Ethics, PR and beyond
Recently, there has been too much discussion about ethics. At the same time, we get to see individuals getting into too much public relations (PR) too.
I often ask myself: How do you define ethics? Why would an ethical entity need too much PR?
You are driving late at night on an empty road. No one is there to see you, and there is a red light. Do you stop? The answer, from an ethical perspective, would be yes. Ethics is often described as doing the right thing even when no one is watching or there are no negative consequences to the wrongdoing.
For many of us, ethics is closely linked to morality, and morality is something that must come from within us. For example, our conscience may give us clear indications if we are not doing the right thing. Some would say that if you must question yourself about whether what you are doing is the right thing to do or not, then it is likely that what you are doing is not the right thing to do.
These inner battles make us ethical and moral beings. Those who no longer have such righteous mental arguments with their own conscience may become capable of doing anything without any self-doubt, no matter how immoral such deeds may be. One bad deed generally makes a person more comfortable with the next one.
It could be argued that aggressive societal and environmental pressures to succeed, coupled with greed and the desire to have great wealth, may have already pushed today's people to learn how to suppress their ethics and morality radars.
These days, it is tough for ethical supremacy and the relentless pursuit of wealth and success to coexist. Hard work, diligence, and perseverance are no longer enough to achieve the level of immense success that so many people desire. Moral and ethical boundaries may have to be pushed or at least put aside in certain instances.
Individuals who may initially have all the right desires to be ethical in their pursuits of success may eventually come across situations where they can't continue to hold on to such principles. If they don't break ethical boundaries, those who are competing against them may do so, and therefore, the more morally inclined and so-called better human beings may lose out.
An interesting and highly visible concept nowadays is public relations. People and businesses seem to be fixated on PR and self-image, which inevitably leads to self-promotion and the artificial creation of positive public perception. The connection to ethics here is that if a person is truly ethical, then why would they need to focus so much on PR?
The existence of strategically planned and often excessive PR initiatives by people of high standing and by businesses may already show the presence of unethical activities. Otherwise, such elaborate public campaigns to boost a positive image would not really be necessary.
Perhaps it is time for us to watch out for those entities that are spending too much capital on PR. As they say in marketing, a good product sells itself most of the time, but a bad one will require lots of boosting and may even quire a good amount of deceitful PR.
Ethical and moral behaviour can't be done selectively whenever convenient and most visible. Rather, it must be universal and ever-present in one's basic personality and way of life. Doing the right thing may be tough and may even yield less success, but that is the price one must pay for nurturing and preserving the sanctity of one's own conscience and soul.
The author is an economic analyst