vital helping
guide my ethical decision making. The golden rule simply states, ‘treat others how you would
want to be treated’.