Passion Struck with John R. Miles - Why a Strong Moral Compass Is Vital to Your Future Self w/John R.Miles EP 259

Episode Date: February 24, 2023

I get many questions from the Passion Struck community on the topic of morality. Questions like: How can I prioritize the values and principles that are most important to me and utilize them in my decision-making? What approach do I take when faced with moral dilemmas, and what factors impact my decision-making process? How do I reconcile conflicting moral beliefs or values? To what extent do my cultural, social, and personal experiences influence my moral beliefs and behavior? On Momentum Friday, let’s answer these as we dive deep into understanding why a strong moral compass is vital to your future self! And in case you didn't already know it, John R. Miles (@John_R_Miles) takes your comments and questions for Momentum Friday right here every week! If you want him to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Momentum Friday episodes, drop us a line at [e-mail]. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://passionstruck.com/strong-moral-compass-vital-to-your-future-self/  What I Discuss About Why a Strong Moral Compass is Vital to Your Future Self In this episode, I delve into the components of a strong moral compass. I will examine the field of moral psychology and the ongoing debate surrounding the subjectivity versus objectivity of morality. Additionally, I will explore the process of determining one's personal code of ethics, including the various sources of morality that may influence an individual's decision-making. Furthermore, I will address methods of integrating these principles into daily life and the potential obstacles that may arise when attempting to adhere to them. Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at [e-mail]! Connect with John on Twitter at @John_RMiles and on Instagram at @john_R_Miles. Prefer to watch this episode: https://youtu.be/au-35OQayuA  Subscribe to our main YouTube Channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnRMiles Subscribe to our YouTube Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@passionstruckclips Brought to you by Indeed. --► For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to: https://passionstruck.com/deals/  Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally! Want to find your purpose in life? I provide my six simple steps to achieving it - passionstruck.com/5-simple-steps-to-find-your-passion-in-life/ Want to hear my best interviews from 2022? Check out episode 233 on intentional greatness and episode 234 on intentional behavior change. Learn more about John: https://johnrmiles.com/ 

Coming up next on the PassionStruck podcast, having a moral compass is essential to living an intentional life because it provides a framework for making decisions and guides us to behaving in a manner consistent with our values and beliefs. Welcome to PassionStruck. Hi, I'm your host, John Armeyles, and on the show, we decipher the secrets, tips, and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you.

Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best version of yourself. If you're new to the show, I offer advice and answer listener questions on Fridays. We have long form interviews, the rest of the week with guest ranging from astronauts to authors, CEOs, creators, innovators, scientists, military leaders, visionaries, and athletes.

Now, let's go out there and become PassionStruck. Hello everyone and welcome back to Momentum Friday, an episode 259 of PassionStruck. And thank you, each and every one of you who comes back weekly to listen and learn, how to live better, be better, and impact the world. And if you're new to the show listen and learn, had a live better, be better, and impact the world. If you're new to the show, thank you so much for being here, or you simply want to introduce this to friends or family members, we now have episode starter packs, which are collections of our fans' favorite episodes, that we organize and to convene your topics to give any new listener

a great way to get acquainted to everything we do here on the show. Either go to Spotify or PassionStruck.com slash starter packs to get started. And in case you missed it, earlier in the week, I interviewed Oksana Masters, who is the most decorated, her Olympic Winter Medalist, and we discuss her new memoir, The Hard Parts. I also interviewed Dr. Mark Heimann, who is one of the pioneers in functional medicine, host of the Doctor's Pharmacy Podcast, and a 14-time New York Times best-selling author, and we discuss his latest book, Young Forever.

I also wanted to recognize our fan of the week from Great Britain, Alex Fried, who writes, Life Changing. I love this podcast. It has been sitting in my library for a long time, and I finally decided to start listening to it. Some of these topics are things that have been on my mind. Things have been put into perspective and have affirmed the thoughts that have been running in my head for months now.

