Is it important to live an ethical life?

Why and how?

For most people, the rule of ethics serves as the cornerstone standard of social
and moral behavior. Like following legal laws and regulations, being ethical was a
responsibility to bear where being caught doing otherwise either by deviation or blatant
violation could mean punishment and public scrutiny. In most communities, the ethical
environment is built on the premise that its residents follow a certain set of values that
are, in essence, ethical. However, these are mostly unwritten guidelines built on the
grounds of culture and tradition that aimed to preserve the continuity of an organized and
systemic society and so, we have to understand that these values are not infallible and
all-encompassing and to believe otherwise blinds the individual and their capacity to
ethically decide for themselves. In many instances, it is not rare for an individual to think
something is evil and bad not because they are, but rather because social norms say they
are. Despite all the groundbreaking success and wholesome achievements our present
society has come to be, we cannot ignore the other significant issues that plagued the
dark side of our history – like corruption, slavery, harassment, and racial and gender
discrimination – which insinuates that making ethical decisions has not always been a
universal choice. It is more than possible that the ethical choice of one is hindered by the
unethical choices of another, leaving the former no real choice besides excluding
themselves from the mainstream society that caters to the supposed pragmatism of the
latter. Moreover, the absence of easy alternatives precludes the ethical from
implementing their morals, consequently shaping the community to prioritize success in
individualism. This begs the question: why should people deliberately choose to live an
ethical life at the risk of being placed in a position where the unethical can take advantage
of them? How exactly can we reach an equal and safe common ground when clearly,
each of us in this world have varying views on what constitutes an “ethical” lifestyle?
Because of the differences in what we think matter, our sense of well-being comes into
play, ultimately making our decisions personal and subjective even if and most especially
when others are involved. When people face normative concepts of what is wrong and
what is right, factors like self-interest and personal values are weighed and they frequently
clash. So, when one does not know how to evaluate and comprehend the ethical choice
behind every momentous decision, more often than not, self-interest will always weigh
heavier than one’s moral values. By reducing something as important as ethics into a
simple effect of societal norms and established status quos, we, as a collective, generate
a neutral and unobjectionable way of living that disregards the concern behind what we
do and the consequences after we do it. With all those things in mind, this essay will talk
about the importance of actively knowing and incorporating one’s values and morals into
your everyday actions and how these things could trickle down to a positive change in
one’s priorities and overall create a better and more harmonious life.

From the moment we engage in the process of making choices, we reveal our
intuitive moral senses where we “know” what we ought to do and not to do. But, the
problem is that we fail to go beyond and see the deeper issue behind our unconscious
decisions. We adapt and pass on a simple and idealistic mindset between black and
white, or good and bad, that we fail to internalize the causality that is underway. One of
the most important yet commonly disregarded concept behind “goodness” is that it is not
so much as what you are, but rather it is what you do. When you think about it, one cannot
call a person good for one kind act without actually considering all the decisions they’ve
made in the past that eventually made them to be who they are in the present. Similarly,
being ethical should not necessarily be defined by one moral act but rather something
that we should strive for through time and patience. This means that although it is
inevitable to go wrong in some way or another, it is the conscious effort we put when
faced with both unconscious and conscious moral dilemmas that actually matters. To
persevere in one’s virtue does not only sharpen one’s moral vision, but also allow us to
understand the way we live and differentiate the characteristic spaces between the
person who we want to be and the person we actually are. As we live life ethically, we
learn to acknowledge the presence of moral worth and rationalize one’s moral imperative,
both of which will gradually translate to an attitude of the mind where we are in control of
our own moral law. And when we are in control, we develop our own disciplinary construct
and rule of moral living which makes us more content with our day-to-day pursuits and
less likely to give in to temptations that could only harm our virtues and the people around
us. Holistically, living ethically gives us a purpose to recalibrate our character in such a
way that we feel gratified and proud to see the sum of who we are. When we make ethical
choices, we develop good dispositions in life that place more value in timeless virtues like
wisdom, courage, loyalty, and justice as opposed to temporary materialism, and it
motivates us to draw upon these things when it comes to the time when we should do the
right thing in the right way. Relatively, it provides the self a strong foundation where we
can proudly ground the things we stand for without it being taken away from us. We justify
what we do but rarely can we ever say that we truly mean it. The sureness in one’s actions
can only begin by understanding them in the first place and then learning to connect one’s
thoughts and actions to their own moral autonomy. This is why to carry on with life, one
must have a reasoned purpose to do good and be good so that it may practice our values
and hence, better our lives. But then again, most moral arguments concern themselves
with the societal aspect.

