Personal Ethics

Personal ethics vary from person to person and may be influenced by a number of reasons; whether it is religion, personal experiences, society, etc. My ethics are purely founded on society’s expectations and my own personal experiences. A fair amount of my personal ethics is common amongst most people. However, what makes my personal ethics unique from other individuals is the fact that most of my ethics are based upon principles that I feel I am able to benefit from.

The basic components of my personal ethics come from the one rule that is common throughout most of society: respect. In every situation in life, respect is necessary. You must respect the people around you in order to get the same respect in return. By respecting others, I will get the respect I want and deserve. This also leads to my belief in karma. Although I am not religious, I am convinced by the idea that good actions will allow you to have a good condition throughout life. Therefore, I try to do what is considered ‘right’ in society’s eyes because I feel that I will experience good consequences.

My ethics are also heavily influenced by how the American society expects most people to conduct themselves. I feel it is right to present myself and carry out my actions the “normal” way most people would. For example, the conventional path through life is to go to school, get secondary education, find a career, get married, then establish a family. Any skipping or mixing of the order of the steps would be considered odd or unacceptable. It is a cultural norm and I have seen people who have benefited from these norms. I feel that society’s beliefs must be right if other people are benefiting from them, therefore, so will I. Also, by following what is common, I will not be questioned for my actions or look like an outcast of any kind.

Although most of my ethics are based on society’s expectations, I have one major rule in which will sometimes cause me to