Ethics or Moral is there a difference?

You have heard it said “this is unethical” or “that is immoral. But did you know that there is a difference between the two? If you are concern about either one, whether something is morally or ethically wrong, then you should know the difference between them.

So, what is the difference? Before we can know the difference, we must define them. To define ethics, we need to first define morals. Morals deal with the principle of doing what is right. Morals help us to distinguish between what is right or wrong. Morals become our guiding principles. For many of us, our morals are established by our faith, or what we believe. Our faith or our belief system helps us determine what is right or wrong.

In other words, morals are the principles we use to determine if our actions or behavior is good or bad. Where do we obtain our beliefs? Most often, it is learned from our parents and the society in which we live. One thing you should know is that by the time we reach adulthood, our morals are deeply ingrain in our subconscious. Thus, it becomes difficult (but not impossible) to change what we believe and how we respond to issues in life.

For example, if your friends do not see anything wrong with drinking and getting drunk, but your morals (your guiding principles) tells you that drinking and getting drunk is wrong, subconsciously, internally, you will have difficulty dealing with this behavior.

Early on people in most societies learn that it is morally wrong to lie or to take something that belongs to someone else. On the other hand, others learn that lying and stealing is situational. To them, it depends on how much they lose or gain from the behavior. Thus, morals are our customized internal GPS system designed to help us know when we are going in the right or wrong direction.

Here is an exercise for you:

1. Examine your morals.

2. What are something you just will not do?

3. Write them down.

4. Write, if you remember, where it comes from.

5. Do you feel that it is beneficial to you today?

Why should you know your morals or guiding principles?  One reason is it will guide you when choosing jobs, friends, associates, a mate, or even those in which you simply get into a relationship with.

Mind you, most conflicts are due to differences in opinion as it relates to moral values. The same is true of marriage. Most marriages end in divorce, not because of unfaithfulness, but on the “grounds of irreconcilable difference”. Hence, knowing your guiding principles will help you in your decision making.

Are you using your internal GPS?

How has it helped you make the right decisions?

Read Part II: Ethics! Your External GPS