It All Boils Down to One Word...Ethics

The Six Pillars of Character

As many of us celebrate the New Year and the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is a time for reflection and evaluation in all things we do. I remember hearing a real estate coach once say that "Success is defined as living in alignment with your core values...." For me that means a lot.

Character Counts!

The Josephson Institute of Ethics defines ethics in terms of moral duties and virtues that flow from six core ethical values, collectively known as The Six Pillars of Character.

• Trustworthiness: Being honest, having integrity, keeping your promises and being loyal.

• Respect: We must not only respect ourselves, but remember that each person has the right to our respect.

• Responsibility: We must be accountable for our own actions, practice self-restraint and always try our best at whatever we put our hand to.

• Fairness: Sometimes this means doing the right thing even if others don't agree.

• Caring: Concern for the interests of others.

• Citizenship: Being involved in public service, including voting, reporting crimes, testifying as a witness, and protecting the environment.