Suppose you were moving through a shopping complex one day, and suddenly you observe that one individual is trying to pocket something small and in the process of doing so, they are fumbling and trying to look as if nothing is wrong.
You stand at the crossroads of choice: A righteous decision – to stand up to this person and tell him off or to go on with your day, ignoring the whole episode?
If this were to happen to me, I would have the urge to take action and tell the person exactly how she or he makes me feel. As a virtue, there are certain things that I think are right and wrong, such as stealing, and I believe in punishing a wrongdoer.
I would run to the person and tap him/her on the back and talk to him/her quietly in a manner that may not cause others to turn around and look at us. I would tell them I didn’t approve of such behaviors and then proceeded to ask why they thought it was necessary to take something that did not belong to them.
It might be they are in some financial constraints or going through some an emotional turmoil and to them, stealing appeared to be the way out. I would advise the person to return the merchandise which they stole or offer to replace it or pay for loss.
I would also urge them to find someone to talk to or get help or support if they are going through difficulties that led to their decision to steal. That way, I find that I am not only deterring the person out of wrong-doing, but I am also trying to help the person come to terms with what he or she has done wrong.
Now, let's consider another scenario: a friend intimately betrays his/her parents by telling them a direct falsehood as to where he/she was last night. You care about loyalty in relationships and experience internal conflict between keeping quiet and telling the truth as a sign of being truthful or leaving the relationship due to dishonesty.
Thus, I would have the moral responsibility to respond to my friend and explain to her that it is wrong to lie. Instead of hiding some truths, I think that it is important to tell the truth in relationships since lying continuously causes only more lies and distrust.
I would take a seat next to my friend and discuss my concern with her actions telling her that the truth should always be revealed in any friendship. I would advise my friend to first tell the truth to her parents, then confess that she has lied to them and then give her reason why she had to do so.
I would provide her with the necessary support regarding her conflict with her parents, and I am aware that assuming the consequences of one’s actions and paying for mistakes is the way towards self-improvement and building healthy relationships.
In both scenarios, my behaviour is aligned with what I consider being right, ethical, and responsible. From my experience, handling ethical issues and enforcing responsibility for them may help an individual develop into a better person, improve interpersonal communication and make society more ethical.