Preview

Making Moral Decisions

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
439 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Making Moral Decisions
There are many things we must consider before we make any type of decision. First off, we must think about how our actions are going to affect us and those around us. We must follow the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do to you”. We should also be sure that we have fully good intentions, but we must remember that good intentions do not justify evil means. In addition, we must think about performing the action around our loved ones and try to decide if they would approve or disapprove. If you were to follow the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do to you”, decision-making would be simple. In reality, however, we all know that making a decision is actually quite difficult. Often, we do not think of the other person in the situation, we only think of ourselves and how it will affect us. If we followed this rule with all of our decision-making, the outcome would be less likely to hurt anyone or anything. Another important point to consider before making a decision is that we must remember to always have good intentions. We must also remember that good intentions do not justify evil means. This means that even if we do something we good intentions and the outcome is evil, the action is still evil. If we have truly good intentions during our decision-making, the outcome will be good and moral. If we have any bad intentions at all, then the outcome will reflect these bad intentions and the situation will turn out evil. A smart thing to ask ourselves before making a decision is, “Would I be proud to do this in front of my mom?” If our answer is no, then the decision we have made probably is not a good one. If we know that our mother wouldn’t approve of what we are doing or what we are about to do, then why would we do it at all? If we think of this question during a time when we are making a decision, we are more likely to make a good choice. If we use all of these techniques in our decision making, we will be able to make

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Ella Minnow Pea

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In times of distress people’s moral decisions can be influenced by deep rooted emotions and can cloud the judgments we make about others. This is why many teachings ask us to think before we act. Before responding to a situation, we need to understand what effect our actions have on the lives of others. This conscious thought process can be summarized by the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule is a moral building block that has been endorsed by many cultures and religions around…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The main factor for judging the virtue of a choice would need to be motives, which can greatly alter the essence of the decision. In Peace Like a River, Davy,…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    | Decisions are made based on character, motivations and intentions. This doesn’t mean that principles, rules, or consequences aren’t considered. (section II)…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In hindsight, it is always easier to see how we might have done things differently. How can ethical reasoning help us identify what our options might be before we act and evaluate which of those options might be the most appropriate course of action? Like most academic disciplines, the study of ethics is charged with energetic debate. The ethical principles traditionally applied in business and professional settings are acknowledged on numerous websites such as those belonging to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and others. A synopsis of five of them appears below.1 Ultimately, it falls on the individual not only to determine which ethical decision-making principle[s] best apply to the situation, but also to resolve conflicts that the iterative process may reveal. Here are some ideas to consider: Applying a number of principles, or approaches, helps to view the situation from different vantage points, and reveals facets of the problem perhaps not previously considered. A multi-faceted process encourages discussion with others and may elicit additional viewpoints as well as reveal how these positions may converge or differ. It fosters a fair evaluation of conflicting perspectives, each of which may be held for what appear to be "good" or "right" reasons. Frequently, applying each of these principles separately can reach similar conclusions regarding a proposed action, although the reasons why it is seen as a wise or unwise choice may differ. Considering multiple approaches can strengthen the confidence among all concerned in a decision to decline a proposed course of action as inappropriate, when it might have once held wide support.…

    • 2456 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Women In Macbeth

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    People decide to do everything, they choose which path to take, and choose the consequences or rewards associated with their decisions. Surprisingly many do not know “when you have a decision to make, the standard advice is to think everything through and weigh the pros and cons and reason your way to the right choice.” Many people just react without thinking, it is human nature to follow the impulses felt, but no one ever stops to think what bad things may occur from their idiotic choices. Especially in today’s society, every single decision made can lead to a person’s destruction or even death, the free will humans posses is something of use for good but many abuse it and end up hurting their fate more than helping…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The decision to choose the right things instead of the wrong things depends on a person’s determination to develop their mind and heart to make ‘good’ decisions for themselves and for society’s…

