Who or what is in charge?
The question of who one works for is often a tough question to answer. Certainly, if working for company/corporation, or other institution which issues a paycheck their staff thinks one works for them. If one is self-employed and getting paid by individual customers one might think one works for those customers.
The whistleblower would suggest that he or she works for a moral or legal authority.
In my own profession, if one is billing insurance companies it often may seem as if one’s primary employer are the representatives of various insurance companies who determine if the company will reimburse one for services provided or about to be provided. The ethics board of the particular licensing authority may suggest that no matter what the insurance company representative decides one has an obligation to put the needs of the client/patient first. Yet, if one does not get paid and one cannot feed oneself and one’s children then one might decide that there is a more important ethical guideline – one’s commitment to one’s children. For some ethical or moral principles might be based on religious or some philosophical base.
Often when the representatives of this or other political bodies goes to war one may call upon the god of one’s understanding to let one win a battle or battles. The decision to start a war and do all one can to win the war may be done in the name of the God of one’s understanding.
Many of us humans are articulate and creative in justifying our behavior. This may be especially true not only when we are angry at another person, entity or even country but also when our primary moral authority is fear; fear of losing a job, fear of losing custody of a child, fear of being considered a bad parent or fear of what others might think. We may worry about our professional license or our political base. We may worry about being poor and/or being discarded by a particular social class.
The question of who or what is in charge and, often the priority of various principles or values is one most of us face on a daily basis. As a counselor if I am billing insurance companies I may allow the knowledge of what diagnosis an insurance company will pay for to determine my diagnosis. I might, for example, decide to bill for treatment for clinical depression when the person has a temporary situational depression. I may decide if someone is on probation or parole to obey the letter of the law because I am concerned about future referrals.
As a parent we sometime have to weigh the options available to us or the options we are able to envision at that moment in time. It may seem as if all options are equally problematic or harmless.
The easiest way to make moral or ethical decisions is to follow a very either – or, absolute set of guidelines set by the those who directly or indirectly issues one’s paycheck or those whose religious opinion determine one’s eternal future. This approach often says that action X is always right or wrong no matter what the circumstances or consequences.
Many of us are unable or unwilling to make decisions using this approach. Many of us find that we must:
I am among those who must use these above mentioned steps. Once again I find that I must begin with the willingness and the courage to question my own motives and thinking; I may want to think that my “internal boss” is a very compassionate principle when in fact my “internal boss” is fear, lust or greed. In other words I may have to daily confront my human tendency to lie to myself about who or what is in charge.
October 30, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
The question of who one works for is often a tough question to answer. Certainly, if working for company/corporation, or other institution which issues a paycheck their staff thinks one works for them. If one is self-employed and getting paid by individual customers one might think one works for those customers.
The whistleblower would suggest that he or she works for a moral or legal authority.
In my own profession, if one is billing insurance companies it often may seem as if one’s primary employer are the representatives of various insurance companies who determine if the company will reimburse one for services provided or about to be provided. The ethics board of the particular licensing authority may suggest that no matter what the insurance company representative decides one has an obligation to put the needs of the client/patient first. Yet, if one does not get paid and one cannot feed oneself and one’s children then one might decide that there is a more important ethical guideline – one’s commitment to one’s children. For some ethical or moral principles might be based on religious or some philosophical base.
Often when the representatives of this or other political bodies goes to war one may call upon the god of one’s understanding to let one win a battle or battles. The decision to start a war and do all one can to win the war may be done in the name of the God of one’s understanding.
Many of us humans are articulate and creative in justifying our behavior. This may be especially true not only when we are angry at another person, entity or even country but also when our primary moral authority is fear; fear of losing a job, fear of losing custody of a child, fear of being considered a bad parent or fear of what others might think. We may worry about our professional license or our political base. We may worry about being poor and/or being discarded by a particular social class.
The question of who or what is in charge and, often the priority of various principles or values is one most of us face on a daily basis. As a counselor if I am billing insurance companies I may allow the knowledge of what diagnosis an insurance company will pay for to determine my diagnosis. I might, for example, decide to bill for treatment for clinical depression when the person has a temporary situational depression. I may decide if someone is on probation or parole to obey the letter of the law because I am concerned about future referrals.
As a parent we sometime have to weigh the options available to us or the options we are able to envision at that moment in time. It may seem as if all options are equally problematic or harmless.
The easiest way to make moral or ethical decisions is to follow a very either – or, absolute set of guidelines set by the those who directly or indirectly issues one’s paycheck or those whose religious opinion determine one’s eternal future. This approach often says that action X is always right or wrong no matter what the circumstances or consequences.
Many of us are unable or unwilling to make decisions using this approach. Many of us find that we must:
- Accept that our educated guesses of what is best for all affected by a decision is ever evolving.
- Accept that we must surround ourselves with a “we” of mentors that we respect who will challenge us to think deeper about short and long term consequences of such decisions.
- Question our own honestly with ourselves and others about our true reasons or justifications for endorsing a particular decision. We may find that fear, relative attractiveness, money or other factors are significantly influencing our opinions or decisions.
I am among those who must use these above mentioned steps. Once again I find that I must begin with the willingness and the courage to question my own motives and thinking; I may want to think that my “internal boss” is a very compassionate principle when in fact my “internal boss” is fear, lust or greed. In other words I may have to daily confront my human tendency to lie to myself about who or what is in charge.
October 30, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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