I came to a realization earlier today: I have been in my 30's for exactly one month. Nothing has really changed though, at least not that I've noticed yet. The only difference is that I've been more motivated lately to get into shape. People are always saying that 30's are make it or break it time. If you don't get in shape in your 30's, it's nearly impossible to start in your 40's. As soon as I finish unpacking it's back to the gym, or at least back to the outdoors more.
I was faced with yet another ethical dilemma recently, as I have been many times throughout my life. I will not go into details, but rather pose a question: is it better to be a whistle blower and set things right, or keep your mouth shut and just know that you are doing the right thing, even if others aren't? I think too often in society we view "whistle blowing" as a terrible thing, that everybody makes mistakes, so who are you to judge others? I've been faced with many of these types of decisions, and it's too bad that there really isn't anyone that people can talk to about this kind of stuff. If you talk to the people involved they get scared and call you a tattletale. If you talk to people that can bring the law down on them, it doesn't matter because you've already ratted them out. And if you keep it to yourself you are an accomplice.
I know I'm being extremely vague, and that's entirely on purpose. Like I said, anything I say or don't say that's specific could get anyone in trouble. I will say that it pertains to nothing illegal. It's more of an ethical dilemma more than anything. I know it's hard to judge without knowing specifics, and examples are hard to come by, so let's say that you live in a place that doesn't allow dogs (my building does, but it's the best example I can come up with), and you know for a fact your next door neighbor has a dog. Do you call the manager up and rat them out, get them kicked out of their home? Do you go talk to them and possibly risk some of the worst noise complaints and torture over the term of your lease? Or do you keep quiet and just know that you are doing the right thing by not having a dog, not making any waves?
I think too many people just don't want to make waves, it causes too much commotion, and therefore people aren't held accountable for their actions. Most of us know right from wrong, we all went to Kindergarten and learned that you can't take what isn't yours, you have to share, and you have to take turns. So why, in the real world, is no one held accountable for these actions, unless they get caught? On the other hand there are a lot of people that are "sue-happy" and want to be righted for every wrong. If they slip on the icy pavement outside a store, rather than accepting the apology of the manager, they sue the place for thousands.
Life is confusing sometimes, but I think that if we can find a middle ground, the gray area if you will, things will be a little clearer. We should all hold ourselves accountable for our own actions and not rely on "getting caught" to cause us to slow down on the highway or be on time for work. We should also take responsibility for our actions. If someone points out a mistake take it in stride, don't try to justify it, especially if you know you are doing something wrong or unethical.
In closing I will say this: these are all examples given in the above blog post, none of the examples given are things that are true. I do go through ethical dilemmas that put me into a position mentioned above, but to protect all parties involved, I can't say any more. Also, if you've ever been in this kind of position, you will be nodding your head throughout this post, because ethical dilemmas can be the worst kind.
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