Those Who Report Unethical Behaviors and Those Who Support Unethical Behaviors (Thought Experiment)

One of the benefits of exploring hypothetical situations it that it can highlight through a devil's advocate approach some areas where improvement can occur. In our running example, there was a default in justice and intentionally few to no backstops due to presence of hate and corruption. People connected by employment and social networks to a few officials (not representing all or the majority) were able to misuse institutions in order to enrich themselves. Targeted group behaviors revealed a network of corruption that ran unchecked for years creating numerous victims that could have been protected/avoided.

What makes this example so interesting is that despite the harm, the open awareness of such corruption, and community understanding of clan-like preferences there were no backstops in local courts nor was there much attempt to do the right thing (closed system). Investigations into friend/clan networks were blocked while investigations into whistleblowers were opened. Instead of standing for certain values shared by all of society there was a willful choice to not only reward the people who caused the problem but also ensure that victims had no recourse (open and implied threats of violence common). 

Some of the behaviors were based on financial incentives, some in hate, but all related to social corruption where people made choices, knew about and intentionally undermined trust in our institutions. Numerous signs were brought forward but each was eventually ignored and the local system continued forward running against those values that people (and generations before) hold to be sacred. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, human/civil rights, and even the Constitution were not of particular value to some decision makers. 

(We have seen these things during the dark side of human nature such as courts being used in the deep south to extract wealth, oversees where ethnic cleansings are normalized, when discussing certain religious minorities, eradication of tribal/minority populations, etc. People who look back on these things are horrified at human choice. All of those incidents started with certain undermining of societal values, scapegoating, and moral bankruptcy. People may have known it was wrong but due to pressures did it anyway!)

Patriotism and societal values were not seen through merit or loyalty but through the lens of hate and the open acceptance of corruption. That same lens also allowed for major crimes that ranged to sexual exploitation of underage females (allegedly eventually committing suicide) all the way over to secret "hit lists" for widespread targeting’s. Open knowledge of such misuse of authority was not a deterrent and the risks to the community due to the poor values of some decision makers led to even more harm against other victims (...negligence on official complaints that were brought forward to help the community). 

In these instances, people must make choices. Protect the community from unchecked hate and corruption that has caused so much chaos or risk serious physical, social, and human/civil rights violations. The community stood up where some officials could not. Those who swore loyalty to a higher cause continued to stand for their principles, protect people and encourage adaptations to the closed system to bring it back in line (It is not about jail time it is about institutional integrity and values). Trust declines and perpetrators are rewarded. It limps along because of the lack of moral conscious of some decision makers. Ones beliefs in our social contracts are highly dependent not on the meaning of the words but on what position one holds, what religion they follow, their skin color, their politics, and who is friends with whom. 

Public Service Motivation and Willingness to Report Unethical Behaviors

*This is a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment so take with a grain of salt. It is meant to discuss certain topics so feel free to have a different opinion. 

Firefighter Oxygen and Physical Exertion Based on Fitness Attributes (Research)

Oxygen is a precious commodity when fighting fires and there is only so much a truck can carry at once. Oxygen usage can be a sign of physical exertion and different types of physical attributes will determine how much oxygen a firefighter would use. A study of 6 firefighters helped determine how much oxygen is used based on fitness attributes that can be used for planning operations.

Oxygen-Physical Exertion Study Results

-Strong firefighters should be used for upstairs operations. 

-Fast firefighters should be used for ground operations.

-Medium to large loads should use a shoulder strap. 

-Small loads should be hand carried up and down the stairs.

You may read the study at Research on optimal strategy of different fire rescue tasks based on oxygen consumption

While the study doesn't necessarily say this we might consider that conditioning includes weight and speed training for stronger utilization. 

Tang J, Zhang X, Wang Z, Liang T, Liu W. Research on optimal strategy of different fire rescue tasks based on oxygen consumption. Front Physiol. 2025 Mar 24;16:1548031. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1548031. PMID: 40196719; PMCID: PMC11973316. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11973316/

Note: Continuing to work on a project to help volunteer and full-time firefighters with a website that hosts firefighter research, strategies, training videos and information. It will hopefully also be used to support fundraising efforts, but we will wait to see. 

