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>Once you’ve achieved that — once you are virtuously selfconstituted — you will be self-assured and have reason to be so. You will be emotionally invulnerable to being pushed around.

I don't feel that's true? I am currently in a massive turmoil at work because my line-manager is breaking all ethics rules, with higher leadership caring little. Because I try to follow my values I've spoken up numerous times and all I got for that is a mountain of stress. Turns out I am not emotionally invulnerable.


I'm not sure you've understood the idea. While your values include not breaking certain rules of ethics, your value ALSO clearly extends to being offended by others when they do it. So your value isn't purely "don't break ethical rules", but, "observe ethical rules and react when they are broken, by me and by others". I think what the author (not OP) means is that once you are virtuously selfconstituted, your decision about these and what YOU do about it is not easily swayed or pushed around. In this sense, it shouldn't matter that _others_ are breaking rules... obviously it isn't an ethical rule for them... but that you are clear that you wouldn't do the same. Thus, if your activities at work relate to pursuing goals aimed at by these broken rules, then it is _work_, and you do your work.

Another way of interpreting what you've shared is that what you are stressed about is actually _not quite the value you think you have_, otherwise you would have walked away, self-assuredly, emotionally certain in the rightness of removing yourself. But you haven't. So it isn't a set value. Obviously another value like, "I have to eat" preempts this ethical value being broken at work. I'm not saying this is wrong or not, just trying to help you navigate your stressful environment.

If your executives are ignoring your line managers unethical behavior, it is probable they are directing it or at least tacitly approving it. You work for an unethical company.

Change jobs.

I was thinking along parallel lines. If you have fuck-you money then sure: you just leave when asked to do something imoral. But if you are materially dependent on the job then you have battling imperatives that will stress you.

The first thought that popped into my head here was, "well I have no kids, so yeah if forced to choose between job and morality I'd just bounce and figure it out later". But if I DID have dependents it's harder.

I will say if the choice is between being imoral and _personally_ poor ... I'd like to think I'd rather just be poor.

edit. Then again this is also on us as people to anticipate and prepare for these dilemmas and not let ourselves be trapped in toxic situations. I suck at this and don't do any real forward planning like having a lot of savings or having a backup plan to getting out of a bad job. But that's on me.

Hope it works out alright for you!

> But if you are materially dependent on the job then you have battling imperatives that will stress you

I would like to offer a different perspective for you.

I’ve never been shouted at in my work life. And I also know a few people who complain about being shouted at, at all places of work they’ve had — and it’s difficult for me to empathize with them.

At some point I understood that I never allowed my coworkers or managers to shout at me, and in the rare occasions when their voice was raised, I had made myself very clear, and I quit on the spot had the situation ever happened again. As a result, I’ve always had very pleasant and respectful working conditions, with self-respecting people who I know will quit if abused, so I treat them with respect as well.

On the other hand, people who endure humiliation by imagining contrived moral dilemmas about why it’s good and right for them to continue suffering — suffer for decades wherever they are employed, as they seem to filter out and stick to workplaces where this is acceptable.

Are there really no jobs for your talent where you can be moral, or you’re prepared to endure immorality (and to be faithful employee to such businesses) until you’re old and frail?

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