When deciding who and what I support, I must utilize my ethical decision-making. Through this complicated process, I consider the 6 ethical lenses of care, virtue, common good, utilitarian, justice, and rights, and are influenced by personal factors (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2021).
My personal factors, such as my morals, beliefs, and responsibility to set an example for my children are my primary motivation in all my choices. Religion and certain cultural beliefs, instilled through my family, are excellent guides, but at times, my core moral beliefs contradict the easy or popular choice. When I find myself in such a dilemma, I tend to use the Virtue framework in deciding what causes I support and who to advocate for.
There are also decisions that require me to consider social factors when deciding whether or not to support a cause. I am a strong believer in basic human rights, a sense of community, and the responsibility to care for those less fortunate. While the law does influence my thought process, I am more often driven by the common good lens. I want to make ethical decisions and support the causes that are going to make this world a better, safer place for my family, humanity, the Earth, and the next generation. That is far more complicated than it sounds, as what helps one often takes away from another, highlighting the need to consider multiple lenses at one time.
As much as I try to make the “ethical” choice, there is a considerable gray area, where I may experience cognitive dissonance when my personal values do not align with my choices and behaviors. To reduce this, I try to be mindful and in the words of Jonathan “teachable” (SNHU Media, 2021). When I take the time to reflect, question my own beliefs, and consider other perspectives, I become more informed and realign my beliefs. Through introspection, I better understand my emotions and attitudes, which often reveals a belief system motivation that I was previously unaware of and providing me with the insight I need to achieve cognitive consonance.
I strive to remain in this mental state. To increase my cognitive consonance by aligning my beliefs and actions, I continuously self-reflect and strive for a growth mindset. I use every dilemma and previous decision as a chance to learn and personally grow. I also find valuable insight in seeking out the perspectives of other people. Motivated to be empathetic, objective, and unbiased encourages me to stay honest and open to learn, enabling me to recognize when I need to change my thought patterns, belief systems, and behaviors.
References -
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. (2021, November 8). A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Santa Clara University. https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/
SNHU Media. (2021, March 19). Module Two Video | SNHU Leadership. Www.youtube.com; Southern New Hampshire University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19f4ukkPN2E