Ethics Module

Module 1: Self and Others

The general theme of respect for self and others requires the
students to be returned to the question ‘what makes me “me”? Who is the
“I” who makes me “me”?’ The students should be able to take the
question of self-identity deeper and to a more abstract and sophisticated
level of reasoning and self-reflection required by leading an examined life
which is presented to them as an ideal to achieve, and which presents the
self as an ethical being. The module deals with the notion of the self –
more specifically what it means to be a human self. It begins with the
reminder that the human self is always a social self. This point of
departure raises issues of conformity with the conventions of community
and the meaning of individual freedom. The tension between freedom and
conformity requires closer look at the notion of community, within which
one’s identity is first formed, and distinction between strong, self-
enclosed communities and weaker, open, communities that are tolerant of
internal difference and to other communities. In other words, it leads
students to discussions of tolerance. The self is represented as both
unique and social, and these characterizations of the self are taken into
analysis. The fact that the self is in some respect or other, and to
different degrees in different moral cultures, self-making is shown to
point to the obligation to be self-responsible. This self-responsibility is
shown to be connected with self-knowledge and eventually to self-mastery
– both important notions are explored further through historic or
legendary figures in the different religious and secular tradition, for the
latter most appropriately Socrates.

Objectives:
● to introduce the students to self-reflective expression on moral
matters through writing or otherwise (examples could include: blogs,
photography, journal, essays, letters/email to the editor and so on);
● to introduce students to the distinction between belief supported
by opinion, and truth or fact supported by evidence (science), and
between supported and gratuitous opinion;
● to teach students to write arguments of their own on selected
topics or issues;
● to reinforce the idea of the self as an individual and social being –
to begin a more detailed exploration of the relationship between the
two;
● to explore the tension between demands of the community and
individual freedom in the making of the self;
● to enter into a deep analysis of the meaning of community, its
relation with truth, and to distinguish different kinds of community;
closed and open;
● to explore these different kinds of communities, the amount of
uniformity they imply and the issues of difference and tolerance
they raise;
● to pursue the discussion of tolerance as a characteristic of open
communities;
● to enable a more sophisticated discussion of the question ‘Who am
I?’ – To make it question of self-reflection;
● to introduce students to the importance of self-reflection, of living
the examined life, and ultimately of self-mastery;
● to discuss moral responsibility; what it means and the importance
of responsible life- choices;
● to discuss influence and the place of role-models in our lives and
the difference between good and bad role-models.
 Module 2 Respect for Self (Self-respect)

This module is about responsible self-respect, which contrasts with

irresponsible self-abuse. Self-respect is linked with a self who, while it is
aware of itself, is sensitive to others, while self-abuse is linked with a self
which is obsessively self-referential and narcissist. It explores the notion
of harm to a much greater depth and does the same with the notion of
self-regarding acts. The ultimate aim is to show that extreme narcissism,
an unhealthy self- obsession, leads to moral insensitivity towards others
and can take the form of various kinds of self-harm. The possibility of
unwanted self-harm which can result from self-exposure/disclosure on the
social media is amply discussed as part of a broader discussion of the
voyeuristic/narcissistic culture of the social media as a whole. The issues
of intimacy and personal privacy, and their values are brought into the
discussion of the dangers of self- exposure identified in it. The discussion
also includes the issue of pornography and, also specifically, cyber-
bullying, both dangerous realities of our times. The module also explores
other forms of self-harm that may appear to be more private and self-
concerning or socially irrelevant, that may be both physical and mental
and, usually, are both at the same time; these include addictions and
obsession forms of behavior of different sorts. It asks whether the limits
of freedom are transgressed by acts of self-harm, and draws the
distinction, once more, between a responsible and irresponsible use of
one’s freedom. Finally, within the general issue of whether it is morally
acceptable for us to expose ourselves to harm, it raises the question about
different kinds of risk-taking with the intention of distinguishing those
kinds that are responsible and legitimate from those that aren’t and that
shouldn’t be practiced.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to exercise students in the evaluation and writing of arguments on
selected topics or issues;
● to explore the limits of self-regarding actions and to introduce the
notion of side- effects as a limitation;
● to explore the distinction between a healthy self-regard and a self-
regard which is the contrary; obsessive, narcissistic, and morally
unhealthy;
● to explore the meaning of harm and particularly of self-harm, to
introduce and discuss some practices of self-harm from the
perspective of freedom and from a moral perspective;
● to consider the practices of self-exposure/disclosure on the social
media as possible practices of self-harm, and to discuss cyber-
bullying in general as a moral issue;
● to discuss the distinction between responsible and praiseworthy
and irresponsible or capricious risk-taking;
● to distinguish between the egoistic or self-seeking, and the
altruistic or generous;
● to introduce the notion of physical and mental/emotional
integrity as a moral duty one owes oneself.
 Module 3 Respect for Others

This module links with the discussion of self-respect and making

responsible life choices and with the distinction between making positive
life-choices and negative, by first exploring the notion of making
something of one’s life, then analyzing the reasons behind what could
lead one to waste one’s life or make negative life-choices; and what
contributes towards living self-centered, impoverished, and morally blind
life. The point is made that moral blindness usually leads to unfairness in
one’s dealings with others, and therefore also becomes question of justice,
since moral blindness blinds us to justice. The idea that justice as fairness
requires equality of consideration and that all should be regarded equally.
However, equality of consideration is shown to be vulnerable to our
human instinct to privilege those who are near and dear to us, our
relatives and friends, over others. Is this privileging morally right or just,
and if so why? This is one of the most complex ethical issues and it can
become very difficult, even insoluble, or take the form of a moral
dilemma, when it comes to life and death choices. It is shown to lead to
the question whether who the other is, and numbers, are relevant
considerations for deciding them. Finally, the question whether equality
of consideration is relevant when it comes to choosing between humans
and animals, and why?
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to further exercise students in the evaluation and writing of
arguments on selected topics or issues;
● to introduce the notion of making something of oneself, of living a
positive fulfilled life as against a negative and empty one;
● to continue to explore the meaning of freedom together with that
of responsibility in order to co-ordinate the two ideas; freedom with
responsibility;
● to re-present self-centered egoism described in the previous
module as a form of moral blindness;
● to explore the idea of justice together with that of equality of
consideration, and to equate the absence of the latter with ethical
insensitivity;
● to introduce the students to and get them to engage with difficult
and complex moral situations that will exercise their thinking;
● to emphasize the value of moral reasoning as indispensable for
responsible moral choice;
● to extend the notion of moral responsibility to the animal realm;
to the question whether we have the same moral responsibilities
towards animals as towards humans.
 Module 4: The Ethics of Self-Care

