Quotes by Michael Josephson

“Character is doing the right thing even when it costs more than you want to pay. When it comes to character, you don’t have to be sick to get better. It’s easier for a good person to get better than for a bad person to get good.”

“Ordinary people, even weak people, can do extraordinary things through temporary courage generated by a situation. But the person of character does not need the situation to generate his courage. It is a part of his being and a standard approach to all lifes challenges. We’re all ethical in our own eyes. Although we are usually judged by our last worst act, we usually judge ourselves by our most noble deeds, our best intentions and our most virtuous traits. Character is not a fancy coat we put on for show, it’s who we really are.”

“It’s a sign of troubled times when the concept of “pressure” becomes an acceptable excuse for ethical shortcuts and moral shortcomings. Pressures are just temptations in disguise and it’s never been acceptable to give in to temptation. Ethics is about the way things ought to be, not about the way things are. When it comes to ethics, motive is very important. A person of character does the right thing for the right reason. Compliance is about what we must do; ethics is about what we should do. Ethical people often do more than the law requires and less than it allows. The area of discretion between the legal “must” and the moral “should” tests our character. Noble talk and framed ethics statements are no substitute for principled conduct. The test is doing the right thing.”

“Everything you do sends a message about who you are and what you value”

“How many times do you get to lie before you are a liar?”

“Im happy that they approved it. Its great for those employees and former employees that participated in the lawsuit.”

“The ethical person should do more than he is required to do and less than he is allowed to do.”

When someone is nasty or treats you poorly, dont take it personally. It says nothing about you, but a lot about them.

Dont ask whether its going to be easy. Ask whether its going to be worth it.