Ethics Explored!

Everybody, well most people, maybe not most people, a lot of people like to think that they have a good, or at least appropriate system of ethics. One that usually (in Western Society, or at least my experience and study of it) consists of a 'healthy' balance of self love, a minimum of delibertate pain-causing and an adherance of the 'big' laws. Did you ever sit down and chose your own ethical structure or, like me, did you discover youself living somwhere on this balance?

Only yesterday my ethics were tested. I was at ASDA with a friend of mine, who will remain nameless ahem..Arron..cough, and we were purchasing some fireworks, beer and a scarf - all the essentials for a mainc night of funfilled madness of the day after Bonfire Night! When we arrived at the 'cheeky checkout' (pretty sure that should definately catch on) I paid for the beer and fireworks and post-payment, as I was stuffing them into a couple of flimsy carrier bags, my friend threw the scarf into the baggage area and mumbled something like "have you got this?". So like any focused packer, I crammed it in with the beer and thoguht nothing of it.

It was not until we were almost at the car, did I realise that there may have been something wrong with this issue. I asked him if it had been paid for and he looked at me as if I speaking in ancient greek. So, after realising that the scarf had been in his hand behing the counter until many seconds after the exchange of tender had occured, it seemed to make sense that the scarf was now in fact, STOLEN GOODS.

The following thought process is one of laziness versus responsibility. The next 3 minutes at the car consisted of a discussion on who was to blame. (I still think that this point is a ludacris one even to consider, since he held it in his hand untill after the payment, then proceeded to throw it into the bagging area and allowed me to leave the store without mentioning what should have been blatantly obvious by now, that I hadn't paid for the £3 scarf!) Anyway, I would like to say that amongst all the disagreement that the actuality of the scarf stealing issue was lost, but that would simply not be true. As we found ourselves driving towards the exit of the Superstore, the overwhelming sense of morality or guilt flooded the adrenaline that was burning through my veins in anticipation of pulling off my first real heist.

Hopefully, needless to say that I swung the car round and returned to thankfully a different CC-Assistant where I explained the situation with phrases like: "my friend was confused", "you know how it happens mate" and "he's clueless". The scarf is now officially and legally my own personal possesion and you see said scarf on facebook shortly (See Bonfire Madness Collection).

The point is this, we all find ourselves adhering to a set of principles and ethics that seem to control of emotional being. Did we choose them? Do you want to choose them? and What would you choose? Personally, I would prefer to have a ethical structure that is based on self improvement, loving others and obeying laws that would otherwise get me into trouble. That's me. So next time you go to ASDA with a friend like this be aware! Or if your morality allows, be this friend!

In a bit. Love J.