This module is entered into through the extended discussion of

harm already taken up in the previous modules, more specifically of self-
harm, the general object being to connect the ethics of respect explored
in that programmed with the ethics of care. The general point followed in
this module is that self-respect finds its expression in an ethics of care of
oneself, which is itself defined in Aristotelian terms as the practical
undertaking to live one’s life in manner that conforms with the virtue of
moderation described by the principle of the golden mean. The module
begins by exploring the notion of care in its general sense in some depth,
distinguishing in a preliminary way between care for oneself and care for
others which will be the subject of Module 5. The notion of care for the
self is shown to be inconsistent with that of self-harm. On the other hand,
it is frequently tied in with that of happiness, one’s happiness being
commonly seen as the main reason why one should care for oneself. The
notion of happiness is also subject in turn to deep exploration especially
in its relation to pleasure. The utilitarian/hedonistic understanding of
happiness as the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain is discussed,
then, that of happiness defined as eudemonia, in its Aristotelian sense;
namely as an overall state of general well-being conforming with the
virtue of moderation. Inevitably the discussion will need to take on the
question of the part pleasure and pain respectively plays in human life –
how they are and can be valued in relation to happiness. The objective of
the discussions is to distinguish between the satisfaction of pleasure,
which may be strong and temporarily satisfying but transitory, and the
more profound understanding of happiness as defining one’s general
existence. Also, the discussion should also enable the students to effect a
responsible evaluation of the value of pleasure in their lives, to make the
point that not all pleasure is good, and that there is pleasure that is
harmful for oneself, and therefore should be avoided. Promoting
happiness as a eudemonic state is seen as morally worth pursuing because
it includes a responsible attitude towards the pursuit and enjoyment of
pleasure and helps us to put pain and suffering, which are our inevitable
human lot, in their proper dimension. Finally, the discussion will help
students to identify the responsible pursuit of happiness with self-care.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to consolidate the students’ skills and abilities to examine
arguments and to write arguments of their own on selected topics or
issues;
● To press home the importance of self-reflection, of living the
examined life and exercising self-mastery as a necessary element of
responsibility for oneself;
● to enable students to pass from reflecting on self-respect and
respect for others to reflecting on how this respect is translated into
care for the self and for others generally then focusing on the self;
● To continue in this way to press home the importance of self-
reflection, of living the examined life and exercising self-mastery as
a necessary element of care for oneself and others;
● To continue to reinforce the idea of the self as an individual and
social being and to continue a more detailed exploration of the
relationship between the two;
● to strengthen the discussion of moral responsibility; what it
means and the importance of responsible life-choices;
● to explore the notions of care, pleasure, pain, and happiness
(understood as well- being) separately and together for a deeper
understanding of these notions and their relations with each other;
● to promote the Aristotelian view of happiness as eudemonia
against competing hedonistic doctrines and to identify caring for
oneself with a eudemonic existence.
 Module 5: The Ethics of Care for Others

This module connects with and extends the discussions about care
of oneself which cannot be divorced from that of care for the other. The
other is here shown to be, in a meaningful way, an extension of oneself
just as one’s self is an extension of the other. It presents the students
with a positive, perfectibility, representation of self-care (as self-
improvement, as making something of oneself and of one’s life) as against
its minimalist representation as the avoidance of harm, particularly self-
harm but also, now, of the other, explored in the previous module. It then
makes the point that without knowing how to care for oneself one cannot
know how to care for others, while caring for the others (managing one’s
relationships with them in a morally responsible way through an ethics of
care) is an intrinsic part of caring for oneself – thus distancing the ethics
of self-care from the outlook of a self-centered egoism. The module also
introduces the notion of self-esteem into the consideration of an ethics of
self-care; positive self-esteem being indispensable for both caring for
oneself and caring for others. Self-esteem is connected with bullying in
several ways; the bullied person’s self- esteem is damaged by the
experience of being bullied.
Contrary from an ethics of care for the other, the relationship is
harmful for the bullied and can lead her/him to self-harm, while the bully
in turn demonstrates low self-esteem (because her/his self-esteem
requires a victim) and is her/himself also harmed by the bullying, as one
is in any damaged relationship. A sense of self-worth is identified with the
possession of a high self-esteem, while the higher the self- esteem, the
higher the level of respect and care, both for oneself and others. Finally,
the word love is used for that relationship that goes beyond the ordinary
sense of care for self and others, though to love does denote to care for.
This association with care is what distinguishes loving from merely
seeking pleasure in an object (another person, animal or thing). The point
is made that pleasure does not depend on nor require a relationship of
love; it can be experienced without love, in which case its value is purely
one of self-gratification. Thus, the other is treated as an object for that
purpose not as a person with his/her own right sand needs. The
discussion focuses on sexual pleasure, which is tied with attraction rather
than love, though one can also love the person one is attracted to. It
moves from here to the discussion of responsible sexual pleasure both
from a legal and moral perspective. The discussion is used to make the
distinction between legal and moral sanctions on sexual activity.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for
Example, blogs, photography, journal, essays, letters/email to the
editor and so on;
● to emphasize the importance of self-reflection, of living the
examined life and exercising self-mastery as a necessary element of
responsibility for self and others;
● to enable students to transition from reflecting on self-respect and
respect for others to reflecting on how this respect is translated into
care for self and for others;
● To introduce the ethics of perfectibility (of self-improvement, of
making something of one’s life) as a more advanced understanding
of care for oneself, to link it with self- esteem, and to tie care for
oneself with caring for others;
● to explore the notion of self-esteem in general and to represent
positive self-esteem as an indispensable ingredient both of care for
oneself and for others;
● To strengthen still further the moral argument against bullying by
representing it as the very contrary of our responsibility to care for
the other; care for the others being presented as the positive form
of respect;
● the presentation of love as the extra-ordinary dimension of the
care for others, taking us beyond the latter in the sense of care and
the exploration of the relationship of love
with sexual pleasure;
● to help the students to understand the difference between the
moral and the legal and to appreciate how they are brought together
indifferent societies.
 Module 6: The Ethics of Dependence

This module opens by revisiting the relationship between love and

sexual gratification. This is defined and understood differently by
different moral cultures and communities. It can be approached from two
perspectives, the legal and the moral, which are kept separated in some
societies and integrated in others, such that what is deemed immoral is
also made illegal. This module marks a further development in the level of
moral debate with the teacher, deliberately introducing the different
considerations explored in earlier modules into the debate; of rights,
consequence, duties and obligations, respect for self and for others and
soon, and insisting on their use. Two discussions of this sort are engaged
with; on responsible sex and the limits of sexual freedom, which includes
discussion of the legal protection of the sexual abuse of minors, in the
early part of the Module, and on the obligation to speak for the voiceless,
vulnerable other, at the end. The notion of vulnerability introduced in the
first discussion is specifically discussed as general human condition and
linked with dependence – in the sense that it is vulnerability that leads to
dependence. Dependence is discussed in its most general sense to include
different relations with others induced by vulnerability, beginning with
childhood and including different disabilities (temporary or permanent)
that people are subsequently vulnerable to throughout their lives. One
point made is that dependence is a part of our human condition since no
human being is or can be entirely self-sufficient, and that human
relationships include relationships of dependence. Another point is that
relationships of dependence can change and even be reversed. This can
sometimes occur suddenly through misfortune, so that one who cares for
another today may find oneself dependent on them in turn tomorrow
through a change of circumstance in people’s lives – this fact brings into
play the principle of reciprocity. Another point is that dependence creates
rights for some and responsibilities for others who are morally obliged to
care for them. In the last part a distinction is drawn between permanent
or chronic disability which creates a condition of permanent dependence
and the temporary disability that can arise from illness or misfortune.
The point made is that ideally people should be as self-dependent as
possible and should be helped to win back their self-dependence when this
is temporarily lost. The discussion is used to introduce the students to
the notion of the welfare state based on rights and obligations of mutual
solidarity, on the ethics of giving and receiving. The discussion of
dependence and solidarity is carried on with reference to the voiceless; to
those members of society, the natural environment, irregular migrants,
future generations who are unable for different reasons to speak for
themselves. The question discussed is whether caring for them includes a
moral obligation to speak for them, to give them voice.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to consolidate the students’ skills and abilities to examine
arguments and to write arguments of their own on selected topics or
issues;
● To introduce the students to a deeper level of debate by
encouraging them to bring into it the different considerations, of
rights, obligations, consequences, etc. explored in earlier modules in
a systematic way;
● to help them debate the issue of the relationship between love and
sexual pleasure and to promote and discuss the notion of
responsible sex;
● to introduce and discuss the notions of vulnerability and
dependence as notions that fall into the debate of care of oneself
and others;
● To introduce the students to the principle of reciprocity, the
ethics of giving and receiving, which arises from the relations of
mutual dependence that mark our human condition;
● to introduce and discuss the notion of welfare rights as rights of
dependence arising from the claims of solidarity and the political
form it takes in the welfare state;
● to introduce other relations of dependence, to link dependence
with lack of voice, and to raise the question whether there is a
moral responsibility to speak for the voiceless.
 Module 7: The Meaning of Life (and Death)