Many argue that to live ethically, in a large part, is contingent on one’s privilege
and unique circumstances (i.e. social standing, age, or financial stability). However,
although moral ethics do begin as an education from birth, either by the nurturing of their
guardians or the nature of their early environment, it still falls as the responsibility of the
individual to educate themselves as they grow into adulthood. But this is not so that they
can understand complex philosophical schools of thought, but rather so that they can
understand and similarly enlighten others who are troubled with their own moral
constructs. With that, we see that not only is living life ethically a duty to oneself but is
also actually a duty to others and the community they live in. Now that the future is
uncertain with issues like global warming, pollution, overpopulation, and resource scarcity
reoccurring in the daily news, it has become vital for each and everyone in the world to
carefully deliberate over their conscious choices. I think that part of living an ethical life
includes being internally and externally aware of relevant issues that need attention.
Because how can we hope to judge what is good for others and good for the society when
one has not determined the heart of the problem? or when one does not even know the
problem exists in the first place? The present status quo no longer works and it will
continue to fail us in the future, which is why I think it is high time for us to make an active
effort in living an ethical life committed to changing for the better. Living life ethically allows
us to recognize moral responsibilities and by extension, allow us to delve into the
repercussions of both the actions of our ancestors and our own. Subsequently, we learn
to accept accountability and allow moral virtues to govern our later actions. You see, the
dominant cultural message preaches the importance of fame and status and this has led
to the proliferation of a capitalist society focused in generating wealth for the rich and
demanding sacrifice from the poor. We harvest profit as if it were our own and we see the
world like a scale, appreciating those with value and throwing out those who do not. And
so, it is important to know that the difference between material success and true success
is that the latter does not demand sacrifices in one’s virtue and moral beliefs. One should
not come out of their pursuit of success as someone who is morally corrupt and
submissive to the many ruthless practices underlying all aspects of society. These
materialistic things only serve to subvert the individual from living a meaningful life, which
is why we notice the gradual lack of passion and enthusiasm in the things that we have,
no matter how much we wanted them in the first place. On the other hand, when one
chooses to live an ethical life, we learn to delineate ourselves from this greed and finally
feel content and happy with the people around us and the things that we have. Living with
a solid ethical standard help us develop a strong resistance where one can properly
pursue their own passion with integrity without being drawn into the pragmatism of the
capitalistic and oppressive society.

There is also the matter of developing a sense of tolerance in the pursuit of one’s
happiness within communities of difference. This is particularly important because then
we learn to acknowledge the differences in every human being, allowing one to keep an
open mind for disagreement and diversity. When we talk about the wars and genocides
of the past and other crimes against humanity that continue to follow us to this day, one
cannot refute that these were, in fact, a man’s immediate response to diversity just as
how communities are quick to violence and conflict when faced with the unknown. To
counter this, I think that part of living life ethically is to know that one should not prioritize
one’s comfort and self-certainty over others. Again, the issue in this case would be when
other people are not as tolerant or are as respecting of diversity – such as those who act
upon their extremist ideas on homophobia, racism, and sexism. In which case, one cannot
avoid to ask themselves, “Do these people still deserve our sacrifices?” Indeed, the price
of a life lived with honor and integrity is high and that it is difficult to attain this kind of
success without compromising their own moral identities, but, I think that it was never a
matter of who deserves these sacrifices from us in the first place. To judge who deserves
“goodness” and other similar values like honor, loyalty, and patience would be hypocritical
because these are not values for appearances’ sake but rather an embodiment of what
one truly believes in. To stand strong in the face of evil is one of the greatest aspect of
living life ethically.

With all those things said, I would affirm the first question on whether or not people
should choose to live ethically when others may not. I think that despite all the difficulties
and complexities in present society, it is still worth pursuing because the connection of
ethics to one’s well-being is vital. Regardless of how the other may act, there is a feeling
of assurance and self-worth when one applies their moral values. Not only does it
positively change one’s outlook or perspective in life, it can also influence the ethical
environment of the community one is in. In a way, we can perceive ethics as a form of
checks and balances that equalizes all individuals in the society no matter their status.
But bear in mind that being tolerant does not mean one should become complacent or
indifferent to these people with no morals because that would mean normalizing an
unethical culture that tiptoes around the lines of what the world should be or what it ought
to be. In fact, I think that part of our ethical responsibility includes being more reflexive
and critical of the things we see every day so that when we think about how to act and
then choosing to act right, we do so with the awareness of not only our own well-being
but also others’ as well. The role of self-evaluation as an individual, and not in the sense
of the “greater good”, is the primary reason why societal ethics should not determine the
behavioral norms of the people. The reason why we should take it upon ourselves to live
life ethically is so that we do not reduce morality to mere legitimations of a society’s
system of power. Without ethics to guide our actions and choices, we tend to disparage
the urgency of certain issues and pass through life ignoring the exploitation and
oppression present in a society’s culture. Although it is true that self-values are subjective
and biased, I still think it’s better than the value-judgement most people in society choose
to adapt. We have to understand that a peaceful and harmonious society does not
necessarily rely on conformity, but rather on each contributing individual that chose to
practice and adapt ethical living. On the long run, ethical people tend to rarely seek instant
gratification because they know what to do to actually live a fulfilled and happier life.
Because of the character honed by habitual evaluation of ethics, ethical people are more
likely to develop richer and deeper relationships with the people around them just by
simply living a life that allows them to do what is right. In the end, I think it outstrips the
feeling of “sacrifice” by replacing it with wholeness and integrity.