One of the most important things in life is having a sense of morality. But what is it, exactly?
While there can be endless debate on this topic, a few professionals have weighed in on why morality is so important.
Here are their insights:
Morality is the key to peace and success
Ironically, people often disagree about what is morally right or wrong.Morality is a simple concept — doing the right thing for the right reason.
This means treating people equally and being fair and even-handed in life and business. An easy mantra to live by. In my profession, morality isnotalways a highlighted attribute to the public.
There are thousands of lawyer jokes that illustrate this point. This, too, is somewhatironic. The United States is a nation of laws forged by concepts of morality, and within the legal community, there is nothing more important than honestyandintegrity.
It can lead to good lawyering and can create a positive culture
Good lawyers recognize that zealous advocacy doesnotrequire a compromise of moral principles. There is always a line that shouldnotbe crossed.
Strong legal advocates protect their clients from the good, the bad, and the ugly without sacrificing values. This approach leads to good lawyering and can create apositiveculture in all avenues of business and life.
Good culture is created because morality is infectious
Strong values at the top of any structure establish a foundation for long-term success.
- Parents can create good humans when they demonstrate and instill morality in their children.
- Community leaders can make their communities safer.
- Business leaders can create a culture that fosters happiness and operational excellence.
Strong moral principles should serve as a guide to bothpersonalandprofessional success. I strive every day to become a better husband, a better father, a better lawyer, and a better human to others.
Some days I do better than others, but I always try to demonstrate morality by doing the right things for the right reasons.
Morality is a term that’s become blurry with time. As society and culture were developing, morality seemed to be the basis for which people lived.Do the right thing,help,care for others, andbe the best person you can be.
As time evolved, priorities shifted. Money became dominant, sexuality public, and supporting others a personal choice, often when in your best interests. That doesn’t conclude that morality has lost its value.
It’s self-fulfilling
There’s nobody more important to you than you. Living a moral and quality life will only prolonglifeandquality.Doing the right thing for yourself will make you feelgoodabout yourself.
It can influence youth’s decisions
Morality is also essential for society. We influence our youth whether we agree or disagree, so why be the person to teach them wrong? Wrong is discretionary, but the basics society can agree on, as can the law.
It has lasting effects on everybody
Lastly, why not be what you want to see in the world? Honesty and a strong value system make the worldenjoyablefor all. Why not participate? Being moral has lasting effects on everybody. Let’s keep that effect positive.
It’s tough to win back people’s trust when you’ve lied to them
That’s why morality matters. People fundamentally expect other people to be honest with them. Honesty is the line between right and wrong. When they discover someone hasn’t been honest, it ruins their perception of them.
We saw one example of that eight years ago in California. Stephen Glass, a former journalist whodisgracedhimself nearly 25 years ago while a writer/editor at The New Republic, tried and failed to attain a license to practice law in this state.
He was denied because of what he did as a journalist in Washington D.C., which wasfabricating stories. He created fictitious people doing fictitious things at mythical places and events — and passed it all as fact.
The scandal wasexplosive. It made national news and spawned several in-depth stories, one of which became the basis for a Hollywood movie. One could argue that the Glass controversy was even more egregious than what Jayson Blair did at the New York Times a few years later.
Glass retreated from public view for a while (although he tried to cash in on his notoriety by publishing a book, a work of fiction inspired by his own life as a journalist). He finished law school, moved to California, and worked as a paralegal.
To his credit, Glass has tried to atone for his previous indiscretions. He reportedly paid back the outlets which paid him for stories, which he now admits were fabricated.
He has made apologies to those he hurt. Despite that, the California Supreme Court unanimously voted against him in his pursuit of a law license. In its ruling, the high court stated, in part, that Glass“has not sustained his heavy burden of rehabilitation.”
If there is ever an example of how difficult it is to win back the respect of people after you’ve lied to them, look no further than Stephen Glass.
I learned about morality from my father. When he was young, he was afflicted with polio and grew up physically handicapped. I never got to play ball, wrestle, or run around the park with him.
He couldn’t teach me how to ride a bicycle or shoot a basket. He lived a life where he couldn’t do these things himself. From that, I learned the world is an unfair place.
It is our code that we live
Morality is crucial because it is our code that we live by, and how we see them ultimately interacts with the world. Without morality, I could bebitterandangry, having missed out on the idyllic childhood seen in every sitcom.
But because I did care about morality and was taught how to reframe life lessons, I believe the following.The world is unfair; therefore, we must raise each other.
You can make the world a better place
In other words, the world is unfair, but if you have it in your power to make it a little bit better for another human being, it is your moral duty to do so.
You have that chance every time you interact with people.
- When it is your time to hire someone, do so at a fair wage.
