Ethics, Morals, Values and Beliefs
Personal Ethics and Life

David J. Graves

Business Ethics
Ottawa University
Professor Donald Dunn
July 7, 2013

This paper explains and defines my personal ethics, morals, values and beliefs, which will continue to grow as my maturity grows. My personal ethics in life stems from my family, my parents and from the continuous mistakes and accomplishments that I have made in my life. A famous philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill me makes me stronger.” I try to live my life by this principal, as difficult as it may be. This paper does not pretend to provide definitions for complex terms such as morality or ethics; it is merely a means to orient the reader in understanding my personal ethics in life.

One of the most important characteristics of moral judgments is that they express our values. Not all expressions of values are also moral judgments, but all moral judgments do express something about what we value. Expressing one’s personal grasps of ethics and life may not always be understood in the context of the world at large, the environment or amongst the others in the household. This is usually due to the every person has some difference, small or great, in the development of their belief systems. Belief systems are established early in life through the environment of home, church, school or other social gatherings which help mold or shape their belief. Most of these beliefs and patterns of behavior are established through the unconscious observations and the experiences of childhood in the aforementioned environments. My parents taught me that honesty was the best policy, even when the details may not be too favorable. They taught me the meaning of trust, which was not being afraid even when I felt vulnerable. Of course that does not mean that I am able to apply that knowledge always;