Preface to my soon to be finished Book on Ethics
I won’t print the whole book on this site , but I can sure share this first draft of the Preface.
Preface
A person with integrity does not lie awake at night worrying about his enemies. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself or his actions. Instead he feels good about himself and consequently has lots of good friends. He makes the world a better place for himself and everyone else.
Imagine a whole world full of men and women who also have integrity, who sleep and feel like he does; a world where honesty and ethical behavior is the norm and expected of everyone. I believe we can live in a world like that. For one thing, lots of people are already ethical most of the time. All we as a nation need to do is make school rooms a place where kids learn about ethics and integrity in addition to the three R’s and we as a people need to expect ethical behavior from everyone else. If we don’t get that behavior then we need to do something about it. This book will point out what is ethical behavior, in addition to teaching how to make ethical decisions.
I am not a learned Philosopher of Ethics. This book is not for a person who wants to study and discuss ethics for the rest of his life. If that is your desire, go to a University that offers a Doctorate in Ethical Philosophy. I am however over 60 years old, with a lot of experience in being taken and shaken by unethical people. Where do these people come from? They come from all parts of society. There are many reasons some have chosen to follow the low road, instead of the high road. Many of these people simply know no better and some are mentally ill. Some have learned this behavior from their parents or caretakers and others become desperate enough to cheat due to circumstances beyond their control. Some actually took this direction in life because they have heard that everyone does it. Does this belief exonerate them?
I hope you know the answer to this question. Whether you do or you don’t doesn’t matter though; you will learn enough from this book to know what is right in most situations and how to figure out what is right in others which aren’t covered here. You can always ask someone you trust as ethical, to help you make a difficult ethical decision.
Most kids learn about integrity and ethics from their parents and caretakers. Some kids never get that opportunity. For one thing, parents cannot teach their children ethical behavior if they don’t have any ethics themselves or no one ever taught them about ethics. I hope that you will decide while reading this book, as I have, that Public Schools need to take on that duty in order to assure that all kids will at least learn the basics of ethics and how to make ethical decisions. There all kinds of ways to make room in school schedules to teach these practical issues. There are many ideas that allow children more time in school. I leave that portion of this plea to those who are more qualified than I.
This is exactly what my latest book is about. I would be privileged if you would take a look at the short synopsis and press release below.
The Value of Values
http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/thevalueofvalues.html
An individual’s values are established in childhood and serve as filters when determining right from wrong throughout the person’s life. In today’s society, the process of establishing values within children is given little concern. People place greater emphasis on day to day activities and personal ambitions, than they do on the establishment of values within their children. By default, parents are teaching their children that values such as integrity, respect for life, courage of conviction, a purposeful life and generosity, are secondary to making a living.
In truth, there is nothing preventing us from being true to good and meaningful values, nor is anything preventing us from teaching our values to our children. It is a matter of priorities; a matter of choice.
In the “The Value of Values” you will learn why a transition to a more values-conscious society is important. You will learn exactly what is needed from each individual and the activities that will sustain the drive. “The Value of Values” is a must read for every parent that is concerned about our society and the challenges our children will be facing.
We have three possible choices:
1) Do nothing different than that which we have been doing. Complacently accept things as they are and will be.
2) Hope that someone else will make the needed changes within our society, despite the fact it has yet to be done, and no one displays the integrity needed to influence an entire society.
3) Accept our personal responsibility to our children. Accept that real change is not passed down from leaders, but rather, it is driven up from the people. Accept the fact that we each have within us the ability and incentive to make things different for our children and grand children.
The choice we make today will determine the society of tomorrow.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE VALUE OF VALUES
Five-Time Author Teaches Us We Can Each Make a Difference – The Choice is Ours
The Value of Values educates us on how to establish a culture that will ensure harmony for generations to come and diminish the aggressive ways of the powerful…just by teaching our children values.
Did you know that an individual’s values are established in childhood and serve as filters when determining right from wrong throughout the person’s life? In today’s society, this process of establishing values within our children is given little concern. How are our children supposed to grow up to be adults with values if we’re not teaching them values from the beginning?
The responsibilities of parenting have become a reactionary process whereby each parent is doing whatever he or she must do in order to just get through life. By default, we are teaching our children that values such as integrity, respect for life, courage of conviction, purposefulness and generosity are secondary to making a living. In truth, there is absolutely nothing stopping us from being true to good and meaningful values except ourselves.
The Value of Values teaches us the required actions and reasons this important transition is needed. This book identifies what it will take from each of us to sustain the drive to pass our values onto our children.
Publisher’s Web site: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TheValueOfValues.html
ISBN: 978-1-60860-381-7 / SKU: 1608603814
About the Author:
Ed Gagnon is a vice president at a manufacturing company in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The Value of Values is his fifth published book, and he has more in the works.
For media inquiries, appearances, or other publicity — please contact:
Ellen Green — PressManager@aegpublishinggroup.com