I have thought long and hard about personal ethics, the way it shapes our thinking, and consequently how it affects the way we interact with others. I am not exactly sure what would constitute “personal ethics”, however from my findings I feel as though this is simply a small part under the umbrella of identity. Therefore, if I were to define my ethics I would need to do so in relation with my identity. The primary though that comes in to mind is the classic “treat others as you with to be treated”, however I think my ethics have developed further than that. Not only do I believe in treating others with the respect and compassion I wish to be treated with, I also believe we should actively attempt to create no harm on to anything: person, planet, or animal. In fact, we should attempt to do the opposite, as the Greeks said, and consciously constantly attempt to/continue to flourish. Flourish as in develop. This is important to me because, in consequence, my relationships both personal and professional tend to be nurturing and prosperous, in the sense appropriate to the situation. Even more important than the ethics of just trying to be a nice person is the bigger umbrella of identity, which tells me to just try to be a self aware and reflective person. This way flourishing can always continue to occur. I think it is essential and therefore really value human ability to be introspective and therefore grow from that. Personal growth through reflection specifically tends to show up in my work through developed concepts and constant reflection on my physical process. I would say that self-understand is key in being a tolerable human being, and a great person to work for/with, as these people tend to be more understanding of others due to their knowledge of themselves.
