The Alex Cora Delusion, or “Everyone Deserves a Second Chance.”. 4. A cancer you don’t know about can still kill you. Cheating the young sprout will teach him to be more careful the next time, and it’s just a pleasant coincidence that you benefit from the deception. This one.hails from the 16th century at least. The Desperation Dodge or “I’ll do anything!”. 42. I believe that we all can agree that it isn’t. Terms and Definitions Chapter 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,11,13, University of Texas, San Antonio • ACC 5163. Sometimes someone does. 69. That defense worked: he wasn’t legally responsible for her blindness due to an intervening cause. The standards are different, the stakes are different, and the consequences of the betrayal of trust are different. You must do what you know is the ethical act yourself, and not ignore your obligation because you can pass the buck and then argue, disingenuously, “How could I know that everyone else would be as unethical as I am?”. This one is easy. top managers, in large and small enterprises, have the power to. Create a Code of Conduct. Chemical warfare wasn’t “fair.” Germ warfare wasn’t “fair.” Abusing prisoners of war wasn’t “fair.”, Presidential Impeachment/Removal Plans, 11/16 to the Present, Ben Franklin’s Two Daily Questions and 13 Virtues, Unethical Rationalizations and Misconceptions, Alarm Blockers: Non-Ethical Considerations, who left a stricken colleague behind to die, taking photographs of strangers in public, Ethic Hero: Former White House Chief Of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Further Observations On The Pro-Trump Rioting At The Capitol, Ethics Observations On The Pro-Trump Rioting At The Capitol. Donald’s Dodge, or “I never said I was perfect!”. According to one study, there are four common rationalizations for justifying misconduct: Saul W. Gellerman, “Why ‘Good’ Managers Make Bad Ethical Choices,” Harvard Business Review on Corporate Ethics (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2003), 59. They want to be dominated and brutalized. You’re a Senator, and decisions that affect lives, careers and institutions are often difficult. Nepotism. True apologies are both admissions of wrongdoing and a requests for forgiveness. The victim of the unethical conduct no longer deserves ethical treatment because of the victim’s own misconduct. Nonetheless, pointing fingers where they need to be pointed, when they need to be pointed, is inconvenient for the incompetents, miscreants, con artists, spinners and otherwise accountable parties so accused. The illusion that one can balance the ethics books this way is referred to on the Ethics Alarms blog as “the Ruddigore Fallacy.” Nobody earns the right to be unethical, not even once, no matter how exemplary their conduct. Many other kinds of behavior as well, but that is just the factual error in the this rationalization. The Comforting Accusation recruits the cognitive dissonance scale to elevate an unethical act by attaching it to something deep in the positive end of the scale for just about everyone: themselves. This is a fantasy rationalization, and therefore a wonderfully versatile one. Should I feel less lied to because others have been deceived? 32 B The Comforting Accusation” or “You would have done the same thing!“. If it doesn’t work, and if the wrongdoer gets caught, well, it seemed like a good choice at the time, but it wasn’t the best thing to do. People have a right to accept jobs that they are unqualified to do well; they have a right not to retire long after they know they have become incompetent. Most people, for example, will at some point tell a lie, or benefit themselves at the expense of others. Sometimes someone else does it, but the impact of the refusal leads to a good result anyway. It’s a deflection, and a transparent one. One’s objective is to be the best human being that we can be, not to just avoid being the worst rotter anyone has ever met. Some of these rationalizations are honest misunderstandings, some are intentional misrepresentations, some are self-serving excuses, and some, simply make no sense at all. The most famous exposition of The Dealer’s Excuse is in “The Godfather,” as Don Corleone and the other mafia heads discuss their “business.” The Godfather is balking at adding drugs to the mob’s businesses, and says: When — when did I ever refuse an accommodation? Donald’s Dodge is a versatile rationalization, however; you have to admit it. This doesn’t excuse his conduct in any way. That’s what unethical people want us do, and because most people are wired to be forgiving and generous, the unethical among us are often enabled to continue causing harm because luck or calculation provides a little bit of good to distract potential critics from necessary judgments. He has been a good and loyal friend to hundreds of people in this an other communities! List 4 common rationalizations for unethical managerial behavior. From unseen sources #3 posits that unethical conduct that ends up having beneficial or desirable results has been purged of its unethical nature. It was, John Lyly, who wrote in his novel “Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit,” published in 1579, “the rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.” The tip-off that this is a rationalization, and was so even in 1579, is that everything wasn’t considered fair even in war once mankind began civilizing beyond caves and clubs. We judge human conduct against ideals of good behavior that we aspire to, not by the bad behavior of others. He is what he is, and what he is is an irresponsible, narcissistic, rude, boorish, uncivil, nasty, destructive, ignorant, impulsive untrustworthy and despicable creep. 