Why you may not be as ethical as you think | Michael Hood | TEDxUniversityofMississippi

Summary

In this engaging talk, a former FBI agent explores the nuances of ethical decision-making. Through interactive tests and real-life examples, he challenges the audience to reassess their own ethical standings, highlighting the concept of 'psychological distance' that often rationalizes unethical behavior. The speaker delves into 'bounded ethicality' and 'ethical fading,' explaining how these cognitive biases can lead to morally questionable actions. He concludes with practical strategies to counteract these tendencies, emphasizing the importance of multiple perspectives and moral reminders to guide ethical conduct.

Takeaways

• 😌 The speaker begins by asking the audience to rate their own ethics on a scale of 1 to 10, with most identifying themselves as a 7 or above.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The speaker's background with the FBI involved investigating financial crimes, revealing that many criminals were ordinary people.
• 🤔 The speaker admits to being a 4 or 5 on the ethics scale, suggesting that most people may overestimate their own ethical standing.
• 📺 Sharing a Netflix password is presented as a common but ethically questionable behavior, with most people rating it as not very bad.
• 🍽️ In contrast, 'dine and dash' is seen as a severe unethical act, with most people rating it as very bad, illustrating a double standard.
• 🧠 'Psychological distance' is introduced as a concept explaining why some unethical behaviors seem more acceptable than others.
• 👀 The speaker suggests that viewing a company as a faceless entity can lead to rationalizing unethical behavior within it.
• 🚗 Speeding is used as an example of 'denial of injury,' where individuals don't see the harm in their actions despite the potential for causing accidents.
• 🏆 Nobel Prize-winning author Daniel Kahneman's concepts of 'System 1' and 'System 2' thinking are discussed to explain how people make decisions.
• 🚘 The Ford Pinto case study illustrates 'ethical fading,' where ethical considerations are removed from decision-making processes with dire consequences.
• 🤝 Encouraging multiple perspectives and being reminded of one's morality are strategies to counteract unethical tendencies and make better decisions.

Q & A

What is the initial ethical self-rating activity described in the script?

The initial activity involves participants rating their own ethical behavior on a scale of one to ten, with one being not ethical at all and ten being absolutely ethical.

Why does the speaker claim to rate himself a five or four on the ethical scale?

The speaker rates himself a five or four to illustrate that people often overestimate their own ethics and to challenge the audience to reconsider their self-assessment.

What is the significance of sharing a Netflix password with someone outside your family as discussed in the script?

Sharing a Netflix password is used as an example to highlight how people may rationalize unethical behavior as acceptable due to psychological distance, even though it's a form of theft.

How does the speaker contrast the act of sharing a Netflix password with dine and dash?

The speaker contrasts these acts to show the difference in how people perceive the severity of unethical behavior based on the perceived presence or absence of a victim.

What is psychological distance, as explained in the script?

Psychological distance is a mental construct that allows individuals to create a mental separation between their decisions and the consequences of those decisions, often leading to rationalizing unethical behavior.

Why do people find it easier to steal a wallet full of cash from a family in an amusement park versus finding money blowing in the wind?

People are more likely to return a lost wallet because they can imagine the direct impact on the family, whereas finding money with no immediate owner present creates psychological distance, making it easier to rationalize keeping it.

What concept does the speaker introduce to explain how people can engage in unethical behavior at work without feeling guilty?

The speaker introduces the concept of 'bounded ethicality,' which describes how psychological and social pressures can cause individuals to act unethically without their awareness.

What are the two systems of the brain described by Daniel Kahneman, and how do they relate to ethical decision-making?

Daniel Kahneman describes two systems of the brain: System 1, which is the reactionary and unconscious system that makes quick decisions, and System 2, which is the rational and conscious system used for thoughtful consideration. The speaker suggests that System 1 can lead to unethical decisions due to its fast, unconscious nature.

What is the Ford Pinto case mentioned in the script, and what ethical issue does it raise?

The Ford Pinto case refers to a car model that had a design flaw causing it to explode in rear-end collisions. Ford executives chose not to fix the flaw due to a cost-benefit analysis that prioritized financial considerations over ethical ones, leading to injuries and deaths.

How can generating multiple perspectives help in making ethical decisions?

Generating multiple perspectives can help individuals consider different viewpoints and potential consequences of their actions, which can lead to more ethical decision-making by reducing the impact of psychological distance and ethical fading.

What final question does the speaker pose to the audience regarding their self-rated ethics?

The final question posed by the speaker is a reassessment of the audience's self-rated ethics, encouraging them to reflect on their behavior and decisions after the insights provided during the session.