- When it is your time to screen for a tenant, do so with a fair process and charge a fair rent.
- When it comes time to pay for services, do so with appropriate compensation for work well done.
- If someone is in need and you have the funds, then donate to their cause.
We see the world now as it was affected by the pandemic, where communities wereseparatedandweakened. We see spikes in mental health crisis cases because the world is a hard place to live in, and being human is complicated.
It means taking the hard path and doing what is right for others and ourselves
Morality is simply doing the right thing. The right thing lifts people and improves their life. It is never wrong to err on the side of kindness. We can give others the benefit of the doubt, a smile, and when possible, a helping hand.
It can shape a person’s life in a good way
My father would not have been able to grow up without his siblings carrying his books home from school. I couldn’t have grown up without my father’slessons and my mother’sstrength of character.
The world was unfair to them very often. But at the end of the day,they did their best to always do the right thing. They raised me to do the same, and it has shaped my entire life.
It helps to regulate our behavior as individuals
Just as laws regulate our behavior in society, morality helps to regulate our behavior as individuals. Morality is a set of principles that directs our behavior and teaches us to distinguish between right and wrong.
It can help us make better decisions
One crucial reason for having a strong sense of morality is that it can help us makebetterdecisions. Knowing what is right and wrong increases our likelihood of making decisions that are consistent with our values.
A more contented and satisfying existence may result from this.
It can make us better individuals
Having a strong sense of morality can also make us better individuals. We are less likely tolie,cheat, orstealif we know that doing so is morallywrong. We may also be more likely to help others in need because we know it is the right thing to do.
It can help us to build better relationships with others
Finally, a strong sense of morality can help us to build better relationships with others. If we act in moral ways, we are more likely to gain the trust and respect of those around us.
People with a strong sense of morality are usually seen as more reliable and trustworthy than those who do not.
It serves as our guiding star
Without morality, we are adrift in a sea ofmeaningless decisions. Our morals and ethics are like the stars by which we steer our ship. And our destination is our true selves.
In our lives, we are faced with an unending series of choices:
- What do we do?
- How do we behave?
- What actions do we take toward others?
Without morality, our choices alone can be guided by one impulse:serving ourselves. When we live this way, we can havenomeaningful relationships, no true connections with other people. A life without morality is avery lonelylife.
Being true to your morality is a key to being true to yourself
Some people base their morality on a religious tradition or organization. This often serves people quite well, as it gives them moral guidelines and a community that shares the same morality.
However, every person is ultimately responsible for their own morality. This is important to remember because some encounter moral positions within their religious community that they disagree with.
A religious group may accept you being a member with some opposing views, or they may remove you from the community. Either way, being true to your personal morality is a key to being true to yourself.
It is the central tenet
Regardless of how one’s sense of morality differs from others, just about any moral code shares some version of the following:treat others how you would like to be treated.
In a sense, this is the central tenet of morality. It suggests that we should treat others with kindness and respect.
What makes it a moral code, andnotjust a self-serving behavior, is thatwe don’t do it just because we want to be treated well; we do it because we believe it is right to treat others well. This is a good foundation for building amore individualistic sense of morality.
It brings organization, order, and peace to society
Morality is vital in civilization to bring organization, order, and peace to society. Many of our laws are based on moral codes. A moral foundation is essential for leading a purposeful existence withdignity.
It enables us to uphold the law
Morality is crucial because it enables you to uphold the law. It allows you to treat other people withdecencyandrespect. The ability to care for others is facilitated by moral principles.
Trust is the ability to put our faith in the moral character of another person. Empathy and feeling for others came from learning values and morals. Moral principles make sure we respect ourselves and one another.
Shared moral principles serve to create a sense of community. They teach humilityandhonesty. If you give it a deeper thought, your conscience is led by your moral teachings. You are encouraged to dogoodbecause of your moral principles.
They guide you through life and give you purpose
Furthermore, strong moral ideals are the starting point for many other excellent things. One could argue that having a strong moral code is necessary for living a happy life which istrueto some extent.
Moral principles make you desire a problem-free, peaceful life.They serve as a guide that aids in our decision-making.
Related: 18 Best Books on Finding Your Passion and Purpose in Life
Morality is indispensable to leading a happy, wholesome life. Morality is something that we acquire over time. Moral values vary from person to person depending on the style ofupbringing,ideals, and thesocietyone lives in.
The importance of morality can be summed up as follows:
A great portion of life decisions is guided by morality
Morality is our guiding light steering us through ups and downs, highs and lows. A major set of making life decisions relies on our moral stance.
Morality reflects the individual character and thought process
Morality shapes our thoughts and enriches our character. It also smoothens our sharp temperaments (if any) towards myriads of things and makes usbalanced, poised, andneutral.