The introductory discussion in this module is of the claim that life

is valuable which is examined in order to present the life and death
questions to be explored in a preliminary way. The discussion is also used
to reinforce the fact highlighted throughout the whole of the Ethics
Programmed that different answers to them correspond with the different
moral position religious and humanist from which they are approached
and that an important influence on the way they are answered is the
belief or otherwise in an afterlife. Next different ways of describing a
thing’s value are identified as intrinsic and as instrumental, to distinguish
two ways in which life can be deemed valuable. The first is that its value
is intrinsic (that it invaluable in itself and apart from every other
consideration), and the second is that its value is instrumental to its
being a worthwhile life (one of happiness or flourishing). This Module
focuses on the first of these viewpoints; the second will be explored in
Module 8. The students are introduced to the general Kantian principle
that we should never treat others merely as means; one needs always to
treat them as ends. The important notion of the right to life is introduced
for exploration and discussion, and with it to the so-called sanctity of life
doctrine which is refined in three stages (All life is sacred. All human life
is sacred. All innocent human life is sacred). Every one of these is
discussed separately and then together. Meanwhile the issues that feature
in debates on the right to life,
Self-defense, situations of war, capital punishment, non-voluntary
euthanasia, assisted suicide, contraception, and abortion, are introduced
into the discussion, all to be explained in preparation to being taken to
depth in Module 8.
Then the discussion proceeds to consider the claim to a right to life
in relation to non-human beings, to examine how we need to treat
humans and non-humans differently with regards to how we value life,
and to discuss how we must treat the lives of non-human, or animal
beings. Up to this point the discussion has focused on the first two
formulations of the sanctity of life doctrine. Next to be explored is the
notion of an innocent human life which features in the third formulation,
what it means and what kind of limitations it imposes on the claim to a
right to life. In the discussion of these matters a general discussion of
humane and inhumane modes of treating human and non-human beings is
made to include a discussion on forms of action sand punishment that
include demeaning acts of subjugation, humiliation, the infliction of
torture, and mutilation. These are extreme example of how others are
treated purely as means, as objects, their rights as persons (as ‘possessors
of rights’, foremost amongst which the right to have one’s dignity
respected) disregarded and violated, that are discussed with examples
taken from different contexts, war, terrorism, work relations (different
kinds of slavery),abusive sexual relationships, etc. The differences
between how degrading treatment is regarded reflects different cultures,
some of which tend to distinguish different ways of treating men and
women, and therefore to think of the rights of men and women as distinct
and different. In this respect it must be pointed out how gender
differences are treated in Maltese society and by Maltese law.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to extend the students’ skills and abilities to examine arguments
and to write their own arguments and reflections on selected topics
or issues on narratives or case studies set for them;
● to introduce the students to the notion of a right to life and to the
issues it raises, to teach them how to reflect on these issues and
how to discuss them responsibly;
● to introduce the students to the different interpretations of the
sanctity of life doctrine, in order to introduce them also to the
notions of self-defense and an innocent human life;
● to extend the discussion on the right to life to non-human beings,
to consider whether it should be extended to such beings and to
consider the degree to which non-human life should share the same
rights as human;
● To explore to greater depth the distinction between intrinsic and
instrumental value as it applies both to human and non-human life
and to introduce the principle that other persons, human beings,
must never be used only as means, and always treated ascends;
● to reinforce the idea that moral difference is the fruit of cultural
and religious difference and must be understood in this way for the
sake of tolerance;
● To introduce the issues concerning the taking of life human raised
in the module for further exploration, reflection, and debate in the
next: self-defense, war, capital punishment, non-voluntary
euthanasia, assisted suicide, contraception, and abortion.
 Module 8: Life and Death Issues

This module opens with an in-depth moral analysis of a case-study

that deals with moral dilemmas concerning life and death issues, which
will serve as a model for such analyses. This is followed by an in-depth
discussion of capital punishment where the human life taken is presumed
guilty – hence outside consideration of the right to life according to the
third formulation of the sanctity of life doctrine explored in the final part
of Module 7. Then the complex theory of the right to self-defense is
explored and discussed in its ramifications and with its distinctions and
conditions. This is done through the examination of case-studies or
narratives where the right to and/or mode in which self-defense is
exercised is controversial and contested. The discussion involves a more
basic discussion on the use of violence; the use and extent of use of which
is controversial. Evidently the question here is whether violence against
human beings is morally justified or legitimate and, if yes, in which
situations and to which extent. The different positions - pacifist, realist,
and moderate - are explored in the discussion. The discussion is used to
cement the case that bullying is cruel and immoral. Next, a distinction is
made between the view that life has intrinsic value; that it is valuable
inland of itself which finds expression in the sanctity of life doctrine, and
the view that life is valuable only if it is worthwhile, if through it we
flourish and are happy, not otherwise. The first was explored in Module 7,
Module 8 explores the second, beginning with the notion of a ‘worthwhile
life’. The second point of view is linked with the case made for the moral
right to die as well as to live, whether through direct (self-inflicted) or
assisted suicide, or through non-voluntary euthanasia, which is still very
controversial in our society. Questions the debate raises in questions of
suicide but also in other situations are: Who owns my life? Do I have the
right to do with it what I please, to decide whether or not it is
worthwhile? The affirmative answer is made from a liberal viewpoint
which recognizes individual ‘autonomy ‘in making such choices – a
concept which needs to be carefully explained. What if I amusable,
because of my circumstances (I am in a comatose or vegetative state, or
brain-dead) to decide and live on life-support machines, should I be kept
alive indefinitely? Who has the right to decide? The question of when life
begins and when it ends (when is one dead?) is regarded by manias crucial
to these discussions, for their answers are taken to influence where the
recognition of the right to life should begin and end for moral purposes.
Put otherwise, the question is about when the individual should be
recognized as a moral person; a bearer of moral or human rights including
the right to life. This is the way in which the issue of abortion is often
presented in Western societies against the feminist claim for a woman’s
right over her own body. The last section of this module is about the
prevention of life, which includes the issues about contraception.
Objectives:
● to consolidate the self-reflective expression on moral matters that
interest or affect their daily lives or experiences. This could be done
through writing or otherwise, for example, blogs, photography,
journal, essays, and letters/email to the editor and so on;
● to extend the students’ skills and abilities to examine arguments
and to write their own arguments and reflections on selected topics
or issues on narratives or case studies set for them;
● to specifically discuss the issues raised and discussed in a
preliminary way in Module 7, submitting them to more thorough
examination and an in-depth discussion;
● To explore the question of violence and the different positions
taken about its use, distinguishing its aggressive use from its use in
self-defense and identifying the moral boundaries of self-defense;
● To introduce students to the contrary position to the sanctity of
life doctrine; the argument that life itself has no intrinsic value,
that it is valuable only if it is worthwhile life – a notion which is also
discussed in the module;
● To explore the claim that there is a right to die with reference to
acts of suicide whether self-inflicted or assisted, and to look at
death in the context of the value of life – whether death also has
value (e.g. sacrificing one’s life for others);
● to introduce students to and to explore the moral issues that
concern the prevention of life, namely contraception and abortion;
● to reinforce yet again the case against bullying.
 MODULE 1 – SELF AND OTHERS
The module deals with the notion of the self – more specifically what it
means to be a human self. It begins with the reminder that the human self is
always a social self. This point of departure raises issues of conformity with the
conventions of community and the meaning of individual freedom. The tension
between freedom and conformity requires closer look at the notion of
community, within which one’s identity is first formed, and distinction between
strong, self-enclosed communities and weaker, open, communities that are
tolerant of internal difference and to other communities. In other words, it leads
students to discussions of tolerance. The self is represented as both unique and
social, and these characterizations of the self are taken into analysis.

