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Washington Ethical Society
7750 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20012
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Why don't people act ethically? 
When facing challenges or difficulties, people often lack a picture of an ideal outcome and how to achieve it. In our stress, we may resort to habits that might provide some immediate relief but damage our relationships in the process.
Although good intentions are necessary, building good relationships also requires an ethical education. We must learn how and when: to trust authority, to listen to our own needs and values, to cooperatively exchange with peers, to respect laws, to apply ethical principles, and to value and cultivate spiritual well-being. To act with kindness even when in stress, to tell the truth and to resolve conflicts fairly require considerable practical expertise.
Often, people use the wrong they see others do to justify the wrong they do themselves. (He started it. She deserves it. They would have done it to me.) When we see people acting badly, we are challenged to look beneath their negative behavior to address the creative self that may need encouragement and firm guidance to act kindly, fairly, honestly, and joyfully.
The willingness to see some behaviors as mistakes (sins) allows us to learn, by trial and error, good ways to handle difficult situations. Being unaware of the mistakes we are making condemns us to repeat them while thinking ourselves powerless to escape our troubles.
Evil is also a reality in the world. Evil occurs when people understand that their actions are destructive but choose to repeat them anyway. We cannot allow individuals to do damage to people or the social environment. We must take stands strong enough to stop intentionally evil behaviors, or we destroy the hope of an ethical culture. |
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