How to balance competition with cooperation, sharing with greed and quick fix solutions with long-term plans are discussed with interesting insights.
- There is a spiritual aspect to maintaining good ethics. Dr. Richard Bayer shows how Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism agree on many ways on how to be a good person.
Virtues
Virtues help answer what actions to take in challenging circumstances. It’s much easier not to be swayed by peers if you have spent time planning long-range goals that match your ethics, virtues and character. The virtues of courage, justice, prudence and temperance are explored among others.
Opportunities
It is not as tempting to bite on the next offered opportunity if it doesn’t fit into a solid long-term plan. The author points out how everyone is offered opportunities all the time but that doesn’t mean people have to jump on them.
If new opportunities don’t match with your long-term goals, it will only delay or even stop them from being fulfilled.
Economic Ethics
Economics and ethics are not always combined in business but it works out better for everyone when they are. Some businesses go after what they want regardless of how it affects others.
Many businesses do consider others using good ethics and manage to run their businesses successfully. The Good Person Guidebook: Transforming Your Personal Life clarifies good business practices including examples of how other companies protect human dignity
There is sound advice on how to deal with difficult situations with employees while still maintaining their dignity. This is important for several reasons. One is that if people leave on bad terms, it creates bad vibes throughout the company and morale falls.
- One of the most helpful parts of the book give simple instructions on how to maintain the focus on long-range goals once they’re clarified.
When the direction headed is clear with long-term goals, it also becomes easier to help others while advancing in the direction desired.
Each chapter is clearly concluded with discussion questions to clarify, encourage and explore. There’s also a detailed appendix at the end with convenient step-by-step simple guidelines on how to create your Fifteen and/or Forty-Year Vision Plan®.
Inspirational quotes are scattered liberally throughout The Good Person Guidebook, publisher Five O'Clock books, 2008 to enhance the principles. It’s an inspirational book that calls for realistic and ambitious action while maintaining virtue and ethics.
About Dr. Richard Bayer
Dr. Richard Bayer is the official spokesperson and Chief Operating Officer of The Five O’Clock Club. He’s had numerous guest appearances on shows like CNN, The Today Show and more.
Presently he resides with his wife in Manhattan and works as a professor at Bayview Prison, helping to empower and prepare women for their release.
