Codes: Written or Unwritten
This is part 2 in a series designed to give you a loftier and practical look at ethics. We hope to demonstrate why and how a deeper understanding of ethical concerns can be applied in your life – both personally and professionally.
“We have a code!”
— A Few Good Men
Released 1992. Directed by Rob Reiner. Written by Aaron Sorkin
Fuzzy Compass
The movie, A Few Good Men is a meditation on codes of conduct — both written and unwritten. Rather than recap the movie (Sure, go and watch it!) we’ll simply comment that there seems to be a rather stark distinction in global culture today, between those who adhere to a lofty and explicit code and those who — drift.
In earlier times, our codes were explicit, clear, demanding and exceptional. More recently, the rules of engagement in day-to-day life seem to have become somewhat less clear, less lofty, more ambiguous, and assumed rather than taught, transmitted or sworn to. The reasons are legion — the swift pace, increasing complexity and creeping sense of moral confusion…
We suggest there’s a difference — and a significant one — between explicit shared agreements (about family, church, employment, service and the responsibilities which we owe to one another), and the hazy assumptions which have tended to displace them.
Estrangement
It’s not unusual today to find yourself driving to your next appointment down an unremarkable stretch of freeway and wondering, “What am I doing here? What is this all for? What’s going on?” It’s a wonderful universe we’ve created together, but at the same time; it can be overwhelming and confusing especially if we lose track of our purpose, our meaning, our values. In that moment, we become easy pickings for an unscrupulous executive, a competitor promising a better gig, an affair, or a religious charlatan. When our values become fuzzy, we are subject to being pushed off course by someone promising something “concrete.”
Clear, explicit, agreed-upon, core values are at the center of successful companies, families and individuals. They are the “Internal Compass” that allows us to pack our bags on Sunday in New York, fly on Monday to Singapore, teach and consult for ten days; then pack up and find our way back to home, family and company. Our values help us remember who we are, where we stand, why we are working, what we hope to accomplish and to have continued faith in the integrity of our undertakings. Many of us have experienced the feeling of “estrangement” that occurs when we start to drift away from our “center/core/compass.” Has it happened to you?
Points of Reference: Find Yours!
In the context of this series, we’ve pulled together an eclectic list of the multitude of codes and creeds which infuse our polyglot culture. This is not a “reading assignment,” but a tease…
Find a few minutes, and see if you can “find your code, creed or commitment” in the list that follows… Then dig a little deeper and see if you don’t smile, laugh or wonder at the ways different times and cultures have refined and articulated their core values and their moral compass. Is your code here? Is there a part of it you’ve forgotten, or missed? Maybe it’s worth a voyage of rediscovery.
See if you can once again say, with pride: “We have a Code!”
We look forward to your comments in this ongoing discussion.
The Round Table of King Arthur’s Court
The Code of the West/The Cowboy Code
The Scout Oath / The Scout Law
United States Founding Documents
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