I am so glad that I found it and have been listening non-stop. Thank you John. Well thank you Alex, so much for writing that review and thank you to each and every one of you who gives us ratings and reviews which goes such a long way and bringing more people into the passion struck community where we can give them weekly doses of inspiration, hope, connection, and meaning. Now, let's talk about today's episode. Many individuals claim to have a clear understanding of right and wrong, and trust their intuition to make sound judgments. A strong moral compass is essential to life, but staying true to our values and beliefs can be challenging and leads to the following questions that I have received over time from the passion-struct community.

Questions like, what values and principles should I hold most dear and how do they guide my decision-making? How do I approach moral dilemmas and what factors influence my decision-making process and my consistent and my moral beliefs and behaviors or do I act differently in some situations? How do my actions and decisions impact others, and am I taking responsibility for my actions and their consequences? Do I hold myself to the same moral standards that I expect from others? How do I reconcile conflicting moral values or beliefs?

How do my cultural, social, and personal experiences shape my moral beliefs and behavior? How can I be sure that my moral compass leads me in the right direction, particularly when others have opposing viewpoints? In today's Momentum Friday episode, I'll tackle all these questions and explore what it means to have a strong moral compass and its components. I'll discuss moral psychology and whether morality is subjective or objective. I will then tackle how you determine your own code of ethics. Sources of morality that may influence your choices, ways to practice these principles in everyday

life and challenges one may face when trying to stick to them. Thank you for choosing PassionStruck and choosing me to be your host and guide on your journey to creating an intentional life. Now, let that journey begin. A strong moral compass is an internal guide for making decisions and living a life of integrity. It can be thought of as a set of principles or standards. That one lives by to determine, right or wrong, good or bad, and how to act in any given situation? A strong moral compass can help people make better choices. Build stronger relationships with others and lead more meaningful lives. Our moral compasses ever shifting and mysterious guide our past through life, influencing what

we do today and what will come tomorrow and beyond. Our present day choices shape our future selves more than anything else does, having a strong sense of morality, and helping sure that you remain true to yourself. Over time, while also helping, you become a better version of yourself every day going forward in your future endeavors. The components of a strong moral compass include self-awareness, integrity, respect for others, empathy towards those who are different from us, responsibility for our actions and words, humility, kindness, courage, honesty, fairness, justice, loyalty to family and friends, generosity with time and resources and compassion for the

suffering around us. These values form the foundation from which we build our character, the person that we want ourselves to be each day and help us live according to our conscience, rather than just following society's norms without question. Having a strong moral compass is essential to living an intentional life because it provides a framework for making decisions and guides us towards behaving in a manner that's consistent with our values and beliefs. It enables us to distinguish between right and wrong and helps us to navigate complex ethical dilemmas. A strong moral compass, aster's personal integrity, and character and is essential to developing a sense of self. It can also provide a sense of purpose and direction as we strive to live in accordance with our principles. Furthermore, a strong moral compass can contribute to positive, personal, and professional relationships, enabling us to establish trust and respect with others.

It can also foster a sense of empathy and compassion, as we strive to treat others with fairness and dignity. But what happens if you're not guided by a strong inner compass? At an individual level, a lack of a moral compass can lead to a sense of confusion and uncertainty, making it difficult to make decisions or establish a sense of purpose. This can lead to feelings of aimlessness and a lack of direction in life. Without a strong sense of right or wrong, individuals may be more likely to engage in unethical or immoral behavior, which can harm themselves and others. In addition, a lack of a moral compass can damage personal relationships, as it can be

challenging to establish trust and respect with others. If a robust set of values and principles does not guide one's behavior at a societal level, the absence of a moral compass can lead to a breakdown in social cohesion and trust. Without a set of ethical values, individuals and groups may have different ideas about what is right and wrong, leading to conflict and division. This can undermine social institutions and lead to a breakdown in the rule of law. Moreover, a lack of a moral compass can lead to social and environmental harm, as organizations and individuals prioritize self-interest over the well-being of others or of the planet. This can lead to exploitation, discrimination,

and environmental degradation. Not having a strong moral compass can severely impact individuals on society, undermining personal and social well-being, and contributing to social injustice and environmental harm. So now let's dive into the sources of morality. Morality comprises a system of principles and convictions that steer our conduct. It assists us in determining what is ethical or unethical, right or wrong, and how to lead a life of honesty. The sources of morality are numerous, and can include religion and spirituality, cultural conventions and principles, as well as individual experiences and introspection.

