We’ve heard a lot lately about the need to improve our ethical behavior, especially in our schools and in our workplaces. But how do we do this? Can good ethical behavior be taught and learned? I don’t believe it is possible to learn good ethical behavior; instead, it must be practiced and utilized because everyone is born with this ability. We all innately know the difference between right and wrong. We can just be led astray within our lives and not always be conscious of the best ways to act. This is why everyone needs to have opportunities to utilize good ethical behavior in all stages of their lives.
It is fun to consider how ethical behavior is first experienced in childhood. Children have a limited understanding of how the world works, but they can begin to grasp the meaning of good ethics through the childhood stories to which they are exposed. Most every childhood story or fairy tale is really a battle between good and evil. Kids can easily realize the meaning of bad behavior by viewing the Mean Stepmother in Cinderella, or the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Children’s books and fairy tales are a great way for children to better understand good ethical behavior at a level that is appropriate for them, and this is why I believe young students should have many opportunities to be exposed to these classic fairy tales. These stories will resonate within them well into adulthood, as I know they have with me.
When reaching the teenage years, I believe promoting ethical behavior can be a little more difficult. However, it can be done through involving adolescents in prosocial behavior. Parents instinctively know that teenagers do best when they are involved in clubs and organizations such as the Girl & Boy Scouts, church groups and even organized sports, where they have to work together as a team for common goals. The important aspect at this time, however, is that teenagers need to be actively involved and mentored by adults. As any parent knows, just telling their kids to improve their behavior rarely works. Teenagers need to witness adults partaking in prosocial behaviors and to be mentored by them. This way teenagers can begin to feel the positive results of their pro-social actions and get a better understanding of how to promote those behaviors within their lives.
Lastly, actively practicing good ethical behavior needs to continue in adulthood. People need to have ways to act good to others in their daily lives. I always like to consider an experience that most every adult has, which utilizes the need for demonstrating good ethical behavior — that of jury duty. It is interesting to consider that juries are composed of a variety of people from all walks of life. Without any training or guidance these people are required to determine the fate of another human being. They must listen to a situation and determine that yes, a crime occurred, which warrants punishment for the perpetrator. And everyone accepts this trail-by-jury process because we know that everyone is born with the ability to tell right from wrong (unless they are a psychopath). Adults need to have further activities similar to serving on a jury, where they can practice using good ethics and applying these beliefs to real-world situations. They can do this individually or in groups, especially through apps and games that depict real-world events. By partaking in these real-world ethical considerations, adults can better feel the results of their actions and continue to utilize them within their lives. I believe it is time for secondary schools and workplaces to begin to provide these kinds of ethical considerations for their students or employees on a regular basis. This can help improve the ethics of everyone.