Ethics is not a set of ancient rules written on a dusty scroll; it is the invisible compass that quietly directs our daily decisions, our relationships, our politics, and our futures
By Abdullah Usman Morai
A Mirror to Our Souls
What is the worth of success without conscience? What value does intelligence hold when it lacks empathy? Ethics is not a set of ancient rules written on a dusty scroll; it is the invisible compass that quietly directs our daily decisions, our relationships, our politics, and our futures. In a world overwhelmed by information, power, and performance, it is ethics that asks the difficult, inconvenient questions: Is this the right thing to do? What harm will this cause? Who am I becoming through my choices?
Ethics is not just for philosophers and professors—it lives in how you treat your colleague when no one’s watching, how you respond to online anonymity, or how you spend your money. It challenges us when the easy path is the wrong one and the hard path is the right one. And perhaps most importantly, ethics dares to ask what many fear: Who are you when no one’s looking?
Foundations of Ethics: Philosophy Meets Reality
Ethics is often confused with morality, law, or religion. While related, they are not the same. Morality is personal or cultural, law is societal and enforceable, religion is spiritual or theological, but ethics lies somewhere between these realms. It is the philosophical examination of right and wrong, rooted in frameworks like utilitarianism (maximizing the greatest good), deontology (duty and rule-based action), and virtue ethics (character and moral habits).
But ethics is not only a theoretical construct. It becomes real when a doctor must choose between saving one patient or another. When a journalist wrestles with telling a painful truth that could endanger someone. When you wonder whether to return the extra change a cashier accidentally gave you.
Ethics in Everyday Life: The Unseen Battle
Every day, we face dozens of micro-decisions that test our ethics: Should I tell a white lie? Should I report that I was undercharged? Should I stand up for someone being mistreated, even if it costs me something?
The challenge lies in the fact that ethical decisions rarely come with a label. They demand self-awareness, courage, and discipline. A mother might lie to protect her child’s feelings—was that unethical or compassionate? A student might cheat in an exam to meet family expectations—is that ambition or dishonesty?
Ask yourself:
- Have you ever taken credit for someone else’s idea?
- Have you ever remained silent when speaking up could have helped someone?
- Have you ever betrayed someone’s trust and justified it?
These are not academic questions. These are moments that shape your soul.
Ethics in Leadership and Politics: Power and Responsibility
Few places demand ethical clarity more than leadership. When a politician makes decisions that affect millions, ethics must not be a footnote—it must be the foundation.
Ethical leadership requires integrity (doing the right thing even when it’s hard), accountability (owning mistakes), and transparency (honesty with the public). History is littered with leaders who lacked ethics—tyrants, manipulators, narcissists. But there are also those who gave up power to do what was right, who protected the voiceless, who prioritized truth over popularity.
Why is it so rare to see ethical leaders today?
- Is it because the system rewards charisma over character?
- Are we, as voters, partly to blame when we choose comfort over conscience?
And personally, ask yourself:
- Would you lie for your company if it meant keeping your job?
- Would you cover up a mistake if it saved your reputation?
- Would you vote for someone you know is unethical because they benefit you?
Workplace Ethics: The Hidden Culture
In workplaces across the globe, ethical dilemmas surface quietly: Should I report a colleague’s misconduct? Should I meet unrealistic targets by unethical means? Should I favor someone I like over someone more competent?
Whether you’re a doctor protecting patient confidentiality, a journalist navigating truth and harm, or a tech engineer building surveillance tools, ethics must be your guiding light. And when organizations ignore ethics, they may profit temporarily but rot from within.
Ask yourself:
- Have I ever manipulated data to make results look better?
- Have I ever bullied or excluded a colleague because they were different?
- Would I speak up if I saw discrimination in my workplace?
These aren’t hypothetical questions. They’re ethical checkpoints.
Digital and Technological Ethics: A Brave New Moral World
Technology evolves faster than our moral understanding of it. Social media manipulates attention and emotion, AI makes decisions with hidden biases, and data is collected, sold, and weaponized without most people knowing. Ethics in the digital age is not just about privacy—it’s about power, agency, and manipulation.
When tech companies prioritize engagement over well-being, when algorithms determine who gets hired or arrested, when misinformation sways elections—who is held accountable?
Ask yourself:
- Have you ever stalked someone online without their knowledge?
- Have you shared content without checking its truth?
- Would you feel okay if your personal chats were being read by AI?
These are uncomfortable questions. They should be.
Cultural and Global Ethics: One World, Many Moralities
Is what’s ethical in one culture unethical in another? Is bribery always wrong, even if it’s “how things get done” in some societies? Should we judge practices in other countries by our own standards?
Ethical relativism says morality is culture-dependent. But Universalists argue that some values—like human dignity, justice, or truth—are non-negotiable.
Can we find ethical common ground in a fragmented world?
- Are women’s rights negotiable based on geography?
- Is freedom of speech only for the West?
- Can child labor be justified by poverty?
These aren’t political debates. These are ethical reckonings.
Ethics and the Environment: The Future’s Verdict
Ethics doesn’t end with humans—it includes our responsibility to nature. Climate change, species extinction, deforestation, and pollution raise deep moral questions: What do we owe future generations? How do we define justice when some countries suffer more while others pollute more?
Ask yourself:
- Do I buy products that harm the planet for convenience?
- Do I care about sustainability, or just pretend to?
- If the Earth could speak, what would it say about my lifestyle?
Environmental ethics is not about guilt—it’s about courage.
The Grey Zones: Ethical Dilemmas in Real Life
Some ethical questions are impossibly complex. Should a whistleblower leak secrets that might save lives but endanger national security? Should a terminally ill patient be allowed to end their life? Should parents genetically modify embryos for health or intelligence?
There is no ethical GPS. There is only the compass we build through reflection, empathy, and courage.
Ask yourself the questions no one dares to ask:
- Have I ever betrayed someone I loved because I feared discomfort?
- Have I ever wanted someone to fail because it made me feel better?
- Have I ever used someone’s vulnerability against them?
These are questions ethics demands we ask—not because we’ll always have answers, but because not asking them is the real danger.
Conclusion: Becoming the Question
Ethics is not about being perfect—it’s about being willing to pause, to ask, and to feel. In a world that rewards speed and spectacle, ethics invites stillness and depth. It reminds us that the most important things—trust, integrity, compassion—can’t be bought, measured, or outsourced.
So here is the challenge: Will you live a life that your future self will admire?
The answers lie not in textbooks or speeches but in quiet moments. In what you choose when no one sees. In the courage to ask: Is this who I want to be?
Because the most powerful ethical question is the one only you can answer.
Reflective Call to Action
Keep a journal. Write down your ethical dilemmas, however small. Reflect on your daily decisions. And once in a while, ask yourself the most private, most revealing questions:
- What is the biggest lie I am currently living?
- Who have I become because I avoided hard choices?
- Who would I be if I chose integrity every time?
Because in the end, ethics is not a subject. It’s a soul-searching. And your soul deserves your full attention.
Read: Rising through Rumi’s Wisdom
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
