Every Rule Has an Exception

Doesn’t matter how good the rule is – every rule has an exception.

Rules are useful. They help us figure out how to get things done and they help us know what to expect and give order to our lives.

But rules can also be oppressive and if a rule no longer works or causes harm, it’s time to rethink it.
Obviously – the graphic above is tongue in cheek, but it does make a good point. Don’t be such a stickler for the rules that you ignore important life saving information.

Business Ethics are Human Ethics

The rules are pretty simple really. Treat other people fairly. Don’t cheat, steal, lie or cause harm to another person.

Most people play by these rules. They are good rules.  If other people are honest in their dealings with you, things are pretty good.

The reason we have to keep clarifying what is ethical and the reason we have to discuss it is because some people like to cheat to gain an unfair advantage. They view life as a competition and compete. And that’s not an entirely bad thing.  A competitive streak helps us strive to be better and to do better.

But even if we are just playing a game of Candyland, even the most cutthroat game of Candyland (and yes my family plays by our own rules - http://stuffjenlikes.blogspot.com/2012/07/hancock-house-rules-candy-land.html), we still have rules we have to follow.

The rules make sure everyone is treated the same and has the same chance of success. People who cheat rob others of the chance to succeed. It does real harm. Well, not if you are playing Candyland, but real harm if it’s in business. You get my point.

Ethics only really becomes complicated when people bend the rules a bit to see if they can get away with a little cheating. If caught, they argue, well, it wasn’t exactly against the rules, even if it was against the spirit of the rules. We as a society then have to employ lawyers and judges to judge and rule whether what happened was technically against the rules or not. (I don’t entirely understand the lawsuits involving the NFL at the moment, but my husband assures me, it’s about this sort of skirting the edge of the rules to gain an advantage sort of behavior by all parties.)

What I want to encourage you to do, as a human being, is to understand this: business ethics are human ethics. If you would consider it unfair if it happened to you, it’s unfair and therefore unethical, even if it’s technically legal.

And no, I do not respect those who bend the rules to their advantage. Just as I would consider such a person a cheater if I was playing a board game with them, I consider them a cheater and unethical if they employ such rule bending tactics in the world of business. Such behavior robs other people of the opportunity to succeed.  If you can’t win by playing fair, then maybe you don’t deserve to win.

Don’t put that in your mouth. Unless …

Ok - so, I am the mom of a 5 yr old and the other day he put a bunch of pennies in his mouth. He didn’t have a good reason why he did that, though he did say they tasted horrible. Like any good mom, I made up a new rule. If it isn’t food, it doesn’t belong in your mouth. Simple enough. Self-evident. Easy to follow and easy to understand. No exceptions. Right?

Wrong. My sister kindly pointed out that toothbrushes and toothpaste are not food, yet, they do indeed belong in your mouth. So, there you have it. No rule, no matter how simple or how obvious or how much you agree with it is absolute. They all have valid exceptions.

Why am I bringing this up? Because Humanism is all about personal ethics and ethics are nothing more then a set of rules to help you be a better more moral person. The problem is that many people treat ethical rules as if they are absolute when they aren’t. Humanists understand that all ethics are situational. Meaning that even if a rule is good, there are times when you need to break it to do the right thing. For instance, if you don’t occasionally put non-foodstuff in your mouth, like a toothbrush, your teeth will eventually fall out.