Ethics matters more than ever (a competitive advantage for Objectivists)
We have left the Industrial Age. We are now in the Digital Age. Some call it the Connected Age.
Among the many disruptive innovations this causes in our world, here is one of them: our reputations travel far and fast. Every interaction we have with someone becomes a story that they can tell to someone else. In the Connected Age, any story has the potential to be spread far and wide.
We can (and should) celebrate the ability to learn about the true character and ethics of people we want to associate with. To do business with. To elect. It is an unprecedented ability to learn the real facts about a person through their actions and habits.
How many of us realize that this doesn't just present another selfish reason to be consistently honest and ethical, for defensive reasons. It is a great opportunity to see the Objectivist code of ethics as a powerful advantage to separate ourselves from others living and working in our world today.
Maybe someone reading this post will see this angle as the genesis of a new book or new marketing campaign. If you see the value of that, I would be honored to explore if we might create more value together with some collaboration.
But mostly, I hope everyone reading this sees the unique value in being consistently ethical and rational in all of our interactions. It is more valuable today than ever before.
I saw a poster in a classroom earlier this year:
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become your character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Others are able to watch what we say and do more than ever before. And they are able to tell others about it, more than ever before. Will you chose to see that as a bad thing or a good thing?
For those of us who value honesty, integrity, and free trade, it is a great opportunity. Let us embrace and celebrate these values so that we can attract those who share them, and separate ourselves from those who don't. Then we can be a positive force to move the world into the type of Gulch where we would want to live. Not in some mystical future, but where we are now, today.
We need this type of world more than ever today. And today is when we've had more power than ever before to make that vision real. My call to action for everyone reading this is to rededicate yourself to building an honorable and worthwhile reputation for yourself. You are building that reputation, whether you choose to or not. And it is going to spread farther and faster than ever before, whether you like it or not.
Make it a story worth knowing and spreading.
A virtual hat tip to Seth Godin who made a similar point with his daily blog post from earlier today. It inspired me to write this down and share it for you all.
Among the many disruptive innovations this causes in our world, here is one of them: our reputations travel far and fast. Every interaction we have with someone becomes a story that they can tell to someone else. In the Connected Age, any story has the potential to be spread far and wide.
We can (and should) celebrate the ability to learn about the true character and ethics of people we want to associate with. To do business with. To elect. It is an unprecedented ability to learn the real facts about a person through their actions and habits.
How many of us realize that this doesn't just present another selfish reason to be consistently honest and ethical, for defensive reasons. It is a great opportunity to see the Objectivist code of ethics as a powerful advantage to separate ourselves from others living and working in our world today.
Maybe someone reading this post will see this angle as the genesis of a new book or new marketing campaign. If you see the value of that, I would be honored to explore if we might create more value together with some collaboration.
But mostly, I hope everyone reading this sees the unique value in being consistently ethical and rational in all of our interactions. It is more valuable today than ever before.
I saw a poster in a classroom earlier this year:
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become your character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Others are able to watch what we say and do more than ever before. And they are able to tell others about it, more than ever before. Will you chose to see that as a bad thing or a good thing?
For those of us who value honesty, integrity, and free trade, it is a great opportunity. Let us embrace and celebrate these values so that we can attract those who share them, and separate ourselves from those who don't. Then we can be a positive force to move the world into the type of Gulch where we would want to live. Not in some mystical future, but where we are now, today.
We need this type of world more than ever today. And today is when we've had more power than ever before to make that vision real. My call to action for everyone reading this is to rededicate yourself to building an honorable and worthwhile reputation for yourself. You are building that reputation, whether you choose to or not. And it is going to spread farther and faster than ever before, whether you like it or not.
Make it a story worth knowing and spreading.
A virtual hat tip to Seth Godin who made a similar point with his daily blog post from earlier today. It inspired me to write this down and share it for you all.
Previous comments... You are currently on page 2.
- John Locke
That also goes for traits we don't like too...if your the type that practices introspection within self...a sign of consciousness.
Its a good thing.
Just involvement in the gulch forces one to be a consistent as possible, leveling our best to adhere to reason as best we can.