Presidential candidate Ben Carson was recently widely ridiculed for saying that when a gunman sets out to shoot a bunch of unarmed people, someone should rush the gunman. This idea was ridiculed because it seemed to put the burden on the victims of mass shootings. But, whether or not Carson knew it, he was a discussing a well-known phenomenon called “the bystander effect.” And, given what we know about the bystander effect, he may have a point even it if it was inopportunely raised. Read more at Did Ben Carson have a point?.
A Final Lie: Seek the Advice of Counsel
November 8, 2015 — MarkWhen confronted with an ethical issue, many people and companies will turn to their legal counsel. This is a mistake. A good lawyer is someone who will judge your actions according to a set of black and white rules and try to find the path most advantageous to you – which has nothing to do with ethics. When you are looking for ethical advice, it is typically because there are no black and white rules for the situation or the black and white rules seem to be giving you the wrong answer. Of course, many things that are unethical are also illegal. So if you are planning on doing something unethical, it is not a bad idea to have counsel at hand.
Mark Pastin 