Ethics

Watching the President's speech tonight with the kids, one thing that struck me about him is that he projects a strong moral and ethical character. I didn't think it was one of his better speeches, and as far as the content, I'll leave that to the pundits who get paid for their opinion.

But as I watched and listened to him, what was most impressive was his presence as a leader and as a man.

These political leaders come and go, often quite quickly. When you think about it, very little of what they do in matters of public policy (the subject of tonight's talk) is remembered. Advocates will remember a leader who championed their cause, of course; and opponents will not forget or forgive policies or initiatives they strongly oppose.

But most of us would have trouble listing three public policy achievements by previous Presidents.

Beyond this, for me, greatness often comes in the form of compromise. The reason is that a good compromise is one that forges consensus out of disagreement and moves us all forward. No one can reasonably contend that we don't have serious problems in this society; with a divided government, the only possibility for reform is compromise.

There are a lot of things about people that change over time but those who possess a strong moral/ethical core will always return to the high road, the right road. It's relatively rare to encounter people of character in politics, but not unknown.

When you find one, you know it. You can sense that they're good on the inside. They have beliefs and they stand up for them, but they also listen to those who disagree and try to find common ground.

Common ground is the only ground that matters. Extremists always want to tear down consensus, take over common ground, and impose their beliefs on others. Some of what has led to the Tea Party movement is a widespread belief that the federal government has overstepped its authority in recent years. If true, that would mean some beliefs have been imposed on those who now have their chance to reform the reforms because they now hold power.

It swings back an forth like that, first left, then right. As satisfying as it is to believe you are completely correct about some divisive issue or another, the mere fact that many others disagree with you is an indication that there can be no agreed-upon policy that will satisfy everybody.

I think of true leadership, in any setting, as coming from those who seek to remain accountable to those who disagree with them as well as those who support them.

As a parent, I often think about moral and ethical questions and about how to convey core values to my children. It does no good, of course, to spout one set of values but then live by another. Kids are hyper-sensitive to hypocrisy, as are all people under the control of others.

If there is one thing I would least like to be, it would be a hypocrite.

***

Politics are not much on my mind these days. It's spring weather still, so we are warm here on the west coast, even as the east coast freezes. So we are lucky.

New things are growing, which always brings hope. New companies are forming, new jobs are appearing, new friends are showing up. I'm getting busier and busier, and now more deeply focused on the entrepreneurial than the settled.

Problems persist. But in the past few days and nights, I've started to think of this kind of phase as a test of character, particularly as we display it to our children.

They, too, will in time almost certainly face similar problems in their professional and personal lives, so whatever model we set for them will have some sort of impact on how they handle the challenges awaiting them in their adult futures.

Polly-Annaish, I know, but one choice is to view this period as an opportunity to show them how you handle adversity. One way or another, they are watching and studying their parents; thus, teaching lessons is an inevitable part of the relationship.

But which kind of lesson you teach is up to you.