Free and Fear Human Groups

ACTIVITY 2  Developing Moral Clarity

Step 1

Spend time individually considering moral clarity and your moral conscience. If we don’t try to minimize ambiguity about our morals, we open the door to immoral behavior. The quest for moral clarity is the quest of our time.

How clear are you about good/bad, right/wrong, free/fear?

How can we organize a meaningful inquiry around freedom, truth, and compassion? What other aspects in your organization require attention?

How can this kind of inquiry help groups decide how and where to direct resources more effectively?

Step 2

Work in groups of 3-4. Have a large sheet of paper on each table. Each group chooses a core values , e.g., freedom, that deserves attention in your organization to strengthen your moral clarity. Write that value on the paper. 

Step 3

Each group rotates spending 7-10 minutes at each table. Make notes or observations on the paper about how and where you think that value could be strengthened within your organization.

Step 4

When the groups have rotated through all of the tables, each person chooses a table.

Discuss with the new group at your table the ideas that have shown up for that issue. Synthesize and add new ideas.

Step 5

All of the tables report back to the whole group to discuss what you have discoverd for each value and as a group in the process of this inquiry.

Mini Scenarios Involving These Ideas

Scenario 1

The union would protect employees who complained of harassment, sometimes. The night custodians in downtown office buildings were often abused by their supervisors, but they were afraid to speak up because they might lose the jobs their families needed. Emil filed complaints and suffered the consequences. Tomas said nothing and Juan kept working so he could get promoted.

Scenario 2

Nikau and Ari and Mateo were brothers who lived with their uncle. They were afraid of their teacher at the English school, and were being graded down for not speaking in class, and kept out of some activities. Their first day, the teacher made harsh, critical comments about their way of speaking. Finally, their uncle had to intervene and meet with the teacher.