Improving Ethics: Beyond Good Person

Our Attachment to Being a “Good Person” Can Hinder Our Ability to Be Better People

Have you ever found yourself striving to be seen as a “good person” in the eyes of others? I know I have. It’s a natural human tendency to want to be viewed positively and to feel good about ourselves. However, as a social scientist, I’ve come to realize that this attachment to being a “good person” can actually hinder our ability to become better people.

Our brains rely on shortcuts, which means that much of our mental processing happens outside of our awareness. This is known as bounded rationality, and it can lead us to make ethical mistakes without even realizing it. Similarly, bounded ethicality can cause us to make decisions based on unconscious bias or conflicts of interest, which may not align with our conscious beliefs.

As a result, we may explain away our mistakes rather than learning from them. We may become defensive when our “good person” identity is challenged, rather than reflecting on how we can do better. This defensiveness can cause us to spiral towards less ethical behavior, rather than growing and improving as people.

But what if we were to let go of this attachment to being a “good person” and instead strive to be a “good-ish” person? A “good-ish” person accepts that they will make mistakes but actively works to learn from them and improve themselves. They set a higher standard for themselves and are willing to be vulnerable in order to grow.

By allowing ourselves room to make mistakes and learn from them, we can become better people. It’s time to let go of the idea that we should just inherently know how to be a “good person” and instead approach ethical behavior with a growth mindset. Let’s strive to be “good-ish” people who are constantly learning and growing.

The Human Mind Relies on Shortcuts, Leading to Bounded Ethicality

Have you ever made an ethical decision without fully thinking it through? You may have been relying on shortcuts in your thinking without even realizing it. Our brains rely on shortcuts, or mental heuristics, to process information quickly and efficiently. However, this reliance on shortcuts can also lead to bounded ethicality, where we make ethical mistakes without even realizing it.

Bounded rationality is the idea that the human mind has limited storage resources and processing power. As a result, our brain takes shortcuts to process information quickly. For example, when we encounter a complex ethical decision, we may rely on mental shortcuts to simplify the decision-making process. These shortcuts can sometimes lead us astray, causing us to make decisions that do not align with our conscious beliefs.

Bounded ethicality can also lead to unconscious bias and conflicts of interest. Our brain may unconsciously associate certain things with others, causing us to make biased decisions without even realizing it. Similarly, conflicts of interest can cause us to prioritize our own interests over those of others, without even realizing the ethical implications of our decisions.

By understanding the limitations of our own thinking, we can begin to recognize when we are relying on shortcuts and when we need to slow down and reflect on our decisions more deeply. It’s important to be aware of our own biases and to actively work to counteract them. This may involve seeking out diverse perspectives or taking a moment to consider the potential impact of our decisions on others.

In conclusion, our brains rely on shortcuts, leading to bounded ethicality. By recognizing the limitations of our own thinking and actively working to counteract them, we can make more ethical decisions and avoid making mistakes without even realizing it.

Unconscious Bias and Conflicts of Interest: Examples of Bounded Ethicality

Have you ever made a decision that seemed ethical at the time, but later realized it was influenced by unconscious biases or conflicts of interest? These are examples of bounded ethicality, where our ethical decisions are limited by our own cognitive biases and shortcuts.

Unconscious bias refers to the automatic and unconscious associations that our brain makes based on past experiences, cultural stereotypes, or societal norms. For example, you may unconsciously associate certain characteristics with a particular gender or race, causing you to make biased decisions without even realizing it.

Conflicts of interest occur when our personal interests or relationships influence our decision-making process, leading us to prioritize our own interests over those of others. This can occur in a variety of settings, from the workplace to personal relationships.

Both unconscious bias and conflicts of interest can lead to unethical behavior, even if we have the best intentions. To combat these issues, it’s important to be aware of our own biases and actively work to counteract them. This may involve seeking out diverse perspectives, soliciting feedback from others, or taking time to reflect on our decisions before acting on them.

In conclusion, unconscious bias and conflicts of interest are examples of bounded ethicality, where our ethical decisions are limited by our own cognitive biases and shortcuts. By recognizing the potential for these biases and actively working to counteract them, we can make more ethical decisions and avoid causing harm to others.

Learning from Mistakes: Overcoming the “Good Person” Identity

Have you ever made a mistake and instead of owning up to it, tried to explain it away or justify it? It’s a common human tendency to protect our sense of self and maintain our identity as a “good person”. However, this can hinder our ability to learn from our mistakes and grow as individuals.

By clinging to the “good person” identity, we create a binary definition of right and wrong, and see mistakes as a threat to that identity. This leads us to justify our behavior or blame external factors instead of taking responsibility and learning from our mistakes.

It’s important to recognize that as human beings, we are inherently flawed and will make mistakes. The path to becoming a better person involves acknowledging those mistakes, taking responsibility for them, and learning from them. This requires letting go of the “good person” identity and hugging a growth mindset.

