Monthly Archive for March, 2006

All of my friends from uni are currently applying for next year's graduate positions, and one in particular was offered a job at a particularly large maker of… tobacco products, in sales/marketing and an above-average salary.

My first reaction to this was "no way", on the basis that he would be selling and marketing products that *ahem* cause the deaths of many, many people around the world. Additionally, any "increases" in sales performance are, in reality, hurting people. A 25% increase in sales year-over-year means 25% more people are likely to die of lung cancer from the product being sold.

So my question is, should ethics be involved in choosing an employer? Personally, ethics definitely should play a part in the choice, but is that an approach that every person should take?

Obviously, this is an extreme case, but I think the example can be extended to companies that aren't socially responsible. Are you selling out by taking the money and working for a company whose values you don't agree with?

I find myself spending a long time trying to figure out a particular problem (without much success), but I've noticed that I'm often most productive (or creative?) when I least expect it:

• Walking home across the Bridge
• Standing on the train (I must get some weird looks, as my eyes tend to dart about)
• In the shower
• When trying to sleep, when I have to be up early the next day (usually before an exam)
• When bored in a lecture

In these situations, an idea pops into my head, my mind starts racing – it's like a fog has been lifted away – and the solutions to the problem just "appear", one after the other. Perhaps it's because (unlike every other second of the day), I'm not thinking/worrying about anything, and I'm able to really think about the problems (without interruptions and other worries). It's an interesting feeling, anyway.

(Here ends my, er… philosophical quota for the month.)