In writing virtually anything, there exist ethical concerns that are addressed, whether consciously or subconsciously, according to John Duffy’s article “Writing Involves Making Ethical Choices”. These concerns do not exist on a moral compass in the sense of virtue or righteous alignment. No, the ethics to be examined are the same ethics that accompany any human interaction; ethics such as consideration, truth, context, intent, empathy, and so on. As both readers and writers, we have ethical duties and obligations that are inextricably linked with any written medium we might find ourselves interacting with.
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as writers?
- CONTEXT – One of the responsibilities I feel carries primacy in writing is providing context. Much like holding a conversation, without context there is no point (or at least no tangible one) to follow or build upon. To assume the reader is going to know what the author is trying to convey implies a disingenuous, if not arrogant, disposition. If a reader is to put forth the effort of decoding what your message is, then in turn you owe it to your audience that your message is assembled in a coherent structure with sufficient information provided to make sense of your message.
- TONE – Tone must always be considered in all forms of communication. Tone gives an additional layer of subliminal meaning to any given arrangement of words, in such a fashion that can completely change the way your words are perceived, regardless of your intent. “YEAH RIGHT!” and “Yeah, right.”, are the same words, but notice how wildly different the meaning becomes when the tone is adjusted. Your tone will always supersede your intent, so practice caution when exercising what tone you choose in communicating your message— you are not afforded the luxury of dictating what your words mean to the person receiving them.
- RESPECT- It is never prudent to berate your audience, nor does it serve to treat them as inept, mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, troglodytes. For your message to not only be received, but also considered, you must understand your desired audience and treat them accordingly, always writing with empathy and dignity. “Respect is earned, not given!”, my father would always tell me, parroting one of the many mantras ingrained within his psyche from over 20 years of service with the U.S. Marine Corps. And truer words have not been spoken— would you hear even a breath out of me after I had just finished belittling you or your intelligence?
What are three ethical responsibilities we have as readers?
- STUDIOUSNESS- Often in reading, a word will appear that is entirely unfamiliar and not included in our syntax. It is the reader’s responsibility to give this new word meaning by merit of research. In ignoring the word and drawing assumptions of what it could mean, you might instead end up perverting the author’s message completely by not understanding what the word actually means. The benefits of a scholarly demeanor in reading are 2-fold: learning new words will only ever expand your vocabulary arsenal, thus adding color and flavor to your own writing and ensures that you are accurately receiving the author’s message [and any other message in which the word may appear in the future] in its full intended glory.
- RESOLVE- It is paramount that you see through any piece of literature you are reading until the very end. A point may not be made immediately apparent in the beginning [pending the penmanship of the writer], and may only be realized by spending a sizable portion of the writing building context and narrative. It is impossible to know what the author is trying to instill upon their audience if the audience is unwilling to finish the work.
- EMPATHY- A great deal of patience and understanding is necessary in reading, as it is incredibly unlikely the author wrote their piece with only your values, morals, and virtues, in mind. Understanding doesn’t always mean acceptance, but by keeping an open mind you might learn a new way of thinking in a manner that was previously non-existent. In denying the author validity based on your own opposed subjective principles, you are only impeding upon your potential for personal growth and development. Conflict in all forms, both written and spoken, must be handled with poise, rationale, and critical thought; else you will never see the forest for the trees.
The duties and obligations of a reader and writer are subject to change pending what mantle you don, yet they are not without overlap and one mantle should never be worn without the other one in mind. The story of the reader and the author is a romantic one, with each party fortifying their relationship by having a keen and intimate understanding of their counterpart. Always consider that the audience you are writing for is unmistakably human, complete with all the complex emotions and ethical social codes endemic to the human condition.
