How do YOU decide what's right? 3.0

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  1. Which one of the following statements (pick 1) BEST represents your beliefs? When trying to decide what's right, I focus on...

  • A.
    A. ... choosing the action that will lead to the best overall outcomes for the greatest number of those impacted.
  • B.
    B. ... asking myself, "What if everyone did this? Would that be a good principle for everyone to follow?"
  • C.
    C. ... consulting with others who can help me consider a variety of helpful perspectives.
  • D.
    D. ... how it will affect me.
  • E.
    E. ... treating others as I/they would want to be treated.
  • F.
    F. ... what type of person I should be (e.g., honest, fair, compassionate).
• 2.
  2. Which one of the following statements (pick 1) BEST represents your beliefs? What's right is...

  • A.
    A. ... to behave toward others as we’d want them to behave toward us.
  • B.
    B. ... doing what’s in my self-interest, regardless of what others may want.
  • C.
    C. ... developing and practicing good personal qualities to guide how we live.
  • D.
    D. ... doing what leads to the most overall benefit and the least overall harm.
  • E.
    E. ... following through on our responsibilities and respecting everyone’s rights.
  • F.
    F. ... listening to a range of reasonable viewpoints to make better, less biased decisions.
• 3.
  3. Which one of the following statements (pick 1) BEST represents your beliefs?

  • A.
    A. In this competitive world, we just need to look out for ourselves.
  • B.
    B. As long as someone is gathering a variety of reasonable opinions before making a decision, they will make a more informed decision.
  • C.
    C. We should care for others the way we’d want to be cared for.
  • D.
    D. As long as someone is living in line with good values (e.g., respect, compassion, fairness, etc.) they are living well.
  • E.
    E. Trying our best to do the right thing matters, even if the result turns out to be bad.
  • F.
    F. Someone can try to do the right thing, but if it causes more harm than good, their intent does not really matter.
• 4.
  4. Which one of the following statements (pick 1) BEST represents your beliefs?

  • A.
    A. Avoid being unfair, disrespectful, dishonest and unkind.
  • B.
    B. Avoid doing something that will cause more negative results than positive ones.
  • C.
    C. Avoid using others to accomplish your goals, no matter how positive your goals are.
  • D.
    D. Avoid just relying on your own thoughts and feelings about what you should do.
  • E.
    E. Avoid being concerned about others- just focus on what will benefit yourself.
  • F.
    F. Avoid treating others in ways they wouldn’t want to be treated.
• 5.
  5. You observe someone being bullied. Which one of the following statements (pick 1) BEST represents your beliefs? I should do...

  • A.
    A. ... what everyone should do in this situation (e.g., stand up against injustice).
  • B.
    B. ... what a compassionate, fair, respectful and responsible person would do.
  • C.
    C. ... what will create the greatest overall good and the least overall harm.
  • D.
    D. ... what I would want someone to do for me if I were in their situation.
  • E.
    E. ... my best to consider multiple perspectives and check my biases.
  • F.
    F. ... what will help me the most.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Otter's Character

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on OTTER's CHARACTER (Green), represented by Olly the Otter. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why an Otter? Otters are known for being intelligent, sociable, adaptable, and curious. People who prefer the Character focus (Green Otter) are curious about the various personal characteristics that make someone a good person and try to develop these qualities in themselves and others. Why Green? Green is one of the 3 primary colors of light (green, red & blue), just as the Character focus is one of the 3 primary areas of ethical decision-making in moral philosophy (Character, Code and Consequences). By combining the three primary ethical focus areas-- Otter’s Character, Hawk’s Code, and Wolf’s Consequences-- you can more clearly light your way forward. This helps you benefit from the strengths of each approach and balance out the challenges of relying too heavily on just one approach. Strengths: You care about developing qualities like respect, compassion, responsibility, and fairness; virtues that many agree are essential for living a good life. You also consider personal motivations like family, friendship, care, and love. A Character focus values personal relationships and situational nuances that other approaches may overlook (for example, helping a close friend even if it means helping fewer people overall) -- other focus areas may not always see this as a strength. You use your judgment to navigate complex situations rather than just following consistent codes or calculating results. Challenges: A Character focus does not always provide clear guidance about which virtues to prioritize, which can make it difficult to resolve conflicts between important virtues. For example, is courage always good, even for a harmful cause? Also, different cultures or communities may disagree about which qualities really count as “good character.” Furthermore, it may be hard to decide what to do when virtues conflict -- for instance, it can be difficult to be both compassionate and directly honest with a friend who asks your opinion about their new hairstyle (which you think is terrible). Combining this focus with other approaches (like Hawk’s CODE and Wolf’s CONSEQUENCES) can help balance these challenges — this is called ethical pluralism. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred animal/color. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/otter. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Hawk’s Code-Red; Wolf’s Consequences-Blue) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.
• 2.
  Hawk's Code