    • 1494 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Making Good Choices

    • 1967 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Making right choices is crucial for the direction that you want to go in in life, but sometimes it can be very hard to choose the right thing. Sometimes you do not make the right choice and there are consequences for those actions. Before you make a decision about doing something ask yourself a couple of questions. Would I tell my closest friend or relative about it? Will it have consequences? Will it cause harm?…

    • 1967 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    As people we make poor decisions from time to time throughout our lives based on personal desires or simply because we are going through a tough situation in life. Do we, in making these decisions, pay any real heed to the effects and consequences that we could suffer and how they could not only affect our lives, but the lives of others surrounding as well? For the majority of people the answer to that question is typically a no. Making poor choices can ruin our reputations and our futures by placing ourselves in unfavorable situations and/or causing distress to others.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Moral Judgements

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jakob Bronowski's book, "Science and Human Values" argues that the scientific method of inquiry into reality provides a generally applicable foundation for moral judgement. Bronowski says, "in order to keep the study in a manageable field. I will continue to choose a society in which the principle of truth rules. Therefore the society which I will examine is that formed by scientists themselves: it is the body of scientists" (Bronowski 58). Bronowski makes it clear in his book that he is going to base his study on scientists. There are five steps in the scientific method of inquiry into reality. The first one being Observation, the second is Hypothesis, the third is Experiments, the fourth is Theory, and the fifth being Publishing.…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Moral dilemmas

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In any situation, a dilemma never has a positive conclusion because, unlike most problems, the twist to a dilemma is that there is no real happy ending, only a decision between bad and worse. It isn't black and white, but more like a thousand different shades of grey and we can only pick one and hope it turns out okay. There are different types of dilemmas such as; physical and moral. The difference between the two is that a moral dilemma is going to have more of an effect on one's soul while a physical dilemma deals with one's health or body condition. Many stories or productions include an abundance of soul tearing dilemmas, such as " Of Mice and Men" and " Batman; The Dark Knight Rises."…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Decisions we make everyday are influenced in part by our core values. Our cultural background, individual bias, personal ethics, and past experiences help to form the basis of our value system. "We begin sharpening our values at a very early age. Our parents, teachers, friends, religious leaders, heroes and fictional idols teach us right from wrong" (Deblieux, 1995). These teachings help us to evaluate situations and form conclusions.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Self Respect

    • 883 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To make good decisions for yourself, one has to have a sense of self-respect. Most of the time self-respect has a positive effect on a person but in some cases it can have a negative effect on an individual. For instance when a person keeps putting himself down and always thinks he cannot do something. Then he will develop a lower sense of self-respect. Eventually that person will think so low of himself, he will not be able to function in life properly because he will be so depressed all the time. He will also be taken advantage of because he will not have enough respect for himself to say no to someone. The person will start believing what he thinks is true even though it is not and often at sometimes hate himself or others around.…

    • 883 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CONSEQUENCES

    • 427 Words
    • 1 Page

    Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. In life we all face decisions that may bring consequences. Some consequences can be major, or even mild. A major consequence can be as terrible is death or even jail, and a mild consequence can be as little as saying sorry. A consequence can also be called an unpleasant result or something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition. So remember when you are making a decision, think to yourself if there will be a consequence involved that can change your life.…

    • 427 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    On the contrary, what the CORRECT DECISION is? Again for every person it has different manner. Taking the right decision can be very critical sometimes or most of the times. It mostly depends on the kind of situation you are but no matter what the situation may be following a right pattern and thinking logically can lead to a correct decision ultimately.…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When I am faced with moral decisions, many self-imposed guidelines run through my mind. First, I try to take into account what the consequences are of each choice (if any). Doing this, I don’t forget that my actions may also affect others so I try to realize the impact of my decision on them as well. I like to put myself in the “shoes” of other people and try to see the world through their eyes. Although difficult, I understand that the right decision may have a temporarily negative consequence for me, such as losing a friendship. Basically, when given decisions like these I attempt to view all possible perspectives and determine what would be the best for everyone involved before acting.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays