[robertlagrant]

> For me, doing the right thing is beyond all these things

That...is ethics, no?

[MonkeyClub]

Ethics and character, yes, and an attitude towards life that doesn't regard money as the deeper meaning of everything.

[robertlagrant]

Ethics aside, what is characterful about saying no to money? Should I say no to my salary for character reasons?

[bayindirh]

There's a difference between doing your job and earning money as a result vs. finding keys to someone's house and selling said keys to the highest bidder.

[robertlagrant]

Yes: ethics.

[jfyi]

Some of us can get there without the organized principles simply with empathy. It's even deeply selfish in it's own way.

Ethics is our answer for those that can't.

[robertlagrant]

I haven't encountered people whose empathy is so perfectly aligned with ethics that they don't need to be taught anything, but I suppose these perfectly selfless people might exist.

However of course in reality, empathy only gets you so far. Should you feel empathy for a CSA consumer because their feelings are important too? Do you empathise with their feelings?