Case number one involves an individual dilemma that pits professional life against personal life. The case offers a scenario where an individual is able to develop a special talent (creative, academic, athletic, etc.) that might bring pleasure to thousands of people. However, the cost of doing so will entail enormous work and energy being devoted to the development of that talent. This will come instead of and at the expense of other activities enjoyed by the individual and/or quality time spent with family. As such, developing this talent will require accepting personal limitations despite its impact on large numbers of people.
Reflecting on this case made me recognize certain values I hold. I am much too family-oriented to wish to spend the largest percentage of my time away from my family. I would enjoy bringing pleasure to thousands of others, but I would not be happy if I could only do so by losing valuable quality time with my family. Furthermore, I enjoy too many interests to wish to be limited to one primarily. Therefore, my ethical principle based on this value would be decisions that an individual makes must be based on whether or not they bring happiness to the individual, not based on whether or not they bring happiness to others.
In order to make wise decisions that are most meaningful and fulfilling in the long term, I find that one must detect what provides value and meaning to oneÆs life. I believe this takes more than ration and rests on something internal more than something external, like traditional dogma. I believe what most gives us value and makes us feel worthy is what lends meaning to existence. I think what creates such feelings is something internal, innate and must be detected rather than purposefully created or chosen. Such a process of self-discovery is often aided when one must make difficult ethical decisions that will impact the shape of oneÆs existence. For example, in this decis...