Morals are the prevailing standards of behavior that enable people to live
cooperatively in groups. Moral refers to what societies sanction as right and
acceptable.
Most people tend to act morally and follow societal guidelines. Morality often
requires that people sacrifice their own short-term interests for the benefit of
society. People or entities that are indifferent to right and wrong are considered
amoral, while those who do evil acts are considered immoral.
While some moral principles seem to transcend time and culture, such as
fairness, generally speaking, morality is not fixed. Morality describes the
particular values of a specific group at a specific point in time. Historically,
morality has been closely connected to religious traditions, but today its
significance is equally important to the secular world. For example, businesses
and government agencies have codes of ethics that employees are expected to
follow.
Some philosophers make a distinction between morals and ethics. But
many people use the terms morals and ethics interchangeably when talking
about personal beliefs, actions, or principles. For example, it’s common to say,
“My morals prevent me from cheating.” It’s also common to use ethics in this
sentence instead.
So, morals are the principles that guide individual conduct within society.
And, while morals may change over time, they remain the standards of behavior
that we use to judge right and wrong.

List of Morals
1. Telling the Truth - Lying to others is disrespectful of them. Even when
telling the truth might hurt us, it’s still important to be truthful to be true
to our best selves.
2. Do Not Hurt Others’ Feelings - While the above moral value of telling the
truth is important, sometimes the truth hurts. In these cases, we need to
find ways to be truthful to others without hurting their feelings.
3. Fair Play - Fair play means making sure you don’t try to give yourself an
unfair advantage against others in a head-to-head match. For example, if
you are an online video game, you make sure no one is allowed to use
cheat codes.
4. Hard Work - When we agree to take on a job, it’s our responsibility to put
effort in and work hard for our employer. We call this work ethic. It would
be wrong to sit around and not do anything all day then take a paycheck
for the day.
5. Paying a Fair Price - Most of us would consider it to be immoral to
underpay an employee. Someone who’s desperate for work might have to
take a low-paid job, but it’s still the employer’s responsibility to pay the
person a fair rate so they can eat food and pay their rent.
6. Respect for Others - Respecting others has a lot of different features. It
might include asking them for permission, giving them personal space, or
making sure you are not rude when you talk to them.
7. Do unto Others as you would have Done to Yourself - This is the golden
rule found in so many different religions: do unto others as you would
have done unto yourself. It simply means that you should put yourself in
 the shoes of the people around you. You should ask yourself if you would
be happy if someone treated you the way you’re treating them.

8. Forgive Others - Forgiveness is a central moral in many religions as well.

For example, Christianity teaches people to follow the lead of Jesus, who
is said to have forgiven people’s sins. In the same vein, you should forgive
others if they are truly sorry for their mistakes

9. Admit Fault - Many people choose to lie and squirm rather than confess
that they did something wrong. This is, of course, not very ethical! The
right thing to do is apologize and attempt to right your wrongs.
10. Use Manners - Manners includes saying please, thank you, and you’re
welcome. But it also includes thinking about all the taboos and customs you
need to follow, like making sure you don’t tailgate when driving or letting
people leave the train before you step on.
11. Be Kind - Kindness involves making sure you make people feel welcome,
trying not to be rude or judgmental, and being willing to be helpful when
you’re needed. Kind people try to put out good feelings to those around them.
12. Wait your Turn - Most cultures value waiting in a line (or queue) on a first
come first served basis when waiting for a service. This might include waiting
for the bus or waiting to be served by the bank teller.
13. Express Gratitude - In the United States, they have a special holiday
called Thanksgiving where everyone comes together to remember to express
gratitude for what they have. But we don’t need to do this just one day per
year. We usually consider it to be good manners and a sign of a moral person
to express gratitude to people who you are thankful for.
14.Respect Yourself - respecting yourself means that you set high standards
for yourself in all areas of your life. You don’t go around saying degrading
things about yourself or putting yourself in situations where you will be
mistreated by others. Self-respect is important for your own mental health,
confidence, and wellbeing.
15.Respect your Parents - in many cultures respecting your parents is a
central moral principle. Respect for your parents means that you will
acknowledge that they have more wisdom and life experience than you and
that they have the best interest of you in their hearts. So, sometimes you
may disagree with your parents but, especially as a child, you will need to
respect their decisions until you are old enough to make decisions on your
own.
16.Return Favors - when someone does you a favor it is usually considered
the right thing to do to repay that favor. For example, if your friend helps you
out by driving you to an exam, then next time they need a drive somewhere it
is probably expected of you that you would help them out if you can.
17.Ask for Permission - we’re raised his children to say please and thank you
as a culturally appropriate way of showing recognition and respect. When you
want something that is not yours, you will need to ask for permission before
taking it. In English speaking countries you’ll usually want to say please
when asking for permission.
18.Keep Promises - people who do not keep promises usually find themselves
without many friends. This is because those people end up being seen as
unreliable and untrustworthy. If you cannot keep a promise, it is usually
expected that you tell the person and apologize, and even explain why it is
that you will have to go back on the promise you made.
19.Be Humble - Humility is a greatly respected trait. It doesn’t mean being
passive or submissive. Instead, it means being grateful for what you have and
acknowledging that your successes don’t make you a better person than
others. One way to practice humility is to reflect on how many people help
you in your life to get to where you are today. This will help you realize that
you have a lot to be thankful for and prevent you from becoming arrogant.
 20.Do Not Gossip - A gossip is a person who says things behind other people’s
backs. For example, the gossip may get information they learned about
someone and share it amongst all of their friends even though the person the
information is about may not want this to happen. When you act like a
gossip, the people around you will make a subconscious note that you are not
trustworthy with information.
21.Respect Difference - we live in a multicultural world where we share al
public spaces with people of all different backgrounds, cultures, and opinions.
In this context, intolerance is increasingly being seen as a moral failing.
Respecting difference means being OK with sharing a society with people who
have different lives, cultures, and practices to our own.
22.Do Not be Jealous - Jealousy is a natural human emotion. You might feel
jealous about a friend who makes more money than you or someone who has
had more luck than you in their life. A wise person recognizes jealousy within
them and makes an effort to push back against that emotion. One way to do
this is to reflect on all the luck and support that you have received in your
own past. This will make you realize how grateful you should be for what you
have rather than being jealous of what other people have.
23.Do Not Swear - In most languages, there are words that I considered
inappropriate to use in polite conversation. Using those words will make the
other people in the conversation see you as being unable to maintain the
moral standards set by society.
24.Respect the Rules in Others’ Houses - Everyone will have slightly different
rules in their own personal space. For example, one person may have the rule
not to wear shoes in their house while you might be perfectly OK with
wearing shoes in your own house. This is just one small example. We need to
remember to respect the rules of other people’s private spaces just like we
would expect them to respect the rules in our private spaces.
25.Turn the Other Cheek - Turning the other cheek is a saying from the Bible.
It means that you do not have to take revenge on people who did the wrong
thing by you. In secular talk, you might use the phrase to take the higher
ground. This means simply to maintain your own moral standards and don’t
do immoral things just because other people around you are being immoral.
26.Do not Take Bribes - Bribery happens when someone gives you money to
do something immoral or illegal. People in positions of power like police
officers and politicians will find themselves in positions where they are
offered bribes regularly. However, this is widely considered to be an immoral
activity.
27.Use Non-Violence - When you need to take action to protect or defend
people, it’s always best to use non-violence as much as possible. In
democracies, there are ideally avenues to seek justice without violence.
Examples include protesting, running for office, or taking an issue to the
courts.