Surviving this world without moral values will be synonymous with living a half-life
No one can claim to be completely devoid of morality. If someone does so, they miss out on an essential aspect of life. Our moral perspective governs us. Morality plays a vital role in human life, from being guided about what is right and wrong to help us make crucial life decisions.
Our morality is our torch bearer
Morality lights our path and pilots our way. It is our torch bearer without which we would be plunged into confusion and utter moral dilemma. Our values help us stand out from the crowd by counseling us to be wide, kind, and brave. Our total perception is pretty much the deciding factor of our humanity.
It promotes good relationships which is the footing for unity in any society
Moral principles encapsulatehonesty,fairness,andequality. Honesty as a quality is the foundation for trust in which relationships flourish. Healthy communications are also promoted in the presence of truthfulness, making misunderstanding easy to tackle.
Conflicts are easily resolved, and the mutual exchange of respect becomes common when integrity is made a norm.
On the other hand,fairnessandequalityprevent impartiality, which is the major source of conflict in any society. People learn to treat one another in a right and acceptable way that makes forpeaceandunity.
Morality builds nobility
By molding and modifying the human character and affecting choices to produce the desired response, moral principles help individuals demonstrate befitting behaviors that are“honorable”and worthy of admiration.
Traits ofwisdom,courage,integrity,kindness, andselflessnessbecome ingrained in individuals who submit themselves to the modifying power of morality.These individuals arenotjust held in high esteem by people around them but become a living standard that inspires and encourages others to live right.
Related: How to Inspire Others (5 Ways to Inspire the People Around You)
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FAQs
What are the 5 purposes of morality? ›
In the essay, Louis Pojman claims that morality has the following five purposes: "to keep society from falling apart", "to ameliorate human suffering", "to promote human flourishing", "to resolve conflicts of interest in just and orderly ways", and "to assign praise and blame, reward the good and punish the guilty" ( ...
Why is morality so important? ›Morality helps us distinguish between right and wrong; it helps us understand how to live a good life based on the values we hold sacred. It enables us to see the consequences of our actions, and it motivates us to do what is right. Without morality, we would be lost in a world of confusion and chaos.
What is morality according to scholars? ›Morality is a system or set of ideas about right vs. wrong and good vs. evil behavior; it is subjective rather than objective, and is part of the philosophical study of ethics. Throughout history, philosophers and scholars have explored ethics and morality and understood and practiced in specific social contexts.
What are the 7 moral standards? ›The rules: help your family, help your group, return favours, be brave, defer to superiors, divide resources fairly, and respect others' property, were found in a survey of 60 cultures from all around the world.
What are the 6 key features of morality? ›The eight moral characteristics are diligence, frugality, honesty, discipline, politeness, cleanliness, unity and generosity.
How important is morality in society? ›Moral principles are important for society because they help people learn how to get along and live well with each other. They teach us that all human beings deserve the same rights, which is why it's not okay to discriminate against someone based on their ethnicity or race.
Why is morality more important than ethics? ›Ethics and morals are important because they give us ways to systematically think about our behavior with reference to ourselves and those around us. In general, morality is informed by personal guiding principles, while ethics are informed by the rules or guidelines of institutions.
Is morality necessary for a good life? ›Virtuous behavior contributes to moral excellence. Moral excellence can contribute to a happy life. Thus, being a moral person is essential to living a life of happiness. A person achieves happiness by possessing the dispositions (i.e., tendencies) to make the right choice at the right time in the right way.
What are the 8 moral principles? ›This analysis focuses on whether and how the statements in these eight codes specify core moral norms (Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, and Justice), core behavioral norms (Veracity, Privacy, Confidentiality, and Fidelity), and other norms that are empirically derived from the code statements.
What are the six universal moral values? ›Based on the convergence of the three sources of standards, six universal moral values for corporate codes of ethics are proposed including: (1) trustworthiness; (2) respect; (3) responsibility; (4) fairness; (5) caring; and (6) citizenship.
What is the 5 types of moral? ›
Moral foundation theory argues that there are five basic moral foundations: (1) harm/care, (2) fairness/reciprocity, (3) ingroup/loyalty, (4) authority/respect, and (5) purity/sanctity. 5 These five foundations comprise the building blocks of morality, regardless of the culture.
What is morality according to Plato? ›Plato himself believed that we make moral progress through the faculty of reason. Many of the best moral philosophers, from Baruch Spinoza and Immanuel Kant, to John Rawls and Peter Singer, have agreed. Moral progress, they have held, is essentially an intellectual process, proceeding by way of reasoned arguments.
What is morality according to Socrates? ›Morality is a gift that humans receive as a result of their deeds. To consider this or that behaviour as moral, however, you must first recognize that blessing exists. As a result, Socrates associated morality with thought, arguing that virtue consists of knowing what is good and putting that knowledge into practice.
