Nearly every person wants to leave a favorable legacy. They want a good reputation and desire that their lives accomplish something positive. The opposite would be to have a life that was like a shadow; representing something, but not the real thing. There are a number of parallels between shadows and the reputation that results from the ethics we practice. You begin life with a shadow and likewise from a very young age you begin to create a reputation. You cannot escape your reputation. Some individuals strive to create images of themselves that are as unreliable as shadows. Their behavior is like a shadow; it changes with circumstances, location or environment. On the one hand, adherence to a set of ethics can develop a reliable image. On the other, a person with an unreliable or changing behavior pattern is said to be lacking character.
Ethics are defined in this paper as that body of principals and behavior that define actions.
Several principles will be developed in the paper. They are quoted here.
Principle: Character development must begin early and be a continual process throughout life.
Principle: You receive the stimulus, you choose the response and you bear the consequences.
Principle: The individual set upon building character must be prepared to meet any situation by developing principles of behavior extensive enough to cover the unexpected.
Principle: Seemingly incidental actions can either add to or detract from your character.
The main point of the paper is the discussion of the source of ethics or behavior standards.
In summary, I recommend the reader develop a standard of ethics to live by. In addition I have given an example of a life that is worthy of emulation. The alternatives are: a life that is cast as a shadow following every fad, fancy and personal pleasure or one that has substance, integrity, reliability and character.
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