The Will and the Way of Leadership Goals (Research)

Goals often define who will succeed and who won't. Just like you wouldn't jump into your car and head across the country to places unknown without a map, you also don't want to spin your wheels on goal setting if you do not have the ability or the desire to achieve such goals. According to research one must have the motivation to put effort on their goals (the will) as well as the capacity to achieve their goals (the way).

(Before we move on, this might be important. If you’re looking for some resources on how to set goals you may review Goal Setting Techniques)

Continuing......

The Will and The Way

The will and the way are going to determine whether or not you will be successful in achieving the goals you set or you will not be able to achieve those goals. Consider,

1. Success will take a level of motivation. You may have designed your methods down to the smallest granule of activity but if you can't stick with it each and every day you are going to struggle. It’s not enough to think about your skills, so you will need to have the will.

2. Goal achievement also requires careful thought on how, whether they are important enough to put effort into, what steps you will take, or the amount of time needed. The ability to think through how you are going to accomplish your goals with the resources and time you have at your disposable will determine the way.

According to this research the way is often related to cognitive skills, capacities and abilities while the will is related to people's motivation to complete a task and can be enhanced through the proper incentives. What one might consider is that while we are limited by general constraints such as our own abilities which may or may not be able to be improved, we can impact our motivation.

The Neuroscience of Goals and Behavior Change

Berkman ET. The Neuroscience of Goals and Behavior Change. Consult Psychol J. 2018 Mar;70(1):28-44. doi: 10.1037/cpb0000094. PMID: 29551879; PMCID: PMC5854216.

Two Examples of Values and the Need to Encourage Thoughtfulness (Hypothetical Thought Experiment on Hate and Corruption)

Thinking about values and accountability we can find ways to enhance and support with thoughtful diligence our most important values we all share. While the vast majority of people do the right thing we can learn to be more thoughtful when they don't. I present two examples for learning of which one is used in a long running thought experiment (These are theoretical discussions of possibilities only.).

Example 1:

A teacher reported physical abuse of kids at a detention center. The teacher was eventually dismissed. Allegedly, parents were afraid to report, other guards were afraid to report, and there were numerous other complaints. While eventually there was greater scrutiny over the alleged misconduct it went on for years and it was against children with some people's knowledge. Initial internal investigators found the claims were "unsubstantiated". Let us further the example and say more kids were harmed. These kids who may now grow up to cause more problems instead of being helped. The sins of our past continue to haunt us over and over for decades because we are not wise enough to see the error of our ways. 

Example 2: 

A group of corrupted officials went out of their way to try and remove/pressure people they did not like from "their" community. Hate rumors, putting kids at risk, taking advantage of the elderly, misusing official positions to financially reward friends, mistreating veterans, and a long-steming history of negligence for the misbehaviors of the past and misbehaviors that occurred after whistleblowers came forward. Victims had no recourse that didn't include additional aggression, targeting and misuse of authority to advance the network and in group's goals.

What happens if someday the unsubstantiated claims were substantiated? Would the failure to objectively investigate, failure to protect victims and failure to correct indicate that something is wrong? How does declining trust play into this?

Standing up for certain values has little or no support in some circles and that is why such behaviors continue on for a long time creating victim after victim. However, there is hope as people begin to create awareness of some of the underlining problems and some of the potential solutions. Supporting and encouraging good officials to move up in authority and appropriate checks and balances can help. Belief and diligence of our central values is important for our future as a people. Those who support those values may not always be appreciated but they have long term value to society. Society being the ultimate stakeholders.

*This is a theoretical thought experiment discussion so take with a grain of salt and feel to have an alternative opinion. This is for discussion only.

April Shows $258 Million Surplus: The Federal Treasury's Balance Sheet Improved

The US Treasury Department announced $850 receipts and $258 billion surplus in an improved bottom line position. That money can perhaps be used to spur additional investments through focused network/infrastructure investments, pay down debt, improve some needed service and/or bump up the military or other (I wonder what it would be like to invest a little in ship building or other clusters, improve an industry or create a new sustainable cluster to test out an idea. A sustainable development idea where money is returned back into a system to create net positives. Perpetual Sustainable Economy. Ok...sorry I'm sort of dreaming here for a moment but sometimes......someday......🤔). Now let us watch what happens with the surplus and that should tell us a little about the strategy being used to enhance the U.S. as a strong market performer.