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on HAWK's CODE (Red), represented by Hadley the Hawk. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why a Hawk? Hawks are known for being highly focused and avoiding distractions. People who prefer the Code focus (Red Hawk) direct their attention to consistent principles that should guide our actions and help protect people’s rights. Why Red? Red is one of the 3 primary colors of light (green, red & blue), just as the Code focus is one of the 3 primary areas of ethical decision-making in moral philosophy (Character, Code and Consequences). By combining the three primary ethical focus areas — Otter’s Character, Hawk’s Code, and Wolf’s Consequences — you can more clearly light your way forward. This helps you benefit from the strengths of each approach and balance out the challenges of relying too heavily on just one approach. Strengths: You care about our obligations to each other and look for principles that could apply to everyone, universal Codes that help guide fair and consistent actions (e.g., keeping promises, helping others in need). You believe individual rights and human dignity matter and that we should never just use or exploit others to achieve our own goals. You also value our motivations and intent, not just the outcomes of our actions -- other focus areas may not always see this as a strength. Challenges: A Code focus doesn’t always give clear guidance when different principles conflict (for example, when “keeping your promise” to help a friend with a presentation means you can’t “help others in need” when another friend urgently asks for help). Some Codes may seem too rigid in extreme situations (e.g., is stealing always wrong, even to save a life?). Focusing only on rules and duty may also feel incomplete. For example, it seems that there’s often more to living a good life than just following codes, like helping others because you genuinely care, not just because a principle says you should. Combining this focus with other approaches (e.g., Otter’s CHARACTER and Wolf’s CONSEQUENCES) can help balance these challenges — this is called ethical pluralism. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred animal/color. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/hawk. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Otter’s Character-Green; Wolf’s Consequences-Blue) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.
• 3.
  Wolf's Consequences

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on WOLF's CONSEQUENCES (Blue), represented by Whitley the Wolf. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why a Wolf? Wolves are known for their dedication to what’s best for the larger pack and for being adaptable. People who prefer the Consequences focus think beyond just their immediate circle, like a wolf who cares for the whole ecosystem, not just their pack. This approach highlights the overall results of our actions (good and bad) for the greatest number impacted. Why Blue? Blue is one of the 3 primary colors of light (green, red & blue), just as the Consequences focus is one of the 3 primary areas of ethical decision-making in moral philosophy (Character, Code and Consequences). By combining the three primary ethical focus areas — Otter’s Character, Hawk’s Code, and Wolf’s Consequences — you can more clearly light your way forward. This helps you benefit from the strengths of each approach and balance out the challenges of relying too heavily on just one approach. Strengths: You care about weighing the overall impact (good and bad) of your actions, not just for yourself, but for everyone affected, now and in the future. You care about getting good results and doing what creates the greatest good for the greatest number. You believe that outcomes matter more than intentions alone. You also care about being impartial-- other focus areas may not always see this as a strength. Challenges: A Consequences focus can sometimes ignore or violate individual rights if doing so benefits the larger group (e.g., doing what’s best for the majority can come at the expense of a less powerful minority; this is often called the “tyranny of the majority”). Also, our predictions about future results can be very wrong. In addition, there may be more to living well than just calculating outcomes-- like helping someone because you genuinely care, not just because it maximizes overall benefit. Combine this focus with others (e.g., Otter’s CHARACTER and Hawk’s CODE) to balance these challenges — this is called ethical pluralism. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred animal/color. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/wolf. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Otter’s Character-Green; Hawk’s Code-Red) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.
• 4.
  Bear's Care

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on BEAR's CARE (Yellow/Gold), represented by Bailey the Bear. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why a Bear? Bears are known for being nurturing and protective-- consider a mother bear caring for her cubs. People who prefer the Care focus care deeply about understanding others’ needs, maintaining caring relationships, and treating people with empathy and compassion. Why Yellow/Gold? Yellow light is made by combining two of the three primary colors of light: green and red. Similarly, the Care focus blends two of the three main areas of ethical decision-making in moral philosophy: Character (green) and Code (red). The Care focus combines caring personal qualities (Character) with a respect for universal moral concern (Code), such as the Golden Rule or Platinum Rule. You can also combine different ethical focus areas-- for example, Bear’s Care with Wolf’s Consequences (blue), to more clearly light your way forward. Strengths: You care about understanding others’ experiences and treating them with empathy and compassion. You focus on caring for people in ways that honor their unique circumstances and needs. You value restraint and resist retaliation-- for example, treating others with care even when they don’t treat you the same way (i.e., treating others how you’d/they’s want to be treated). You value relationships and want people to feel understood and respected. Challenges: It can be difficult to truly know how others want to be treated, especially if you don’t know them well. A Care focus can also unintentionally lead to unfairness or injustice if compassion overrides other important considerations. For example, a judge who only asks, “How can I treat others how I/they would like to be treated?” might not hold someone accountable for harmful actions because they wouldn’t want to be held accountable themselves. Combine this focus with others (e.g., Wolf’s CONSEQUENCES (thinking about the broader impact) or the Elephant CONSULTant (seeking other perspectives)) to help balance these challenges — this is called ethical pluralism. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred animal/color. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/bear. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Wolf’s Consequences-Blue; Elephant Consultant-Grey/Silver) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.
• 5.
  Elephant Consultant

