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- Fred Su Letter, 6-27-20
Author: Mark Nelson, December 2002
"A Question of Ethics"
The higher a monkey climbs, the more of his butt is exposed. The broader the target is for his adversaries, more easily he or she may be knocked from the branch. So it is also with the Financial Advisor. Whether we assert our Ethical Values from our Judeo-Christen Basis, the Golden Rule of doing to others as we wish them to do to us, or the more general Greek concept of rendering to each his due, each of us have or ought to have a foundation which we refer to as our Ethical Base.
One of the better examples is how you would explain your conduct to your 12 year old son or daughter. Daunting criteria indeed, for how we should judge our individual conduct.
We all realize our vulnerability. Like the monkey, it is 100% exposure while climbing the tree. The going becomes more complex, the fall becomes farther, the risk greater and the fear of falling more pronounced. We are often not allowed by our client, customers, society, our Company or our Government to have a lapse of judgment.
So what really is Ethics? One of the better current definitions is provided by the military which states that the "Nation expects its Army to adhere to the highest standards of Professional Conduct & to reflect the ideas of American values. The American people demand a high quality Army that honors the core values of the constitution it is sworn to up hold - A strong respect for the Rule of Law, Human Dignity, and individual rights." Typical values for making the Ethical imperative are honesty, fairness, equity and integrity. If a soldier in the heat of battle is expected to adhere to these values, can we in peace expect less of ourselves? The preservation of Justice, i.e. giving to each his due, is an overriding concern.
Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning character. Character requires adherence to rules designed to maintain a social order that is longer on morality than self-gratification. One's self image is not supposed to be based on the car one drives or the house one occupies, but in the actions one takes which avoid harm to others. The word compliance is another way of stating that Ethics involves adherence to Rules. Though we may find rules frighteningly intrusive we believe them to be necessary because of the actions of a few.
All of the personal judgments which now crowd our daily lives, "Bad Advice," "Improperly handling of Accounts" and "Insider information," are a result of the media promoting stories of those who not only abused the rules, but abused the trust of their clients. How many have cut corners in business practices which may adversely affect a client?
How many have cut corners in their personal lives which may end up adversely affecting their church, social club or even family?
Ethics is not what is legal. It never has been, whether discussed by the Egyptians, the Greeks, Aristotle, Epictitus, Socrates, Cicero or the early Christians.
Knowing what is Right usually is not hard; doing what is Right is.
I am not going to recite all of the guidelines I use for myself, but I will give a few criteria for all of us to keep in mind when carrying out our daily lives:
A vice denigrates our character, our Ethos or Ethics and it harms our client.
Such conduct is unacceptable and will result in our backsides being spanked off the branch on our way to the top. We may still fail or fall, but not because of our practices.
We live in an Age in which murderers are released from prison, only to murder again.
Political figures routinely lie to the public, the congress, and the courts.
Pedophiles are required to be released even though the potential for repeat offenses is nearly 100%.
Crimes against property are too infrequently prosecuted, much less having the perpetrators arrested or jailed.
Citizens are routinely defrauded of their Life Savings, 401K savings or retirements with virtually no recourse under the law.
Drugs are sold to 9 year olds, with virtually no criminal action taken.
Parents abandon, kill and enslave their own children. Children reciprocate this kindness at times.
Courts routinely ignore Constitutional Freedoms. Many times courts decide favorably toward the most recent politically correct mantra.
In spite of all this, I encourage you to live ethically; not because of how it will benefit others, but because it will benefit you, your family, and your profession.
Words of Wisdom
From Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered:
Forgive them anyway.
If your are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives:
Forgive them anyway
If your are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies:
Forgiven them anyway,
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you:
Be honest anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight:
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous:
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow:
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough:
Give the world the best you have, anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God:
It was never between you and them anyway.
©2002-2012 Northwest Business Club
One of the better examples is how you would explain your conduct to your 12 year old son or daughter. Daunting criteria indeed, for how we should judge our individual conduct.
We all realize our vulnerability. Like the monkey, it is 100% exposure while climbing the tree. The going becomes more complex, the fall becomes farther, the risk greater and the fear of falling more pronounced. We are often not allowed by our client, customers, society, our Company or our Government to have a lapse of judgment.
So what really is Ethics? One of the better current definitions is provided by the military which states that the "Nation expects its Army to adhere to the highest standards of Professional Conduct & to reflect the ideas of American values. The American people demand a high quality Army that honors the core values of the constitution it is sworn to up hold - A strong respect for the Rule of Law, Human Dignity, and individual rights." Typical values for making the Ethical imperative are honesty, fairness, equity and integrity. If a soldier in the heat of battle is expected to adhere to these values, can we in peace expect less of ourselves? The preservation of Justice, i.e. giving to each his due, is an overriding concern.
Ethics comes from the Greek word ethos, meaning character. Character requires adherence to rules designed to maintain a social order that is longer on morality than self-gratification. One's self image is not supposed to be based on the car one drives or the house one occupies, but in the actions one takes which avoid harm to others. The word compliance is another way of stating that Ethics involves adherence to Rules. Though we may find rules frighteningly intrusive we believe them to be necessary because of the actions of a few.
All of the personal judgments which now crowd our daily lives, "Bad Advice," "Improperly handling of Accounts" and "Insider information," are a result of the media promoting stories of those who not only abused the rules, but abused the trust of their clients. How many have cut corners in business practices which may adversely affect a client?
How many have cut corners in their personal lives which may end up adversely affecting their church, social club or even family?
Ethics is not what is legal. It never has been, whether discussed by the Egyptians, the Greeks, Aristotle, Epictitus, Socrates, Cicero or the early Christians.
Knowing what is Right usually is not hard; doing what is Right is.
I am not going to recite all of the guidelines I use for myself, but I will give a few criteria for all of us to keep in mind when carrying out our daily lives:
- If you're selling something, if it were for your 80 year old Mom or Dad, would you have researched it more?
- If what you are doing would probably cause your kids to call you a sleaze if they found out, would you do it?
- Would you buy what you are selling, promoting or advocating? More importantly, do you own what you buy, sell, promote or advocate?
- Would you take the risk, given the same circumstances you are recommending for your client?
A vice denigrates our character, our Ethos or Ethics and it harms our client.
Such conduct is unacceptable and will result in our backsides being spanked off the branch on our way to the top. We may still fail or fall, but not because of our practices.
We live in an Age in which murderers are released from prison, only to murder again.
Political figures routinely lie to the public, the congress, and the courts.
Pedophiles are required to be released even though the potential for repeat offenses is nearly 100%.
Crimes against property are too infrequently prosecuted, much less having the perpetrators arrested or jailed.
Citizens are routinely defrauded of their Life Savings, 401K savings or retirements with virtually no recourse under the law.
Drugs are sold to 9 year olds, with virtually no criminal action taken.
Parents abandon, kill and enslave their own children. Children reciprocate this kindness at times.
Courts routinely ignore Constitutional Freedoms. Many times courts decide favorably toward the most recent politically correct mantra.
In spite of all this, I encourage you to live ethically; not because of how it will benefit others, but because it will benefit you, your family, and your profession.
Words of Wisdom
From Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered:
Forgive them anyway.
If your are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives:
Forgive them anyway
If your are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies:
Forgiven them anyway,
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you:
Be honest anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight:
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous:
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow:
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough:
Give the world the best you have, anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God:
It was never between you and them anyway.
©2002-2012 Northwest Business Club