Religious Morals
Religious morals are moral principles that are written into religious codes,
such as a holy text. Most major religions have moral frameworks for followers to
adhere to.
The most common religious moral code that appears in nearly all religions
is the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.”
This moral code asks us to put ourselves in the shoes of someone else and
to make sure we treat them in a way we’d want to be treated if we were in their
situation.
 The ten commandments are:
1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any gods before Me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
4. Honor thy father and mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.
10.Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.

Morals in Aesop’s Fables

Morals have also been taught in literature, movies, and other texts for
millennia. We will often call a moral story for children a “fable”. This is a story
that teaches a child an important lesson about how to behave.

A Good friend is there when they are needed most – In the Bear and the Two
Travelers, we are taught that we only know our true friends in times of need.
Similarly, in The Bull and the Goat, we are taught not to take advantage of
friends in need.

Avoid a remedy that is worse than the disease – This means that you need to be
careful about “making a deal with the devil” to fix something. Sometimes, the
deal (or remedy) is worse than what you were trying to fix. This is the moral in
the story The Hawk, the Kite, and the Pigeons.

Do good, don’t just speak about good – In the Hunter and the Woodman we learn
that deeds are more important than words.

Do not be Proud – People who go around acting proud and boasting about their
success often find themselves falling from grace. We learn this moral in the story
The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle.

Do not pretend to be something you are not – In the Crow and the Raven we
learn that pretending to be something you are not will end up getting you into
trouble. You will lose the respect of the people around you.

Do not seek to injure others or you may end up being injured – In the Horse and
the Stag, we learn that seeking to harm others often comes back and causing
harm to ourselves instead.

Don’t make much ado about nothing – This means not to make a fuss about
something that doesn’t deserve to be fussed over. If you do so, people won’t
believe you when you fuss over something important. This is the moral message
in Aesop’s stories The Boy who Cried Wolf and The Mountain in Labor.

Learn from Others’ Misfortunes – You don’t have to make mistakes. Pay
attention to other people’s mistakes and learn from them. This is the moral in
The Sick Lion.

Mind your own business – Prying into other people’s business can upset others
and find you in a lot of trouble. Do not pry and do not gossip. This is the moral
in the story The Seagull and the Kite.

One Lie Leads to Many, so Do Not Lie in the First Place – We often use the term
“a web of lies” to explain someone who piles lies on top of lies to protect their
original lie that they told. This is the moral in The Monkey and the Dolphin.
Treat your family with respect – If you cannot respect your family, then how
can you be expected to respect strangers? This is the moral in The Master and
His Dogs.

Distinguishing Fact, Opinion, Belief,

and Prejudice
When forming personal convictions, we often interpret factual evidence
through the filter of our values, feelings, tastes, and past experiences. Hence,
most statements we make in speaking and writing are assertions of fact, opinion,
belief, or prejudice. The usefulness and acceptability of an assertion can be
improved or diminished by the nature of the assertion, depending on which of
the following categories it falls into:

A fact is verifiable. We can determine whether it is true by researching the

evidence. This may involve numbers, dates, testimony, etc. (Ex.: "World War II
ended in 1945.") The truth of the fact is beyond argument if one can assume that
measuring devices or records or memories are correct. Facts provide crucial
support for the assertion of an argument. However, facts by themselves are
worthless unless we put them in context, draw conclusions, and, thus, give them
meaning.

An opinion is a judgment based on facts, an honest attempt to draw a

reasonable conclusion from factual evidence. (For example, we know that
millions of people go without proper medical care, and so you form the opinion
that the country should institute national health insurance even though it would
cost billions of dollars.) An opinion is potentially changeable--depending on how
the evidence is interpreted. By themselves, opinions have little power to
convince. You must always let your reader know what your evidence is and how
it led you to arrive at your opinion.

Unlike an opinion, a belief is a conviction based on cultural or personal faith,

morality, or values. Statements such as "Capital punishment is legalized
murder" are often called "opinions" because they express viewpoints, but they
are not based on facts or other evidence. They cannot be disproved or even
contested in a rational or logical manner. Since beliefs are inarguable, they
cannot serve as the thesis of a formal argument. (Emotional appeals can, of
course, be useful if you happen to know that your audience shares those beliefs.)

Another kind of assertion that has no place in serious argumentation is

prejudice, a half-baked opinion based on insufficient or unexamined evidence.
(Ex.: "Women are bad drivers.") Unlike a belief, a prejudice is testable: it can be
contested and disproved on the basis of facts. We often form prejudices or accept
them from others--family, friends, the media, etc.--without questioning their
meaning or testing their truth. At best, prejudices are careless
oversimplifications. At worst, they reflect a narrow-minded view of the world.
Most of all, they are not likely to win the confidence or agreement of your
readers.
 Demands of Community and Individual
Freedom
Individual freedom which is referred to as individualism is basically the
relationship between the concept of freedom and the concept of autonomy.
Autonomy means the right to govern oneself. Individual freedom in general
terms means the freedom that a person has to express themselves, and in
appearing equal before a court of law. It includes basic rights such as the right of
assembly, the freedom of press, of security and liberty and of privacy. It means
that every individual who is part of a society has the freedom to act according to
his own will without coercion from any external source.
The reason why individual freedom is considered to be essential is because
freedom is a natural requirement of humans. From birth, each individual has the
ability to control his or her own actions or at least aims to seek autonomy to be
able to have control over his own behaviour.
Civil society is a separate entity from government and business
enterprises and includes family and private sphere. Civil society comprises of
organizations that are dissociated with the government and includes educational
institutions, professional and cultural institutions. This civil society is also self-
reliant and self-generation up to a certain extent.
Another interpretation of civil society is that it is the voluntary participation of
citizens and doesn’t consist of any behaviour promulgated by the state.
Civil society is essential for strengthening democracy and also for
facilitating resolution of conflict. Civil society groups should maintain their
independence even if they associate with a political party. One role of civil
societies is to curb the arbitrary power of the state. Civil societies must keep a
check on how power is used and misused by state officials and should work
towards preventing abuse of power. Civil societies also promote political
participation in the form of NGOs spreading awareness and information about
voting in elections and attending election campaigns and rallies. Another step
which can be taken by civil society to further strengthen the democratic form of
government is to inform the public of important public issues.

COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALISM

Individual and community are two words whose meanings contrast each
other. An individual is one who is self-sufficient and not reliant on outside
forces to get whatever task complete. A community however, is a group of
individuals whose sufficiency is intertwined with one another, and therefore can
rely on each other.
Reconciling the tension between one’s own interests and the common
interests of one’s community (family, friends, work, society, etc.) is a basic
human task for securing social functioning.
 Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is defined as a mental process you can use to grow your
understanding of who you are, what your values are, and why you think, feel,
and act the way you do. When you self-reflect and become more conscious of
what drives you, you can more easily make changes that help you more easily
develop your self or improve your life. In the simplest terms, self-reflection is
setting time aside to evaluate and give serious thought to your emotions,
behavior, motivation, thoughts, perspective, and desires. It’s about going beyond
the surface level to find the “why” behind these elements of ourselves and the
experiences we have. The idea of self-reflection is to gain a more profound, rawer
understanding of yourself. And for those unfamiliar, you’ll find that with that
understanding comes empowerment and clarity that simply cannot be captured
otherwise.

Importance of Self-Reflection
It can give you perspective
Self-reflection can allow you to take a step back, engage in introspection, and
gain perspective on what really matters to you. As a result, you can make better
decisions about pursuing goals in your life that suit your needs and interests.
It can help you respond more effectively
When we better understand who we are and why we do the things we do, we can
more easily make changes that allow us to respond to circumstances in more
effective ways. Hopefully, this can keep us from saying and doing things we
regret.
It helps us better understand ourselves and possibly others
Self-reflection can help you get to know who you truly are. As a result, you can
find yourself, pursue your purpose more easily, and be more authentic.

The Value of Self-Reflection

Tool for Learning & Growth

We naturally tend to believe we know ourselves well, which is a fair
assumption. However, you’d be surprised how much you don’t know about
yourself if you don’t self-reflect often. Not everything is always as it seems on
the surface. Sometimes our emotions are driven by something else deep within
ourselves, or perhaps our behavior was motivated by a force we had never
considered before. We’re far more complicated creatures than we give ourselves
credit for, and it can often be hard to keep up without taking the extra time to
retrace and reconsider. Self-reflection opens up doors that perhaps have never
been seen before, let alone opened. And with that knowledge comes the power to
learn, evolve, and grow as a person.
Vessel for Self-Peace
This builds off that understanding touched on before. By having a more
authentic conception of yourself, you can make better decisions and engage in
behavior that you know will ultimately be rewarding to you. For example, not
everything we enjoy doing is necessarily beneficial for us in the long run.
Sometimes we engage in behavior that gives us what we need at the moment but
leaves us empty in the long haul. It can be hard to truly realize what’s good for
us and what’s not until we take that time to dive deep within. And once we do,
we have more control over our ability to feel at peace with who we are, where
we’re going, and what matters most to us in life.

Your Life GPS

Where those previous points lead you is here, a conceptualized roadmap
for life. Now, let’s be clear, a big part of life is the unknown, taking chances,
learning from experience, and simply “living.” However, most of us often have an
overwhelming feeling that we have no idea where our life is going, what we want
from it, and where to go next. And that’s precisely where self-reflection and that
understanding of self can help. You’ll be able to better understand what fulfills
you the most, what you want to get out of your time here, where you want to go
next, and how you might be able to do that. Self-reflection will not give you all
the answers or allow you to map your entire life step-by-step, nor should that be
desired anyway; that’s what living is for. But it can help you on your journey
towards getting those answers, learning from your experiences, growing as a
person, and finding your purpose in life.

MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
When a person performs or fails to perform a morally significant action, we
sometimes think that a particular kind of response is warranted. Praise and
blame are perhaps the most obvious forms this reaction might take. For
example, one who encounters a car accident may be regarded as worthy of praise
for having saved a child from inside the burning car, or alternatively, one may be
regarded as worthy of blame for not having used one's mobile phone to call for
help. To regard such agents as worthy of one of these reactions is to ascribe
moral responsibility to them on the basis of what they have done or left undone.
(These are examples of other-directed ascriptions of responsibility. The reaction
might also be self-directed, e.g., one can recognize oneself to be blameworthy).
Thus, to be morally responsible for something, say an action, is to be worthy of a
particular kind of reaction—praise, blame, or something akin to these—for
having performed it.
A morally responsible agent is someone who is properly subject to the
demands, expectations and evaluations of morality. In practice, we subject only
normal human adults to these expectations and evaluations. We exempt non-
human animals, inanimate objects and the insane from them and we subject
children to them only to a limited degree (a degree that increases, of course, as
they grow older). While praise and blame are not restricted to agents who are
morally responsible, only morally responsible agents merit praise or blame for
their actions. It may be appropriate or useful to praise and blame (or reward and
punish) agents who are not morally responsible – for example as a means to
controlling or altering their behaviour or dispositions. But such attitudes and
treatment are not merited or deserved by these agents. Only morally responsible
agents merit praise and blame for what they do. The task of a philosophical
account of moral responsibility is to explain why some agents merit praise and
blame for their actions. To execute this task is to identify the criteria for
inclusion in the moral community.
 Responsibility is an ethical concept that refers to the fact that individuals
and groups have morally based obligations and duties to others and to larger
ethical and moral codes, standards and traditions. According to Aristotle, moral
responsibility was viewed as originating with the moral agent as decision-maker,
and grew out of an ability to reason, an awareness of action and consequences,
and a willingness to act free from external compulsion.
Accountability is the readiness or preparedness to give an explanation or
justification to stakeholders for one’s judgments, intentions and actions. “It is a
readiness to have one’s actions judged by others and, where appropriate, accept
responsibility for errors, misjudgments and negligence and recognition for
competence, conscientiousness, excellence and wisdom.” While responsibility is
defined as a bundle of obligations associated with a role, accountability could be
defined as “blaming or crediting someone for an action”—normally associated
with a recognized responsibility. The accountable actor is “held to external
oversight, regulation, and mechanisms of punishment aimed to externally
motivate responsive adjustment in order to maintain adherence with appropriate
moral standards of action.”
 MODULE 2 – RESPECT FOR SELF
This module is about responsible self-respect, which contrasts with
irresponsible self-abuse. Self-respect is linked with a self who, while it is aware of
itself, is sensitive to others, while self-abuse is linked with a self which is
obsessively self-referential and narcissist. It explores the notion of harm to a
much greater depth and does the same with the notion of self-regarding acts.
The ultimate aim is to show that extreme narcissism, an unhealthy self-
obsession, leads to moral insensitivity towards others and can take the form of
various kinds of self-harm. The possibility of unwanted self-harm which can
result from self-exposure/disclosure on the social media is amply discussed as
part of a broader discussion of the voyeuristic/narcissistic culture of the social
media as a whole. The issues of intimacy and personal privacy, and their values
are brought into the discussion of the dangers of self- exposure identified in it.
The discussion also includes the issue of pornography and, also specifically,
cyber-bullying, both dangerous realities of our times.

