𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮

Some actions may seem morally acceptable to an individual but are considered ethically inappropriate when viewed through a broader professional or societal lens.

For instance, a male teacher might insist that touching a female student on seemingly innocent spots, such as the shoulder or arm, is simply a friendly or caring gesture.

However, this can so easily be flagged as inappropriate. Why? A teacher occupies a position of authority, and the physical gestures they make, however innocent they may seem to them, carry a different significance because of the power dynamics involved.

Students may feel intimidated or unable to speak up, even when the behavior makes them uncomfortable. He might even say, “My conscience bears me witness.” But that statement only holds weight if the conscience they refer to is well-formed and properly informed. Ethical lines can be crossed, even when no harm was intended.

This can happen to “papas” during prayer sessions in churches or to a boss at the office. Some of these unmarried authority figures have very bad ethics and can even invite females to their houses alone. They may believe there is nothing wrong with it and may argue that everyone else has a dirty mind, but his intentions are pure. And maybe, in their moral framework, they feel justified. But ethically, the behavior is inappropriate.

So people are not overreacting; you are rather underthinking ethics in the workplace. Even Scripture says, “Do not let your good be evil spoken of.” That is not just a verse. It is a call to wisdom, appropriateness, and accountability.

Ethics are not just about what you mean. They are about how your actions are perceived in a shared space where others are watching, learning, and often vulnerable. I won’t even go into the darker consequences this kind of boundary-blurring can lead to. We've seen them. And too often, they start subtly, wrapped in “good intentions.”

So let us draw the line early. Because at the end of the day, there is a real and necessary difference between what feels morally right to you and what is ethically right in a world where we are all responsible to one another.