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ETHICS IN THE FASTLANE: How low will you sink for wealth?

luniac

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I'm a millionaire, so I'll list all the people I screwed over to get this far:

Hang on, I'm thinking...

Hmmm...

........
......
....
...
..

There MUST be someone I screwed over! The Script says all wealthy people are unethical crooks, so it MUST be true.

I'll keep thinking and get back to you, I'm sure there is someone on the list.

End sarcasm.

In all seriousness,

There are unethical rich people and unethical poor people. Just like there are ethical rich people and ethical poor people.

"Wherever you go, there you are"

you did fire that chick who was complaining about her job. :D how inconsiderate of you.
 
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LiveEntrepreneur

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I'm a millionaire, so I'll list all the people I screwed over to get this far:

Hang on, I'm thinking...

Hmmm...

........
......
....
...
..

There MUST be someone I screwed over! The Script says all wealthy people are unethical crooks, so it MUST be true.

I'll keep thinking and get back to you, I'm sure there is someone on the list.

End sarcasm.

In all seriousness,

There are unethical rich people and unethical poor people. Just like there are ethical rich people and ethical poor people.

"Wherever you go, there you are"
Yeah true that.
 

BeFound Faithful

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If I didn’t believe being on the wealth-through-providing-value track ultimately could make me a better person I wouldn’t be here.

I said “could”, because there are dangers.

Some reason this reminds me...

In an episode of the Twilight Zone, a guy chooses to have his financial problems solved. He just has to violate his ethics and call the number on the business card.

Finally, he makes the call and someone he doesn’t know, will never know, unrelated to him dies.

Next, he learns that card will go to someone he himself doesn’t know, will never know, unrelated to himself.

Being unethical reaps its own consequences.
 

carlos_

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Jack & Jill, two business owners, both sell Homeopathy products. Jack truly believes they work, while Jill knows it's all bunk but sells it anyways.
customers of both believe the product works and whether by placebo or habit, they value the product and buy, foregoing evidence-based medical treatments.
Is Jill being unethical in her business?
There's nothing unethical happening on the business side here (perceived value = actual value for the customers) so Jill isn't necessarily cheating anyone.
I would have a hard time sleeping as the owner of that business even though I realize it's the consumer's choice. It's probably a lot like successful business authors writing about the slowlane success methods...
 
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AllenCrawley

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BeFound Faithful

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Don't know how true that is, McDonalds isn't ethical neither is Coca cola yet the ceo's don't seem to be receiving any consequences. Or maybe I am interpreting that statement wrong?

I get that with public companies ie banks, the ones you mentioned and so forth.



A problem MJ gets into in Unscripted is the shift to pleasing the investors in a publicly owned company from being customer focused. Ethics can be sacrificed for profit. The company can be the scapegoat for personal responsibility.
 
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LiveEntrepreneur

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Ah ok.
I get that with public companies ie banks, the ones you mentioned and so forth.



A problem MJ gets into in Unscripted is the shift to pleasing the investors in a publicly owned company from being customer focused. Ethics can be sacrificed for profit. The company can be the scapegoat for personal responsibility.
 

ProblemSolving

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I know someone who had a less-than-ethical business.
One customer sued him and he went out of business (kinda, he moved and opened new business, but it was a real mess).
 

RogueInnovation

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The OP said that candy prices at the movies are unethical. I'm a really ethically minded guy and I would also charge those rates if I ran a theatre. The reason being that it is where the profit of that theatre comes from.
Also mcdonalds whole biz model is "would you like fries with that" because fries are cheap so they make the most profit margin on them, I would also do that.
Basically if you have a valuable product sell a cheaper thing with it as an option to boost profits. Thats just good business.

Packaging, preparation, convenience are all important value adds. I would rather buy fries from a store because I dont want to toil over hot oil (I'll gladly pay a few dollars for that). I would rather buy a prepared salad and just add dressing because I'm tired and don't want to chop up everything. I would rather buy something where it is most convenient in order to avoid having to make a trip to a store further away, for example 30 cents more for juice at the cornerstore rather than ten minutes walking and carrying it. I'd rather get a bottled water than drink out of a tap.

Where I draw the line ethically is being a grumpy and thoughtless person who treats staff and peers poorly. We all gotta live with each other, your ego might temporarily ride up high from just using your power however you want, but ultimately you should be far more responsible than your ego suggests in order to be a decent person.
So I'd never just drop people for raising concerns or criticisms. I'd utilise countermeasures to reduce drama flare ups as much as possible.

Conflict can be unavoidable but it can be managed ok, or poorly. I always put in the effort to manage it ok. But... sometimes you are struggling with three things at once and you can't, so... there is that.

Other than that I believe in looking out for people.
This is a world of peers and equals, not slaves and chattle.
So protecting people is a must in all I do.
 
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Last edited:

spreng

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sometimes I worry that the only real way to establish first generation wealth (without luck) is to be unethical. I honestly don't know if it is true or not.
 

csalvato

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sometimes I worry that the only real way to establish first generation wealth (without luck) is to be unethical. I honestly don't know if it is true or not.
That’s not true at all. Plenty of examples of that all around.
 

sonny_1080

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Actually there have been quite a few active and heavily debated threads about ethics here. Not really something that's been missing.
Do you remember what they were called?
 
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