Being Your Best Self, Part 2: Moral Decision Making | Concepts Unwrapped

Summary

This video script explores the complexities of moral decision-making and ethical challenges in professional settings. Professor Robert Prentice highlights how our intuition often drives decisions, but it can be biased by self-interest. Examples from daily life and real-world scenarios, like bribery in India, showcase the struggle between self-interest and ethical values. The script emphasizes the importance of being aware of biases, following professional codes of conduct, and seeking objective perspectives to make sound ethical choices. It encourages individuals to trust their gut feelings but also critically examine decisions to avoid rationalizing unethical actions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Being aware that an issue has a moral dimension is the first step in being your best self.
• 😀 Moral decision making involves selecting the right course of action once you recognize an ethical issue.
• 😀 Ethical choices can be difficult when multiple options seem morally defensible or no options seem acceptable.
• 😀 Most white-collar crimes (e.g., over-billing, insider trading) are clearly wrong and don’t present complex ethical dilemmas.
• 😀 Ethical decision making is often emotional and intuitive rather than purely rational, with emotions driving choices.
• 😀 The self-serving bias can cause us to make decisions that are unjustifiable to others, even though they feel right to us.
• 😀 People tend to think they should not pay legal costs when they lose a case, but they believe others should when they win, showing the impact of self-interest on fairness judgments.
• 😀 Being aware of the self-serving bias can help minimize its influence on our ethical decisions.
• 😀 Surrounding yourself with people who have strong ethical values and being open about ethical struggles can help in making better moral decisions.
• 😀 Paying attention to codes of conduct and ethics is essential in overcoming unconscious biases like the self-serving bias.
• 😀 Our gut instinct can often guide us correctly, but it is important to recognize that emotions and biases can sometimes lead us astray.

Q & A

What is the first step in becoming your best self, according to Professor Robert Prentice?

The first step is being aware that an issue presents a moral dimension.

What is Moral Decision Making as described in the script?

Moral Decision Making is the ability to decide which is the right course of action once an ethical issue has been identified.

What makes some ethical choices difficult, as discussed in the transcript?

Some ethical choices are difficult because multiple options may seem morally defensible, or no options may seem morally acceptable.

What is the main problem with most white-collar crimes, according to Professor Prentice?

The main problem is not the lack of understanding of ethical theories, but rather an unawareness of psychological, organizational, and social influences that can affect ethical decision-making.

How does our intuitive system influence ethical decision-making?

Our intuitive system often makes automatic and instinctive decisions, which may seem ethical but can sometimes be wrong. We tend to rationalize decisions made by our emotional brain.

What is the self-serving bias and how does it impact ethical decision-making?

The self-serving bias is when individuals make choices that serve their own interests, which may seem unjustifiable to objective third-party observers. This bias can skew ethical decisions.

What did the U.S. News & World Report survey reveal about people's sense of fairness?

The survey revealed that people tend to have a different sense of fairness depending on whether they are the ones benefiting or losing from a situation, showing how self-interest influences judgment.

How did Claire deal with the ethical dilemma of paying a bribe in India?

Claire was initially tempted to rationalize paying the bribe, but ultimately relied on her gut instinct and chose not to participate in the unethical act.

What should individuals do to ensure that others see them as objective in their decision-making?

Individuals should focus on being objective and take steps to ensure that their judgments are perceived as trustworthy by third parties, which can help minimize the self-serving bias.

Why is it important to pay attention to professional codes of conduct and employer ethics?

These standards are designed to minimize conflicts of interest and their unconscious impact on decision-making, helping individuals make more ethical choices.

What psychological factor, besides the self-serving bias, can impact ethical decisions?

While the self-serving bias is significant, there are other psychological and organizational factors that can cause individuals to make incorrect ethical choices.

How can surrounding oneself with good people help in ethical decision-making?

Surrounding oneself with people who have good values and being open about ethical struggles can provide support in making ethical decisions and recognizing when rationalizations are occurring.