How does Immanuel Kant define morality? ›Morally speaking, Kant is a deontologist; from the Greek, this is the science of duties. For Kant, morality is not defined by the consequences of our actions, our emotions, or an external factor. Morality is defined by duties and one's action is moral if it is an act motivated by duty.
What 3 moral principles are most important? ›Basic Ethical Principles
Three basic principles, among those generally accepted in our cultural tradition, are particularly relevant to the ethics of research involving human subjects: the principles of respect of persons, beneficence and justice.
Frequently listed moral values include: acceptance; charity; compassion; cooperation; courage; dependability; due regard to the feelings, rights, traditions and wishes of others; empathy; equality; fairness; fidelity; forgiveness; generosity; giving pleasure; good sportsmanship; gratitude; hard work; humility; ...
What are the 5 moral dimensions? ›There are five main moral dimensions that tie together ethical, social, and political issues in an information society. These moral dimensions are information rights and obligations, property rights and obligations, accountability and control, system quality, and quality of life.
What are the 4 qualities of moral development? ›There are some core parenting strategies that support a broad range of these characteristics of moral development. These include, but aren't limited to, moral reasoning, conscience, empathy and self-control.
What are the 4 types of morality? ›In discussing the application of morality, four aspects may be considered: religious moral- ity, morality and nature, individual morality, and social morality.
Can you be happy without morality? ›Is Acting Morally Necessary For Happiness? No, it is not necessary to act morally to be happy. In this paper, I am assuming that happiness and pleasure are the same thing. Some people might argue with this statement, by saying that you can think that you are experiencing pleasure but in all actuality you are not.
How does morality develop life? ›
In a nutshell, we create our own definition of morality through our interactions the people around us. Ideas about what is and what is not moral are guided by our unique human reasoning and intelligence, and not just by our feelings or gut reactions.
Is being moral a value? ›One of the key factors that distinguish character from personality is called moral values or principals. Moral values clearly separate what is right from wrong and they are the foundation of character, because they govern the way people think and behave.
What are the 12 codes of ethics? ›Generally, there are about 12 ethical principles: honesty, fairness, leadership, integrity, compassion, respect, responsibility, loyalty, law-abiding, transparency, and environmental concerns.
What are the 4 universal moral principles? ›Concern for the well-being of others. Respect for the autonomy of others. Trustworthiness and honesty. Benevolence (doing good)
What is moral standards? ›Moral standards are those concerned with or relating to human behaviour , especially the distinction between good and bad behaviour. Moral standards involves the rules people have about the kinds of actions they believe are morally right and wrong.
What are the three moral codes? ›The CAD triad hypothesis: a mapping between three moral emotions (contempt, anger, disgust) and three moral codes (community, autonomy, divinity) J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999 Apr;76(4):574-86. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.76.
What did Aristotle say about morality? ›Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, which are vices. We learn moral virtue primarily through habit and practice rather than through reasoning and instruction.
What does Locke say about morality? ›Locke is a realist and a rationalist about moral rules. For Locke, even though a large part of the content of morality is determined by what God wills, it is not the fact of being willed by God that makes moral principles true: God's will fixes the content, but not the truth, of morality.
What does Machiavelli say about morality? ›Machiavelli has a pessimistic view of human nature and assumes that all men are evil, 27 without any possibility of redemption. This pessimistic conception of men is central to his moral philosophy. Political decisions, especially in judging the morality of the prince, should take this reality into account.
What does Nietzsche say about morality? ›Indeed, as Nietzsche puts it: 'morality defends itself with all its strength against such “possibili(es” … Stubbornly and relentlessly it says, “I am morality itself, and nothing else is!”' (BGE 202). The result is that we now just accept moral values as given, rather than pursue our own goals and excellences.
What did Plato and Aristotle believe about morality? ›
Aristotle follows Socrates and Plato in taking the virtues to be central to a well-lived life. Like Plato, he regards the ethical virtues (justice, courage, temperance and so on) as complex rational, emotional and social skills.
What does Kierkegaard say about morality? ›Kierkegaard would argue that a divine command from God transcends ethics. This means that God does not create human morality, that it is up to individuals to create morals and values. A religious person must be prepared for a command from God that would take precedence over all moral and even rational obligations.
What are the 4 main moral standards? ›The Fundamental Principles of Ethics. Beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice constitute the 4 principles of ethics. The first 2 can be traced back to the time of Hippocrates “to help and do no harm,” while the latter 2 evolved later.
What are the five basic rules of moral conduct? ›The Five Precepts, a Practical Guide
Abstain from killing. Abstain from stealing. Abstain from sexual misconduct. Abstain from wrong speech.