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Do We Really Need To "Teach" Ethics?
Posted by Business on: 2005-12-28 09:37:04
By Nick Arrizza, M.D.
I always find it curiously interesting when universities feel compelled to introduce courses on ethics to their student body.
This is because ethics essentially reflect, or at least, are supposed to reflect our basic core human values. Well if this is the case then do we not already have deep within each of us an awareness of such "human" values?
We should, that is if we are card carrying human beings. The idea that ethics, and hence core human values need to be "taught" to human beings is a sign that something has gone awry.
Have we forgotten our basic human values or even worse have we stopped being human beings? Well when you look around on this planet at the multitude of "inhuman" i.e. "unethical" acts you might come to the conclusion that human beings have disappeared from the face of the earth. If you've ever seen the 1950's classic movie "The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" I think you'll see what I mean.
It is my feeling that there are still human beings on this planet albeit in a very unconscious state. By unconscious I mean that they are unaware of who they truly are and what they truly feel about their own choices. “Feeling” here is a crucial element of "knowing" when a choice is aligned with a deep core human value and when it is not.
For instance, when you notice some of the violence that occurs on the planet, the only thing that tells you that it is "unethical”, "undesirable", "inhuman" and therefore "against" your core human values is the "feeling" of sadness that you feel about what you are witnessing.
The feelings themselves have embedded in them and are a living example of your core human values. It's when you stop feeling these feelings, that is become desensitized, that you lose an awareness of your values. That is when you stop being human.
You see, the feelings I just mentioned above tell you automatically when a choice that you are about to contemplate is a "human" choice. By "human" I mean that it is ethical, morally right, in your best interests and in the best interests of all humanity and the planet.
By feeling these feelings you are automatically guided or directed to morally higher ground. It's when you don't feel these feelings that you have lost any idea of what "morally higher ground" even means. That is you have lost the only reference point by which to run your life in a manner that is fitting for a human being who has any integrity.
So you see teaching ethics is akin to teaching someone to be human. Does this feel right to you? You probably thought you were already human didn't you? Isn’t it simpler to help individuals reconnect to who they are and what they already know deep within?
Individuals, in my view, progressively lose their connection with their "human-ness" the moment they experience some form of emotional trauma during their lives. By trauma here I mean even something as simple as your mother not coming to feed you instantly when you cried out for food as a young infant.
You see we are "all" carrying trauma that is associated with enormous amounts of emotional pain. In order to function as an adult it becomes necessary to cut ourselves off from this pain. In doing so we also cut off the feelings I mentioned above, those associated with our core human values. This cuts us off from our own human-ness.
When this happens we find ourselves prone to committing inhuman acts that further traumatize others and ourselves. Hence the pain accumulates and the need to "numb" ourselves from it does as well. Isn’t this how “human” history has played itself out?
This is the reason that so many individuals are taking antidepressants today. Depression is simply what one feels when one is carrying all this pain. You've heard the expression "walking around like a zombie"? This is where a lot of individuals are today. They walk around totally numb to what they are feeling, especially their human-ness.
So if I've gotten your attention and you would like to find a way back to your true human self kindly visit the web link below where you can download a special message from me.
Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called "Spirituality And Science" (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of "Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation" (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.
Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com
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