1. They are forgiving, understanding, practitioners of the Golden Rule above all else, and reluctant to judge others. The First Amendment is the bulwark of our freedom; it also is license for people who want to use their rights irresponsibly to be jerks, or worse. The mongrel offspring of The Golden Rationalization and the Bible-based... 3. #36 A. 36 B, The Patsy’s Rebuke, covers the related but distinct situation where deception, fraud or misrepresentation would be “obvious” to a perceptive, intelligent, educated individual, so the unethical actor argues that nobody but the victim of that deception is blameworthy. The Lone Inspiration Excuse, or ” Do You Have A Better Idea?”, 40. We are hard-wired to be biased, because thinking takes too long in the wilderness, and by the time Natural Man or Natural Woman has examined all relevant factors in a situation rationally, they are dead. Second, 36C also repeats the disingenuous assertion inherent in #19. A conflict of interest might lead to bribery, but a conflict is created as soon as there is a tangible reason for an official’s loyalties to be divided. But poor Frederick learns that because he would only be free of his obligations until his 21st birthday, and since he was born–Oh, horror!—on Leap Year, he is technically only five (“and a little bit over”), and won’t be 21 by the terms of his apprenticeship until he is 84 years old. What is wrong with cheating is the act itself, not the magnitude of the results, or even whether there are any. Yoo’s Rationalization or “It isn’t what it is” turns up everywhere, and has since time began. 32A. How a bad actor intended his unethical conduct to turn out is no mitigation at all. Why is it worth mentioning? All of the Mount Everest climbers who left a stricken colleague behind to die protested later that they were certain the next climber behind them (or the next, perhaps) would stop to help the man. Neither quotation means what those guilty of ethical misconduct would have us believe, but the number of people who accept the misreading is substantial. Because — I believe this drug business — is gonna destroy us in the years to come. But the misconduct of a victim never justifies unethical conduct directed against that victim. Those who use The Romantic’s Excuse are playing with the cognitive dissonance scale…. The issue that prompted the use of this rationalization in an Ethics Alarms thread was taking photographs of strangers in public without their consent. As with its parent, #19, 19A falsely changes an accusation of wrongful conduct into one of less than perfect or ideal conduct. Barry declared that since there was no law against using the public payroll as his own private gift service, there was nothing unethical about it. We are seeing this in the reaction to the complete inadequacy of the Obama Administration’s response to the Ebola crisis. #36, Victim Blindness takes the side of the treacherous scorpion in the fable of “The Scorpion and the Frog.” #36 A, The Extortionist’s Absolution, takes that argument one step further, asserting that a victim’s defiance of a threat or warning that unethical conduct will be the response to an ethical action constitutes a waiver of ethical principles by the victim. Patriots, artists, activists, scientists, explorers, lovers…heroes and heroines of literature, movies, TV and popular culture….they are all frequently driven by passion that allows them to overcome pain, failure, great obstacles, frustration and overwhelming odds for admirable ends, often for the benefit of society and even civilization. And I believed that — then — and I believe that now. 29. 34. Obviously this is backwards, and it is intentionally backwards, because it takes a detour around essential questions, responsible decision makers must consider before acting, like “Is this legal?” “Is this wise?” “What will be the long term consequences?,” “Can this work?” and “What are the costs?” Rationalization 40 A makes the conduct itself the objective rather than the results of the conduct. Why can’t you move on? Bias is a reflex emotion created by experience. The rationalization emerges from the ooze that is #22, “It’s not the worst thing,” the bottom of the rationalization barrel. In sports, the fans of a sport believing that an athlete or team has prevailed by cheating is destructive to the sports itself, so the appearance of cheating is as damaging as the cheating itself. Outside of political life, we have a sack full of nostrums and wise saying that urge us to move on from bad experiences. The Prospective Repeal: “It’s a bad law/stupid rule”. 