Ethics is most appropriately described as a moral principle that rules a person’s behavior or the conducting of a specific action which is the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles. Therefore, in a perfect world, when it comes to making important decisions, ethics should be the ultimate thing that guides ones’ decision making and behaviors. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world and that’s not the case.
Here’s why this problem arises when it comes to ethical decision making. Ethics in its fundamental nature means something different to different people depending on a person’s background, social environment and the challenging situations they come across. For one person it might be a religious or a spiritual belief and for another it can be based solely on laws or that person’s own beliefs. So, when coming face to face with an ethical decision, how does one know when to determine what is right and what is wrong when making the decision?
One ethical decision I’m faced with and I’m sure we all come across on a day to day basis is giving money to the homeless on the streets of Houston. We’re all too familiar with our parents’ reasoning on why not to empty our pockets for beggars and the ideology that rather than easing their suffering, we as a society are encouraging a way of life for the poor. Although a part of me wants to give them some sort of pocket change to help, another part of me asks me where is that money going? Is it going toward feeding an addiction? What are the consequences of handing over my hard-earned money? And rather than handing this homeless person my money, wouldn’t it be better to donate to a charity that helps the homeless or buy them food instead?
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For me this shows that ethical issues are often more complex and require more thought than simply handing over some homeless person a couple coins. If there’s a tough choice that needs to be made, I would want to look at every possible course of action with its consequences before making any sort of decision. As a human being, it’s important to understand that although you cannot fully understand every homeless persons’ needs and reasons behind why that person is homeless, but instead do their circumstances affect my ethical decision making?
Perhaps, but what if instead of that money going towards drugs and alcohol, it went toward feeding a hungry family or helping that person get shelter for the night? One can never know what the course of action will be after handing over that money. So, in this situation, ethically I believe that going out of my way to get that homeless person some food and water or donating to my local shelter is the safest route in order to ensure my money is going toward something valuable in order for the person to survive without the guilt of not knowing where my money is going.
Overall, being an ethical decision maker is important in these sorts of situations. As a leader of the Armenian Youth Organization and a manager of the Marriott Hotel, I understand that I play a big part in determining what is considered right or wrong based on my actions and although ethical actions differ based on each person, learning to make an ethical decision is the foundation for setting a good example to those around you.