Let's explore each of them. Religion and spirituality is an important source of morality for many people. Different religions have their own moral codes, which may include teachings on how to treat others with respect or abstain from certain activities, such as drinking alcohol or gambling. Spiritual practices such as meditation and also help individuals cultivate inner peace by connecting them to a higher power or greater truth beyond the physical world. Next, let's look at cultural norms and traditions.

Cultural norms refer to accepted practices within a particular society or group that are considered normal or appropriate in that context. For example, it's generally accepted in most cultures, not to steal from one another because it goes against the idea of fairness between members of society. Similarly, some cultures have specific traditions around marriage ceremonies, which may involve exchanging gifts between families or wearing traditional clothing during the ceremony itself, and personal experiences can also shape our understanding of morality. By providing us with real life examples, we can learn from either directly or indirectly, additionally taking time for self-reflection allows us to explore our thoughts more deeply, enabling us to better understand why we believe what we do when it comes to making moral decisions in different situations throughout life. So now that I've covered what constitutes a strong moral compass,

its components, the benefits, and the sources of morality. Let's dive in to the psychology of morality. Moral psychology examines the origin and development of human morality and aims to understand how humans make moral judgments. It examines the psychological processes and mechanisms that underlie moral reasoning and behavior, including the role of emotions, social influences, and cognitive functions. It seeks to answer questions such as, how do people determine what is right and wrong, what motivates individuals to act morally, or how do social and cultural factors influence moral decision-making? Dr. Leanne Young, an associate professor of psychology at Boston College, believes that the study of moral psychology can profoundly impact how

humans interact. Because if we can understand the different sources of morality, we could work towards a society that's built around empathy. Studying moral psychology allows us access to others' perspectives. Dr. Young explains knowing that there is this complex space of moral psychology that help us understand where other people are coming from. Psychology can also help us analyze our own moral development and personal biases. For example, our relationship with someone who engages in morally wrong or harmful behavior, we may feel torn between two opposing sources, a rescue stance and a blame stance. The rescue stance involves offering help and compassion to the other person without holding

them accountable for their actions, which can be disempowering. In contrast, the blame stance consists of holding the person accountable for their behavior, but withholding help and compassion, and instead resorting to criticism, punishment, and stigmatization. Dr. Picard says that the responsibility without blame stance offers a middle ground. It focuses on holding the person accountable for their actions, and agency while also showing compassion and developing practices of accountability that encourage them to do things differently in the future. This stance is directed towards the person's future and how to support them in making

positive changes rather than condemning them for their past behavior. It recognizes that people can have agency and be accountable while still deserving compassion and support. Underlying all of our moral values is a complex web of external influences and experiences that shape who we are today. To truly understand our moral compass, it is essential to learn precisely how it found north, which leads to the question of whether morality is subjective or objective. In today's interconnected world, morality is being stretched to cover more interactions than ever before. Social media, for example,

exposes us to various people with differing moral codes, and while we may think our principles are fixed, we often don't apply them consistently with loved ones and strangers. Additionally, we may apply them differently to those close to us versus those far away, including family friends, acquaintances, and strangers with conflicting beliefs. This raises the fundamental question, is our moral compass subjective or objective? Some psychologists and philosophers argue that our moral compass is entirely subjective, meaning that it is based solely on personal beliefs, attitudes, and cultural contexts. From this perspective, what is considered right or wrong is relative to the individual or

