1 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Responsibility PILLAR THREE

2 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Responsibility and Character Development You can’t choose to be good looking, smart, or athletic. You can’t choose your parents or the circumstances in which you grow up. But you can choose how to deal with the outrages and opportunities of life. From these choices, your character is formed.

3 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Twelve Concepts of Responsibility Be accountable Exercise self- control Plan and set goals Choose positive attitudes Do your duty Be self-reliant Pursue excellence Be proactive Be persistent Be reflective Set a good example Be morally autonomous

4 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Accountability DO: Accept responsibility for the consequences of your choices, not only what you do, but what you don’t do Think long-term What you can to make things better Set a good example DON’T: Look the other way when you can make a difference Make excuses or blame others.

5 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Exercise Self-Control Take charge of your life. Everyone’s responsible for the development of his or her personal character. Set realistic goals. Keep a positive outlook. Be prudent and self-disciplined with your health, emotions, time, and money. Be rational — act out of reason, not anger, revenge, or fear.

6 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Responsible People... Don’t blame others or make excuses for their actions and inactions Govern their behavior according to their sense of moral duty, which is broader than their legal obligation

7 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Planning and Setting Goals Identify what success means to you. Set specific goals and plan to achieve them.

8 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Planning and Setting Goals Determine both short- and long-term goals. Long-term goal: Going to college Short-term goal: Getting good grades in high school

9 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Planning and Setting Goals Organize to manage your time in order to keep commitments and promises.

10 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Choosing Positive Attitudes An attitude is an outlook on life, a state of mind that affects the way we interpret facts and events.

11 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Do Your Duty Acknowledge and meet your legal and moral obligations.

12 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Be Self-Reliant Seek to manage your affairs so as not to be a burden on others. To the extent you can, provide for yourself and pay your own way. Avoid financial and other obligations that may be beyond your ability to satisfy.

13 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Pursue Excellence Take pride in everything you do in recognition of the obligation to yourself — and those who rely on you — to do your best. Despite a shortage of time and resources, as a responsible person, do the best you can with what you have.

14 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Pursue Excellence DO: Your best Persevere Prepare Be diligent Work hard Make all you do worthy of pride

15 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Be Proactive Take the initiative to improve yourself, your conditions, and your community. Seek to change systems and tackle social problems to make things better.

16 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Be Persistent All things worth doing are not easy. You often don’t get what you want on the first try.

17 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Be Persistent Being persistent means demonstrating perseverance and steadfast determination in pursuit of goals. Stick to it. Finish what you start.

18 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Be Reflective Being reflective means using your head to make reasoned and rational decisions. Think ahead to anticipate the consequences of choices. Think back to review what happened. Be in control of your emotions.

19 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Set a Good Example Setting a good example means: Leading by Example – Take the initiative to do what needs to be done. Role-modeling – What you do is more important than what you say.

20 The Six Pillars and Making Ethical Decisions © 2007 Josephson Institute Two Types of Responsibility Personal responsibility Collective responsibility