This Tip refers you to a website that helps you answer the question: are your decisions consistent with your ethics?
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
Are Your Decisions Consistent With Your Ethics?
I’ve been researching heutagogy, which is concerned with self-determined learning. (There will be a Tip about heutagogy after I’ve gotten a better handle on what it is and how it works.)
The Virtual Philospher
I wanted to see examples of self-determined learning. My source directed me to the Virtual Philosopher [which is no longer available, but the site below has an ethics quiz]:
https://www.atana.com/ethics-quiz
The original quiz asked a series of questions about your personal ethics. Then it gave you various situations where you have to make decisions that test your ethics.
I found out that the decisions I made were generally inconsistent with my ethics. This has forced me to think more seriously about my ethics and beliefs.
This was written in 2013. I took the quiz again in 2025 and my decisions were consistent with my ethics. Either with age comes wisdom, my ethics have slipped, or I much more ethical than I was!
The quiz is very short but very telling.
The site explains:
To be a more consistent ethical decision maker, ask yourself these questions when considering your options:
- Is it the truth?
- Is it fair to all?
- Is it free from harm?
- Am I proud to do it?
I’ll be interested to hear about your results.
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
