In ethic's class my professor challenged us to think about how ethics shouldn't be a side hustle, and how it won't be in our careers or lives in the future. Before I start planning how I'm going to practice ethics in the future I really have to be reflective of my personal code of ethics and who shaped those. You can't go forward without a starting point, ya feel? I want to talk about the most important ethical influence in my life. No, it's not some great ethicist that dedicated their lives work to studying ethical dilemmas. Nor is it an individual that has won a Nobel Peace Prize. But the greatest ethical influencer in my life would be a woman named Joy Robin Harris.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Hey Hannah, isn't that your mom"? "Isn't that cliche to say your mom is influential"? Well...you're not wrong. I realize that this sounds sappy already, and you're ready to write this post off, but hear me out. I wouldn't be the person I am today without this example. Also, I'd like to point out that the idea that my morals and virtues being shaped by my mother is directly correlating to virtue ethics, which is something we hit on heavily in this Ethics course.
Before I get into specific lessons she instilled in me, some background information may be useful. My mother is a nurturer. She's a teacher by trade and a philanthropist by choice. She's dedicated her career and life to serving others, not for clout or attention, but because it truly brings her joy (ironically this happens to be her name). My mother has been an educator for almost 20 years. In that time, she has established a preschool, taught 3rd grade for 8 years, taught 2nd grade for 10 years, and then became a reading interventionist. Now, I'm not saying that just because she's a teacher that she's more ethical than other people, but I can argue that shaping young minds and impacting children's lives would be considered meaningful work. To take it one step further, my mom established a program at her school that helps to eradicate food insecurity for students, and has gotten multiple grants from the state to help fund this honorable cause. She spends several hours a week outside of work seeking donations, and individually organizing boxes of food to send home with these kids. She not only runs this program alone, but she also does not broadcast that she runs it. She has always operated under the idea that you should never do a good deed for the wrong intentions.
Side note: in the article, written by Mike Monterio, "Ethics Can't be a Side Hustle" he discusses how just doing some kind of good deed doesn't right wrongs or automatically deem you to be a good person. But I'm also not done bragging on my saint of a mother.
Next, I'd like to discuss some significant life things about my mother that have made it impossible to make ethics a side hustle. In February of 2019 my mother donated her kidney to her Aunt. The surgery was a success but my mother suffered a few complications and was out of commission for over a month after. She didn't have one regret. She has always put other's needs before her own. I've also admired that about her.
My entire life, my mother has said "kindness always" and lives by that motto everyday. She's truly a light to the world and has never once had a second thought about putting others first. I've spent my whole life trying to be half the woman that she is. So to answer the question "how ethics won't be a side hustle in my future life and work", the answer is clear, I will treat other's how my mother taught me, and be sure that what I am doing in life makes an impact to others. My mom is truly living a life of MEANINGFUL WORK.
- Hannah H
