Dear son,
As you embark on your career and join the workforce, allow me to offer you some advice.
First, remember the secular values you were brought up on: think for yourself, question everything, don’t follow the herd, be true to your core morals, believe only in the disprovable, don’t follow false idols, respect others, appreciate diversity, and foster inclusion.
Resist the temptation to take the easy route. Do your homework and always be the best-prepared person in the room. This will set you apart from the crowd and make them look up to you.
Act ethically and influence others to do the same. Preach your moral values and use them to chart the boundaries that you and your followers will not cross. Teach honesty and realism, but don’t let them stop you from aiming high and facing challenges head-on.
There is no shortage of immoral people keen on making a quick buck, following shortcuts, taking advantage of others’ misfortune, and bending the law to justify their deeds. Defend your core values even when the wind blows against you.
In the business world, ethics is an emergent quality, often squashed by greed and silenced by corporate politics. Seek the truth with passion and be the lonely voice insisting that ethical decisions prevail.
Go forth an prosper!
Much love, your old man.