Steroids
Like most Americans, I've followed the so-called steroids scandal but without a great amount of interest. The scandal, if indeed there is a scandal, involves highly-paid athletes who have most likely injured themselves in an effort to gain even more strength than they already possess. But a recent newspaper article alerted me that this issue is but one of the ethical issues we all confront every day.
Ethics are the collectively established and recognized rules of conduct. These rules and issues relating to them affect all aspects of life, whether personal, business or recreational. The writer reminded me that we all experience temptations that lead us to consider cutting corners, either personally or because we counsel others who may be tempted. The purported benefits of taking steroids are the same as the purported benefits of accounting missteps, the purported benefits of shoddy journalism, the purported benefits of outright cheating in games, all cases we've read about recently..
The problem is more than the consequences of getting caught, of the legal or other sanctions faced when cheating is discovered. The problem is even more than the physical dangers of drugs like steroids. The worst problem is facing yourself. If we have any sense of right, any self-respect, any personal standards, ethical violations are an attack on ourselves. Every time we succumb to the temptation of short-changing the rules, no matter what the benefit or purported benefit, we hurt ourselves.
I suspect we all condemn the wrongdoers we read about in our newspapers or hear about on television or radio. But we must pay more attention to our own behavior and be ready to stop ourselves when tempted by any prize. The most important thing is to do the right thing, not to win, let alone win at any cost. Remember that winning is only worthwhile when we've conducted ourselves ethically.
As the newspaper writer points out, thinking that "everyone does it" is the first step in losing one's ethical compass. If we really believe that everyone does it, that's a time to be even more careful about our own conduct. I suppose that eventually unethical conduct becomes ethical if the rules change. But until that time, we can take even greater pride in upholding the rules of the community and in meeting our personal standards of good behavior.
There's no prize worth disappointing ourselves, no reward worth ignoring rules of conduct, especially our own rules. Losing because we complied with the rules, even if we're all alone in compliance, is no disgrace. Follow the rules, set a good example for others and accept the results achieved. In that way, we can hold our heads high, feel good about ourselves.
3-14-05
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