Brooke Curry

PHIL 210
1/12/11 Smirks, Smiles and Nods

Deciding what’s right and what’s wrong comes from morals and values learned at a

younger age. My parents have instilled common sense rules into my life, since birth, including

smiling at people, always being nice and listening to others. I have followed most of them since

then, but I am only human and depending on the day, I don’t always wear the brightest smile. I

believe that everyone treats people differently and the way you approach every situation decides

if it’s moral or ethical decision. Deciding what’s right and what’s wrong can come from your

morals and values, a gut feeling, listening to friends, following laws or rules and from various

choices along the way.

As a child, my parents tried to teach me how to make good decisions in life. Ultimately it

is my decision in the end. I decide my fate, how I treat people, and how I want to be remembered

after death. I believe that makes huge difference in my life and how others treat me back. People

feel respected when you do the right thing including holding a door, saying thank you, or even

saying you’re welcome. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest impact on

someone’s day. I feel respected when someone smiles, smirks, or even nods in my direction. It

makes me feel like I’m being acknowledged in a genuine way. I think if you show people love it

can create a better atmosphere for everyone around you. One grumpy person can generate havoc

on someone’s day.

I don’t truly understand how I decide what’s right and what’s wrong; it’s just a gut

feeling. It’s something you know you have to do or you will regret it days later. Sometimes I

think I just go for gusto and forget to think about the consequences. My goal should be, to think
before I do anything. I’m the type of person that feels bad many days after if I didn’t smile at

some stranger in the hallway. I will make sure to say hi next time or truthfully, I’ll act like I

don’t see them, hoping they will forget I didn’t say hi. It’s a gut feeling I’ve had since I was little

and my friends used to give me a hard time about it high school. They used to say, “Do you even

know that person? Why would you say hi to them?” I’d just smile and say, “Cause I can.” Like I

said, I didn’t always make smart decisions, especially while choosing my friends. I was the lucky

one, with a great support team at home.

Friends are something everyone should choose wisely. I know I have made poor

decisions in the past about making friends, but I do feel like I have grown as a person and

become wiser about who I hang out with. I believe my roommates and friends are a huge

influence in deciding what’s wrong and what’s right. I sometimes follow the crowd and I know I

shouldn’t, but I am a college student and I try to let loose every once in a while. My roommates

are a good time, but probably not people I should look up to. I respect each of them in their own

way and love them for who they are, though. We all have different personalities, but in the end

we are our own person, make our own decisions and decide our own life.

Abiding laws and rules is another way I make ethical decisions. If I feel like it could hurt

or tarnish my reputation, I won’t do whatever it was I was going to do. If I feel like I could get

into trouble in any sort of way, I won’t do whatever it was I was going to do. And if I feel like it

could hurt someone else or get someone else in trouble, I won’t do whatever is was I was going

to do. It’s a part of life and sometimes, those decisions have to be made everyday. It sucks, but

that’s what life’s all about and learning from your mistakes can make you the person you are

today. At least that’s how I look at it.

 Most of the decisions I make in my day-to-day life are easy compared to others I am

faced with on occasion. Not smoking, doing drugs and drinking are some of the ethics my

parents have instilled in me. I have never smoked or done drugs and that’s something I am very

happy about. I would never steep low enough in my life to want to harm myself in anyway. I get

along with my parents very well and if I did anything to hurt them, I would be so upset. That is

the last thing on earth I would want to do.

One thing my parents have been stressing lately is my resume. They are big believers in

starting your resume early and keeping up with the changes. I have a resume and update it as

often as possible, but have only used it a couple times for a few clubs on campus. I am in Team

GV and GV UNITED, but I might have to quit one of them. Between homework, dance, and

work my life is stressful at times. I’m not feeling sorry for myself because I know everyone else

is in the same position as me with his or her hectic schedules. I just know what is right and

wrong for me and believe quitting one of them will spare me some extra time to focus on other

priorities, including school.

I’d like to believe my methods of utilizing my morals and values, having a gut feeling,

listening to friends, following laws and rules, and making various choices along the way have

made me the person I am today. I think they work for me, but might not work for every other

person. Ethics might mean a lot of things to different people, but to me if just a way of life. You

might not even realize you’re being ethical, until you sit down and think about the decision you

made, right or wrong. I will maintain my reputation and my parent’s respect, along with my own

knowledge of doing what’s right and what’s wrong throughout the rest of my life. I will start buy

thinking before doing.