cultural group that they belong to. Others argue that our moral compass is objective, which is based on objective ethical principles or values independent of personal beliefs, attitudes, and cultural contexts. In this view, our moral compass reflects universal moral truths that apply to all people, regardless of their personal or cultural backgrounds. There is also a middle ground between these two different stances, suggesting that our moral compass involves subjective and objective elements. From this perspective, our moral intuitions are based on innate human tendencies, or a sense

of fairness grounded in human nature. However, our moral judgments also involve subjective elements, such as individual perspectives and cultural contexts. Overall, the nature of our moral compass is still a matter of philosophical and psychological debate, and there is yet to be a consensus answer. Yet, each individual needs to have their own personal moral code, because each of us has different life experiences, which shape our views of morality, differently than the views that others may have. So no two people will ever have the exact same set of morals, guiding them through life's decisions and challenges.

Now with that backdrop, let's examine some examples of strong moral compasses. Individuals with a robust moral compass exhibit traits such as unwavering conviction, taking responsibility for their actions, practicing honesty, showing respect to everyone irrespective of their differences, and consistently striving to do what is right even in the most challenging circumstances. For instance, the Dalai Lama, whose renowned dedication to peacebuilding and steadfast adherence to Buddhism, is a source of admiration for millions around the world, or Mahatma Gandhi, whose leadership was rooted in non-violence. He brought about significant change throughout India during its struggle for independence from Great Britain, a testament today of morality and action

without resorting to violence. Another example from everyday life would be someone who chooses not to lie, even if it could benefit them financially, because lying goes against their personal value system of possessing integrity. Another example might be someone who chooses not to engage in gossip, even though everyone else around them does, as this violates their sense of respect for others. In both cases, these individuals have chosen what feels right over what may seem easier or more popular, a decision guided by their own inner voice instead of external pressures from peers or society at

large. Possessing an ethical bearing enables us to remain dedicated to our convictions and motivation, guiding us as we settle on choices throughout everyday life. By understanding why having a moral compass is important, we can take the next step in living in intentional life. Now I will delve into how you can determine your own moral compass. A moral code gives us the guidance and direction to make decisions that align with our values and beliefs as I've discussed before. Knowing what your moral code is, however, can be difficult if you have yet to take the time to identify it. I recommend three steps to determine your moral code, identifying your values and beliefs,

understanding the difference between right and wrong, and then making decisions based on those values and beliefs. So let's go through each one of these, starting with identifying your values and beliefs before developing a moral code of conduct. It's important to understand what matters most to you in life. Take some time to reflect on what kind of person you want to be. Consider qualities such as honesty, kindness, empathy, or respect.

Then consider how these traits could shape your behavior in different situations that you might find yourself in. Once you have identified the most important values, use them as a guide when making decisions going forward. Next, comprehend the difference between right and wrong while having strong personal convictions is essential for living an intentional life. It's important to realize that not all choices

are black and white when it comes to morality. There may be times when doing something right may mean sacrificing something else that matters deeply like family or friendship. So, take some time to consider all angles before deciding on a course of action. And once you've identified which principles matter most in guiding your actions, whether they come from religion or spirituality or simply from within yourself, try using them as

criteria for evaluating potential courses of action when faced with tough life decisions. This will help ensure that whatever choice you make reflects who you truly are, rather than following someone else's lead, without considering the implications for yourself personally. So let's now go into how do you practice the moral compass in everyday life, being accountable for your actions, setting boundaries with others, and taking responsibility for your choices are all essential components of this practice. It's easy to blame external factors when things don't go our way, but it's important to take ownership of our mistakes and learn from them. Taking accountability means realizing the consequences of our decisions both good and bad.

