12 Examples of Morals and Ethics for Everyday Life
Here are some practical examples to help you recognize these social or moral norms.
The world is a very diverse place in which each culture establishes what is right and what is wrong to do.
What is right is defined both by legal norms, which when broken imply crimes, or moral norms, which can cause social rejection of those who do not obey them.
- Recommended article: "The 6 differences between ethics and morals".
What is morality?
Morality is a concept that refers to the set of behaviors socially well seen, which depend on the culture of the country.which depend on the culture of each country and its religion. In contrast, ethics is the set of individual values that guide a person's behavior.
What is moral in one country may be frowned upon in another, so be aware of the cultural diversity on our planet and be careful not to behave in an offensive way abroad.
Examples of morals
The morals of each culture offer a set of rules that define what is appropriate. Morality does not necessarily mean appropriateness.
The following are some moral maxims and below are some moral maxims and examples of morally acceptable behavior in most cultures. in most cultures.
1. Tell the truth
In most cultures, it is considered a fundamental maxim to. Telling the truth implies being truthful and not lying, even though lying may be beneficial to us.
However, this maxim accepts certain types of lies, such as seeing a chase between a victim and her aggressor, knowing where the person being chased is hiding, and lying to the aggressor to prevent him from finding her.
There are also other specific situations, inculcated from an early age, that imply the obligation not to tell the truth, as would be the case of saying what one really thinks of someone with respect to his or her physique or other aspects.
Generosity and altruism
Sharing of one's own is considered morally and socially cooperativeespecially if it is for the purpose of ensuring the good of others and the prosperity of the community.
3. Not contradicting what the society dictates
Every culture has a set of rules that makes it function in a certain way and according to an ideology elaborated over hundreds of years of history. over hundreds of years of history.
Not following the norm, whether in behavior, thought, dress or other aspects, can be seen as an attack on a country's own culture and traditions.
For example, in the more fundamentalist Islamic societies, where women are obliged to wear the veil, failure to do so would be considered immoral behavior and could be punishable by law.
4. Respect for life
This moral maxim is typical of Christian-influenced cultures.. The physical integrity of oneself as well as that of others must be respected, considering murder and suicide as the maximum exponent of the violation of this premise.
However, this maxim presents a certain controversy in certain situations, such as in cases of abortions in which the mother's life is in danger if they are not performed, or in euthanasia, since it can be seen as unmoral to allow a person to continue suffering.
5. Treating others according to how one wants to be treated.
Basically it can be reduced to not doing to others what you do not want them to do to you. We usually refer to this maxim as "the golden rule"..
In ancient Mesopotamia this premise was very clear, both morally and legally, and basically many laws in the Code of Hammurabi are based on the idea of an eye for an eye, executing the penalties in the same way in which the acts of vandalism had been carried out.
6. Do not cheat
The easy and fast way may not be morally acceptable.. In Western society, the value of effort and perseverance is inculcated, so cheating is considered inappropriate behavior.
When playing a sport or taking an exam, one should give one's best and behave in a respectful manner. Sacrifice and perseverance are values that are highly regarded morally.
7. Loyalty
To be firm to one's own ideals and not to leave aside the social group to which one belongs, such as the family or group of friends.. Abandonment of ideals or failure to live up to them can be interpreted as hypocrisy and turning one's back on those close to one is considered betrayal.
However, it may be seen as correct to abandon the group when it behaves immorally or engages in inappropriate behavior.
8. Rejoice in the merits of others and not be envious.
A socially cooperative behavior is to rejoice in what others have achieved, regardless of whether one has contributed to it oneself or not.regardless of whether one has contributed to its achievement oneself.
9. To live according to God's will
For example, In Christian societies, for example, this premise is based on the Ten Commandments of God's law, which indicate the way to live according to God's will.The Ten Commandments of God's law, which indicate the way believers should live in order not to offend God and to thank Him for their own existence.
Japanese morality: several examples
Japanese culture is a very complex society, both religiously and morally.. Unlike in the West, in Japan actions are not perceived as good or bad but alone, but they must be done respecting a series of duties and obligations.
It is curious how some behaviors that in our culture we would see as inappropriate, such as infidelity or substance abuse, in Japan are not seen as something negative and are even defended and perceived as something natural.
The Japanese code of conduct is based on three concepts, which are like gears that work together to define good behavior in the land of the rising sun.
Giri
The Japanese consider that at birth one incurs a series of debts to one's parents, such as the fact of receiving a name, a name that is not a "Giri" or a "Giri.such as being given a name and being brought into the world. This idea is somewhat similar to the one held in the West regarding Original Sin, but without the negative connotation.
2. On
Arises from interaction with other people, when favors or other altruistic behaviors are performed or received.. The idea of being indebted takes on a point that borders on exaggeration in Japan, coming to be perceived as something that will never be fully satisfied and relationships are deeply influenced by it.
This idea is behind the fact that the Japanese thank each other several times.
3. Chu
It is a patriotic dutywhich refers to the respect that should be felt for Japan, its law and the emperor.
Today these three ideas are strongly present, but in feudal Japan they played a much more striking role. For example, if a samurai was insulted in public, his giri was soiled and he had the obligation to clean it, taking revenge on the offender, usually in a duel.
However, if this situation occurred in the imperial palace, the chu had to be taken into account, since attacking another person there meant offending the emperor. That is why the solution to this situation would be the death of the offended person, committing harakiri or honorable suicide.
Bibliographical references:
- Aznar, Hugo (1999). Ethics and journalism. Códigos, estatutos y otros documentos de autorregulación. Paidós.
- Camps, V. (1990). Virtudes públicas, Madrid, Spain, Espasa Calpe.
- Maliandi, Ricardo (2004). Ethics: concepts and problems.
- Rachels, James (2007). Introduction to moral philosophy.
- Zavadivker, Nicolás (2004). An ethics without foundations.
(Updated at Apr 13 / 2024)