What is ethics?

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, ethics is an area of study that deals with ideas about what is
good and bad behavior.
Part of what makes humans unique is our freedom to determine how we’ll act. Whenever we make a
choice, it was possible for us to have made a different one. The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard
captures this sense when he describes standing on the edge of a cliff. The only thing that prevents us from
falling into the void is us – our choice to do otherwise.
Ethics is only possible because we can act against our nature, based on our conscience. It stops us from
simply describing what is likely to happen, and allows us to make judgements about what should happen.
Of all the ways you might act, which is the best? Of all the possibilities, which one should you bring into
reality? That’s the question ethics seeks to answer.

Why do we need to use ethics in communication?

In communicating, we need to determine whether our message is something that will cause a negative or
positive effect to the listeners . Being ethical in communicating means that we are able to make proper use
of our freedom to speak so as to make a good influence to the people who has listened to our message.
Ethical standards in communicating does not only apply to the speaker but as well as the listener or the
receiver of the message by formulating a proper response to the message that has been received from a
certain source. Ethics is needed in communication for the speaker and listener to have a proper balance in
sending and receiving information.

What situations might arise if you are not ethical in your communication practices?

Without using ethics in our communication practices, it easy to start misunderstandings that can cause
conflicts between people. Unethical use of communication may also rob people of their right to know
accurate information because some people are not saying the truth and are embellishing them with some
exaggeration so as to make it more interesting without considering the gossip or social issue that may arise
from the things that they are saying. In other words, unethical communication disrupts peace and order in
the community.