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on the ELEPHANT CONSULTant (Grey/Silver), represented by Elly the Elephant. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why an Elephant? Elephants are known for their intelligence and deep concern for one another. People who prefer the Consult focus value seeking different perspectives and wise advice from others. Also, the “elephant in the room” (i.e., the big problem we often avoid talking about) is that each of us needs input from others to catch what we’re missing and counteract our harmful, and often hidden, biases. Why Grey/Silver? Grey light is made by blending all three primary colors of light: green, red, and blue. Similarly, the Consult focus brings together the three main areas of ethical decision-making in moral philosophy: Character (green), Code (red), and Consequences (blue). Good consultation brings these perspectives together to more clearly light the way forward. Strengths: You care about gathering different perspectives so you can avoid harmful biases (like the self-serving bias or groupthink) and broaden your understanding. You seek to uncover your own biases by listening to people whose experiences and views differ from your own. You know that wise advice can reveal options you might overlook on your own. Challenges: A Consult focus doesn’t tell us who to consult, and those we consult with can have their own harmful biases (for example, we may not realize that a friend has unfair beliefs about certain groups). How many perspectives are enough? Gathering too many conflicting opinions can make it harder to act. Also, what should we do when those we consult strongly disagree (for example, different people give you different views on who deserves more assistance or funding)? Consultation is valuable for seeing options, but we still need other focus areas to decide what’s right. Combine this focus with others (like Wolf’s CONSEQUENCES and Bear’s CARE) to balance these challenges — this is called ethical pluralism. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred animal/color. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/elephant. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Bear’s Care-Yellow/Gold; Wolf’s Consequences-Blue) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.
• 6.
  Egoism's Mirror

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  Your answers indicate that you focus on Ethical Egoism (Dark Blue), represented by a mirror. Note: this is not a personality assessment- your focus area(s) can change over time. Why a Mirror? A mirror represents a focus on the self alone, looking only at how choices benefit you. Those with a focus on Ethical Egoism may ask themselves: “How will this benefit me?” Ethical Egoism can be seen as a very narrow version of the Consequences focus (Blue Wolf) that looks only at results for oneself, like a “lone wolf” focused only on personal gain, rather than the greater good. Why Dark Blue? As mentioned above, Ethical Egoism is related to the Consequences focus, which is represented in Take5 by the color Blue (Blue Wolf). Since Ethical Egoism limits its concern strictly to consequences for the self, not broader consequences, the color is dark blue to show it’s further from the full spectrum of light (white light). Strengths: Life is not only about giving up what we want or need. We do have some responsibility to look out for ourselves, and each of us often knows what will benefit us better than others do. We may need to stand up for ourselves or protect our own well-being. However, there can be serious downsides if our own interests are all we consider. Challenges: Ethical Egoism doesn’t condemn harmful actions, as long as they benefit the self (for example, a pharmacy intern secretly diluting cancer medication to sell the extra for profit; patients are harmed, but the intern benefits as long as they don't get caught). Ethical Egoism also fails to resolve conflicts of interest. If what’s right is only to look out for oneself, then it would be “right” for two candidates running for the same office to sabotage each other’s campaigns, and “right” for each to stop the other from doing so. Furthermore, Ethical Egoism gives my interests unfair preference over others’ interests, even though we all have the capacity for happiness and suffering. What makes my well-being more important than someone else’s? Most philosophers argue that Ethical Egoism ultimately fails as a theory of morality. Next Steps: 1. Remember the strengths and challenges of your preferred focus. See more details and examples at: take5.gmu.edu/animals/wolf/mirror. 2. Explore other focus areas (e.g., Otter’s Character-Green; Hawk’s Code-Red) to balance your approach — visit take5.gmu.edu/animals. 3. Use our Take5 Card (take5.gmu.edu/ethics-card) and practice asking multiple questions like:  • What kind of person should I be? (Character-Green Otter)  • What if everyone did this? (Code-Red Hawk)  • Who might be helped or harmed? (Consequences-Blue Wolf) 4. Request a FREE workshop (for Mason students, faculty, and staff) to learn more. Email: nlennon@gmu.edu.