You’re growing up. Nobody changes your diaper anymore… you’re beyond that. As you’ve gotten older, you’ve gotten more and more capable. You can dress yourself, read, maybe even drive! You can look back and trace the stages of your physical and mental development, can’t you?
One psychologist, Laurence Kohlberg, theorized that, in a similar way, we grow up morally. He sketched six stages, or levels, of moral development. This test will help you to gauge where your moral thinking is today.
You are in a bad mood and your sister’s cat is underfoot. Why don’t you kick it across the room?
0: On the contrary, I do kick it, and what a yowl it makes as it flies across the room!
1: My sister would kill me if I hurt her cat.
2: My sister gives me a dollar every day I don’t hurt her cat.
3: My sister will be so pleased that her cat is still alive!
4: I don’t kick cats… there are laws against animal cruelty.
5: The poor cat would suffer! Why would I kick it?
6: I would not kick a cat because it just feels wrong to me.
Practice starts in five minutes, and you’re still seven miles away. Why (besides the rubber-necking tourists) don’t you drive the rest of the way at 90 mph?
0: How fast can this car go, anyway? Imma find out!
1: If I get caught, I’ll lose my license, my car insurance, maybe my car...
2: Insurance rates are way better for people with clean licenses.
3: My parents brag about how careful a driver I am. I want them proud of me.
4: The speed limit is 60 mph.
5: Statistically, I’m way more likely to hurt or kill someone if I speed.
6: Is driving recklessly fun? to me it seems wrong. I’ll take my consequence from Coach, and leave earlier tomorrow.
You have a lot of school work due tomorrow morning, and your friend invites you over to play video games. Why don’t you blow off the work and go play?
0: Are you nuts? Of course I’m going to go play.
1: My parents will ground me forever if I fail my classes.
2: I want to get good grades.
3: My teachers are so happy with me when I come to class prepared.
4: School is an important responsibility: when work is due, it’s due.
5: The whole class learns more when each person is prepared.
6: I can’t live with myself when I let myself do less than my best.
You see a kid being mean to another kid, and it keeps happening. How do you interfere?
0: I ignore it: it’s none of my business. Maybe I’m done with this school.
1: I get in the kid’s face because next time, it could be me.
2: I get in the kid’s face because the bullied kid’ll be grateful to me for helping him out.
3: I go to Mr. Pankow, because he’ll be impressed that I helped him out with the school.
4: I talk with every adult who will listen about the issue, and try to get the rules enforced.
5: I talk with every adult who will listen about the issue, because every human being needs to be treated kindly. If the rules are permitting this, I work to get the rules changed.
6: I work to organize the students and the adults in the school and community to address the issue of bullying.
You see a teacher abusing his/her power, being mean to a kid. How do you interfere?
0: I ignore it: it’s none of my business. Maybe I’m done with this school.
1: I get in the teacher’s face because next time, it could be me.
2: I get in the teacher’s face because the kid’ll be grateful to me for helping him out.
3: I go to Mr. Pankow, because he’ll be impressed that I helped him out with the school.
4: I talk with every adult who will listen about the issue, and try to get the rules enforced.
5: I talk with every adult who will listen about the issue, because every human being needs to be treated kindly. If the rules are permitting this, I work to get the rules changed.
6: I work to organize the students and the adults in the school and community to address the issue of bullying.
Add up your score.
0-2: Either you’re kidding or you’re sociopathic. How can we help you to make good decisions?
3-7: You’re at level one: it’s fear of punishment that keeps you on the straight and narrow.
8-12: You’re at level two: your hope for rewards motivates you to do what’s right.
13-17: You’re at level three today: people around you are important enough to you that you are willing to do what’s right to earn their approval.
18-22: You’re at level four: you follow the rules because you know we need them.
23-27: You’re at level five. It’s the golden rule, right? do unto others… and then RUN. Just kidding. You empathize with the feelings of people around you, and you do all you can to make the world great for everyone. If rules are wrong, you work to change them.
28-30 You’re at level six. You have a strong internal moral compass, and you pay attention to its guidance. Rules, traditions, authorities have nothing to do with it. You know what is right and just and true, and you strive to create that in the world, sometimes at great sacrifice to yourself.