Our summer interns keep blowing us away! This past week on “Moral Action,” brought up some incredible gems and intriguing ethical dilemmas. Here’s 5 memorable questions we pondered individually and collectively.

Does Meditation Improve Morality?

One of the articles we read shared research that indicates meditation can incline us towards altruism. Inspired by this and his own experience, Jacob reflected, “I believe everyone should try mediating to improve their morality and ethics! I've been genuinely enjoying my minutes of silence, and although I'm not sure it's had any long-term positive effects, I'm definitely seeing myself more relaxed and with a greater sense of awareness.”

In addition, this week, we lengthened the time for our daily meditation to 10 minutes twice a day (in morning and evening), compared to 5 minutes last week. Saheli observed that while the longer time was harder, she ultimately noticed herself feeling calmer throughout the week, and even slept better at night.

What Do You Do When No One is Watching?

When an insect surprises you in the shower, do you bring it outside or let it drown? When a couple of us were greeted by a spider and bee in the shower this week, we noticed how the percentage of fear vs. compassion for the little critters influenced how we handled the situation.  What enables us to act with more compassion in one situation versus another?  

If a car mechanic quotes you a price for his services that’s $5 more than the list price, how do you respond? When Audrey experienced this last week, she was prompted to wonder more about the story behind the mechanic—does he live and work in an environment where everyone cheats each other? She noted how we learn both how to trust and how to deceit others from our experiences, and (after getting over her annoyance at being cheated) wondered whether she would do the same thing if she was in the mechanic’s shoes. To which Jacob remembered Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development and asked, “If you’re in an environment where everyone cheats, does that make it okay for to cheat?” :)

Pranidhi noted how this also reveals the value of honesty in sustaining business—how we’re naturally inclined to frequent a business with honest practices rather than return to a place that left an aftertaste of deceit. Along those lines, Saheli shared about a local swimming pool that she and her family visit—each time they go there, the staff is so friendly and caring, and that made them always feel good to be there and never even think to go to another pool.

If You Had To Choose, Would You Save 1 Child or 100?

Most would likely choose the latter.

Now imagine you are standing in a burning building. In one room, you have a baby, and in another room, you see a Picasso painting. You only have a few moments before the building collapses and so you can only save one. Which do you save?

The answer seems obvious (the child), but this podcast gives strong argument that goes the other way: What if you saved the painting, sold it and used the money to save 100 children in the developing world?

When Jacob, our 15-year-old intern, answered the question, he chose to save the baby because who knows who or what type of person that baby would become… perhaps they could end up being the next Picasso. Alternatively, Saheli, our 14-year-old intern, also would save the baby, but posited there was risk involved as this child could grow up to do bad things and so we could never be sure. When numbers or measurable outcomes or impact are used as a basis for generosity then so much can be lost in the ripples.

Pranidhi questioned the practical application of these questions—and noted how we oscillate between ideals and reality. She gave the example of how she conscientiously recycles at home, but then will hop on a cross-country flight to visit family, which emits an amount of carbon emissions that would cancel out any positive environmental impact from her recycling efforts. For me, while I too acknowledge the intellectual gaming that can occur, I find value in being able to look at a scenario and see the possibilities and ties that exist beyond our immediate perception. So while I would save the child, and it would be very much emotionally based, I would have never considered the possibility of selling a painting and then using the money to say feed and educate X number of children in the developing world.

We read about how, from an evolutionary perspective, humans were hunter-and-gatherers and usually first sought to only protect and attend to their kin and community, but had no real sense of empathy or sympathy beyond that. When trying to bring a global community to engage in both internal and societal transformation, how do we keep the lens that there are more people than what is beyond our immediate circle?

What Do Conflicts and Tragedies Teach Us About Ethics?

In light of Sunday’s shootings in Orlando, Florida, we also shared thoughts around the role of ethics amid conflict and tragedies. In his pre-reflections, Jacob wrote:

“In the second article, I was surprised to find that most people think our ethics are getting worse. If anything, I believe that they're getting better, as social media and online mediums connect all of us through a virtual inter-web in which we can support each other and discuss/educate ourselves about topics. This weekend with the Orlando shooting is a perfect example – even though one person made a poor decision, so many people came together in support of the victims and their families. It's quite possible that the media's portrayal of these horrific events is what makes us believe our morality is decaying, but ultimately I think we're becoming more cognizant of our choices.”

This reminded Audrey of other stories of people coming together in the face of traumatic attacks—like 10 acts of kindness amid the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and how the Human Spirit Rose To Meet Japan’s Tsunami in 2011.

In addition to the media, Saheli addressed the moral responsibility of our systems. She referenced articles that pointed out how incidences of mass shootings in the US are higher than other nations with much more restrictive gun laws, such as Canada. On another angle, Pranidhi noted the importance of transforming anger into powerful actions of love, and I also wondered what the world would look like if we looked at large problems by turning inwards and looking at how we can change ourselves internally rather than get overwhelmed by the problems “out there”. 

How Do We Show Up, in Each Moment?

Towards the end of the call, we were reminded of the story of how Julio Diaz dined with his mugger. While it’s inspiring to hear such an instance where one man transformed a situation of such intense violence, we also acknowledged that Julio worked as a social worker, and everyday, he worked to engage and transform situations where individuals, families, and communities were in conflict. How we show up in the everyday, mundane moments is our opportunity to practice how we respond and show up as our best selves when the rubber meets the road.

As we finished the call, we were left to ponder— if we are engaging on this internship journey and focusing on values like generosity, morality, simplicity, etc. on a weekly basis, how do we engage with it beyond an internship or project?  What changes or reminders can we put in our lives on a daily basis to allow us to reflect on these values and be intentional about our decisions and actions?

From spending 3 hours cooking dinner a delectable dinner for family like Jacob did, or Saheli deciding not to take sides when her friends got in an argument, the insights and ripples we’ve had the privilege of witnessing in these past two weeks alone continue to remind us how extra-“ordinary” everyday life can be when we “in-turn” with our interconnections. :)

As Saheli summed up, “Basically, what’s in it for ‘we’?” :)