Ways to Show Self Respect

Figure out what makes you respect yourself.
First, look within and question what practices make you feel your absolute
best. Then, pay yourself the respect of prioritizing them daily. For example,
exercising regularly, starting every day with a green juice, and being under the
covers by 10 p.m. are all ways I show myself respect.

Be honest about who you are and who you aren't.

Once you know what makes you feel good, continue to prioritize it—not
only with yourself but with others. Lead with honesty. This means that if you
know working outdoors at a farm sanctuary is what you're here to do, then you
have no business working 9 to 5 at a desk job for the next decade. You're
disrespecting your talents and interests, and you're keeping the desk job from
someone who'd actually excel in that position.

Respect yourself by taking action around things that

excite you.
Yes, taking action on the unknown can be scary stuff. We're never
guaranteed our ideal outcome, and that can cause us to retreat, big time. But the
most successful people aren't afraid to try something new. Mark Zuckerberg
dropped out of Harvard, and the rest is history. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
began Apple in their garage. You get the picture!

Stop trying so hard to be "normal."

The only way to stand out is to be your idiosyncratic, real, quirky self. It's
easier said than done, but consider this: All those folks you look up to have
taken ownership of what sets them apart and leveraged it to their advantage.

Don't let other people define your boundaries.

Many people have good intentions, but their advice is often clouded by
their emotional baggage. So, when someone tells you "You'll never be able to do
that" or "You shouldn't" or "You can't," ignore them until you have figured out
for yourself what's true.

Learn to say no.

Letting others know what isn’t OK doesn’t make you a bad person; it
makes you a strong and respectable person. When you stop saying yes to things
you don’t want to do, you create more time and energy to engage with the
activities and people that do make you happy. Here's some more advice about
how to get into the habit of saying no.

Choose a partner who respects you.

 You know the first place all of us tend to throw self-respect out the
window? Yup, you guessed it: dating. I speak to countless people who have so
much to offer but are stuck in a relationship that forces them to compromise
some part of themselves and live in a state of numbing self-sacrifice. They need
to muster up the self-respect to start over. Though scary, breaking off a
relationship will be less painful than being with a partner who doesn't want or
isn't capable of giving you what you need.

Let whatever you get done today be enough.

Show self-respect means not being overly self-critical, judgmental, or
restrictive. It's so easy to chain ourselves to a to-do list and then gauge our
worthiness on its completion. Practice making purposeful shifts toward self-
kindness by saying to yourself as you finish one task and contemplate the next:
"I could do this, or I could not. If I choose to stop now, I will allow whatever I
have completed today to be enough, and I will not beat myself up for it."

Know that you are not your genes.

You could spend a lifetime untying the knots of your family life—but that's your
choice. Conversely, at any point, you can reflect on our childhood influences and
declare, "This is not my story. I am not my genes."

Apologize with self-respect.

Saying "I'm sorry" is seldom pleasant or easy to do, so if you're going to do
it at all, make it count! An important part of apologizing is learning not to make
excuses because that's just disrespectful to the other person and to your
integrity. So next time you're tempted to plead your case, lay a hand on your
heart, check in with that inner barometer, and listen to the truth. If an apology
is called for courageously, offer one (minus the excuses).

Be willing to accept reality.

You must be willing to see things and people as they are. It can be painful
to acknowledge that there is a problem with ourselves, our loved ones, or a
situation. But if you don't deal with the problem with curiosity and
courteousness, your situation will be prolonged. And that is not very respectful
of your time and energy.

Write love notes to your body.

Our health, like everything else in our life, is a relationship. The more we
pay attention to it and nourish it, the more our body thrives. Often when we
consider becoming healthier, we find ourselves in front of the mirror looking at
our bodies and wondering what we need to "fix."
Instead of making self-deprecation your morning ritual, stand in front of
the mirror and list three things you love about yourself. Later, write them down,
preferably on sticky notes. Then pick the one or two that make you feel the way
you want to feel every single day and leave these love notes on your bedroom
mirror, in your wallet, on the TV remote, or anywhere you can read them every
day.
Self-respect is all about treating yourself the way you'd want others to
treat you. By focusing only on our self-perceived faults and flaws, we're basically
giving permission for the rest of the world to focus on them too!

Set boundaries
You can respect yourself by setting boundaries around yourself. For
example, if a friend wants to go out to dinner with you on Friday, however,
you’re exhausted from the workweek, you can tell them no and set a different
date. However, if the friend tries to convince you to hang out after you say no,
that’s when your self-respect needs to come in. You once again need to tell them
no, and you can explain why. Having an alternative date in mind can show that
you still value this person and enjoy their company, but the activity and day
don’t work for you. Don’t fall into the trap of letting someone convince you to do
something you don’t feel like doing.
Relax your mind
You can show self-respect by relaxing your mind by following a guided
meditation. Why do we torture ourselves with our thinking? Your negative
thoughts shouldn’t be making you feel bad about yourself or putting you down.
Aim to practice meditation to help you manage your thinking and recognize you
are not your thoughts. You can download the Declutter the Mind app on your
phone or tablet and choose from countless meditations for different situations.
Or you can watch meditation videos on YouTube. You can try out a meditation
like this loving-kindness meditation.

Avoid putting yourself down

If you’re constantly putting yourself down with mean-spirited remarks or
self-deprecation, you’re not practicing self-respect. You don’t need to put
yourself down to make someone else feel better. You’re a person who deserves to
be treated with respect and kindness. So, saying, “I’m not good enough” or
“what is wrong with me?” doesn’t uplift you in any way. People can always get
better with time and practice. So, have a growth mindset and believe you’re
capable of everything because you are.

Manage your emotions

You can’t respect yourself if your emotions aren’t well-managed. If you
react to every emotion you feel, you’re likely going to overwhelm yourself.
Controlling your emotions is all about taking care of yourself. Treat yourself with
kindness. Be patient with yourself. You can’t practice self-respect if you’re
mistreating yourself. Emotions are fleeting; they constantly come and go.
However, with a meditation practice, you can learn to watch your emotions rise
and fall without giving into them. When you give in to your emotions, you lose
self-control and, as a result, become disrespectful to yourself and possibly
others.

Learn to stand up for yourself

Don’t let people push you around in life. You’re entitled to be treated with
respect. However, if you don’t respect yourself publicly, people will assume they
don’t need to respect you either. However, if you show self-respect, people will
know that you won’t tolerate disrespect. If someone tries bullying you rather
than getting into an argument, quietly build a network of people around you who
will stand with you. At least as you’re still learning to show self-respect. If people
stand with you when you’re being criticized, it’ll be easier for you to know how
to act and what to say when people put you down. Standing up for yourself isn’t
easy to do, but it’s worthwhile in the end.

Do the right thing

When you have self-respect, you always try to do the right thing. That
doesn’t mean you’re perfect or even a perfectionist. It means that you aim to
have good habits and values to be a trustworthy person. You tell people the truth
when something isn’t right. You might even make moral choices that are hard–
especially those with harsh consequences. Doing the right thing means you have
a consistent and reliable character. People earn respect by consistently behaving
positively. To have self-respect, you’ll need to be a morally good person who
strives to make good decisions.

Beat your own drum

A person with self-respect beats their own drum. You should live your life
on your terms. Don’t follow someone’s path just because that’s what people
expect you to do. Everyone’s path is different. Your path will align with different
people throughout your life, and somewhere along the way, your paths will
diverge again. This is a normal experience. And while it can be uncomfortable to
lose friendships or relationships along the way, sometimes that’s exactly what’s
involved in beating your own drum. When things fall apart, there’s room for you
to grow in a higher or new direction. Celebrate the realness you offer the world;
beat your own drum and respect yourself.