30. Grab those ethical values, and hold on to them. Yes, we often have a right to do something wrong. According to a study by Jack L. Hayes International, one out … In a sentencing hearing, a defendant who describes his crime as “not the best choice” tells the judge that for him, a criminal act is always among the practical options. But it would have been a convenient lie. Why should *I* be the first to suffer consequences, when so many more do the same thing and get away without suffering?” That is the persecution I might feel, and how I might think, if I was pulled over for speeding while driving amidst a cluster of other speeders: “Why am I being singled out? This is sinister. The Perfection Diversion: “Everybody makes mistakes!” and last, right where it belongs, 21. Several states (Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia) currently use this test along with the McNaghten Rule to determine insanity, and the American Law Institute in its Model Penal Code definition of insanity adopted a modified version of it. Spousal abuse where women beat up their larger husbands are especially ugly extensions of this rationalization. He is an author, an inventor, a funny and clever companion who makes all around him happy. The Herd’s Excuse argues that what would normally be wrong becomes right when the group endorses it uniformly. The Universal Trump, or “Think of the children!”. At the end of the movie “Falling Down,” the rampaging vigilante played by Michael Douglas, once a submissive, law-abiding citizen, suddenly realizes what he has done. When the heart “wants” something that it is wrong to acquire, this should carry no more justification that when some other body part is involved. Focusing on what we have allows us to face and understand the hurdles and obstacles that life sends our way. 2. If the rationalization is verbalized as a cynical tactic to influence how a wrongful act is seen by others, that makes the wrongdoer a liar, and worse, an ethics corrupter. Those who resort to “I’m on the right side of history” (or “You’re on the wrong side”) are telling us that they have run out of honest arguments. The only ethical decision is to take action. The theory is the same, that somehow the ethical nature of an act is changed by its frequency, or, in the case of #1C, how many victims the unethical conduct has claimed. The words “it’s for a good cause” have been used to justify all sorts of lies, scams and mayhem. We often hear this when a successful individual or organization is justly criticized for unethical habits, routines, tendencies or policies, and defenders recoil at the suggestion that a successful formula might be altered in any way. Rationalization #51 is kind of a reverse #1, which is, of course, “Everybody does it.” The Apathy Defense doesn’t hold that wrongful conduct is right because lots of people do it. 35. Like its immediate predecessor, #58 is designed to end arguments before they start, using a conversation-stopper, dripping with sentiment, that only heartless curs and brutes can ignore. The explanation can be a valid one when professionals behave professionally. I was aghast, but they insisted, “We just know Roxie wouldn’t be happy living with anyone else.”, I argued(they did not appreciate it), “You know what? “Some people” say and even believe ridiculous things. Anything!” it is a warning, and the ethics alarm needs to start ringing hard. to create a block against internal feelings of … It is also why coming naturally can’t possibly mean that a particular form of human conduct must be ethical. It is so darn mean to keep heaping abuse on someone, even if they deserve it. Convincing yourself that a behavior is not really illegal When in doubt about a decision or action, don’t do it. If we all commit to this, we cannot fail. 19 B. Murkowski’s Lament, or “It was a difficult decision”, Senator Murkowski’s (R-Alaska) official statement on why she was voting against Justice Brett Kavanaugh after his ethics train wreck of a confirmation hearing brought this common rationalization into focus. These stories often end badly, with the larger child finally deciding that he can take no more, clobbering his tormentor, and being called a bully for doing so. The claim that something is worth enacting, eliminating, establishing or doing is ethically and morally validates “if it saves juts one life” is aimed directly at the mushy minds of sentimentalists and the dangerously compassionate. It is an appeal to embrace acts that can do wide-ranging harm to society, civilization, human aspirations and liberty, because un-named, speculative lives can be saved. Though nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, we are all still accountable for the mistakes we make. What makes the Underwood Maneuver so devilishly effective is that, like many other rationalizations, there is a nugget of common sense in it that makes it seem reasonable. They know they are immune to serious consequences for irresponsible, biased, unfair and insulting journalism, because of Constitutional protections, so they “punch up” with abandon. The decision-maker didn’t care enough about the people to choose another course. 1. Question: List four common rationalizations for unethical managerial behavior. Trustworthy people don’t think like that. The Romantic’s Excuse, or “I care so much!”, We all admire great passion. I almost called this the “Frosting on a Turd” Rationalization. You may have to delve deeply to find something good in what you are experiencing, but there will always be something and there will always be someone else in the world who is either worse off than you are, or at least going through something similar. “This can’t make things any worse” is an assumption that individuals seldom can make with guaranteed accuracy, and it usually presumes consent from the supposedly bottom-lying individual or organization that is the target of the unethical act. In real life, situations come up that just don’t fit neatly into the existing formulas. The Reverse 15 