Reflection on Values and Ethics

I am a God-fearing, hardworking, and respectful person


who believes that family comes first and that everyone should aspire to reach their God-given potential on this planet. Personal ethics and morals, in my opinion, are a vital part of one's life. Having a moral compass and ideals affects a person's life choices and, in turn, influences the adult life they prefer. My spiritual convictions and characteristics stem from my upbringing, intuition, and happiness. A well-rounded life, in my opinion, should include high values learned as a child, as this creates memories on which an adult will make decisions. In this case, I am a firm believer that childhood substantially forms the attitudes and beliefs of a person. Before I make a decision, I always sit down and meditate on the consequences of my actions and their necessity. I am cautious also to the way I speak and even conduct myself.



Besides considering whether my actions will be beneficial to the society around me


I always ask myself if my actions would promote the better good and if my conscience will agree to that. I always engage my intuition before uttering a word and even engaging in any activity. I believe that although the society may place some expectations and rules which should be followed, every individual must answer to his inner person. For instance, when a person kills and manages to escape the arm of the law, they may appear all innocent, but they may indeed be dying out of guilt. I love having a clean conscience and ensuring that the results of my actions may not cause me sleepless nights. I always seek to make sure that my actions have not hurt other people and that my friends and family can trust me with their intimate feelings and thoughts since they know that they can trust me.



Ethical Perspective



Based on my upbringing and my line of work, I follow the utilitarian and the deontology approach. I believe that a person should engage in activities that would be most beneficial to the public and reduce the adverse effects (Rosenstand, 2013). My utilitarian approach has been shaped my past experiences, as a sibling, a daughter, and a mother. I have learned to put other people before any decision that I make to ensure that it would not harm them. My background taught me a lot about self-reliance, caring for other people, working hard and being empathetic. As a first born among three siblings, I always played the role of the bigger sister whom, the younger siblings would look up to. I remember since I was ten all through my teenage years, I would stay home during the weekends and help my mom baby sit our younger siblings as she went out to unwind after the stressful week. During that time, I would have opted to go out with my friends and neglect them or only stay behind and act like their younger mother. I realized that taking care of my siblings matured me a lot, and I found myself making decisions that would not only be beneficial to them but those that would bring less harm to them. I was indeed their mother when mom was away, and so I had to act like one and show them the affection, attention and sometimes even discipline them.



I have also made mistakes in my past, and they have also changed my perspective on life.


I believe that I grew up so fast and I felt like an adult even when I was a child.


I got pregnant at sixteen years, and it had to take courage and conviction to decide to keep my child. My family members were against my idea of becoming a mum as such a young age and majority of them even felt that that would curtail my dreams and even make me a laughing stock among my teens. I am however an individual that believes that two wrong do not make a right and at the time, what may seem like a mistake may be a blessing in disguise. I took the bold step of keeping my child and raising her up despite the odds. I firmly believe that my decisions should not be selfish and they should be well thought and premeditated.



I lived most of my childhood emulating the character I would want my younger siblings to follow. I was careful about the friends I chose to hang out with and even the way I dressed and expressed myself. I have lived my life like a mirror knowing too well that my siblings will copy whatever I do, whether right or wrong.



I believe that anything one does to the society always tends to come back to the person. If one is kind to other people even when they cannot repay you for the actions, it not only gives an individual a sense of satisfaction but it also attracts blessings. I have learned that it is hard to escape the wrath of an angry parent and the curses that may follow through. In most cases words are uttered during a friction with one's parents, and they may not only be hurting, but they may indeed have a significant impact on one's life. I always strive to be on the right books with everyone and avoid actions that will bring up any confrontation. I would hate to imagine that someone lives their lives seething over the pain and heartache I caused them and hence am intentional in every good act in my life.



I am also a firm believer of the deontological approach, and I believe that society has to have law and order to be on the right tract (Rosenstand, 2013). Having been brought up in a Christian home, I learned to follow through orders and God's commandments without questioning them. I believe that as a Christian, one can never go wrong if they choose to obey the word of God and ensure that they always abide by his commandments. I would call this a deontological approach because I sometimes focus on doing what is right within the law and just avoiding the wrong thing (Rosenstand, 2013). I have also adopted a deontological approach in my line of work. The army is governed by rules, and there is little room for insubordination or abandoning one's duties. It, therefore, takes a great sense of discipline and responsibility to remain in the army and even rise through the ranks. Sometimes one becomes a yes person, agreeing to anything that the senior says. I am however careful to ensure that my actions are always true to my personal feelings and I hence do not blindly follow orders before evaluating whether they are the right things to do.



Most people would hence argue that one cannot be utilitarian and also have a deontological approach (Rosenstand, 2013). When you follow my lifestyle, you will realize that it is tough to make solo decisions in the army. The army is guided by rules that must be adhered at all time. Some may state that a utilitarian considers the consequences of their actions and only does what benefits the society which is different from the deontological approach (Rosenstand, 2013). I believe that obedience to the common good also, in essence, makes lives better for everyone. As a Christian, when I follow God's rule and always follow justice, kindness, and care, then I improve the welfare of the public by simply being obedient. I believe that it is important indeed for the two perspectives to be aligned together to live a wholesome, fulfilling and a happy life.



Conclusion



I have matured over time to become a responsible citizen who not only abides by the laws of the land but also ensures that she makes the world a better place. I serve in the army, and I have observed the suffering that people go through especially in war stricken areas. Every day I aspire to offer hope, encouragement, and individuals who have lost all hope and a better tomorrow. Most of the war victims, for instance, have no trust in their government and even strangers and this means that the level of cooperation among the people is minimal since no one trusts their neighbors. I still want to uphold the values I have today to impact on the lives around me positively. In the future, I would desire to become a major general in the army. The position I am in today is different from the one I aspire to become because it takes to process, grit and determination to be where I desire to be.



My childhood is my biggest source of inspiration and every day I want to make my mother and siblings proud. I want to show the world that becoming a mum at the age of sixteen should not curtail one's dreams and instead, it should be a driving force for one success and great things in life. I desire to be in a position where I can control the activities of the military to ensure that they are beneficial to our country. I want to be a voice of discipline and order and ensure that every soldier loves their work and look forward to serving the nation. I believe that I have the character and the determination to be a major in the future. Every day I work hard to ensure that my effort benefits the nation and adds utmost good to the ordinary citizen. Besides, I want my small town in which I grew up in to be proud of me. I want to encourage the young people living there that they can achieve anything they put their mind to and that good public service is not only fulfilling but also financially rewarding.



Reference



Rosenstand, N. (2013). The moral of the story: An introduction to ethics. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

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