This helps us to grow as individuals, understanding how we can improve ourselves going forward. This leads us to setting boundaries with others. Knowing what you will or won't, except from others, is an important element of maintaining healthy relationships. Setting boundaries allows us to protect ourselves while also respecting the needs of others around us. This could mean saying no to requests compromising our values or drawing clear lines between personal and professional interactions at work or in school. Making conscious decisions based on your moral values is key to leading a morally sound life. You must be willing to own up to the consequences, to come with each choice that you make, whether they lead us closer to achieving our goals or

farther away from them entirely. It's still up to you alone how you choose to act in any given situation. By practicing these three principles regularly, you can stay true to who you are while navigating through daily challenges without compromising your integrity. By being accountable for your actions, setting the appropriate boundaries with others, and taking responsibility for your choices, you can ensure that you remain on a path of moral righteousness. Strengthening one's moral compass is a personal and ongoing process, but here are some ways to enhance it. The first is self-reflection.

Engage in introspection and self-reflection to clarify your values and beliefs. Consider what is most important to you, what you stand for, and what ethical principles guide your actions. Second, read and learn. Expand your knowledge and understanding of ethics. Morality in various philosophical and spiritual traditions. This can help you develop a more nuanced and informed perspective on issues and principles. Third, seek out diverse perspectives. Expose yourself to a variety of viewpoints, and opinions including those that differ from your own. This can help you to develop empathy, understanding, and respect for others, even if you don't always agree with them.

Fourth, practice empathy and compassion. Put yourself and other shoes, and consider how your actions may impact them. Treat others with empathy, kindness, and compassion, even in challenging situations. Fifth, act with integrity, consistently act in accordance with your values, and ethical principles, even when it may be difficult or inconvenient. This builds personal integrity and reinforces your commitment to your moral compass. Sixth, engage in ethical discussions, participate in discussions and debates about ethical issues with others to refine your own thinking and learn from others' perspectives.

Strengthening your moral compass involves ongoing reflection, learning, practice, and a commitment to acting with integrity and empathy. So I've discussed a lot with you on how you build a strong moral compass. Let me summarize today's episode for you. Your perspectives on morality can shift over time due to life experiences, sometimes leading you in unexpected directions. Regularly assessing where you stand morally makes it easier to identify when changes need to be made so that your actions align with what matters most. The actions that you take today shape who

you become tomorrow. If you choose to act according to your morals, you will benefit in the long run, even if the rewards aren't immediately apparent. Conversely, taking shortcuts or compromising your values can have severe negative consequences. Therefore, it's crucial to maintain a clear sense of direction and avoid short-sighted decisions that may lead to future pitfalls.

Cultivating this inter-compos leads to self-growth, promotes leadership qualities, and leads you to live intentionally in every aspect of your life. Take action today by exploring ways to create a moral compass within yourself. I hope you all enjoyed the show, and I wanted to thank all those who ask questions that formed the foundation for today's episode. And of course, everyone who listened, a link to the transcript will be in the show notes. Videos are on YouTube, at PassionStructClips or John Armiles. Advertiser deals and discount codes are in one convenient place at passionstruct.com, slash deals. Please consider supporting those who support the show. I'm at John Armiles.

I'm both Twitter and Instagram, and you can also find me on LinkedIn. You're about to hear a preview of the PassionStruck podcast interview I did with Steven Kotler, who is a repeat New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the executive director of the Flow Research Center. He is one of the world's leading experts

on the science of human performance, and we discuss his great new book, Narra Country. The number one correlate for health and longevity and successful aging for good peak performance at just successful aging. Strong legs. It's weird, but even in terms of cognitive benefits and preserved brain function, strong legs. There's a number of reasons they think that might be the case, but it doesn't change the fact that like, wow, my quadriceps, my amp strings, my calves are going to determine the quality of second half of my life in a really big way. The fee for this show is that you share it with family or friends when you find something

inspirational, interesting, or useful. If you know someone who is struggling with how to find a moral compass, then definitely share the day's episode with them. The greatest compliment that you can give us is to share the show with those that you care about. In the meantime do your best to apply what you hear on the show so that you can live what you listen. And until next time, live life action struck. you