The Importance Of Doing The Honorable Task

John F. Kennedy once said, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”. This has been a puzzling idea for many; most of us are grown into some form of conformity at one time or another. At what point does following the rules become wrong? When is it too much? Over the years many people begin to question what the acts of following the crowd can mean; whether or not we need these orders, and structures to function; or whether it’s really worth losing yourself just to make everybody else happy. When does it become too much? And once is does, how do we break the cycle? This topic has been used throughout many different mediums; films, and literature, all alluding to the signs, and actions of when conformity is doing nothing

However, we find this commandment hard to obey because it goes against our fallen sense of justice. People hold competing motives, focus on competing virtue orientations, experience competing emotions, and find themselves in a variety of situations that make different (often competing) behaviors normative. Transformations of motivations and emotions can occur. Injustices, offenses, and transgressions stimulate a set of emotions, motivations, virtue orientation, and social norms that are skewed toward self-interest, self-protection, and

There are many important reasons that a soldier needs to be at his or her appointed place of duty on time. Being at your appointed place of duty on time is important because your leadership is held accountable for you and your absence. If you feel that you are going to be late you should contact your chain of command and let them know of your tardiness immediately. If you are not at your place of duty then you should expect your chain of command to be calling you or coming to your house. If a soldier does not show up to his/her appointed place of duty it can affect unit cohesion and mission completion.

From the moment we arrive in this world our personalities and the way we generate behaviors are shaped by the culture surrounding us. All cultures and societies have ethical and moral systems that affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. The term ethic “derived from the Greek ethos which can mean custom, habitat, character or disposition” (Ethics: a general introduction, BBC News) is used to define “right and wrong” behaviors. We find ourselves trapped in ethical and moral situations every day, where the sense of what is the real “right” thing to do is not always obvious, this leading us to the uncertainty when making decisions and reassessment of the consequences of our actions. So is the case of the

Why do people insist on conforming to others and changing who they are to do so? Part of the definition of who we are as human beings comes in the differences between one person and another. Especially in today’s world, we are in need of people with strong leadership qualities who do not depend on others to guide their thoughts and actions and tell them what to do and when to do it. Dylan Charles writes, “The broad message to young people nowadays is to conform and submit to norms and phony authority rather than to develop personal integrity, personal liberty and true happiness.”

Human nature dictates that conformity is a safer choice than expressing individuality. When placed in a situation where one must either remain silent or speak their mind and face severe consequences, there is much less risk in taking the first option. Sophocles, an Athenian tragedian from the fifth century BC, confronted this theme throughout one of his most popular works: Antigone. In the play, the title character must decide if she should honor her brother and die, rather than saying nothing and leaving his dead body unburied outside the city walls. In the present day, most Americans don’t experience such extreme circumstances, but this battle between conformity and individuality directly reflects the

Even with all our magic technology and deep knowledge of the physical world, human beings still face the same crucial existential questions that concerned our ancestors thousands of years ago. Among these, is the question of what is good and what is bad. While many in the modern era prefer to bypass this issue, believing instead that everything is relative, most of us struggle with the concepts of good and bad every day. This extends into the field of moral philosophy, where three major and distinct ethical theories have come to dominate the contemporary debate: outcome ethics (or consequentialism), duty ethics (or deontology) and virtue ethics. Passing under criticism these three concepts allows evaluating my own philosophy and comparing its compliance to the professional military ethic.

Demonstrate unwavering integrity and professionalism by providing positive, constructive and successful guidance to all CBRN Soldiers throughout I Corps. Accomplish all assigned missions while exceeding established I Corps standards. Ensure CBRN readiness is the brought to the forefront of I Corps. Ensure MSC's are reporting accurate data in NETUSR prior to submitting to I Corps. Identify expired/excess CBRN equipment units are not authorized and ensure it's turned in. Synchronize all subordinate MSC's to standardized data flow throughout I

Humans are all not brought up the same way; what makes people different in their decisions and lifestyles is self-interest. In the pieces by Duane (2015) and Gaiman (2006), both introduce individuals who take action for their personal interest, doing something that they think is the very best for them. There was a time where my best friend and I, had an argument about attending a festival. Both of definitely had our own reasons on why we should or shouldn’t attend.

Conforming: Thought to be the world’s biggest injustice. To be able to battle this, is thought to be the world's greatest accomplishment. Although it is important to stand up for what you believe in, individuality is not always the best solution. Individuality can lead to isolation, peer pressure can be good, and there is always strength in numbers.

Shonrock talked some about a situation where he was asked to do one thing behind closed doors, and another one among his peers. Adhering to this request presented to him could have proved beneficial for Shonrock and the institution he represented, but Shonrock knew it would have been wrong of him to do so. Therefore, he decided to do “the right thing”, and given his current position in life, it would be hard to argue good things do not eventually come from doing what’s right. Joi Niedner stressed the importance of thinking beyond oneself, as she shared two of her previous experiences where she had been played in an ethical dilemma. Both situations could have been beneficial for her, had she chosen the “wrong thing”, but she decided to think beyond her own benefits and instead “do what’s

I can relate to Augustine because at times I have felt pressured to do things. Growing up people influence the way you behave. I can recall a time I skipped school with my friends. I knew it was wrong out I did it because my friends did it. We did if for the trill of skipping and to say we did it. We all do things we regret. The best thing for us to do is learn from the mistakes. It is also very important to stick up for what you believe it. If your friends are doing something you do not believe is right speak up. You do not have to do anything you do not feel comfortable in doing.

When one is believing in themselves and has found truth, they should take that individuality and not conform to society, as well as society conforming to them. Thoreau writes that “A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, not wish it it prevail through

    A young boy is having a birthday party, his parents will buy him a pizza to share with all of his friends. Unfortunately, one of his friends is gluten-free. Now the birthday boy has to decide whether to buy a gluten-free pizza, focusing on the needs of the individual, or to focus on the needs of the majority, and to buy a regular pizza. This situation is making the kid determine what is the most moral course of action for his party. By choosing to please the individual in that situation, he is making the majority unsatisfied, but by choosing the majority, he can please the most people. Many great examples of  having to chose the most moral course of action are described in the book and play, “A Raisin in the Sun”, by Lorraine Hansberry. In “A Raisin in the Sun”, the Youngers family is forced into situations where they must decide between multiple moral courses of action. When deciding between moral courses of action, one can consider the needs of the majority, an individual, the minority, or those with the most pressing need. Although there can be some situations where focusing on the majority might be immoral, most of the time, it is the most reasonable course of action.

Our lives are consistently filled with choices and even specifically, this moral dilemma. We are faced with two choices; “selfish” satisfaction or “conformist” compromise and it’s plagued our minds for generations. I have personally dealt with this issue as I’ve grown in this world. With nothing but a phrase repeated throughout my childhood I was sent on a self-analytical journey that would change me forever and was forced to deal with a personal fork in my road that lead to absolutely opposite outcomes. “You’re so smart. You should be a scientist.” he complimented with such naive conviction unaware of what he had just done. That was the first time I heard that phrase but definitely not the last and it had stuck with me. It's actually pretty funny how many times I heard that exact phrase repeated by completely different people. What’re the odds? Consistently, I heard kid after kid say that to me and from the very first time I heard it I begin to question my purpose in this world.