Rather than seeing mistakes as a failure, we can view them as opportunities for growth and learning. By hugging a growth mindset, we can actively seek out feedback, reflect on our actions, and make changes to become better versions of ourselves.

In conclusion, the “good person” identity can hinder our ability to learn from our mistakes and grow as individuals. It’s important to let go of this identity and hug a growth mindset, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth. By doing so, we can become better people and create a positive impact on those around us.

How our Proximity to the “Red Zone” Affects our Mistakes

The speaker explains that our tendency towards mistakes depends on how close we are to the “red zone.” Essentially, when we are not being challenged about our moral identity, we are not thinking too much about the ethical implications of our decisions. As a result, we tend to spiral towards less and less ethical behavior most of the time.

On the other hand, if our moral identity is challenged or we are reflecting on it ourselves, the ethical implications of our decisions become more salient. In those cases, we spiral towards more and more behavior that makes us feel like a good person, or more accurately, behavior that makes us feel like a good person as defined by our own standards.

This idea of the “red zone” and proximity to it plays a significant role in our ability to make ethical decisions. It’s crucial to understand how we can be influenced by our own biases and how they affect our behavior. By recognizing this, we can work towards being better people and making more ethical decisions, even when we are not being directly challenged.

We Overestimate the Importance of Our Inner Compass in Ethical Decisions

According to research, we tend to overestimate how much our inner compass guides us in making ethical decisions. In fact, our self-view as a “good person” can often cloud our judgment and cause us to make mistakes. This phenomenon is known as bounded ethicality.

We may assume that our values and beliefs are the driving force behind our ethical decisions, but the truth is that our decisions are often influenced by unconscious biases, conflicts of interest, and other shortcuts taken by the human mind. As a result, we may not always act in the most ethical way.

The problem is that we place too much importance on the idea of being a “good person” and not enough on the process of learning and growing. We assume that we either are a good person or we are not, without considering the possibility that we can strive to be better. This either-or mentality can prevent us from recognizing our mistakes and taking steps to improve ourselves.

It’s important to understand that being a good person is not a fixed state, but rather a journey of growth and learning. By acknowledging our mistakes and taking responsibility for them, we can develop a better understanding of our own biases and limitations. This can lead to more ethical decision-making and a greater sense of personal fulfillment.

Why we should strive to be a “good-ish” person

As humans, we often strive to be a “good” person - to do the right thing, to act ethically, and to make the world a better place. However, this attachment to being a “good” person can sometimes hinder our ability to become better people.

Instead, we should aim to be a “good-ish” person. This means recognizing that we are fallible and imperfect beings, and that we will make mistakes along the way. It also means being open to learning from those mistakes, rather than simply explaining them away or ignoring them.

Our tendency towards mistakes can depend on many factors, including how close we are to the “red zone” - that is, situations in which ethical decision-making becomes more difficult. We also tend to overestimate the importance of our inner compass in ethical decisions, and are susceptible to unconscious biases and conflicts of interest.

By recognizing these limitations, we can set a higher standard for ourselves and strive to be “good-ish” rather than simply “good.” This means being more aware of our biases, being willing to admit our mistakes, and constantly learning and growing as individuals.

Ultimately, being a “good-ish” person means being kind, compassionate, and ethical, while also recognizing our own limitations and striving to do better. It’s not about being perfect, but about constantly improving and striving to make a positive impact on the world around us.

Hugging Growth in Ethical Behavior

It’s common to feel the need to present ourselves as a “good person” in every aspect of life, but this attachment can actually hinder our ability to grow and become better individuals. We tend to rely on mental shortcuts, leading to bounded ethicality, and even unconsciously fall prey to biases and conflicts of interest. It’s essential to recognize that mistakes are inevitable, and instead of explaining them away, we should learn from them and allow ourselves room to grow.

Our tendency towards mistakes depends on how close we are to the “red zone,” where our ethical behavior can be compromised. We often overestimate the importance of our inner compass in ethical decisions, leading us to believe that we are always making the right choices. However, by acknowledging our potential for errors and setting a higher standard of being a “good-ish” person, we can become more self-aware and more receptive to growth.

Allowing ourselves room to grow in ethical behavior can lead to progress and growth. By accepting our limitations and opening ourselves to feedback, we can become more accountable for our actions and learn from our mistakes. We can set a higher standard for ourselves, where we aim not for perfection but for improvement. By hugging this growth mindset, we can become better individuals and create a more ethical world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the human mind has a tendency towards bounded ethicality, which can hinder our ability to make the best ethical decisions. We tend to rely on shortcuts, which can lead to unconscious bias and conflicts of interest. Additionally, we may overestimate the importance of our inner compass in ethical decisions, and we often explain away our mistakes rather than learning from them.

However, by setting a higher standard of being a “good-ish” person and allowing ourselves room to grow in ethical behavior, we can make progress and improve our decision-making abilities. It’s important to acknowledge our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions in order to learn from them and make better choices in the future.

By understanding our tendencies towards bounded ethicality and striving to be better, we can work towards creating a more ethical and just world for ourselves and for others.