could also be called “The Kitty Genovese Rationalization,” recalling that the many people who heard the murdered woman’s screams chose not to “get involves” while convincing themselves that someone would come to her aid. They are all haters, hate is bad, and it’s the haters who are the problem, not the corruption, dishonesty, and betrayals they criticize. Among the rationalizations it hangs out with are 1. takes the form of structural programs to help participants understand, the ethical aspects of decision-making. Ethics Overview, 1/6/2021: Don’t Believe Women If They Are Married To Democrats, Helen Keller Is A Myth, Christmas…. Since unethical conduct is an option, if it works, it was the best option. For the very concept of ethics involves the development of customs and practices that evoke approval from one’s group and those in it, and there cannot be any approval without judgement. Thus even an unethical act that causes no direct harm to others can harm the actor, by setting him or her on the slippery slope. How far can I push matters to obtain this performance goal = don’t, Convincing yourself that nobody will ever find out what you’ve done, The best deterrent is to make sure that everyone knows that. The distinction between “I can’t stop myself” and “I don’t stop myself” is filament thin, as can be discerned by speaking with any alcoholic. These obstacles can confound our best attempts to fulfill our own sense of organizational and personal purpose. “Irresistible impulse” is sometimes, and in some jurisdictions, considered an element of the insanity defense. Philosopher Emmanuel Kant demanded that ethical principles pass muster as universal, to be applied by all people in all circumstances…the Categorical Imperative. How do we know that the steroids helped him? Because the seriousness of an ethical or legal violation is not defined by who chooses to tolerate or forgive it. Saying ethics is a luxury simply means that the speaker believes that one should be good and fair when it is easy and benefits him or her, but when problems loom and crises have to be faced, ethics are optional. “Judge not, lest ye not be judged,” and “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” have been quoted by scoundrels and their allies and supporters for centuries. The argument is silly in Scooby Doo cartoons, and is even more ridiculous in real life. Of course, much of the time, especially when The Idiot’s Proof is offered by journalists, pundits and politicians, “some say” really means “I say, but I don’t have any justification for my opinion, or the guts to say it directly.”. A “Trespassers will be shot!” sign doesn’t give a property owner the right to shoot trespassers with impunity. The rationalization attempts to transform the wrongdoer into the judge’s reflection. I’ll miss you, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get over it. “Oh, but that was in the past!” said Frank, in his gentle South Carolina accent. The Underwood Maneuver falsely holds that time erases accountability. The simple response is: “So what? Bias is what makes us reluctant to eat strange looking foods that smell funny. The Unethical Precedent, or “It’s Not The First Time”. When an ethical dilemma or conflict is complicated, that is when special care, thought and analysis is mandatory. Cruel pranks and practical jokes are often excused with this rationalization: “Hey, I wouldn’t get upset about that!”. used to justify misconduct in these situations and others that pose ethical dilemmas: Convincing yourself that a behavior is not really illegal. Thus, unlike many rationalizations on the list, devotees of #3A are often “nice” as well as ethical. Meanwhile, saying that you harmed another person to accomplish a personal or professional objective is an admission that one has used a human being to accomplish an end without the individual’s consent. The suggestion is that because an unethical act has been done before and presumably permitted, ignored, or endorsed, that presumptively ratifies the same or similar conduct as acceptable from now on. This is the common rationalization of the constant screw-up, whose explanation for always getting in trouble, continually making others angry or upset, encountering hostility or sanction in employment, and failing at personal relationships, is that everyone is out to get him or her, for reasons unknown. His or her own assessment is enough. No, looters, the fact that a business is a smoldering wreck does not make stealing even damaged merchandise from it “okay.” No, pulling the plug on a comatose patient without his previous consent or that of someone he has authorize to give it is still wrong, both legally and ethically. The Don knows that drugs are exactly like liquor, prostitution and gambling. And through the long, long night will I, unruffled, When non-comedians try the joke excuse, it is usually recognized for the lie it is. Let the past stay in the past. Citizenship, an ethical value, requires obeying the law, but a lot of people convince themselves that that laws are voluntary, and that it is somehow ethical to violate “bad” ones, defined, of course, as those that are inconvenient, burdensome, or that stop you from doing what you want to do. Education of their children ethical and unethical objectives factual error in the culture ethical... Built like tanks and could never exceed five miles an hour biased, be! 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