You can change any time

If you don’t like something about yourself, change it. You control how you
present yourself, who you are and who you become, and how you’ll evolve
throughout your life. You can change aspects of yourself at any time, providing
that it’ll help bring you to the next version of yourself. Respecting yourself also
means letting go of traits and habits that don’t serve you. You’re the master of
your life; if something about you brings you down instead of uplifting you, it’s
time to cut ties with that aspect of yourself. But only if you don’t like it. Don’t
change yourself to accommodate other people.

Shut down your inner critic

Your thoughts have a mind of their own. You don’t need to identify with
them. When you go through a bad period or have a disappointing setback again,
it’s easy for your thoughts to rip you to shreds. That’s your inner critic. Your
inner critic isn’t you. It’s merely thoughts that surface themselves. Sometimes,
those thoughts motivate you into action, and other times they deflate you. To
respect yourself, recognize that your inner critic isn’t you thinking those things
but thoughts that randomly surface up. So, ignore them, and you’ll be on your
way to being a person with self-respect.

Practice self-care
Self-respect and self-care go together. When you take care of yourself, you
show that you respect yourself. Setting out time to get pampered, massages,
finding a therapist to chat out problems, reading books to educate yourself, and
so many other things all add up as acts of kindness towards yourself. Investing
in your own care shows that you love and respect yourself. So, treat yourself to
something special today– something just for you. And relish in the fact that
you’re alive in this experience. Life’s too short not to do things just for you.
Make the most of being alive.

EGOISTIC VS. ALTRUISTIC

Egoism vs. Altruism
Think about how you relate to other people in your community. Are you
friendly and helpful? Maybe you volunteer at an organization to help others?
Perhaps you're less invested in others and you focus on your own self-interest
and needs? These are two very different approaches to social interaction, but
they're actually a lot more intertwined than you might think. In reality, these
two approaches to society are opposite ends of a spectrum. On one side there is
total self-interest, while on the other side there is absolute collective interest
without regard for the individual. Let's start by looking at the self-interest side
of the spectrum. This is known as egoism, which is best described as putting
yourself and your own interests before anything or anyone else. This description
probably sounds rather selfish, but it's actually a very logical and generally
normal philosophy. When you take into consideration that a human being's
fundamental objective is to stay alive and procreate, putting your own welfare
before the needs of others is just about the best possible way to achieve that
objective.
Egoism, also referred to as egotism, is the practice of behaving in self-
interested ways. “Egotistic behaviors occur on a continuum—from very selfless
behaviors on one pole to extremely narcissistic actions on the other,”
 Egoism can be hard to identify with clarity because there are different
types and different theories about those types. For example, psychological
egoism asserts that a person will always act in their own self-interest, even when
it appears as though they aren't. Imagine that someone tells you that they
volunteer at a soup kitchen once a month because they want to help the
homeless. From the perspective of psychological egoism, the person is actually
volunteering because it makes them feel better about themselves, which makes
their motivation primarily one of self-interest even though someone else is
benefiting from their actions.
Ethical egoism, which is the opposite of psychological egoism, is the
argument that working in one's own self-interest is the right thing to do. The
keyword in this description is 'ethical,' which is generally understood as acting
with honesty and good intentions. Given that, an ethical egoist would argue
that, because humans are motivated by self-interest, the only way to live with
honesty and integrity is to work in service of your own interest because to do
anything else would be dishonest.

In the case of psychological egoism, the individual is attempting,

consciously or unconsciously, to hide the fact that their behavior is still
motivated by their own self-interest. Conversely, ethical egoism makes no
attempt to hide one's motivation, but instead argues that this is the only way to
live ethically and honestly. These are two very different approaches to egoism,
but the consistent aspect is that the person is acting to meet their own interests
before the interests of others. The only thing that has really changed is how one
perceives their own behavior in a social context.

Altruism is people’s desire to help others even if the costs outweigh the
benefits of helping. In fact, people acting in altruistic ways may disregard the
personal costs associated with helping. For example, news accounts of the 9/11
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York reported an employee in
the first tower helped his co-workers make it to the exit stairwell. After helping a
co-worker to safety, he went back in the burning building to help additional co-
workers. In this case the costs of helping were great, and the hero lost his life in
the destruction. Altruism is a form of selfless helping that is not motivated by
benefits or feeling good about oneself. Certainly, after helping, people feel good
about themselves, but some researchers argue that this is a consequence of
altruism, not a cause. Other researchers argue that helping is always self-serving
because our egos are involved, and we receive benefits from helping.
 Altruism, on the opposite end of the spectrum, focuses on being selfless
and serving the needs of others.

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The difference between egoism and altruism highlights the differences

between two extreme human natures. Egoism and altruism can be considered as
two different terms. These highlight two extremes of the nature of human
beings. Egoism refers to the quality of being excessively self-centered, or else
selfish. Altruism, on the other hand, refers to the quality of being completely
selfless. Psychologists have always been fascinated with this changing nature of
the human being, when his actions sometimes border on altruism and at some
other times they border on egoism. According to them, a number of factors
influence this interplay between diverse actions. The term egoism is also
referred to as egotism. This term can be defined as the quality of being
excessively conceited or self-centered. A person, who is egoistic is usually
inconsiderate of others and focuses solely on the individual self. Such a person
would engage in any activity that harms others and benefit himself. In this
sense, one can say, the sense of morality and moral obligation towards others, is
lost on him. This can be understood through an example. A man who is married
and has two children decides to leave them because they are weighing him down.
The family is poor and the wife and children are incapable of earning for the
family. The man finds that the situation is too hard and that he should not
waste his life on such a pathetic situation and merely leaves. In such a scenario,
the person is completely self-centered. He is inconsiderate about the others in
the family and feels no moral obligation. Some believe that it is in human nature
to be egoistic. For example, Thomas Hobbes who was a philosopher stated that
human is naturally selfish. According to his thought, men are engaged in a war
against each other due to their selfish nature. However, one cannot claim that
all individual is egoistic. This can be understood through the concept of
altruism. Altruism can simply be defined as unselfishness. It is when a person
puts the needs of others even before himself. This is why it can be considered as
the opposite of egoism. Such an individual is so concerned about others that he
completely ignores himself. For example, take a soldier who sacrifices himself to
save the others of his battalion, or else a parent that risks herself or himself to
save the child.
These are instances where an individual completely forgets his own self. In
some situations, altruism is at the cost of one’s own self. Then it is considered
as a sacrifice. There is a strong moral obligation and also emotional attachment
that makes the individual be altruistic. Some people believe that this should not
be considered as altruism, because the individual puts himself forward for
another who is known to him. But altruism expands further. When an individual
at a train station saves the life of another who is a complete stranger to him,
risking his own life, this is also altruism. Psychologists have been engaging in
various studies to understand why people engage in such behaviour.
 What is the difference between Egoism and Altruism?
➢ Egoism can be defined as extreme self-centeredness whereas altruism can
be defined as selflessness.

➢ These two can be considered as two extremes of human quality.

➢ An egoistic person only cares for himself, but an altruistic person cares for
others ignoring his own self.

MODULE 3 - RESPECT FOR OTHERS