US Treasury April Receipts

Disc Personality-Dominance Style (Yikes!) What is Yours?

Personality impacts how we manage and influences the approach we take to choices and decisions. Assessments allow us to have some type of outside/objective assessment of our personality in a way as benchmarked against others. Sometimes, something we didn't know about ourselves comes forward. I'm working on a project and am exploring different types of assessments that executives may need to be successful. In other words, "What type of assessments provides a full rounded picture of oneself so as to influence performance?”

Let me give you an example. I feel that I'm competitive but not dominant by nature. In my perspective I'm sort of sheepish. A little passive and too forgiving. Yet in history I have risen to occasion when pushed and perhaps outperformed most people, even if they had more experience. These were deeper traits that I didn't know I had until I was required to learn, develop and use them. Sometimes I look back and think "hmmm....I didn't know I had that skill. Go figure!"  Much is about awareness.

(I like to think of it a little like Good Will Hunting. Yaaa... tough background no opportunity but good soul kind of thing. Sort of took risks for higher principles with out any incentives...internally drivenwhen others had few values. What people don't know about this movie is that the older person and the younger person are the same/similar and it is a father-son or a older verson of oneself sharing wisdom to a younger self. Giving back knowledge is important to make the world a little better place. To say the things others don't want to say even when they are inconvenient. It is a deeply driven goal derived from thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of speed read books and a lifetime of observations and self-reflection. The world is full of wasted talent and that is why it is important to develop our human capital for society and for our futures. Maybe not?  Good Will Hunting).🤔

The DISC assessment teaches who we are from a management style. Things we may not view ourselves about ourselves. While my style came out with a Dominant stance I must admit I think of myself as very collaborative in my approach (may or may not be accurate). You may also find that yours is a little different than what you would have thought. Others might view me different than I view myself and therefore I should take a few seconds to assess how I might come across from another person's perspective who doesn't know my life, thoughts, and beliefs. The process of self reflection makes a big difference. Refect but don't over reflect because you got to be who you are born to be. Society needs all types.,,even if not all people understand that in its broadest sense or don't respect the full diversity of our species and/or society.

You can take your own free test at FREE DISC ASSESSMENT

Anyway, this is how I came out and yes, I believe different styles have different values at different times and places. That is why I'm not indifferent to differences. Embrace difference! 🤣

Dominant (quoted):

Although “D” type people are direct, they are not necessarily hasty. They think things through and do not dive head-in so that they can have regrets later. A “D” personality will take responsibility for their action, as they have taken the best possible course of action. Other traits include: assertive, dynamic, and efficient. Such an individual will not lose time to get to the bottom line. Highly motivated, ambitious, and bright, this person will play detective as long as it takes to solve the problem!

If competing with a “D” person, be prepared for a hell of a race! Dominant people enjoy challenges and will most certainly rise to the occasion! That means they are goal-oriented and aim high; at the same time, they are very resourceful and adaptive, so they have a reputation for being formidable opponents.

Working with D:

Cut straight to the point! There’s no need for the one-hour introduction!
Respect their need for autonomy.
Clarify with them what the rules and expectations are
Show that you are self-sufficient and competent
Let them charge; they like it!

Amvets Post #123 Golf Fundraiser June 14th, 2025: The health benefits of golf

The last few years I have been getting more into golf. Yes, I know it may be an age thing, but I also like the outdoors and some of the social events. Interestingly, there are also some health benefits to playing golf. The article Health Benefits of Golf discusses the physical side of the game. However, there are likely additional benefits to being out in the fresh air and green grass. 

If you are in the area and want to play, consider joining. Amvets Post #123 serves local veterans and community. A good page and resource for veteran type issues in the area. They are non-profit so feel free to throw them some donations. It goes for a good cause. Escanaba Amvets Post #123