Doctor Ethics

  1. Draining The Swamp

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    During the recent American presidential campaign, we heard a lot about an old phrase, “draining the swamp.” I say this is an “old” phrase because it’s been around a long time and is usually invoked metaphorically and pejoratively. So, what is a swamp? Why are swamps undesirable? The dictionary definition of a swamp is pretty benign—“a tract of wet, spongy lan…Read More

  2. Implicit Bias?

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    Are you biased? Do you see the front or side view in the picture? In a recent presidential debate, one of the candidates said that we’re all biased, that is we have “implicit bias.” Because it’s the political season and politicians will say anything in a campaign to solicit your vote, I have no idea what the candidate meant by that statement, although millions inte…Read More

  3. Perception is Reality

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    Is your reality correct? How do you know? Is it possible that what you see through your eyes, hear with your ears, or feel with your touch is completely “wrong?” Is there some objective standard to which you can compare your reality, like an eye chart? I’m writing this blog post the day after the first 2016 presidential election debate. I’m fascinated by the stark …Read More

  4. Are You Grateful?

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    Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for what you have. The dictionary defines gratitude as the quality of being thankful, including a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Gratitude has long been an emotion associated with religious practice, and all of the world's religions and faith traditions encourage gratitude as an essential element o…Read More

  5. Worthless People

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    Are you one of them? Have you ever been told that you’re worthless? Has a leader or manager ever dismissed you? Well, take heart! Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team because his coach didn’t think he had the talent. Lucille Ball was dismissed from drama school because she was too shy for acting. A teacher told Thomas Edison he was too stupid to …Read More

  6. Do You Have Integrity?

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    The definition of integrity is a bit like beauty—it’s in the eyes of the beholder. It’s a word loaded with ambiguous meaning, which is a bit surprising. Because, everyone knows what having integrity means. Right? Maybe not! When I’ve asked a group of 10 executives or 10 business students for their definition of integrity, I get widely differing opinions. It seems w…Read More

  7. Stop Lying

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    We’re drowning in lies! We see and hear it all day every day. Politicians lie to us nearly every time they speak. Governments, at all levels, lie to us routinely. Media outlets, when not publishing outright falsehoods, are distorting or bending the truth to fit some agenda. We tell “white” lies to family members so as not to hurt their feelings. It’s almost to the …Read More

  8. We Are Returning to Tribalism

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    A pluralistic society like the one we have in the United States is an anomaly in human history. Our melting pot culture is unique. Our motto “Out of many, one” has stood in stark contrast to most of the world. Historically, most societies have been and still are tribal. People congregate into distinct groups or tribes based on characteristics such as geographical locat…Read More

  9. Is Trump an Ethically Intelligent Leader?

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    Many have asked me about the ethical intelligence of political leaders, often with the tongue-in-cheek proviso that the term “ethically intelligent political leader” is probably an oxymoron. I’ve always found this an interesting question. In fact, some of my politician friends – yes I do have a few – have suggested that be the title of my next book. So, I’ve de…Read More

  10. Welcome To My New Blog: From the Expert

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    Welcome to my new blog - From the Expert! In this blog, I will direct my writing into areas in which I have substantial expertise. Many of us think we're experts in a lot of fields and issues. I think that as well. Just ask my wife! But, I know when I read articles online, I'm hoping to read material that has a theoretical or practical foundation that's reliable, not ju…Read More